"3d design technician required" Topic

I'm looking for someone who can make a file for a miniature.

I'm looking for someone who can make a file for a miniature.

What sort, vehicel or Figure.

Yes, please narrow it down. There are things I could do for you in an hour for free. There are things for which you're going to pay $500 USD-1,000. (Not to me, to someone who actually knows what they're doing.

A 28mm figure, basic sword and shield job.

Why are you looking for a design technician?

Surely you're looking for a designer for digital sculpting?

Sculpting is such a strong word. I always thought technicians ran computers? Tomato, tomato.

PS had a quick search.

Data entry operator? The chap pushing in the punch cards, typing those ones and zeros.

Here you go, you too can become a 3D sculptor :) link

I assumed there was a reason you posted this on the Sculpting board, after all.

edit: do you mean you have a physical sculpt you want re-creating or do you want someone to sculpt digitally from scratch? I suspect the latter would be easier.

Thanks for the link and I'll take a look, but have tried such things in the past with no result.

Programming (is that it? Hmm…) and sculpting both achieve product.

Yeah, a figure from scratch. I agree it's probably easier, though scanning would be favourable, but more expensive, time consuming and troublesome than either on its own, I suspect.

I recall there was a company which scanned wargamers' head, with a view to creating personalised 28mm miniatures. They seemed to drop off the radar but perhaps they could be of use if you could post them your model. Do you have a picture you could share?

When CAD is used to produce sculpts for hard plastic figures in metal moulds, it's the same as producing masters by hand for rubber moulds in that you have consider what can be moulded – there's usually a real difference between what detail plastic and metal production figures can hold. Thus sprue layout is something people have had to learn to design better. Better sculptors can learn to translate between the two, hence the difference in figure quality we still see between hard plastic manufacturuers and often the need for assembly.

Similarly, programming 3D software (like producing modeller tools, unless you're making masters with pieces of driftwood) is different to actually using it for design purposes and not for everyone, as you seem to have discovered. If it was easy then I'm sure more people would be doing it.

The issue (obviously other than the creative skills required in the first place) is learning what the printer can cope with to translate the image on the screen into more than a misshapen lump. An added factor is that you're not in charge of production, so there will be less consistency due to those with less experience, or cheaper printers.

I'm actually quite interested to see some of the PSC 15mm figures in their new Ultracast. In the meantime, good luck with finding someone and make sure you get yourself a decent printer. There seems to be lot of advice on the boards.

Scanning is quite difficult. At a show I met a trader who did that for a living. The scan needs a lot of cleaning up before it can be used for the basis of a print. There are loads of body scans on Thingverse. Scanning needs to be an original object you cannot scan and print an existing miniature unless you are legally allowed to reproduce it.

Is there a simple program where you just type in the number of layers and the number of squares per layer grid. Then for each layer just type in the squares to be filled (eg. Layer 107: 46,47,48…so on). Hey Presto, a cg figure. This would be a tonne easier than all the wacky gubbinz I'm seeing and allow much of the work to be done on paper.

PS may have answered my own question.

link

Still more complex than I'd like, I guess this is about as simple as it gets and I like the everything locked down approach.

How would I make the file? I can type it all up in word, but that would be saved as a doc or what have you. What text progs create stls?

I have no idea why you would want to do that for a 28mm figure with no previous experience in either computer sculpting or printing. Given the quality in the pictures you linked learning to use software would be a better use of your time, or taking a bit of overtime and paying someone to sculpt, as per your original request.

A quick Google found one post amongst many on the Shapeways forum and the guy's Artstation page has some amazing sculpts for boardgames (SFW, but be aware of the odd chainmail bikini):

link

Have at it with the Word document if you prefer though and please share the results. My friend, who's just invested in a printer, would be fascinated.

I am afraid you have misunderstood. The maths invovled in the exqample is trivial due to the simplicity of the shape. The 3d maths involved in a 28mm figure could take you monthS and a single error would make you do it ALL again. Even computors make the odd errors and you have to fix the mesh.

Either pay a man or learn to sculpt IN 3D directly OR there was a nice man who taught the Slot Car forun to use a proprietry human sculpting system for at least the figure.

link

Even this is by no means simple but it is as easy as it gets.

Interesting link thank you UshCha, it looks like a good intro to it all.

Having looked at the page I linked earlier what seems possible now is amazing (treating the design like a lump of clay) and allows people to get on with the creative process. I know I'd struggle to find the time to learn and get a useful return on my investment, but buying other designs may be something to consider. I have the Forward March Studio files and a friend has offered to print some samples for me so that I can see what they're like for a travelling multi-period C&C set.

Or you can go to HeroForge and create your own 28mm fantasy warrior.

Is there a simple program where you just type in the number of layers and the number of squares per layer grid. Then for each layer just type in the squares to be filled (eg. Layer 107: 46,47,48…so on). Hey Presto, a cg figure. This would be a tonne easier than all the wacky gubbinz I'm seeing and allow much of the work to be done on paper.

Seriously? That's pretty insulting to us sculptors out there. And unrealistic. Do you have any idea how many points you would need to describe in order for something to turn out as a printable object? Every 3D sculpt is a collection of triangles (usually referred to as polygons, polys, or facets), and those triangles meet at points called vertices. Each point on your model where a vertex is required is described in the STL file as a set of three numbers, for your X-Y-Z axis coordinates.

A simple cube has 8 vertices. Imagine how many vertices you will need to describe in order to create something like a person wearing clothing and wielding a sword? Depending on the level of detail, probably somewhere between 25,000 and 65,000 vertices. A really complex model, like Cthulhu with his wings outstretched and tentacles rendered in all their glory, may run into the million-poly range.

So, get cracking! We're all interested to see your finished model! Think you can have that STL done by this weekend?

Asking a simple question accompanied by a valid reason is insaulting? My apologies.

Perhaps you forget what (or rather, who) were the first computers??

Hmmm…

One quote was 1500ish another 150ish.

I'm still waiting for the 15ish.

Well…

$150 USD was a misunderstanding (I guess 15 would be out of the question!)

However, scanning a sculpt seems cheaper than CG from scratch, a lot cheaper.

My other option is diy CGI. I found a programme on an old disc, pressed myself to get the basics. Made a few ugly looking things. I may try it again (anyone know what the temperature is down there?).

Thought- scanning would allow a larger master, 3 ups, typically I think. I use wax, so could do a 3 or 4 up wax and get it scanned. A guaranteed cheap sculpt exactly as I need it at high detail level (not that I need much).

Hmmm…

Asking a simple question accompanied by a valid reason is insaulting? My apologies.

Yes, it was, in the way you phrased it. Apology accepted.

If you want to try a free and fairly intuitive CAD program, try Sketchup.

"Yes, it was, in the way you phrased it. Apology accepted."

Nonsense and don't read into it things that are simply not there. Apology revoked (as it was a sarcastic apology, I shouldn't need to, but as it seemed to have been misinterpreted…).

I guarantee Edison suffered as I suffer.