Darktrooper Progress Thread 8MAR2011: Getting back to it

[Replicant Shadow]

Your mind set needs to shift. I would take the approach of, " how would this really look, in real life." Based on that perspective, I think you could really make it better. That's what going custom is all about, taking something that hasn't been seen before, and making it relevant and possible. Meanwhile your on the right track.

 

[tubachris85x]

Your mind set needs to shift. I would take the approach of, " how would this really look, in real life." Based on that perspective, I think you could really make it better. That's what going custom is all about, taking something that hasn't been seen before, and making it relevant and possible. Meanwhile your on the right track.

Thats something thats hard for me to stray away from. I wouldnt say this is necessarily a custom, because Im trying to make it as accurate as possible to the model. Realistically, there are alot of details that I would have to use my best judgement to interpret how it's sopposed to look in real life, and I guess, at those instances, it can technically be considerd "custom." Alot of that has to do with the fact that its hard for 3D modelers to creat round shapes without it looking somewhat boxy or have sides.

As for the helmet, Im not really sure how to make it look "in real life," other then how it looks in the game. To be honest right now, Im seriously considering to redo the whole helmet, and try to sculpt it myself, and not use what I already have, except as a size reference. As much harder then that would be, its starting to look easier then what it is now.

I just need time to think this over, develop a better strategy, because I feel that I dont really know what I want to do yet. Thanks

 

[tubachris85x]

On a brighter side, I just figured how to do the thrusters. Im going to get more work done tonight, I gotta cut the walls down a bit to make it more accurate, I may post pics later if I can start building the thruster housing

*EDIT*

The cutting went better then I thought, Im actually going to start bondoing the front section and then start constructing the thruster housing, which I will attach seperatly

 

[tubachris85x]

Alright, I think I got a decent amount of work done tonight with the JJP. It dosnt look like much, but it took me awhile to make sure it turned out right.

Now what I did was make it more accurate, shapewise, than it was before I had access to the 3D game model. Looking from the side of the model, you can see that right where the underside vent ends, the back (where it meets the back armor piece) begins to angle downwards, as you can see in this pic.

Next part of the cutting phase, was that I realized that in order to properly create the angle of the thruster housing, that little ridge extension that I previously had, needed to get chopped off. It is now straight, and I save the side piece in the process.

Now your probably thinkin to yourself, "what are those white things?" Well, thats the top of the thruster housing. I figured the best way to go about this, since I cant seem to find a better alternative pre-fabricated piece, that creating a polygonal base, just as the actual 3D model is, will work. What Im going to do to make it more realistic is apply some bondo and round out the edges as best as possible, but its mostly going to retain that polygonal shape. Its also how I am going to continue with the rest of the housing as well. Here is how it looks by itself

Aside from the housing, connecting it to the thruster nozzle itself has always been an issue, only because its sopposed to appear like a flexiable tube, but Ive yet to find anything that I can use, but Im still looking for that. Thanks for looking

 

[Replicant Shadow]

Thats looking totally awesome.

 

[ioelus]

Tonight when I logged on, I saw the words "Last Page" after the ellipses and the number five for the number of pages for this thread. I got scared. I thought maybe this topic was drawing to a close--I'd never seen those words after a thread topic before.

I know you've struggled with this at times, and I wish I had the know-how or was near enough to offer the hands-on help you were recently looking for. I've been reading this thread with interest since it started over a year ago, and my brother and I came back to it several times when working on our own vac-forming set-up (which hasn't gotten past the design stages, unfortunately). Anyway, I've continued to be completely impressed with both your creativity and your drive. After the recent fairly contentious threads in other areas it's great to be reminded of what's so great about this group. This thread is the reason I decided to join up. What you've been working on, the kind of work you're doing ... well, I wanted to be a part of the group of people who supported such work.

I know I misunderstood what the "Last Page" thing means now, but I decided to say this anyway. It's good to see this progressing, and your hard work continuing. It's why I'm here. I know it doesn't help, and I hope it doesn't freak you out, but I thought I should say it.

 

[tubachris85x]

Tonight when I logged on, I saw the words "Last Page" after the ellipses and the number five for the number of pages for this thread. I got scared. I thought maybe this topic was drawing to a close--I'd never seen those words after a thread topic before.

I know you've struggled with this at times, and I wish I had the know-how or was near enough to offer the hands-on help you were recently looking for. I've been reading this thread with interest since it started over a year ago, and my brother and I came back to it several times when working on our own vac-forming set-up (which hasn't gotten past the design stages, unfortunately). Anyway, I've continued to be completely impressed with both your creativity and your drive. After the recent fairly contentious threads in other areas it's great to be reminded of what's so great about this group. This thread is the reason I decided to join up. What you've been working on, the kind of work you're doing ... well, I wanted to be a part of the group of people who supported such work.

I know I misunderstood what the "Last Page" thing means now, but I decided to say this anyway. It's good to see this progressing, and your hard work continuing. It's why I'm here. I know it doesn't help, and I hope it doesn't freak you out, but I thought I should say it.

To be honest, I never thought that starting this would be as big a deal to people as it has become, especially with the general lack of appreciation/care for EU of people Ive met in other areas outside of the TDH. Fortunatly, I dont find that here; members come to express their creativeness, hence, "Dented Varients." Frankly, Im surprised this thread is still allowed by the mod's, because it really dosnt have anything to do with mandos.....however, Ive rationalized it that its technically (in the SW universe) its an evolved form of the mando armor, as seen per the clone armor, from Jango, to stormies, and eventually into the darktrooper. Yes, a very big gap, but its somewhat there. But, I seriously thank the mods for letting me have this little space to show what Im doing

Trust me, you did help. You just showed me that you clearly support my efforts, as well as the TDH community. It really does mean something to me, and just motivates me even more. I appreciate your feelings to want to be able to help me, just as other members have told me before. If it were'nt for feedback by you guys as the viewers, it would be alot harder for me to be motivated to continue. I want to be critiqued too, if you think something that Im doing looks wrong or whatever, dont be afraid to tell me. Im only one person, but the hundreds of combined years of experienced craftsman on this board can certainly teach me more then what I already have learned.

It makes me happy to know that Ive impacted someone else in a positive way, it really does. I hope that you continue to follow my slooooow progress , but I'll try my best to keep the interest in this going, and get more done.

BTW-although my former is not exactly the best thing around, I can help you if you guys are interested in following through with it. Im going to eventually fix my former up and make it better then it is right now.

Thanks again for helping

 

[Stormrider]

Probably a silly question, but where are you located chris? Dark side of the moon, ive been to a couple different ones. None of which were very well furnished.

 

[tubachris85x]

Probably a silly question, but where are you located chris? Dark side of the moon, ive been to a couple different ones. None of which were very well furnished.

lol, sorry, Its just a running joke I have. Im actually in tallahassee, Florida

 

[tubachris85x]

Well, Ive decided that im going to sculpt the whole helmet myself, but that Im going to use the Ears and the dome from the FX. Gotta get a maniquin head I guess. For those that have sculpted a helmet before, what kind of base/armature did you get or use? Thanks

 

[tbone9600]

This might be a good place to start. http://www.monstermakers.com/product/deluxe-full-head-sculpting-armature-life-size.html I was thinking about getting one of these, because I didn't want to destroy my mortuary school Belushi project, until someone else gave me theirs.

 

[tubachris85x]

This might be a good place to start. http://www.monstermakers.com/product/deluxe-full-head-sculpting-armature-life-size.html I was thinking about getting one of these, because I didn't want to destroy my mortuary school Belushi project, until someone else gave me theirs.

Oh wow, thats a great link! Thank you! Their clay is cheaper too, but Im going to get the 40lbs and the armature.

 

[tbone9600]

Oh wow, thats a great link! Thank you! Their clay is cheaper too, but Im going to get the 40lbs and the armature.

You're welcome. The librarian at the school is into indie film and hosts a "cult film" show called Meet Cleaver Theater. He said Monster Makers stuff was great quality and he had no complaints about them.

 

[Zman12]

Well, Ive decided that im going to sculpt the whole helmet myself, but that Im going to use the Ears and the dome from the FX. Gotta get a maniquin head I guess. For those that have sculpted a helmet before, what kind of base/armature did you get or use? Thanks

I would suggest going to look for a head at a used store fixtures shop. I got mine for displaying my Pod Racer helmet for under 15$ I don't remember the exact price. If you live in a large city I am sure there should be such a shop some where.

 

[tubachris85x]

Thanks Z-man for your input. Your probably right, since I will only need it once really. Im just worried about the weight distribution, because of how far the swoop is going to have to extend, plus, the amount of solid clay. However, that site has a great price for clay though. If I cant find anything else, I'll get that armature. Depending on how all this turns out, I may want to pursue other helmets.

 

[tubachris85x]

Alrighty then, I found a source for an FX back piece, so Im getting that soon. Also, I gave more thought about how Im aproaching the thrusters. To be honest, Im going to re-do them, so that they arent angular like I pictured above. Im going to be making them round. Im going to be getting some arena jango JP cones which Im going to try to use for them instead. It should work.

For the rest of it, Im just thinking about using a plastic cup, because its the only object that is the right shape for me to use. Hard for me to explain, but I was either going to cut a side of it off, and then take a sheet of styrene, and wrap it around that, to form the actual housing.

Its just a matter of seeing what will work while trying to make it accurate.

 

[Zman12]

If your concerned about the foam head tipping you could run some long rods into a ply-wood base and the ram the head onto the rods. I don't think you would have to worry about its weight pulling on the foam. If nothing else you can make a partial spike out of foam and then coat it in clay.

Are you going to be vacuum forming the helmet or rotocasting it?

 

[tubachris85x]

If your concerned about the foam head tipping you could run some long rods into a ply-wood base and the ram the head onto the rods. I don't think you would have to worry about its weight pulling on the foam. If nothing else you can make a partial spike out of foam and then coat it in clay.

Are you going to be vacuum forming the helmet or rotocasting it?

Well, no more vac-forming the helmet. Im going to try that "slush" casting, because I certainly do not have the money for a rotocasting machine lol

I want these to be solid one piece helmets after I cast it. Thanks for the armature tips!

 

[Zman12]

If the spike on the back gets heavy you could brace it with something. Then patch over the resulting hole in your silicone mold when you pull it off. Just something to keep in mind.

Yea I figured it would be a slushcast, but I consider a slushcast and a rotocast to be basically the same.

 

[tubachris85x]

If the spike on the back gets heavy you could brace it with something. Then patch over the resulting hole in your silicone mold when you pull it off. Just something to keep in mind.

Yea I figured it would be a slushcast, but I consider a slushcast and a rotocast to be basically the same.

True. Maybe I can attach like a metal wire frame so that the whole thing is not solid clay. But we'll see. Im not really going to worry about it right now, going to go full throttle in mid-May with this. Thanks!