Hey all you overlords of the third dimension! I’m back for another project, this time personal. I’ve been pretty busy with school and commission work since my last bomb dropped. I did do some organic work like I said I would, but it’s probably not a good idea to share without permission from the client. So I’m getting back in the groove of mechanical stuff with a short project over Christmas break. One of my IRL colleagues said he would like to print out a few models, if I were up to making them. We both enjoy playing chess and thought, “Heck! why not make a custom chess set?” and when I saw this brilliant concept from one of my favorite artists, Mr. Jack, :eek: I could hardly resist.[INDENT=3]
I’ll have to make some modifications to the scale, and eliminate some details that won’t print properly, but I will be trying to update this thread whenever I complete a piece, which should be daily if all goes well. Then next month perhaps I’ll upload some photos of the printed models. Then if we’re really pleased with how they turned out we’ll give them some matching paint schemes.
I’ve never modeled for 3D printing before, so any tips would be cool (I know to avoid small parts and to keep physics in mind so they don’t topple over, but these seem as though they won’t have too many problems).
2 questions: Are you printing an awesome apocalyptic chessboard too, with ruined buildings around the edges, and craters and stuff? And if it looks even half as good as that concept, how much would you sell it for?
Hmmm- well, the printer my friend is using will be just big enough for the pieces, so we wouldn’t be able to print out anything too large (e.g. the board). I was considering, however, printing the board out in pieces and then adhering it together somehow. Maybe having each white square slightly lower than the blacks and then maybe having some accents along the border. But all of that is just frilly stuff that might or might not happen.
When you say sell there are two options… if we do get it painted and all fancy like a finished game, I might be willing to sell the original on an ebay auction, and see who wants it the most (partner and I could split the profit). Alternatively I might put it up on a 3D printing website for people who want an unpainted version for cheaper (thingverse, shapeways, etc).
I don’t know about texturing tutorials (there’s a whole bunch on like CG Cookie or Blender Guru), but if you want to see how Mr Jack does digital painting you can check out this video: (and sinix, the interviewer, has a good amount of similar painting tutorials)
@m_squared, yes indeed I will consult Mr. Jack if I do finish it and it proves to be printable. I doubt he’ll mind too much since it’s a personal piece; he may even be overjoyed at his creation coming to life. You don’t need to ask the permission of an artist to reproduce something in 3D (since it is always slightly different than the 2D piece), but it is courteous to do so. I wouldn’t feel right making money off his design without permission, of course.
Here’s a turntable of the pawn. Sorry if it’s a bit lack luster. I couldn’t gather too much from the small sketch, and had to rethink the front, since the size of the print doesn’t allow for an entire character model and cockpit inside.
Can’t wait to see these printed.
Those legs are probably going to be rather weak. You may want to reposition them so that the bottom of the canister rests on the board to support its weight.
@Steve that was something I was worried about as well, but given the scale and the material (should be abs plastic with hatched layers in large areas, 6 inches cubed printing area) it might be able to stand up. We’ll see when it prints, and if there’s a problem it’s relatively easy to fix. Question (since you seem to know a bit about printing): Should I be avoiding precisely sharp edges, e.g. objects without a subsurf modifier applied? Because if I don’t have to smooth everything that would save me a whole bunch of time. I did use a bool modifier on the front scoop and plate on the rook (those little grooves etc), I’m hoping they print well, even though they look bad right now.
Sorry I haven’t updated in a bit, I have no excuses, I’ve just been messing around.
(trying to keep the thread from being too heavy with gifs) Click on the image to go to a GLSL turntable gif >
Sharp edges won’t be a problem. Are you going to have Shapeways print them? There’s a company in San Francisco that also prints. I’ve never used them but their portfolio looks impressive. http://www.moddler.com/portfolio
Looking good! I love the idea of doing something for 3d printing and chess pieces are just awesome idea! consepts are amazing and models are matcing them nicely!
I’m intrested in texturing, do you know any good tutorials or workshops for this style ?
