Studio Scale Tyrell Pyramid

[Pyramidrep]

You mean the white parts or the detailed squares in the pics?

The model parts I knew we’re on their way. The image is the shock.

Well I guess not everything got thrown into a dumpster in 1981. I guess it’s an “open secret” in Hollywood circles just to torture nerds like me.
There you go.

I’m gonna lie down for a while.

 

[stevielewis]

Those items look awesome!

 

[joberg]

The model parts I knew we’re on their way. The image is the shock.

Well I guess not everything got thrown into a dumpster in 1981. I guess it’s an “open secret” in Hollywood circles just to torture nerds like me.
There you go.

I’m gonna lie down for a while.

Mmmh...and the mystery thickens, but wow...I mean WOW

 

[Pyramidrep]

Now the donkey work on de-tabbing and sanding the 100 or so sheets of brass etch. Enough for all 8 buttresses but at the moment just 6.

 

[Pyramidrep]

And more essential model parts arrived today. A long wait but delighted they are finally here.

 

[joberg]

Wow...those pieces of brass etch. are a thing of beauty Still a lot of work to do since this is a very repetitive model and complex also.

 

[Pyramidrep]

Wow...those pieces of brass etch. are a thing of beauty Still a lot of work to do since this is a very repetitive model and complex also.

Yep. Things of beauty indeed. Even my wife is impressed and she’s never seen the movie. Huge amount of work to be done. So slow and steady. Researching still to find the last of the kit parts. Full scale card mock-up of the buttress to be built next week to resolve some detailing issues.
If there’s a lesson to be learnt from reading the other great modelling threads on this forum, it is to find the original materials, model parts that the props were built with. They are the key.
Also doing very comprehensive , detailed 2d drawings in tandem with the detailing and they are for a 3d model to be revealed sometime, when everything else is completed.

 

[joberg]

I hear you man, finding the right pics/materials are always a challenge! If the Wife is impressed; that's a good sign

 

[Searun]

Beautiful work. Incredible hours of research, dedication and craftsmanship. Your Pyramid is tribute to the film, its creator, actors, professional model maker and credit to those that have the wisdom to appreciate it. “All those moments will be lost in time, tears in rain.”

 

[Pyramidrep]

Beautiful work. Incredible hours of research, dedication and craftsmanship. Your Pyramid is tribute to the film, its creator, actors, professional model maker and credit to those that have the wisdom to appreciate it. “All those moments will be lost in time, tears in rain.”

Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. There are few who would take the challenge of recreating the Pyramid and I never expected that I was going to be first to “stick my head above the parapet”. What you referred to in your words has a truth here because the details / nuts and bolts on its construction will be lost if no one researches it and records it. Whatever value we place on these things is , I don’t know if you want to call it cultural or personal, all I know is that it’s important to me and I am glad to share it with the RPF community.

 

[Custard Gannet]

I don't want to keep blowing the trumpet, but this project really seems to be of an incredibly exacting standard. You seem to be breaking new ground, here: I just cannot get my head around the objective you have set yourself. You have put a truly noble amount of money and time into this already and you are on course for an incredible aesthetic achievement, once complete. I can only assume it will garner a great deal of attention once the Money Shots roll in. Hold Fast, now.

 

[Pyramidrep]

Custard Gannet,
So I’ve just finished another artwork commission this morning and turned back to doing a few more hours work on the Pyramid and saw your post. Thank you for the kind words once again.
One of the things I have to say about this project is that it is dictating its own pace. It’s strange but every time I,ve felt that it’s going slow or things are taking longer, some important piece of the puzzle suddenly gets solved( a model part identified, new image turns up). Now I trained and worked both as an architectural technician and later as an architect and there is an industry saying “God is in the details” And that’s the way I am approaching this build. Materials and detail. Autocad, Photoshop, sketchup, 3ds max are indispensable and I use them all switching images and drawing from one to the other and vice versa. Upping the resolution of images and manipulating their orientation and printing them on a large format plotter is a huge help. I also built most of those model kits as young man (still had some of them in the attic) and that was a huge advantage.
As to why I am building the Pyramid?. Well Blade Runner has been a big influence on me and since I getting closer to 60, I just wanted to see it in reality and I hope I can find a place where it can be put on permanent public display.

I should also add that for the people who know me well, I am a perfectionist ( drives some folks nuts) but thats my nature.
Here’s what I finished this morning, part of my other skill and passion.

 

[d_jedi1]

Hi everyone. So the etching company in the UK informed me a few days ago that production is halted because of the COVID-19 crisis, it will be some time before this aspect of the build can be sorted. I’ve also been told that the company laser cutting the acrylic sheet for me has also closed. Anyhow, this is to be expected. Attached are images of the some drawings I did for the etch. The larger is my version of the original master. It measures 12x24 inches. The tolerance for the minimum line thickness is 0.5mm In order to be etched cleanly. Which meant I had to modify and adapt some areas of the original detail. This might explain why you see original etched parts looking a bit rough, where lines very obviously blow out. The two drawing on the right are the ones going to etch. One at full scale and the other at half scale.

I need to catch up on the rest of the thread... but.. this would be perfect for modelers converting their K'tinga class models into Kronos one.

 

[joberg]

Wow mate! Not only you're the only one building that Behemoth of a model, but you also paint beautifully

 

[Pyramidrep]

So I’ve been experimenting as to how to achieve the lighting and the effect of the lit and unlit windows on the buttress. I used that great image of Douglas Trumbull and the pyramid as a starting point. I imported my cad drawing of the buttress screens into photoshop and then cut the image of the buttress and deformed it so that it fitted over the drawing. The image is re- imported back to cad, scaled and overlayed again on the cad drawing and then printed 1:1 on a large format plotter.

I then mapped the lights/ lighting in cad using 2mm squares for each of the window lights and created a black and white image of the lighting layout. So this is the equivalent to the artwork and the high contrast film they used originally to create the lighting effect. I thought about printing this on a sheet of acetate or having the small windows laser cut, but this seems to be ok. They lighting behind still needs to be sorted properly ( strip leds are too warm and dim) but I now know where I‘m going , and the effect is great.
Now onwards with the bottom, sides and the other buttress. These templates will be used for the other sides.

 

[stevielewis]

I like where you are going with this. Nice work.

 

[Searun]

Beautiful reproduction of the pyramid lighting at night. Really captures the power and mood cast by the building and it’s design. Reminds me of the red eye flights back across the country when landing at Kennedy or LaGuardia during monthly business visitation trips. Great work.
Searun

 

[joberg]

Great trick and great results; I wouldn`t change a thing

 

[Pyramidrep]

Great trick and great results; I wouldn`t change a thing

Joberg,
Would you believe that I have already altered and revised it. Ha, Ha. I re- watched a segment of the making of documentary again this afternoon. There’s a tracking shot close to the buttress. I thought the lights/windows looked a little smaller and more rectangular, so I altered them and will print again over the weekend. I can do this easily in auto cad since the windows are drawn as a block with specific measurements. You can alter parameters of the block‘s measurements easily and then the drawing will update all the windows to the new shape. isn’t technology great when it’s works,

 

[joberg]

Joberg,
Would you believe that I have already altered and revised it. Ha, Ha. I re- watched a segment of the making of documentary again this afternoon. There’s a tracking shot close to the buttress. i though the lights/windows looked a little smaller and more rectangular, so I altered them and will print again over the weekend. I can do this easily in auto cad since the windows are drawn as a block with specific measurements. You can alter parameters of the block‘s measurements easily and then the drawing will update all the windows to the new shape. isn’t technology great when it’s works,

True, tech is great when it serves you Eager to see your next update with the changes!