View source for The Official Star Trek The Next Generation: Build the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D

== Issue contents ==
===Model kit===
{| class="wiki-sidebar"  
|-
| colspan="1" align="center" | [[File:Official Star Trek TNG Build the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 -D model.jpg|180px]]
| colspan="1" align="center" | [[File:The Official Star Trek The Next Generation Build the Enterprise-D close-up of the model.jpg|180px]]
|-
| colspan="1" class="even" | <center>Rick Sternbach's partially-assembled prototype</center>
| colspan="1" class="even" | <center>Close-ups of the interior</center>
|}
The main attraction of the entire partwork, the 72 cm-long, 1:900 scale, mainly plastic (on a metal spine) model was designed to be constructed deck-by-deck by collectors. Sheets of transparent, laser-etched Plexiglas featuring the starship's interior [[deck]]s and based on [[Rick Sternbach]]'s upgraded ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints]]'', slotted into the interior of the model. Evoking a 3D effect, these deck parts were lit by LEDs from the lighting kit. 

The ship's superstructure and interior were to have been overlaid by pre-painted [[hull plating|hull plates]] that were, at the insistence of the producers, as accurate as possible, especially where "Aztec patterning" was concerned. The model could be displayed on stands as a single unit or divided into two parts when shown in [[saucer separation]] mode.

The ship was designed to be easily assembled by a complete novice with nothing more than a screwdriver, which was to be included within an issue.

===Magazine===
[[File:The Official Star Trek The Next Generation Build the Enterprise-D issue 1 magazine.jpg|thumb|Issue 1 magazine cover]]
A sixteen-page magazine was also included in the package, focusing on aspects of the USS ''Enterprise''-D and its history, technology, and crew. 

As Tim Leng was retained as Chief Editor for the project, it came as no surprise that the contents of the magazine were organized much like his work within the pages of the ''[[Star Trek Fact Files]]''. Similarly, contents were organized into six main categories, and the pages were dispersed throughout the run of the publication.

These articles were easily detached from the original publication and could be re-organized afterwards and placed into corresponding binders. The company hoped to produce four large binders to hold 600 of pages of projected content. Much of the magazine content was based on work previously compiled for the ''Fact Files'' and other Fabbri magazines.

Apart from former ''Star Trek'' production staff, the writing staff further consisted of Tim Leng, Chris Dows, and Peter Griffiths (all former ''Fact Files'' writers), and newcomers Rebecca Levine and James Goss. ''([[User_talk:Sennim/Archive#Build_the_Enterprise_magazine|source]]'') Martin Ritchie co-produced the magazine with Leng. {{el|martin-ritchie-design.com/startrekbuildtheenterprise}}

[[Gabriel Koerner]] and former [[Foundation Imaging]] employee [[Robert Bonchune]] (from issue three onward) were the artists responsible for all of the new [[CGI|computer generated imagery]] (CGI) printed on the magazine covers. This new imagery was reproduced on the inside back cover without text imprints, for optional framing purposes.

A "Series Guide" gatefold pamphlet that provided comprehensive details about the contents of the partwork (known in the trade as a "boost") was included with the first issue.

All of the magazines' text was submitted in English and edited for De Agostini at the offices of Midsommer Books (the ''Fact Files'' joint venture partner of [[GE Fabbri]] and end copyright holder) in Hammersmith, London, UK, and was subsequently forwarded for translation into Japanese at De Agostini's Japanese editorial bureau. 

Recurring sections included:
*'''Tour of Deck:''' Companion article for the accompanying blueprint sheets, providing more elaborate descriptions of the sheets, and written from an in-universe perspective.
*'''Critical Systems:''' Technical articles about the various on-board systems of the USS ''Enterprise''-D. Written and illustrated by Michael Okuda along the lines of the work he had done previously for the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual'', and written from an in-universe perspective.
*'''Apparatus:''' Technical articles about various pieces of hardware in use aboard the USS ''Enterprise''-D, written by Okuda and based upon technical annotations by Rick Sternbach, from an in-universe perspective. The articles were illustrated with new CGI imagery by CGI artist Rob Garrard, a former ''Fact Files'' contributor. Garrard's newly created CGI art, alongside some of Bonchune's, has not been a complete total loss though because of the failure of the publication, as some of it was later repurposed for inclusion in the 2019 [[reference book]] ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation: The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Illustrated Handbook]]'' licensed by [[Eaglemoss Collections]], the successor of GE Fabbri, as were some of the new articles, albeit re-edited.
*'''Mission Logs:''' Episode guide from an in-universe perspective. A slightly differing approach to the guide was taken by Leng. He felt that the guide should be in line with the overall concept of the product and so the texts were written with emphasis on the role the starship played in the specific episodes. The writing was based on much of the work [[Larry Nemecek]] had done earlier for the episode guides from the {{tngc}} and ''The Fact Files''. (''[[User talk:Sennim/Archive#Build the Enterprise magazine|source]]'')
*'''''Star Trek Memories:''''' Real-world interviews with actors, producers, directors, and production staffers associated with {{s|TNG}}. New interviews were conducted by Larry Nemecek for this publication, alongside previously unpublished interview material from his archive. (''[[User talk:Sennim/Archive#Build the Enterprise magazine|source]]'')
*'''Step-by-Step:''' Detailed description and assembly manual for the model kit parts.
<gallery>
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 1 Conn article.jpg|Issue 1: Conn
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 1 Photon Torpedo article.jpg|Issue 1: Photon torpedo
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 2 Captain's Chair article.jpg|Issue 2: Captain's chair
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 2 Lifeboat article.jpg|Issue 2: Lifeboat
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 3 Jefferies Tube article.jpg|Issue 3: Jefferies tube
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 4 Engineering Master Systems Display article.jpg|Issue 4: MSD
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 4 Medical Tricorder article.jpg|Issue 4: Medical tricorder
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 5 Antimatter Generator article.jpg|Issue 5: Antimatter generator
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 5 Tactical Station article.jpg|Issue 5: Tactical station
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 6 Bussard Collectors article.jpg|Issue 6: Bussard collectors
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 7 EPS Step-down Node article.jpg|Issue 7: EPS step-down node
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 7 Science Stations I and II article.jpg|Issue 7: Science Station I and II
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 8 Reaction Control Thrusters article.jpg|Issue 8: RCS thrusters
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 9 Internal Sensor and Data Preprocessor articles.jpg|Issue 9: Internal sensors
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 9 Transporter Console article.jpg|Issue 9: Transporter console
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 10 Emergency Beacon article.jpg|Issue 10: Emergency beacon
File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D 11 Communicator articles.jpg|Issue 11: Communicator
</gallery>

===Blueprints===
[[File:De Agostini Build the USS Enterprise-D Sternbach blueprints.jpg|thumb|Issue 1 blueprints]]
Each issue included a 550 &times; 840 mm blueprint sheet that corresponded with the model parts in the box and the companion ''Tour of Deck'' section of the magazine.

This project saw Rick Sternbach revisit the work that he had done for the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints'', which he did enthusiastically, getting to address a number of issues that he had never had the opportunity to fix before. It eventually resulted in a more enhanced version of the ''Blueprints'' and also served as the master for the cross-section parts of the starship model. Leng stated that it was so detailed that, "''if you zoom in at the leading edge of deck ten, you could actually see [[Guinan]] standing behind the bar at [[Ten Forward]].''" 

[[File:De Agostini Build The USS Enterprise-D deck sections.jpg|thumb|Blueprints-based deck sections]]
In the end, and with the help of [[Tim Earls]], Sternbach produced a large number of revised ''Enterprise''-D blueprint sheets in 1:900 scale for the publication, and Martin Ritchie provided the poster layout, annotations, and other information.

One hundred sheets, just shy of A1 format when unfolded, were projected to be collected inside a custom-designed case that was to be delivered to subscribers with issue 5. To make these blueprints distinct from Sternbach's earlier ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D Blueprints]]'', a darker blue background was used.