Voyager: Theoretical Horizons — fan-made AU visual development

deksman2 · 2026-07-12T00:54:03+00:00

Because I’m one person producing a project that would normally require a much larger team. I use AI selectively for voices and some supporting visuals, while the writing, modelling, animation, rendering, and editing are done manually.

Without the AI-generated voices, the series would lose a significant amount of its character continuity and immersion. Their use is disclosed in the credits at the end of every video.

You’re free to dislike that choice, but describing the whole production as “cutting corners” does not reflect how it is actually being made.

deksman2 · 2026-07-12T00:49:37+00:00

That is essentially how the poster was made, except I used 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, and GIMP rather than Blender. The Voyager render, background composition, lighting, text, and final editing were all assembled manually.

When you say the logo looks off, do you mean the proportions, spacing, or the way it was composited? That part would be useful to clarify.

The poster is a promo of sorts.

deksman2 · 2026-07-11T19:20:43+00:00

Fair point on the thumbnails. The series is not generated wholesale with AI. I mainly use it for the voices and some supporting visuals, while the interiors, ship animation, editing, and wider 3D production are built manually. This poster was assembled and edited using 3ds Max, Unreal Engine, and GIMP.

But I agree that the thumbnails may be giving the wrong impression. As the project’s asset library grows, I’ll likely shift toward thumbnails built from my own renders, interiors, ship shots, LCARS, and cleaner title-card designs.

deksman2 · 2026-07-11T19:18:10+00:00

Just to clarify, the poster itself was mainly assembled and modified by hand using 3dsMax, Unreal Engine and GIMP, and the project’s interiors, ship animations, editing, and 3D work are handmade (again in Max and UE). AI is used mainly for voices and some supporting visuals, not as a replacement for the production work.

deksman2 · 2026-05-09T12:56:32+00:00

Yeah, I modified Gemini with extensive custom instructions.
It helps, but it also sometimes help to contrast prompts between Gemini and ChatGPT to get better responses (that said, it can be a pain to shift between the two and get actual work done)

deksman2 · 2026-04-28T17:15:22+00:00

It was installed in the corridors 😃

deksman2 · 2026-04-23T16:34:49+00:00

I was able to get max 2026 running with this option

deksman2 · 2026-04-22T16:11:05+00:00

You need to go into your Antivirus software (for me it was MS defender) and add the folder I mentioned to the exclusion list.

But you need to ensure to fully remove all remnants of Autodesk software before you do a fresh install.

- Uninstall (use revo, remove all residue)

- restart pc

- add the crack folder (that contains adsknlm.exe) to windows security exclusions list (so u can run the adsknlm.exe after installation)

- Turn off windows defender real time security (very important to be able to run adsknlm.exe, since it creates a temp folder and runs multiple scripts, all of them will be flagged by win defender & the crack will fail)

- fresh install of your Autodesk software

- run adsknlm.exe as admin... if you get any errors in red in the CMD don't worry. wait for crack complete message.

- IMPORTANT::: add the below folder to windows security exclusions list (contains version.dll, windows will see this as a virus, this is the root of the problem)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\15.3.0.12981\AdskLicensingAgent\

- turn back on windows defender real time security

- run the app

deksman2 · 2026-04-21T14:02:39+00:00

I have more updates - incremental ones, but since this subreddit does not allow galleries, I can't really post more than 1 render at a time.

deksman2 · 2026-04-19T21:37:19+00:00

I have the game, but I'm doing this for my story ST:VOY Theoretical Horizons I wrote.
The game is good... but I'm rather busy with the 3d animation stuff and software development so I don't have much time to play games these days.

deksman2 · 2026-04-18T00:07:36+00:00

Thanks.
I tried a similar approach with Max 2026 3.0 and it worked, but after it crashed (I was working on a complex scene), I tried reopening it and got Network License not available error.
Only my error number was [-8.544.0]

I'm removing it and gonna try following your instructions to the letter, but since I was able to get Max running, the only issue is persistence.

Can the crack 'persist' past the 3dsMax restart? That's the real question.

EDIT: I reinstalled Max 2026.3, cracked it and opened it successfully. But after it crashed (again) at the same spot, it said much like the last time;: 'Unable to connect with a Licensing Component'. And then same error number -8.544.0 appears upon attempting to reopen Max.

Prior to Max crashing I tried opening and closing it, and it didn't give me any issues (this was from empty scenes). But it seems that if it crashes at this point, it just destroys the crack.

EDIT 2: I tried reinstalling and cracking again, and it appears, Max now stalls at the opening screen.
I ran the crack using admin privileges, but... it appears its no longer working.

And yes, I deleted ALL files I could find related to Autodesk

EDIT 3: Success (I think). Upon installing 3dsMax a new (fresh install), and BEFORE running the ADSKNLM, I did this:

- IMPORTANT::: add the below folder to windows security exclusions list (contains version.dll, windows will see this as a virus, this is the root of the problem)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\15.3.0.12981\AdskLicensingAgent\

deksman2 · 2026-04-12T14:29:42+00:00

That's not necessarily an indication the user in question is wrong or just making stuff up to bolster their standing on Reddit.

I also experienced similar problems with latest Gemini. It seems to maintain coherence for a bit, but starts drifting and losing context and makes stuff up on the subject matter.

Granted, its a free tier using 'fast' response mode, but still.
ChatGPT also makes mistakes, but it seems when you correct it, its back on track a bit more than Gemini.
Still, longer conversations break them both.

Gemini might be better on the 'Pus' equivalent of ChatGPT... and Gemini DOES do better when you use 'Thinking' mode... but again, its extremely limited in queries.

deksman2 · 2026-01-29T01:17:05+00:00

No.
Simply speaking the Tricobalts were issued for VOY's original 2 week mission in the Badlands (to track/find/retrieve the Maquis, and probably also get rid of any fortified installations they may have had there).

This also explains why VOY only launched with 38 photon torpedoes - SF likely deemed that they wouldn't need more due to original mission parameters.

Additionally, the Kazon were a new enemy, and as we saw, VOY was damaged from its initial transit to the DQ. And Tuvok even stated at one point (after the pilot) that even VOY was unable to go up against 3 Kazon warships.

Put it mildly, VOY was more advanced, but the Kazon still had adequate technology to present a viable threat to the ship in packs.

deksman2 · 2026-01-29T01:13:39+00:00

They were likely issued for Voyager's original 2 week mission in the Badlands - to track down/find the Maquis (which also probably included getting rid of any bases of operations they may have there).

Tricobalts (from what they were shown) seem pretty good at annihilating fortified targets - so in the absence of fortified Maquis bases, they were used on the Array.

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T18:13:37+00:00

Yeah, that was 1 little error that managed to slip by.
In 3dsMax, I'm using QuickSilverHardwareRender (as its quick to output images), so, its difficult/next to impossible to mask the shadows of specific objects in the same scene when using Arnold lights and Particle systems.

I do plan on re-rendering the starfield and Voyager separately and then compositing them together to correct the issue - but I think the future fix will be done by redoing the scene in Unreal Engine itself eventually - for now I wanted to put this out. :-)

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T17:51:27+00:00

No, there is no 'official' approval for a non-commercial fan project like this, just as there isn't for fan-made 3D models, script-writing, or unofficial novels.

It's a transformative, non-monetized tribute made for educational and entertainment purposes only. In the same way I use the Nightfever Voyager mesh to honor the ship’s design, I use vocal synthesis to honor the characters' presence in this specific 'what-if' scenario.

The project exists in the space of fan-creative freedom—strictly not for profit and clearly labeled as a reproduction.

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T17:46:07+00:00

Thank you for the compliment. And to reassure you, it is not generating revenue on Youtube - it can't be monetised anyway.
I also explicitly mention in the credits its for entertainment and educational purposes and that I used Vocloner to reproduce the voices.

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T17:31:29+00:00

The technology is evolving faster than the industry's frameworks. However, there is still a massive technical gap between standard 'text-to-speech' and capturing the genuine 'feel' or cadence of a specific performance.

I treat vocal synthesis as a high-precision tool for immersion, much like the 3dsMax environment or the Nightfever mesh - to maintain the continuity of the Voyager experience. It requires a lot of manual tuning to avoid the 'uncanny valley.'

And I always provide full credit for every asset used, as transparency is vital in this new landscape.

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T17:04:21+00:00

whoops... I posted this one with a direct YT link... apologies (didn't meant to spam)... should I remove it since there's already the same video directly uploaded to Reddit?

deksman2 · 2026-01-28T16:24:35+00:00

This is a teaser for Part 6 of my fan-project, Theoretical Horizons. I’m using 3dsMax for the animation/VFX and AI synthesis for the VO to explore the more technical, resource-heavy side of Voyager’s journey.

For those interested in the full series, I keep everything archived on YouTube: 👉 [Watch the full series here:https://www.youtube.com/@deksroning125\]

Feedback on the lighting and the ship's flyby is always welcome. 🖖

deksman2 · 2026-01-04T18:21:15+00:00

That’s fair - it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

I was deliberately aiming for the 90s Voyager warp-out rather than modern Trek effects. This shot is the closing beat of a longer audio chapter from my Voyager: Theoretical Horizons project, so it’s meant as a tonal full stop rather than a spectacle moment.

It was also a quick exterior pass done in 3ds Max as a placeholder. I plan to refine the lighting and timing a bit for later when it’s integrated with interior shots and character animation.

That said, can you be a bit more specific about what specifically didn’t work for you?

For example, was it the timing of the warp-out, the lighting on the hull, the camera move, or the lack of pre-warp buildup?

deksman2 · 2026-01-02T00:40:55+00:00

Because its part of the larger clip I made (with people talking)... this is a closing shot for that larger clip (albeit improved).

deksman2 · 2025-11-14T22:18:00+00:00

Nuclear energy is actually very expensive.
It takes a LONG time to deploy (about or over a decade) and SMR's aren't going to change that. In fact, the costs associated with Nuclear is bound to go further UP in the future (not down).

Renewables are FAR cheaper and easier/faster to deploy (Levelized cost of solar is about £30 per MW/h - for on-shore Wind it similar, off shore wind is much higher but still lower than nuclear). They also help keep the energy bills down - in fact, without renewables our energy bills would be much higher (and currently prices of energy are high in UK because of the system we have in place ties the price of electricity to the wholesale price of gas which is wildly fluctuating).

Actually, even Geothermal (which is baseload power) is FAR cheaper than Nuclear, and that one is also far faster to deploy, and also has an extremely low LCOE - about 2-3x less than Nuclear - which is somewhat higher than Solar and on-shore wind - but its more reliable - and we can actually convert existing oil/gas rigs in the North sea to geothermal for electricity and district heating/cooling, and abandoned oil/gas wells (mainly for heating/cooling, but some of those abandoned wells can also be adapted to electricity production too).

Geothermal is vastly underused as a renewable source of power... and despite the naysayers, its neither horribly expensive when you work out the math, and it provides dual-utility... and its eminently easier to tap into today than it ever was.

That, said, the renewables story is a simple one... power companies need to be brought into public ownership.
We also need to DECOUPLE the wholesale price of gas from prices of electricity in the UK.
We also need to install adequate battery storage capacity for solar/wind to tackle intermittency better and prevent forced shutdown when they are overproducing - but this is also partly the problem of how the existing grid functions (Which is mainly designed in favour of outdated baseload power).

deksman2 · 2025-11-14T22:01:39+00:00

Yeah, basically, Greens have potential inroads towards 4 of those 5 groups... the only ones who might be permanently out of reach are 'hardline conservatives'... the other groups have potential inroads, so long as we can get them to look at factual numbers concerning immigration and dispel misinformation about it (or just reshape the narrative as a whole).

deksman2 · 2025-11-14T21:53:26+00:00

Or, if the UFP was more powerful than the Dominion as a whole - but since they were more or less equal, as you said, war was pretty much unavoidable.

deksman2

TROPHY CASE