Crysis Nanosuit 2 - New project

A

Accumind

New Member
Hey guys!

So, I saw the Crysis 2 suit recently and immediately thought "I gotta get me that"... So I'm planning on building one...

I've built costumes before, and know my way around sewing pretty well.. but I've NEVER build anything dimensional, never done anything as complex as this suit, NEVER built solid pieces (like helmets and things), and NEVER done pepakura.

So I think I might be diving right into the very deep end of the pool. I've done some thinking, research, and I have an amazingly well outfitted costume shop that I can use.

But I sure could use any input and suggestions you all may have! I have attached a graphic with some preliminary thoughts and approaches, and could REALLY use your thoughts and suggestions on those!

Also, I currently live in Macau. It's about an hour from Hong Kong. So I have SO much random stuff at my disposal. I found some really good fabric that's a pretty close match. (a photo included, along with the original rendering i'm matching to) It's inexpensive and I can buy any amount...

BUT, I also found a manufacturer that will make almost an exact replica. It's a custom order (of any color and to my specifications) with a minimum of 500 meters (yikes)... Any thoughts on that side of things? Anyone else hoping to get their hands on some fabric too that would like to go in on an order?

Super excited to begin this project... any suggestions are gratefully, and humbly, appreciated!
 
I agree... it looks like some interesting stuff. I'm wondering if it's expandable braided sleeving used to protect wires. It is is, that's a really creative use. It looks very carbon fiber-esque from any distance.
 
Your material choice looks good, but it looks like a ripstop nylon I use at work, which has no stretch to it. You'd have to carefully design your patterns almost to the point of overdesigning.
Braided loom would be a better choice. You could stuff it with ethafoam rope (backer rod insulation)
 
What you say is exactly true. There is no stretch in the fabric... And it is probably exactly what you use at work!

To address the lack of stretch, I was hoping to create a bodyform of myself, then cut the EVA foam to fit using the form as a template. Then each piece of foam would be put into place on the base lycra, with a strip of the outer fabric sewn into place over it, simultaneously sewing on the starter fabric for the next section of foam. I was hoping the base material, being spandex, would provide enough stretch on the inside to allow ease of motion, so the outside of the suit wouldn't need to have any real stretch (because the articulation of the foam would allow movement... Sort of armadillo-ish.)

Is that crazy? It may well be... Which is why I'm also working on getting the custom "synthetic stretch leather" but the 500meter minimum order - that'll be a chunk of change :confused

I'm also off to Hong Kong now to pick up some of the fabric and hopefully try a couple of tests... Fingers crossed.

I've attached a diagram of the suit cross section...

the_batdemon said:
Your material choice looks good, but it looks like a ripstop nylon I use at work, which has no stretch to it. You'd have to carefully design your patterns almost to the point of overdesigning.
Braided loom would be a better choice. You could stuff it with ethafoam rope (backer rod insulation)
Click to expand...
 
I made a suit using a similar method as what you're describing. You can see it here: http://www.therpf.com/f24/metal-gear-solid-4-old-snake-costume-photo-heavy-98673/

I used a cotton lycra suit as the base with 4-way stretch vinyl sewn over the foam muscles. Even with the the stretch vinyl, sewing it on top resulted in a slight loss of mobility and the suit "shrank" a bit. If you use a non-stretch material, I think it would make the suit quite stiff and limit your range of movement. I would suggest making a mock-up with a cheap, generic non-stretch fabric to see if it would work before ordering anything custom. But if you can afford a 4-way custom stretch fabric, that would probably work great.
 
Nice work on the suit! Looks great!

What type of foam did you use? Was it lower density, or was it pretty firm? I'm hoping to do some tests with the fabric I found, and 1/2" EVA foam... I'm wondering, and I guess time will tell, since the foam is as thick as it is, and doesn't stretch appreciably, if a fabric that stretches is critical, as it will distort the pattern if stretched. On the other hand, one that doesn't stretch will probably be a challenge to form smoothly over the more complex dimensional forms...

I must say, I picked up a few yards of the fabric and it looks like a really spectacular match to the Crynet Systems images - so I'm REALLY hoping it'll work!

In any case, I think the first step is going to be to build a custom form of me, then the base bulk/muscle layer...

BTW, how did you do the knees?? they look spectacular! What's the trick?
 
I used a very thin upholstery type foam that I got from JoAnns. It was very flexible and was able to move with the suit easily. EVA foam might be too dense and stiff.

For the knees, I simple marked where I wanted the lines to be and sewed directly through the foam and vinyl.

Good luck with your project! The Crysis 2 suit has a neat design.
 
I agree with precious. Your suit is only gong to be as flexible as your least flexible material. Especially if you are quilting the suit.

Now, the nylon could/would work if you make the muscle groups separate and attached them to the lycra base like armor. Take a look at the armor Gary Oldman wore in Dracula.
 
Interesting! So maybe cutting the EVA, wrapping them individually with the nylon, because they both don't stretch, then attaching them to the lycra only at the ends? That would allow the lycra to do what it wants (to a limit)... and make the sewing MUCH easier, as the nylon can be glued to the foam.
 
Definitely test it out first. Between a non-stretch fabric and EVA foam, I'm afraid you may not be able to move you arms or legs very much, even if the raised portions are only attached at the ends.
 
So here's the latest news... I found 1/2" EVA foam in Hong Kong (I LOVE this place: 48" x 96" piece = $12.50), and along with that, picked up a few yards of the preferred (but not stretchy) nylon fabric, and a few yards of lycra for the backing.

For the first test, I used spray adhesive on the face of the foam, and attached it to the back of the nylon fabric. Then sewed around the edges. I found it was difficult to get a good edge, though I admit I also didn't take much time on it.

The good news there is that, as hoped, the lycra on the back still has a really good amount of stretch because it can use the depth of the face fabric to move... The not great news is that doing so really reduces the dimensionality of the effect with the face fabric. (see pics)

Next, I put some seams down the middle of the piece, through the EVA. The machine I'm using is industrial, so this wasn't a problem at all - it didn't slow it down a bit.

This works well, provides a really nice amount of flexibility because it adds thin sections in the piece, and would really speed up the construction process.The not great aspect of this is that the depth of the seam is not as much as I'd like. It also means that the benefit of the lycra on the back (inside) is almost completely eliminated. Adding a bit of shading (with the ever handy sharpie) increased the perception of depth a bit. (also has pics)

HOWEVER, I found that if I have 1 stretchy and 1 not stretchy fabric, the stretchy one pulls down into the EVA really well, making deep grooves. This is sending me back to the thought of getting some custom fabric with the proper face pattern. Now I'm thinking maybe sublimated lycra?

The next part of the test will be to have non stretch on both sides, to see how deep the grooves turn out... and a test with thicker EVA - maybe 3/4"...

Finally, I have also been a bit concerned about using non stretch as it will have less organic movement. My thoughts are that the under "bulk" suit, being of all stretchy fabric and having a fair amount of thick but softer foam will provide the ability to move well under the outer suit and reduce the need for it to be stretchy... Does that make sense? Thoughts?
 
I think that you are really onto something with your last post. Once sewn might only need some custom airbrush strokes applied onto the crevices of the sew lines. This project is a challenge but I think that with your continued efforts it could be spot on.

Paul D.
 
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