Aren't the parts in your models too thin for 3dp? (Torso)
That's cool, I'll definitely be interested in seeing the results.
You want a kneeling pose :)
so i made some tests, and i checked the prices: with the most expensive material (FUD) the minis cost around 30-40 cents each, or even less!
Cor blimey!
Last I heard (some time ago) even Shapeways' FUD had a bit of a fuzzy surface. Is that still the case? Nevertheless, I'm also very interested to see how this project turns out.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2eldr46.jpg)
Very cool stuff man!, have you though of getting them printed and casted instead of doing just straight up prints? Shapeways prints even at the best ultra fine detail still have some lines that come through, I tested some old sculpts on them here:
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/underfire987/IMG_2101.jpg
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/underfire987/IMG_2099.jpg
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/underfire987/IMG_2103.jpg
You can see that the lining still shows through, if you just wanted to go through printed then it can be done, however you would need to print in the resin for harder material for gaming, and it will not be near the detail on these guys which didn't show as much as the 3D print did. Later I had resculpts done of them for 28mm ( their 38mm tall to be in scale with human miniatures :P) and had the masters printed off at Moddler and the level of detail is much better:
http://i1039.photobucket.com/albums/a472/underfire987/IMG_2193.jpg
However these master prints are not something you would want too just run the company through prints as each one of these costs quite a fair amount too print. However they are very good for casting and I find still casting methods far outdo anything printing on the level of amount produced in time and price per each cast compared too each print. Let alone better material quality for gaming as well :P.
However I defiantly encourage you to give it a go regardless which path you decide on going on. I think 3D printing and digital miniatures really is a great way too create an entire line of similar miniatures in a much more cost effective method ;)!.
Best of luck with your work and look forward to seeing them coming out!.
with best regards - Shawn.
Will the Shapeway prints be public available?
Ah so Moddler is another company, thanks, good to know.
thanks for the informations Shawn!
I've done some 3d printing for metal casting in the past, and you're right, the results of shapeways are just mediocre. I did a small spider walker - it will be released by Resina Planet soon - and if we went for Moddler it would have been much much awesome.
Still, the 10$ print from shapeways is going to cost 100-150$ in Moddler, so there's quite a gap in budgets.
For this little project, this models are a PAIN to cast due to the thin parts and the non-flat structure, and that's the main reason i wanted to try with the plain printed ones. Since they are quite skeletal, besides, their volume is small, and so cheap they are.
@Dewbakuk: I asked some prices for stls i sent to moddler. They are extremely nice guys, and helped me and even worked on my stls even though i told them that i was just curious. But still, their prices are good for a medium-big company, not for me nor even a small business! :S
Shawn, was that printed by Shapeways? Just had a look for Moddler on their site but couldn't find anything.
Wow, there's some good information in your last post, thanks indeed! :)
Now i've placed an order with the models in the picture, i will see the results, and i will decide if the idea is wprthing a bigger modelling effort.
i will surely keep the thread update, but i'm afraid that in the next few weeks there won't be much more to share :(
Cheers,
Jack
If those pieces are good, i might start a 3d modelling service for people wanting their own robot armies! The skeleton should be the same, but adding different paddings and heads and weapons you can have a lot of variety! Or even just custom poses! :D
I AM interested, would be fun for my upcoming Future Combat Robot book... ;)
hum, that's not a cheap buy... i'll remain with my dish soap for now, but that's interesting indeed!True, but now I use it for almost every non metal mini! No more brushing, just one tip!
The only problem is that is isn't castable.
Very impressive! Excuse me if it's already been mentioned, but how durable are they? Those legs look awfully fragile...
15 mm you say... That where I intend taking all my 25+ mm figures for storage purposes (the 3 mm and 6 mm figures will not be an issue for storage.)
Might need to see about getting something like this done just before retirement...
They look amazing man!, I find that yes the FUD at first looks like a problem, but when you paint them up you cant even notice it. Its like spray painting, you do it and it creates many dot like ridges, which I have personally found to be amazing for catching painting details and highlights.
A well painted miniature can remove any detail issues, shame the guys are not easily casted though :(!. Really great work man keep at it, eventually I may commission you for a sculpt some day ;) ( when I finally get my current masters casted, still waiting for one to be reshipped back too me :/!).
I'll be honest in saying I was a bit sceptical of your sculpts but in the FUD they look amazingly good. And like you said at a terrific price due to their skinny looks. Inspiring!
I have been been struggling along on a few speeder bike designs in Rhino 3d, perhaps we can colab and use one of your robots as a rider some time in the future. lol
15 mm you say... That where I intend taking all my 25+ mm figures for storage purposes (the 3 mm and 6 mm figures will not be an issue for storage.)
Might need to see about getting something like this done just before retirement...
Gracias,
Glenn
Really nice Jack. :-*Thanks commander!
They really stand up to close inspection don't they?
Lovely colour schemes you picked for them as well, simple but really works.
Could I be so cheeky as to ask you to share your cad file? I really could use a scale reference dolly for my speeder bikes. Tough if you would rather sit on them I can imagine! lol
As soon as your shop is open you get an order! 8)
Only if shape ways shipped in normal postage than just the specialty brand they go with :/.
Keep up the good work man, I may have to fire you for a commission eventually when I get into producing some 15mm stuff ;).
Nice, the exact same "thing" I am working on but with a completely different style. lol
Love the engine block.
:-*
Now, if only GZG would bring out a pack of NAC bikers to put on some of these :?
Biker you said?
(http://www.thelazyforger.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/rider.jpg)
However, you might try to modify this
http://shop.groundzerogames.co.uk/index.php?_a=product&product_id=711
spreading their arms and fitting on the bike. Not sure it can hold a lead model, though....
I really liked the big round hat things they had before.
Turning their heads a bit away from straight ahead will make them seem a lot more active as they will then look like scanning the battlefield.
Just tell me: what should i do to make them look more badass? :)
actually, i liked the hat as well, and i'll use it for mine, but this batch is a test that Agis will try, and he asked me for another look for the heads! :) Fear not, the wide hat will prevail!
I'll move the heads, that's a good suggestion, i didn't notice sculpting them!
Lower the head; hunch and maybe widen the shoulders; and/or blow up the entire upper body a wee bit more.
Ah right. Also top of the heads do look very square, the shape just a bit to simple. Especially as its a part you will look at at lot from player point of view.
I am so envious of your work speed. It might be in part due to program used, Sketchup was made by google, the masters of convenience, to be easy and instinctive to use. While Rhino 3d is made for industrial level detail and requirements, expecting its users to read the manual rather then dive right in. Still I've had lessons for 2 years now and your speed just baffles me. How many hours did you put in your bots or speeder, just curious?
I am so envious of your work speed.
that's a 70 minutes sculpting job
Sketchup meshes are terrible, all the polygons are mixed up. But when you have to 3d print it, it work as good as any other program. And it's DAMN fast to use!
The bot took me 2 hours, since i had to decide the design...
The grav bike around 70 minutes for the first version, plus another hour for the tubes and all the other parts...
I'm going to learn how to use Rhino soon, but only for the curved parts. Then i'll upload here on SU and work here... is just so comfortable for fast modelling! ^^
EDIT: I might think to remove the "free cables" or "tentacles"... but i wanted them to give more "depht" to the model! ...well, whatever. :)
Some more definition on them might help? a "link" like effect rather then a smooth surface.
i was discussing the same point with a friend. They will be less than a millimeter wide, i don't think that they can carry any more details. I'd probably add a "connector jack" at the end of each, to make them look like disconnected cables! =)
Aye that could work, not sure at what point the details don't make the cut, one of those things that this new generation of 3d sculptors will need to get a feel for. I often find myself working on tiny details that will never make the print.
Alternative ways might be making them square segments, or 5 or 6 sided, and twisting between each link. I do notice some strange edges and angles on those tentacles like you mentioned, part of the downside of Sketchup?
No no, i just prefere to work on low-poly. The first robot model was more than twice in polygons, but i realized that there are no differences at all. If i wanted to have more polygons on tubes i could do, and yes, probably some more could be fine. But again, it's a really really small piece! =)You rogue! detail in everything. Or that might just be my education shining trough, as goldsmiths we get marked up to 0.1mm, both in real life and digital. ;D
You rogue! detail in everything. Or that might just be my education shining trough, as goldsmiths we get marked up to 0.1mm, both in real life and digital. ;D
I guess the "sketch" in the name really does fit.
Like this? i could do it more, but i'm not so self-confident in human shapes...
Nice!
Speaking personally, as if it was just down to me, I'd exaggerate the effect even more. But it's not down to me. ;) I think it might possibly change the character of the robots too much, and I won't push you towards it unless you're absolutely sure.
Obviously I can see the pics here, now, but my connection's gone so wonky that I can't google or even bing the pics and proper names of these things; but to use a single-setting example, my idea of badassification was to take the Star Wars Episode One battle droids and skew them towards the heavier versions seen in the next two movies, or even the CG Mos Eisley droid seen in A New Hope special edition.
I quit, you re-did those things faster then it took me to even start up rhino5. lol
The offer still stands tough, if you ever can't do anything in sketchup shoot me a PM. Would be a honour to work on it for you.
And also: only if that's the kind of 'badass' you were thinking of. ;)
Floater looks great. I'm starting to think of throwing a pile of kickstarter money at you. Even if you don't have a kickstarter. And even if I have no money to throw. (I hear it's pretty easy to get your hands on other people's kickstarter money, though...)
actually, i liked the hat as well, and I’ll use it for mine, but this batch is a test that Agis will try, and he asked me for another look for the heads! :) Fear not, the wide hat will prevail!Well I love the new heads of course! IMO they look a bit more like traditional Robot/ Droid ideas...
Ah right. Also top of the heads do look very square, the shape just a bit to simple. Especially as its a part you will look at at lot from player point of view.
I actually d-loaded sketchup and am now going through the tutorials :P. Any help and tutorial is welcome. I will get a 3D printer in a few years Im sure and want to learn to do some work myself.
and I hate you Jack :D.. too much talent in one person
shapeways cheap... not :P
I like them, although I'd make a slight change to the faces. I'd go for an asymmetric lens array for the eyes. Would give the droids much better 'vision' through other spectrums and looks cool. Something like having three lenses with one larger which offsets one of the eyes. Does that make sense?
IMO it is perfect for 15mm! At larger scales it would be a different story, but tiny 15mm robots can be a bit more blocky. ;)
Nah, I am more for the symetrical 2 eyed look.
But why not throw a three-lens head here and there in - maybe for support weapo guys -?
That is great work man!, defo you should get one printed off and get a painted up and finished version of them on the product page as well ;)!
I ordered my batch yesterday.
Hopefully they are printed and delivered within the next 2 weeks, after that on to the painting table.
8)
Sign me up for those! Any indication what these new "packs" round out to cost wise?
There might be a problem, since i've to manually ask the production to bypass the thickness checks since their software is a little weird. However, if the orders are not too many (i hardly think so) i can manage do to this =)My CAD teacher mentioned that Shapeways is planning a service where you can print anything called "anyway" that allows people to order things that might not be printable. Mind I don't consider him the most reliable of sources. :-X
I'm not into this...
But they look rather spiffy!
I've noticed that with those heads and shoulderpads they look very tau-ish. Perhaps you could prepare some 28mm versions to cater for WH40K gamers looking for proxies? Just an idea.
My CAD teacher mentioned that Shapeways is planning a service where you can print anything called "anyway" that allows people to order things that might not be printable. Mind I don't consider him the most reliable of sources. :-X
Anyhow, having a hard time deciding if I want to wait for further models or just order these now. Shipping is low like you say and I have a few models I need to order for smithing project anyway.
Actually I wanted to ask, the boxes at the rear of the bikes. Some of them are open others are closed, what are they supposed to be? My only thought is airbrakes perhaps?
Ah right! So your going for the comical Samurai jack side with half of them having their storage compartments hanging open. Nice.
sarcasm? lolNot at all, I must admit I'm not sure I would want it on my models BUT I do mean what I said. It gives them a very cartoony vibe and dynamic character. Something quite rare in hard edged models like robots, and hard to do in computer drawings. Simple touches can ad a lot. I can really imagine them as cartoon villains chasing some hero with their bags flapping open and closed all the way. lol
li should start working on some new 3Ds soon!
Finally got round to making my order. I'll let you know when it arrives. Not to pick a colour scheme... I think I will go for a traditional military green with bronze details. :D
These are wonderful. Fantastic work.
There is a Future Wars thread about sci-fi civilian model availability (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=63578.0) around at the moment - they pop up from time to time. I cant help but think that this technology might be a feasible way to make a cheap set of sci-fi civilians available.
Maybe if the civilians wore hard edged mining armour or something that made them more printer friendly. Waybe gas masks or welding goggles or something, items that reduced the need to sculpt natural looking curves. Civilian models wouldnt necessarily have to be as detailed as actual protagonist models either.
I dont know how feasible it is now, but its only a matter of time really I suppose.
When I look at your robots with the wide heads I keep thinking about the Phantom Menace Pit Droids. I would love to be able to buy a set of your 'bots that were essentially robot civilians, each performing specific tasks (a bit like the old GW gretchin/grot/snotling ranges).
Its totally ridiculous, but I would particularly like to see a pair of those robots designed so that they could carry a small sheet of acrylic/perspex between them, like a pair of glaziers would carry a sheet of glass. Then protagonists in Fist Full of Kung Fu games could smash the glass and use it as a weapon.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SheetOfGlass
(http://www.careers.govt.nz/assets/jobs/glazier/dale-griffin-glazier-5.jpg)
Im getting a bit carried away here obviously, but take it as a compliment. Your work on these robots has fired my imagination :)
hehe, that's timing: i'm just having an issue now with the Shapeways team: after TWO successiful prints, now they decided that the models are no longer OK for printing. I'm now writing to them, asking to print them as they did before. They are really reasonable, i expect them to do that. However, if any trouble occurs, please write to them explaining the fact as well, because that all thing is a little upsetting... :)
Interesting. Well, if things would move along faster with my consent as buyer please let me know.
Very nice, however at that pose I would expect the other guy to have his hands at belly hight as well, this is a terrible way to carry something. :D
If you have any idea, just tell me, or even make a list!
Hello everyone and sorry for the mild-necrothreading.
I've spent some very intense months in canada, but i'm now headed back to Italy in less than a week. One of my first priorities is to fix those robots, making them slighly chubbier to prevent any more Shapeways problems, and finally put them on the market again.
that's a slow project, but it surely has to bring some results, eventually.
thanks for the patience,
Jack
Want. Now! My first time seeeing these, and I love 'em!
I love your colour scheme, in fact I wanted to copy it but then realized both my other 15mm armies have a strong beige tone already.
Not a big deal if you're playing in the desert! Mine are almost white actually, so they could easily blend in the urban scenery. Maybe the bases don't, though. :(Shoot next to the plants that's where the blasted bots are hiding! lol