THE SHIP In the "Action" scene shown above, the Variant 3 / "Guidon of Generosity" hospital ship is shown approaching a large hospital station. This variant exists in a SF universe similar to that of James White's "Sector General" series of SF novels and short stories. In this universe, military vessels serve more as Coast Guard or peacekeeping police ships rather than being engaged in frequent fleet actions. As a hospital ship, Variant 3 is of course unarmed. Its numerous hangars bays hold a variety of sublight and small faster-than-light capable shuttles and ambulances. The different colored viewports exist because of the varying atmospheres required by the sentient species served by the vessel. The font used for the registration markings was created by fellow speculative spaceship designer Michael Mobes. The medical logos used were based on a description in James White's novel "Ambulance Ship." The inspirations for "Guidon of Generosity" are the "Mon Calamari" cruisers of "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi." THE PROJECT The Starship Variants project involves taking one basic hull design and creating six distinct variations on it. The variants differ from each other in a number of ways. They have contrasting functions and missions. Each ship is set in its own distinct science fiction universe. The vessels represent different levels of space-faring technology and social development on the part of their users. The ships are alike in that they not only share the same rough shape, but also are about the same size. They are all intended to be occupied by humans and possibly by other sentient beings as well. As a humorous touch, the versions all have whimsical names that follow the same basic naming convention. The contrasting fictional universes the ships exist in vary from the predictably violent where space warfare is common to the serene where humans as a species have advanced beyond the need or desire to attempt to control tracts for space for political or economic purposes. In a way, the six starship variants and their respective universe can be seen as alternatives in how we chose to envision our future in space. The designs are ordered deliberately as a progression from a relatively low level of star travel technology and human interstellar social development to a quite high level of the same. The Starship Variants project was done over a period of about fours months and took over fifty hours to complete. You can see many more images from the Starship Variants project, as well as from numerous other 3D CGI projects I have done, on my personal website: www.dcmstarships.com.