New To the show

[Cujo3131]

Greetings Proppers....

New to the boards... though a few of you have seen me asking some nuBSG questions here and there.

Background: Sci-fi nut and school teacher. Stuck in the middle of nowhere in the "Frozen Tundra" and no I am NOT a cheesehead. Have some graphic skills and some 3D modelling skills... always been a fan of knobs and button and switches...and helmets...buckets fascinate me... maybe it was all those stormtroopers I collected as a kid...yeah a bit of techy geek. Currently in the process of building my own kitcar but looking to branch out into other fun ideas...


So anyway... as I said big nuBSG fan... curious about pepakura... got a huge itch to make SOMETHING... but really not sure where to start... kinda overwhelmed by all the info and great stuff everyone else is doing....

But thought I should formally say "Hello!" )

Feel free to punk the new guy... glad to be here... willing to learn... and love what you guys and gals are doing!

Thanks!

Cujo3131

 

[ssdesigner]

Welcome!! (insert obligatory "leave your wallet at the door" comment)

Stuck in the middle of nowhere in the "Frozen Tundra" and no I am NOT a cheesehead

So what part of the frozen north are you from? Quite a few of us MN folks here.....somewhere?

Guys?.......guys??

-Ss

 

[Cujo3131]

I live in a little town named Clintonville...about 40 minutes from Bart Star's backyard in Green Bay.... always looking for inspiration... especially from local guys and gals

 

[Phelyx]

I've been a prop designer / fabricator in Hollywood for a couple of decades and I still get a huge kick out of making things on my own; either replicas or from my own designs. I also shoot short films as often as I can, and they're often simply showcases for these things I have fun building.

I've never played much with pepakura, but I often do something that seems related to it. The idea being making physical from computer-created patterns/vector art, etc...

One thing I've had a lot of fun with is the computer-controlled router at the studio's sign shop. Maybe you've got a nearby shop with one that can cut sheet PVC or vinyl for signs.

If you have experience with 3D modeling and apps like Illustrator, you can create props and models pretty nicely by making (or finding) accurate vector art of all the parts and pieces. You can trace blueprints or photos if you account for lens distortion. Or create vectors from your 3D models.

Email the vectors to a place with said router and figure out how thick you need your PVC (or other materials) for the parts. You'll get a box of nicely cut pieces that you can then assemble almost like a model kit, finish, add lights, etc...

Get a price quote first - you might want to hand cut some of the simpler shapes to save money.

I usually do some fairly detailed sketches first on paper, then in 3D, then I make all the sides and details in Illustrator. Once I have all the pieces drawn, I pull those vectors into a 3D program, extrude the vectors to the thickness of the PVC I'm going to have them cut from, and assemble the pieces in virtual space so I can rotate it and see how the model will look from various angles and how the parts all fit together. Tweak the vectors if necessary and then email it all to the sign shop.

If you ever saw FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, I made much of the gear the astronauts used on the moon using this method. Most of their experiments, tools and other gear were made from routed PVC panels - quarter-inch thick mostly. Cylindrical parts were sometimes made from PCV pipe. The only things I had to fully fabricate were large spherical shapes. I added a lot of surface details like machine screws, various metal handles, panels, switches, jacks, hinges, etc...

The new BSG had a very hard, low-tech look to many of their sets and props, which might make it feasible to use this technique to replicate some of their gear.

 

[101radioman]

Yeah we are here SS. Just getting ready for the winter. hehe