New Helmet Project

[Cujo3131]

Greetings RPF'ers!

Just started another new project and thought I would share and ask some advice....

I have been reading alot over at teh 405th about Pepakura and really like the technique and would like to use the method for some other projects... but first I thought I would try my hand at something similar... so I picked a pep file: Kirrou's ODST Rookie helmet from Halo. I downloaded the file and did a bunch of reading about scaling the helmet. Downloaded the designer and the viewer and scaled it to my head... (I hope). Printed out and went to work:

I felt like I did pretty well until I hit Mark 1 where I ended up with a slight gap where the pieces didn't meet perfectly. Only major headache up to this point was Mark 2 with almost 2mm folds... nearly tore it several times getting that fold.

Yesterday during my lunch break, I attempted to do the f0llowing piece:

VERY small cutout and folds and I ruined it about 4 times before deciding to walk away for a break.

Anyway... anyone have any pep tips on how to get this tiny folds to work better for me?

How am I doing so far?

Thanks for reading this and for the input... is is ALWAYS appreciated!

Cujo3131

 

[Cujo3131]

>>bump<<<

 

[NWagstaff]

The thing about pep, is that you will never get it just right, I've been working on a scout trooper helmet myself, there are a bunch of issues. But it's best to not worry too much about it, because after you fiberglasss it'd be a good idea to use paperclay or bondo to fix some of the details.

 

[Cujo3131]

Just some more update pics....

Helmet on left...My ODST helmet....
Helmet or right...Jr's Smooth Recon helmet....size small

Cujo31

 

[Foxw]

I'm assuming you took the time to score all the folds before cutting out, doing such really makes the job easier.

 

[Cujo3131]

Yes....using the ball point pen methos....blue for mountains....red for valleys... and plugging along slowly.... It's a fun project so far....time consuming but fun

Cujo3131

 

[themanwoaname]

ball point pen method?

and scaling. if there's one thing about pep i cant stand, its starting a project assuming its in scale, getting a 1/2 done from being on a roll and finding out the pep was too large. and then the 2 subsequent printings to see if even then the scale is right.

why do they not scale these things when they release them?

 

[Cujo3131]

Ummm they do scale them before release... for their OWN heads.

To me that is the beauty of the Pep... you can scale to fit. I have a guy on RPF who makes unbelievalbe nuBSG Raptor helmets... but his kit is too small for my head... so I am out of luck... but this I can scale to fit as I want. And with most GOOD pep file makers, they make test files for you to try before investing the time if the full helmet....

Ball point pen method...yes... read here on the 405th:

Pen Method

Cujo3131

 

[themanwoaname]

Ummm they do scale them before release... for their OWN heads.

lol, you should see the first rocketeer helmet i made. it was so large you could wear a football helmet inside of it, with the face guard.

do you have any recommendations for scaling? i understand 25.4 mm = 1" but i cant manage to get the whole scaling thing to work right.

 

[AxiomUltra]

do you have any recommendations for scaling? i understand 25.4 mm = 1" but i cant manage to get the whole scaling thing to work right.

I get this question a lot over at the 405th.

In Pepakura your object scale is determined by what is called it's 'bounding box'

Imagine an invisible box with perfect 90 degree angles encompassing the object you are trying to make. The length/width/and height are the dimensions Pepakura is showing you in x,y,z.

Some people make the mistake of trying to scale using the surface area or circumference of their skull when sizing things like helmets. When what you need is a pair of calipers.

Use the calipers to measure the outermost points (from front-back, side-side, and if you want the lowest point of your chin straight up). After you place the calipers on both points remove it and check the measurement on a ruler, then wright it down. You can use inches and convert or just get the millimeters.

I recommend getting a 3d 'dummy head' and matching the measurements in Pepakura to your own as best as possible.

You can import other Pep files into your 'dummy head' Pep file. I think that at this point you can adjust the part scales to fit more accurately. And you will always have that armature file for future use.

I'm not sure how well this would work for you though because I don't actually take this route. In my project I created an entire 3d body based on my own build and scaled within Maya. I then build/scale all of my costume parts to fit and look the way I want them. Then I export the parts out to be unfolded.

It sounds complex, but now that I have a digital armature to start from sizing is never going to be an issue for me.

Finding a base mesh head or body isn't hard. Most 3d packages come with one in a beginner folder/tutorial. Or you can simply find a free one online to start with. You could also pay someone to make one to your own dimensions.

-Hugh

 

[torsoboy]

As far as the gaps go, one thing to keep in mind is that when you glue two pieces together, the lines on the edges at that seam should overlap instead of bumping up against each other. Even though the program split that line into two separate edges, it should be rejoined as one single line. So it does matter where you glue along those seam lines. If the printed lines butt up against each other, you will have major spacing issues.

Another thing to consider is that Pepakura does some funky stuff to models. I've been building my own custom pep projects for a while now, and even though I know a certain part is supposed to a certain size, Pepakura makes it shorter, or longer, or wider. It's rare, but it can distort the individual panels.

Yet another thing to consider is that the program doesn't account for the thickness of paper that we use (cardstock being the commonly used paper). When it sees the 3D model, it sees 2-dimensional panels arranged in 3D space. A 2-dimensional panel has no thickness in the program. So when you bend a piece of paper that is a certain thickness, it's overall length can change depending on how you interpret the assembly. Scoring the lines helps with this, but a complex shape can still end up being distorted.

Pepakura is an excellent tool, but having an understanding of the 3D model you're trying to build, and knowing the intricacies and limitations of the program make it a little less "build-by-number" in my book. If you know your 3D model and know how to get around the limitations, you can take shortcuts and blast through any problems.