Han In Carbonite from 3D files (help identifying source?)

[Bloop]

I decided to take a break from working on my own digital sculpts (like the Deckard from Blade Runner I've been constantly tweaking for years with no end in sight) to start working on a Han in Carbonite based on 3D files I acquired online, to be 3D printed. I'm not sure how big I want to go - I've always wanted a full 1:1 replica, but that's cost and space prohibitive at this time, not to mention a lot more labor intensive. So I was thinking 1:6 scale. I know there's the Sideshow 1:6 replica, but not only is more than I want to spend, but the details seem a bit lacking:


My plan is to take an existing 3D model that I bought and digitally sculpt some of that detail back into the model.

I have two files that I'm combining - one that I purchased (for cheap), for the sculpted Han Solo section, and one that's free, for the box and the Volvo blocks:

Han solo carbonite, Star Wars Legion

SWL objective pawns

cults3d.com

Printables

www.printables.com

I was originally just going to use the free file and sculpt in some details as it looked pretty good already, and had some nice details (it can also be lit with LEDs):

But then I found this file, which is listed as being for the Star Wars "Legion" tabletop game:

While the picture makes it look inaccurate, the actual center section of file is pretty detailed and seems like it may have been scanned from either the original life-size prop or at least a replica that was moulded from the original. It looks like whoever put this online for sale messed up the horizontal scale and seems to have added an inaccurate box around the scanned model. I was able to easily separate the models in Blender (using the separate by "loose materials" option), which revealed the full scanned section. It was also modeled in three separate sections stitched together, as you can see the seams. The fact that it's three sections combined with it having a back section with what looks like sort of tabs, and that the model has some warping to it, makes me think it may have been scanned from a fiberglass copy of the original, which are available to purchase from various sources to create your own DIY HIC.

I figured I could work with it, and the fact that the file was so cheap made it an easy decision to try it. I'm not sure of the exact size of the HIC prop, but I resized the width to 75% of the original, which seems pretty close. I might try to get better measurements to get the right dimensions, but this should work for now. Here it is resized and separated from the box:



Here's a side shot, with the original box, follwed by a pic of my edited version of the center section with the new box in place (the side Volvo boxes are not in place, as they're sepated for printing) - note that I adjusted the warped parts to get it laying more flat, and to get the seams to be, well...seamless. I also noticed Han looked to have a bit of a beer belly that's not accurate to the original prop, and the protruding knee also needed correcting:



Next up, close ups of the details I added back in. I saw DopaminDoc's HIC build thread (DopamineDoc's Life Size Han Solo in Carbonite build) which provided some good reference images, and also pointed out the lack of details on the lifesize fiberglass copies. I also just noticed Redman2187's questions about a seemingly damaged/chipped section on the hip of the original onscreen prop, so I sculpted that back in as well (Han In Carbonite (H.I.C.) Right Hip/Thigh detail).

Comparisons of the original file as purchased vs my new details - still a WIP but miles better already (I also adjusted the materials settings to give the model a metallic sheen):



Reference pics of the onscreen prop for comparison:


So that brings me to my question: can anyone tell me if the 3D model I bought comes from a specific source? After I bought it and was able to examine it, I think it's scanned a copy of the original prop - hence the warping and the "repair" to the hip area. But the scan seems pretty detailed for the price. Like, I'm not sure the aveage person could get this good of a scan without costly equipment, and the low price they're charging suggests to me that they didn't create it themselves. I don't really like the idea that I bought a file from someone that didn't create it, though I know people have been selling recasts of the original HIC for decades, so I don't know what the legal or moral implications are at this point. If this seller just ripped the file from some digital source and resold it, like what happens with video game assets (sci-fi vehicles, etc), I'd still feel bad for giving them any money, even if it was just a dollar and change. I'm also just curious if anyone can spot anything that could indentify the source of the scan.

 

[Hanamaid]

I believe the original source of that file is from this subscription based 3d modeler at 3d printed Star Wars | Build It And They Will Come

But I’m not 100% certain he’s the originator. Just the first person I saw with it. Subscription is $10 a month and the Han file is $30 I think. There’s also someone selling what appears to be the same one on Etsy lifesize 3D printed.

Im almost certain it’s the same exact one you have because of the unique pattern of the carbonite material in the top left corner of the box that I have not seen in other versions of illusive concepts as well as the unique indent next to his right leg.

Confident it’s a scan of an illusive concepts HIC from the 90’s.

The hip “scar” or pattern has been documented a little bit here:

Han In Carbonite (H.I.C.) Right Hip/Thigh detail

The scar’s in the original prop but it looks like most all of the illusive concepts covered it up.

 

[Bloop]

I believe the original source of that file is from this subscription based 3d modeler at 3d printed Star Wars | Build It And They Will Come

View attachment 1833302

But I’m not 100% certain he’s the originator. Just the first person I saw with it. Subscription is $10 a month and the Han file is $30 I think. There’s also someone selling what appears to be the same one on Etsy lifesize 3D printed.

Im almost certain it’s the same exact one you have because of the unique pattern of the carbonite material in the top left corner of the box that I have not seen in other versions of illusive concepts as well as the unique indent next to his right leg.


View attachment 1833301

View attachment 1833300

Confident it’s a scan of an illusive concepts HIC from the 90’s.

The hip “scar” or pattern has been documented a little bit here:

Han In Carbonite (H.I.C.) Right Hip/Thigh detail

The scar’s in the original prop but it looks like most all of the illusive concepts covered it up.

Thanks, I figured that chunk in the upper left might be a giveaway too, though I forgot to mention it in my post. I did post that link to the same RPF post about the hip detail, which is where I found out about that issue.
That file certainly lines up with the one I purchased - that indent seems to be part of the warping I observed (the lower left corner of the model in the last pic you posted also curves outward, which I corrected with my model). That Etsy seller's model is clearly the same - you can see the details on the back that match the pic I posted:

From Etsy:


And the pic I posted earlier:


I guess it sort of puts my mind at ease that it's a scan that others have been profiting off of for years. It's kind of a murky area, like, so many people have profited of casts and scans of the original prop that had no hand in creating the onscreen prop and didn't officially license the product for sale, as companies like Sideshow do (I assume). I mean, I know there's effort involved in producing a good cast and/or 3D scan of a prop, so I don't want to discount anyone's personal efforts. But in the end, I'd guess that most of the people selling HIC casts and 3D models didn't get a license from Lucasfilm or anything, and a lot of them are even just reselling someone else's work. Like, the Etsy seller is likley selling a 3D print based on a scan of an officially licensed product, and selling it for $500. I guess I won't lose much sleep over the moral implications of it all.

 

[Hanamaid]

Don’t know how I missed that entire paragraph about the hip in your original post… But yeah there are a million versions of HIC out there and folks have been doing it for almost 20 years it looks like. Even the illusive concepts version had so many variants from what appears to be repairs from mold breakdown when they still had the license (which to my understanding, when IC lost the license, that’s when folks started to make molds of their HICs). I started all this research a year and a half ago and the Hic prop is where I started and kinda still am so I’m a bit green… but pretty obsessed… which is how I found this site.

I think the prop casts/boxes/panels/greeblies/electronics replicas provide folks with an opportunity to create a personalized version of the prop. Some folks only want a licensed product. Some want to build their own. It will never be worth as much monetarily as a licensed product. However, the process of building their version and sharing their progress with other fans makes it priceless to the owner/builder. I think there’s room for both worlds.

 

[Dogsbody2]

HIC,s really started to get popular when people found the Volvo side pieces...It all depends on what was scanned originally to create the file.

 

[Bloop]

UPDATE: Added more detail, properly (I hope) welded together the three sections of the model, deleting out the unneeded bits of the frame, and resized the outer box. I also used this screencap from ROTJ to align the parts of the model. I tried to get the angle and lighting close. Not exact, but close enough that it helped:

A couple more renders showing the details. I might've gone a little heavy with the detailing, but I figured it's better to overdo it with 3D prints, since you lose some fidelity in the process, especially if you do any sanding and painting:

The main thing I'm worried about at this point is combining all the elements and making it "watertight" for printing. I always run into problems in that area.

 

[Hanamaid]

Nice. I just went back and checked out your blade runner post and you’re no stranger to Fords face haha. This is looking great though. I started resculpting his face on an IC recently and it’s been a challenge.

l pulled these pics down almost 2 yrs ago. Don’t know if it’s screen used but it’s gotta be one of the original props that was displayed at the Star Wars exhibits a few years ago. Wish I could find out the original source to give them credit but google images doesn’t pull up anything but random Pinterest accts. I’m sure they probably originated from this site somewhere so if someone knows, feel free to square me away.

I also came across this site fairly recently. Hopefully some of this helps.

Index of /hansolo

 

[Bloop]

Nice. I just went back and checked out your blade runner post and you’re no stranger to Fords face haha. This is looking great though. I started resculpting his face on an IC recently and it’s been a challenge.

l pulled these pics down almost 2 yrs ago. Don’t know if it’s screen used but it’s gotta be one of the original props that was displayed at the Star Wars exhibits a few years ago. Wish I could find out the original source to give them credit but google images doesn’t pull up anything but random Pinterest accts. I’m sure they probably originated from this site somewhere so if someone knows, feel free to square me away.

I also came across this site fairly recently. Hopefully some of this helps.

Index of /hansolo

Thanks, yes, all those pics definitely help. l found it hard to search for images of the original prop without getting a lot of reproductions of varying quality. But even if some of those pics you provided aren't from the screen used prop, they have a ton of detail that suggests they're at least high quality casts of the original, so they're very useful references. Plus, I know mine will never be close to 100% screen accurate, but part of the fun is seeing how close I can make it.

 

[Bloop]

UPDATE: I wasn't planning on re-sculpting this model a lot, but it turns out the face needed it. Not completely re-sculpting, but moving things around to adjust for what seems to be distortion of the source 3D model. Thanks to Hanamaid for pointing out some of the differences between the model I bought and the original HIC prop, and for providing a ton of great reference pics.

This first angle shows the work I did to match it to this reference pic:

Compared to the previous version, you can see a big difference. The scanned 3D model seems to be distorted, stretched out, most noticably the nose, but the forehead and lips show it too. I still need to clean up the chin and adjust the upper cheek area under the eye (needs to be more recessed).

More renders:

The face lines up better in this comparison now:

Still more to do, cleaning up some spots and adding details, but it feels like the bulk of the re-sculpting is done.

 

[Bloop]

UPDATE:

I think I'm pretty close to done fixing the model. I also ended up remaking the surrounding box, since the edges were too rounded and there were some funky things going on with the geometry. More adjustments to the face - in the comparison below, you can see the left eyelid has been fixed, along with the overall shapes (forehead, lips chin, depth, etc.).

I added more detail to the background and the rest of the body (brush strokes, mainly). I may tweak some things yet, but hopefully I can move on to printing this out in resin. I'm debating whether to print the box in PLA, since it doesn't require much detail (I'll still print the side control "Volvo" boxes in resin).

 

[Bloop]

UPDATE: No prints yet, still tweaking. Made some more adjustments to the face (the chin & jaw especially needed fixing) and toned down some of the overall detailing. I'm still erring on the side of "too much" detail, since a lot will be lost in the printing, sanding and painting process. I also decimated the model to lower the number of polygons - Blender was getting bogged down due to the size of the model, so it was getting harder to edit. I didn't decimate it to the point of losing any real details, though.

Here's a shot of the back/side of the box now - not too exciting, but I added the recessed areas to the back (the box I replaced didn't have them). Not a huge detail, as the back doesn't get seen much, but I wanted to stay true to the original.