I've been reworking the way I frame Deep City after receiving a lot of useful criticism about scale.

The cavern is approximately 3 × 3 km and 1.5 km high, but my previous images weren't really communicating those dimensions.

So rather than changing the actual geometry, I've started experimenting with how the environment is presented: lower viewpoints, stronger perspective, different depth relationships and closer compositions that don't try to reveal everything at once.

These three images are part of that process.

There are limits to what I can add or move because the environment belongs to a specific point in the project's established storyline, so I'm trying to make the scale work through composition rather than breaking those constraints.

It's still very much a work in progress, but I think I'm starting to understand the problem differently.

Curious to know which of these approaches gives you the strongest impression of scale.

A follow-up to my previous question about communicating extreme scale in Blender.

Thanks to u/Nosarious and u/Smokeey1, and to everyone else who contributed suggestions.

I've spent the last few days going through the feedback and testing some of the ideas.

One lesson in particular has stuck with me: knowing that the cavern measures 3 × 3 km × 1.5 km doesn't mean I actually understand what those dimensions should look like — and it certainly doesn't mean the viewer does.

Real-world comparisons, camera height, perspective, depth cues and the relationship between foreground and background seem much more important than simply making the model physically enormous.

I'm now experimenting with those ideas in these camera tests.

I also have to work within the restrictions of an existing story and script — Ørbital Expedition, 2407 CE / 306 p.A. — so I can't solve every problem by adding a convenient object purely for scale.

I'm not an expert, and this is proving harder than I expected, but that's also why the feedback has been so useful.

These are three of the latest tests. I'd be very interested to know whether any of them are moving in the right direction.

Acabo de leer Ubik, de Philip K. Dick

¡Magnífica!

Después de la última decepción, necesitaba una historia así 😃

Hay algo deliberadamente imposible en esta imagen.

La Deep City que vemos reconstruida pertenece a su Edad de Oro — 2150–2350 CE.

La nave que entra por el conducto superior pertenece a la Expedición Ørbital — 2407 CE / 306 p.A.

Ambas nunca coexistieron.

Cuando la expedición llega realmente a esta caverna en 2407, Deep City lleva décadas destruida.

La imagen combina deliberadamente dos líneas temporales.

Tras cartografiar las ruinas, la expedición utiliza Structural Reconstruction Protocol (Blender 3D v. ∞) para intentar reconstruir el aspecto de la ciudad antes de su colapso. Posteriormente, la propia nave de la expedición se introduce en esa reconstrucción como referencia de escala.

La razón son las dimensiones del lugar.

La caverna mide aproximadamente 3 × 3 km y alcanza 1,5 km de altura.

Los números permiten medirla. No necesariamente permiten imaginarla.

Por eso esta reconstrucción sacrifica deliberadamente la coherencia temporal para mantener la coherencia espacial.

La nave que vemos nunca entró en esa Deep City.

Entró en sus ruinas, más de medio siglo después.

Dos épocas diferentes ocupando artificialmente el mismo espacio.

Una imagen de Deep City que ningún personaje de su historia pudo contemplar jamás.

UNIFIED PLANETARY ARCHIVE — EURO-ASIAN ENCLAVE

Inter-Enclave Transcript / Techno-Cognitive Record

Expedition EX2407pD-QW

Author: Dr. Noam Ørbital, Phase-3 / Rational Systems Division

Date: 2407 CE / 306 p.A.

The mothership has completed additional orbital passes around Deep City, providing a new observation angle beyond that of my previous transmission. This revised perspective has significantly improved the accuracy of the Structural Reconstruction Protocol (Blender 3D v. ∞).

The reconstruction now integrates Ilghal code fragments recovered both inside the cave and across the surrounding surface with the cartographic data collected by the auxiliary vessel. The resulting model offers our closest approximation yet of Deep City before the Collapse.

The first image presents the reconstructed city in its intact state. In the second, two of the four structural blocks have been temporarily hidden to expose the central volume, allowing a clearer examination of the city's internal organization. Several architectural relationships that appeared meaningless within the ruins become coherent only when observed in this reconstructed configuration.

The third image reproduces the identical viewpoint, but this time it records the city exactly as we found it during Expedition EX2407pD-QW. Comparing both states reveals the disappearance of major structural elements, the displacement of enormous masses, and the extent to which the Collapse altered the original geometry of Deep City.

To provide the laboratories with an accurate visual reference, a reconstruction of our expedition vessel has been included in the first and third images. Its presence allows the true scale of the megastructure to be assessed with far greater confidence.

Every reconstruction narrows the unknown. Every recovered fragment makes it increasingly difficult to believe that this city simply failed by accident.

— Dr. Noam Ørbital

Rational Systems Division, Ørbital Expedition – 2407 CE / 306 p.A.

Transmission authorized via Ilghal-QW Channel

La Expedición EX2407pD-QW continúa refinando la reconstrucción de Deep City mediante el Structural Reconstruction Protocol (Blender 3D v. ∞).

Las nuevas simulaciones combinan los fragmentos de código Ilghal recuperados tanto en el interior de la cueva como en la superficie con los datos cartográficos obtenidos por la nave auxiliar. 

Además, la nave nodriza ha completado nuevos pases orbitales alrededor de la ciudad, proporcionando un ángulo de observación diferente al de la transmisión anterior y mejorando la precisión de la reconstrucción.

Las dos primeras imágenes muestran Deep City antes del colapso. En la segunda se han ocultado temporalmente dos de los cuatro bloques para revelar el espacio central de la ciudad y facilitar el estudio de su organización interna. Esta nueva perspectiva ayuda a interpretar estructuras que, observadas únicamente en las ruinas actuales, resultaban difíciles de comprender.

La tercera imagen corresponde exactamente al mismo punto de observación, pero muestra el estado en el que la expedición encontró Deep City en 2407 CE / 306 p.A. La comparación directa entre ambas escenas permite medir con claridad la magnitud del colapso y comprender cómo la ciudad perdió gran parte de su arquitectura original.

Como referencia visual de escala, la nave de la Expedición EX2407pD-QW aparece en la primera y en la tercera imagen. Su presencia permite apreciar las dimensiones reales de las estructuras reconstruidas y cuantificar con mayor precisión las deformaciones provocadas por el colapso.

Cada nueva simulación reduce la incertidumbre. Poco a poco, Deep City deja de ser únicamente un conjunto de ruinas y comienza a revelar cómo fue realmente antes de desaparecer bajo la roca.

¿Qué detalle de la reconstrucción os llama más la atención al compararla con el estado actual de la ciudad?

This is a frame from Deep City, a long-term sci-fi project I'm creating entirely in Blender 3D.

One of my goals is to make the architecture feel overwhelming. Instead of relying on multiple props or visual tricks, I wanted a single character to communicate the scale of this enormous interior.

The environment itself becomes part of the narrative, and finding the right composition has been just as important as modeling it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts:

Does the scale come across?

Does the composition work, or would you frame it differently?

Is there anything that breaks the illusion of size?

I also have a technical question for Blender artists.

Because these interiors are hundreds of meters across, I'm constantly fighting perspective/parallax distortion when trying to compose wide shots. If I zoom in, I lose the sense of scale; if I go wider, the perspective starts to feel exaggerated.

Has anyone dealt with this on large architectural scenes?

If you can recommend any tutorials, videos, articles, or workflows for camera setup in massive environments—especially techniques to reduce perspective distortion while preserving the feeling of scale—I would really appreciate it.

Thanks for taking the time to look, and I'm looking forward to your artistic and technical feedback!

These images are part of my long-term sci-fi art project, Deep City.

The concept behind this series was to tell a story through environmental reconstruction. Instead of simply designing a futuristic megacity, I imagined archaeologists discovering its ruins centuries later and using the surviving structures to recreate what it once looked like.

The sequence moves from the collapsed city to progressively more complete reconstructions, ending with cutaway views that reveal the hidden interior of the megastructure. I also added the expedition spacecraft to one render to help communicate the city's enormous scale.

My goal was to combine cinematic sci-fi imagery with architectural visualization and environmental storytelling—letting the environment itself suggest the history of a civilization that no longer exists.

Everything shown here is part of the same original universe. The story, worldbuilding, timeline, and artwork are original, and every model, light, render, and composite was created entirely in Blender 3D.

I'd love to know which image resonates with you the most.

Does the sequence successfully convey the feeling of rediscovering a lost civilization?

How do you explore a city that's been dead for hundreds of years?

In my original sci-fi project, Deep City, the expedition decides not to enter the unexplored interior immediately. 

Instead, it first reconstructs the city as it existed before its collapse using only the geometry mapped by an autonomous survey vessel.

The result is shown here.

The sequence begins with the city in its present ruined state, followed by the reconstructed structural model, a full restoration with the expedition spacecraft added for scale, and finally cutaway views exposing the hidden interior of the megastructure.

Within the story, this reconstruction becomes a scientific tool. By comparing the original layout with the surviving ruins, the expedition hopes to determine what changed during the catastrophe before investigating the only remaining source of residual energy still active inside Deep City.

I wanted the project to feel less like a typical futuristic city and more like scientific exploration mixed with archaeology and engineering.

Everything shown here is part of the same original universe. The story, worldbuilding, timeline, and characters are original, and every environment was modeled, lit, rendered, and composited entirely in Blender 3D.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Would reconstructing a civilization before exploring it be a sensible first step? Which image works best for telling that story?

What if the first step in exploring an abandoned megacity wasn't going inside... but reconstructing what it looked like before it fell?

That's the idea behind these images from my original sci-fi universe, Deep City.

After mapping the accessible sectors of the ruined city, the expedition generates a virtual reconstruction using only the surviving structures as evidence. 

The first reconstruction shows the complete megacity, while the following images reveal its internal organization by hiding two of the four massive suspended blocks.

In the story, the reconstruction isn't just a visual exercise. It's a scientific tool. By comparing the reconstructed city with its current ruined state, the expedition hopes to identify what changed during the catastrophe before venturing deeper into the unexplored areas.

I wanted the project to feel closer to archaeology, engineering, and scientific investigation than to a traditional "futuristic city" illustration.

Everything shown here is part of the same original project. The story, worldbuilding, timeline, and characters are my own, while all modeling, lighting, rendering, and compositing were created entirely in Blender 3D.

I'd love to hear your thoughts:

Does the reconstruction concept make the world feel more believable?

Which image tells the story best?

Would you want to explore a city like this?

One aspect of hard science fiction that has always fascinated me is reconstruction from evidence rather than invention.

For this project, I first modeled Deep City as a collapsed megastructure and only afterward attempted to reconstruct its original configuration using the surviving geometry as archaeological evidence.

The images show the progression:

Present-day collapsed state.

Structural reconstruction derived from the mapped remains.

Complete reconstruction with the expedition spacecraft included for scale.

Structural diagram of the four suspended blocks.

A cutaway reconstruction revealing the city's central volume.

Within the story, the reconstruction is produced from cartographic data gathered by an autonomous survey vessel and refined using a fictional Structural Reconstruction Protocol. 

The goal is not simply to create an attractive visualization, but to infer the original architecture from incomplete physical evidence before sending the expedition deeper into the structure.

I tried to approach the process the same way an archaeologist or structural engineer might: every reconstructed element should be supported by surviving geometry rather than arbitrary design choices.

The entire project—including the story, worldbuilding, chronology, modeling, lighting, rendering, and compositing—is original and created in Blender 3D.

I'd be interested in hearing from other hard sci-fi fans:

Does this evidence-based reconstruction approach feel believable?

Would you infer the missing structures differently?

What additional information would you expect an expedition to gather before trusting a reconstruction like this?

Imagina descubrir las ruinas de una ciudad gigantesca enterrada durante décadas... y tratar de averiguar cómo era antes de su destrucción.

Eso es precisamente lo que ocurre en Deep City.

Tras cartografiar los cuatro sectores accesibles de la ciudad, la expedición consigue generar una reconstrucción virtual de su estado original a partir de los restos conservados. La primera imagen muestra la ciudad completa, mientras que las siguientes permiten observar su estructura interna ocultando parte de los enormes bloques suspendidos que la componían.

Toda la reconstrucción forma parte de la narrativa de Deep City, un universo original de ciencia ficción que combina exploración, arqueología tecnológica y misterio.

Todo el proyecto está realizado en Blender 3D: modelado, escenarios, iluminación, renderizado y composición. También son originales la historia, el guion, la cronología y el universo narrativo.

Me interesa saber qué os transmite este tipo de ciencia ficción.

¿Os atraen más las historias de exploración y descubrimiento que las de acción? ¿Qué sensación os producen este tipo de megastructuras abandonadas?

Me encantará leer vuestra opinión.

I'd like to share a workflow experiment I've been developing in Blender 3D and get some feedback from people interested in environment creation and visualization.

Instead of modeling a futuristic city in its ideal state, I started by creating it as a collapsed megastructure. Once the ruined version was complete, I used that geometry as the basis for reconstructing what the city must have looked like before the disaster.

The sequence shows the workflow:

Final collapsed environment.

Structural reconstruction from the existing geometry.

Complete reconstructed model with a spacecraft added to provide scale.

Structural overview of the four suspended blocks.

A cutaway version revealing the interior organization.

The idea was to approach the project almost like an archaeological or architectural reconstruction rather than traditional concept art.

I'd appreciate feedback on both the artistic and technical side:

Does this workflow make sense?

Is the progression between the images easy to follow?

Are the cutaway views useful?

If you were presenting this project in a portfolio, would you organize the images differently?

Everything shown here—modeling, lighting, rendering, and compositing—was created in Blender 3D as part of the same long-term personal project.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

A few years ago I started building a sci-fi megastructure in Blender 3D. Recently I tried something different: instead of only showing finished renders, I wanted to visualize the reconstruction process itself.

These images tell that story.

The first image shows the city after its collapse. From that ruined geometry, I reconstructed what the structure might have looked like before the catastrophe. The following renders progressively reveal the complete megastructure, including a spacecraft added purely to give a sense of scale, followed by cutaway views exposing the interior layout.

My intention was to blend cinematic presentation with a technical reconstruction, somewhere between concept art, architectural visualization, and archaeological interpretation.

Everything you see here—from modeling and layout to lighting, rendering, and compositing—was created in Blender 3D as part of the same long-term personal project.

I'd love to know what you think, especially about the visual storytelling:

Does the progression from ruins to reconstruction work?

Is the scale immediately understandable?

Which image is the strongest as a standalone piece?

Thanks for taking a look. Feedback is always appreciated.

I've been working for years on a personal sci-fi project called Deep City, entirely modeled and rendered in Blender 3D.

The idea behind these images was a bit different from my usual workflow. Instead of designing a city from scratch, I first modeled it in its collapsed state and then used the geometry I'd already created to reconstruct how it must have looked before the disaster.

The sequence shows the process:

The city as it's found after the collapse.

A structural reconstruction generated from the mapped geometry.

The first complete reconstruction, with the expedition spacecraft added for scale.

A structural diagram of the four suspended blocks.

A cutaway version hiding two blocks to reveal the interior organization.

My goal wasn't just to create a good-looking render, but to build a model that feels like the result of an archaeological reconstruction based on available evidence.

I'd love to hear your feedback:

Does the reconstruction feel believable?

Is the sense of scale clear?

Would you present the interior differently?

Any ideas for improving the visualization or readability?

Everything shown here was modeled and rendered in Blender 3D as part of the same worldbuilding project. Any critique or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Inter-Enclave Transcript / Ilghal-QW Channel

Date: 2407 CE / 306 p.A.

Origin: Expedition EX306pA-QW

Destination: Eurasian Enclave Laboratories

Expedition EX306pA-QW — Transmission to Eurasian Laboratories

The auxiliary vessel has completed enough of the cartographic survey to begin the first full structural reconstruction of Deep City as it existed before the collapse.

Using the geometric data collected during the mission, recovered Ilghal fragments, and the Structural Reconstruction Protocol (Blender 3D v.∞), we have generated our first complete simulation of the city in its operational state.

The first reconstruction presents all four suspended blocks together. For scale reference, I have included a reconstruction of our own expedition vessel. Only by comparing the ship with the megastructure does the true size of Deep City become apparent.

A second visualization removes two of the four suspended blocks. This allows direct observation of the city's central interior, exposing the spatial relationships between platforms, structural systems, and the main circulation volumes that were previously hidden from view.

These models will become our primary analytical tool.

By comparing the reconstructed city with its present collapsed condition, we expect to identify which structures failed during the catastrophe, which survived intact, and whether the only remaining residual energy source corresponds to an element that already existed before the collapse—or to something that appeared afterward.

The reconstruction is still incomplete.

Each new survey transmitted by the auxiliary vessel improves the model and brings us one step closer to understanding what truly happened inside Deep City.

— Dr. Noam Ørbital

Expedition EX306pA-QW

Personal project developed entirely in Blender 3D. Original story, script, universe, timeline, and modeling. The reconstruction is based on the Deep City project canon.

I’m currently refining the visual language of a Blender 3D noir graphic novel and would love to get some feedback from the community.

These two images are the exact same artwork from the “Collapse of Deep City” (~2361–2365 CE) timeline. The only difference is the way the dialogue is integrated into the final image.

Version A

Colored technical header.

Dialogue in white/gray.

More subtle and interface-like.

Version B

Same technical header.

Dialogue uses each character’s color (red for Pit, cyan for Fly).

Stronger visual impact and character distinction.

Instead of traditional comic speech balloons, I’m trying to make the dialogue feel like part of the artwork itself, blending graphic design, UI elements, and storytelling into a single composition.

I’d love to hear your opinion:

Which version feels more visually appealing?

Which one better preserves the artwork?

Does the colored dialogue enhance the composition or become distracting?

Which style would you choose for a complete graphic novel?

Everything in these images—from modeling and lighting to rendering and composition—was created in Blender 3D.

Thanks in advance for any feedback! I’m especially interested in opinions about composition, typography, color balance, and overall visual storytelling.

Inter-Enclave Transcript / Ilghal-QW Channel

Date: 2407 CE / 306 p.A.

Origin: Expedition EX306pA-QW

Destination: Eurasian Enclave Laboratories

The auxiliary survey craft has returned to the mothership.

All four accessible sectors of Deep City have now been mapped. The ruins are no longer the biggest unknown.

What we don’t understand is what they used to be.

I’ve instructed the Eurasian laboratories to begin a full structural reconstruction of Deep City as it existed before the collapse. The model will combine the survey data collected during the expedition, the recovered Ilghal fragments, and the Structural Reconstruction Protocol (Blender 3D v. ∞).

Only by comparing the reconstructed city with the one we found can we identify structures that no longer exist, recover lost access routes, and understand the purpose of spaces that now appear as meaningless debris.

Some of the first reconstruction tests are already producing unexpected results.

Several collapsed structures seem to have served functions completely different from what their current geometry suggests.

For that reason, I have postponed any attempt to enter the Fourth Block.

Walking into a ruin without knowing what it once was would almost guarantee a false interpretation.

The reconstruction begins now.

Only then will we decide whether we are ready to open the next door.

Dr. Noam Ørbital

Expedition EX306pA-QW

[Blender 3D · Affinity Designer. No AI]

DEEP CITY - Canonical Chronology

EVENT	DATE
Revolution	2053 CE
Awakening	2101 CE / 0 p.A.
Construction and Expansion of Deep City	2101–2150 CE
Golden Age of Deep City	2150–2350 CE
Logits Systems Crisis	2350–2360 CE
Pit Matson Narrative Period	~2360 CE / ~259 p.A.
Collapse of Deep City	~2361–2365 CE / ~260–264 p.A.
Pit [reloaded] & Mars Attacks Expedition (EX271pA-WG) — First Eurasian expedition to investigate anomalous signals in the Hidden Hemisphere. During the mission, the team discovers the severed head of Morris Sic, initiating the investigation that will eventually reveal the existence of Deep City. Both scientists subsequently disappear.	2372 CE / 271 p.A.
Ørbital Expedition (EX306pA-QW) — Mission to determine the fate of Dr. Pit [reloaded] and Dr. Mars Attacks. During the search, the expedition discovers the ruins of Deep City and begins reconstructing its history from recovered Ilghal fragments.	2407 CE / 306 p.A.

This is the production pipeline I'm using for the noir comic timeline of Deep City, set during the final years before the city's collapse (~2360 CE).

The goal is to move from a quick visual idea to a finished comic panel while preserving composition and cinematic framing throughout the process.

Pipeline:

Image 01 – Rough storyboard in Procreate.

Image 02 – Layout refinement and technical metadata in Affinity Designer.

Image 03 – Final scene modeled and rendered in Blender 3D.

Image 04 – Final comic panel combining the Blender render with dialogue, HUD elements and recovered archive metadata in Affinity Designer.

The comic is presented as a recovered system log rather than a traditional comic page. Dialogue is minimal, while the lower technical panel provides contextual information such as communication channel, location, acoustic profile and archive status.

Everything is part of the same transmedia narrative, where reports, comics and 3D environments all tell different pieces of the same story.

Tools: Blender 3D · Procreate · Affinity Designer

No AI-generated artwork. AI is only used as a writing/translation assistant.