After seeing the extended trailer a few times this prop jumped out at me:
It seems to be some sort of "data cube", a hard drive of sorts.
It kind of reminds me of a Rubik cube. Could this be an influence over it's design or the base for a good replica?
It looks like it would be a great replica project for someone to tackle.
I was actually just thinking about this. I think I have a rubik's cube sitting around not being used that is just asking to be made into this prop... May have a go at it.
What are those two little design details on top? What are they?
The problem with using a Rubiks as a base would be installing the lights, as I remember it, rubies cubes are solid? Or is there space in there for a lighting cavity to be created?
No, the only parts actually attached to anything are the centers of each face. You can pop out the corners and edges.ob1al said:
If you look really close, it looks like there might be some sort of material in the gaps. Look at how the light does not reach all the way to the very edge.
The bricks look a lot closer to each other than on a standard Rubik as well. It's possible they disassembled one and reassembled it without the core in the middle. Some pieces of thin clear plastic that have been painted silver on the corners could provide spacing and the correct lighting effect...
Here's a rubiks for reference:
It looks like a very close match, except the cubes are so close together on the original that it wouldn't allow any internal light to escape.
Here's something interesting I've noticed. The cube tops which spring up don't light up like the stationary areas of the cube. Look:
Could it be some sort of EL tape or paint applied to the joints?
Let's hope there's some better props than this in the film when it comes out.
I totally switched off all Prometheus info since the trailer as to keep some sense of the unexpected but had to look at this. Depending on how prominent it is in the movie, a static version would seem easy enough, a clear acrilyc cube and away you go. From the pic it looks like it is lit from the centre, top edges are darker so edges arent an issue.
Back to the Prometheus neutral zone.
It really looks like it was based on a Rubik cube, maybe they even modified one or that glow is added in post production. Has anyone noticed the glyph on the top of it in the first picture looks a lot like the triforce from legend of zelda?
do the stickers on a rubiks cube actually take up the entire area of each cube? or are they slightly smaller than the surface area? it looks like they are slightly smaller, and its just the extra black around them, blending in with the rounded edges to APPEAR like there is more actual space between the squares than on the prometheus cube.
Use something sharp to score the lines that make up the squares. Paint it, then scratch away in the lines again, but don't go all the way to the edges. Once lit from inside, it should give an almost identical look.Mr Webber said:
I am actually thinking of having one of these 3D printed.
The engraved details in the center button can be replicated, as can the very subtle edge detail that seems to run all around the cube. I'm pretty sure the glow could be achieved as well but it might not fade out towards the edges as nicely without a lot of work, UNLESS a single light source in the center succeeds in doing all the work. It would also be perfectly symmetrical, which is kind of a staple for the prop. I've got some ideas down on how to do it all...
(Though I would be very surprised however if what is shown in the trailer isn't CG. Most likely the real deal is just a green box.)
Last edited by joatrash; May 6, 2012 at 9:31 AM.
It looks to me like they stripped all the stickers off
then painted each of the cubes . The cubes can each be taken out by hand easily then reattached to a lighting unit as what it looks like .
I would be extremely super-duper mega-surprised if what we're seeing in those shots is a Rubiks with light inside. Rubiks are made of thick black plastic and would not allow light to pass through. It's also much rounder in the edges. There would be no practical reason for having anything than a static cube stand-in on-set. If you look real closely in the trailer, you can see the cube react ever so slightly to it being pressed, which makes me think that they did have a static piece there. (Yes, such movement could also be added by animation but the easiest method would be to just add the light and flip-up tiles.) A good CG artist will add those effects in much less time (and for less money) than it would take to build the thing, and it would actually look less nice with a practical effect there.
Also, the static prop appears to be somewhat reflective as can be seen in the briefing shots before the lightup sequence when it gets twirled around. Sure, that COULD be a Rubiks with spray paint on it but for a "hero dummy" in the closeup it would still be easier to do a 3D print and add blend in a few animation elements than replace an entire Rubiks painted green or something.
I'm already a good ways in to having a finished 3D model of the cube as I write this (will upload a pic later)...
planet said:
They could have molded one very easily but you could be right .
Remember the miniature Alien queen from AVP the prop store sold they used a Mcfarlane figure but beefed it up a lot who would have believed that
My 2 cents...
They made a mold of a Rubix or a "made" cube that had access to the middle. Possibly one of the squares is removeable.
Then they cast it in clear resin, added a battery and a few LED, hand painted the squares....done.
That's how I'd have done it, simple and easy.
Used an actual CUBE or NOT...
Of all Designs....they should have gone with something else.
Yeah, I'm really excited to see what, if anything, comes from the film. I'm fairly new to the hobby but don't companies like Sideshow, eFX, Factory Ent, Museum Replicas etc usually promo some of their upcoming props from a film? Like they did for the Avengers? Or could it be that they were told to keep it hush-hush until the film's release? I was hoping to see something by now :-\Neo-uk said:
Quick and simple you can get one of the 'clear' knock off cubes, a little paint and an LED...
There are clear, transparent, translucent colors and even glow knock off cubes out there...
http://cube4you.com has a lot of different kinds, but the search engine isn't the best due to the fact they abbreviate a lot of stuff in the descriptions... So browse vs search...
I think it was simply a real Rubiks cube that was used as a cast, made a mold and then a transluscent part was pulled out and lit inside and silver panels added. Thats the way I think it was done.
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