What is Pepakura?
- Thread starter CaptainEO
- Start date
CustomPropSculptorGuy
Well-Known Member
It sounds cool?? Idk... It's more or less an "anyone can do it" base-system for newbs to sculpting and fabricating - or someone who is just up for a challenge.
Think of a bad ass 3D puzzle, then oomph the difficulty level from like, 3, to like a bajillion...
Think of a bad ass 3D puzzle, then oomph the difficulty level from like, 3, to like a bajillion...
Dung0beetle
Well-Known Member
Pepakura is the software for unfolding a 3d object into printable parts. For example, if you have a 3d model of a helmet, you can unfold it and print it out to make a 1:1 prop.
Download the software from here: http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/download/download.html
Download the software from here: http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/download/download.html
chaosmeika
New Member
Pepakura is Papercraft. Japanese pronunciation of Papercraft.
punisher
Sr Member
I dont think its just for "newbs" newbs at what, sculpting, prop making, a noob at what? lol. I think alot of people are getting mad because you can achieve better results using a simpler method such as pepakura.
CustomPropSculptorGuy
Well-Known Member
If that's the case then it's just cheating when it comes to sculpting.
No, it is what it is - paper crafting. You take and assemble a giant 3d puzzle and shellac some fiberglass or resin on it, and the pieces as ya go.
Sculpting is an art - takes talent, patience and skill. Pep, nearly anyone can do it with more will power than anything - most of the work is done for you. And before everyone else replies - if you're a pep builder, I know you're going to justify yourself by saying it's so much more and what not, but truth be told, you're folding paper that - in most cases - someone else laid out for you, and then putting a solidifying agent on it.
Simpler?? Not really - It's easier to get a perfect circle in clay and soften the edge than it is in pep - but it's easier to scale and symmetrize the piece in pep than it is in clay...
Realistically, they both have pros and cons - everyone, especially the clay guys, need to get over it. I mean, yea, it is hurting business a tiny bit, but realistically, there are more props than Pep files...
Even thought I tried pep once and failed horribly at it, there is no difference in me using pep than there is using a block of architectural foam for a base...
CustomPropSculptorGuy
Well-Known Member
Did you read anything I posted?? There's no such thing as over simplifying something. It's getting to the nitty gritty with out all the hooplah.
Case and point, with pep... You dont NEED to use a fiberglass resin - go get some shell shock, mix the 2:1 or what ever it is, and paint over the pep and let dry... sand, smooth and add details as you see fit - it's not rocket science - it's a glorified base-technique.
Case and point, with pep... You dont NEED to use a fiberglass resin - go get some shell shock, mix the 2:1 or what ever it is, and paint over the pep and let dry... sand, smooth and add details as you see fit - it's not rocket science - it's a glorified base-technique.
Dancin_Fool
Well-Known Member
With pepakura you get out of it what you put in. There's a wide range of quality in the builds out there. It definitely takes some skill to get the results you see in some of the great builds that are out there.
So much hullabaloo about Pepakura lately though, I hate to see what this forum is like when 3d printers become more affordable.
So much hullabaloo about Pepakura lately though, I hate to see what this forum is like when 3d printers become more affordable.
WarMachine
Sr Member
You are so modest Finhead 
Your pep work is seriously fantastic.
I agree, it's really not just as simple as gluing paper together. A lot of time and effort has to go into it.
Your pep work is seriously fantastic. I agree, it's really not just as simple as gluing paper together. A lot of time and effort has to go into it.
STEALTH
Sr Member
Ok, so pepakura is just a fancy way of saying paper craft, haha. It just seemed like all of a sudden everyone switched to using the new slick word for it, and without telling me no less! :lol
So, for example. Finhead, what was your process on the Iron Man suit? Start off with a 3d file, print it out, fold it up, cover it with hardening solution and 'bondo' (for lack of a better term) and go from there? It looks really great! Just trying to wrap my head around the process, I still don't quite get how it goes from paper to a hardened wearable armor. Especially the smooth rounded bits...
So, for example. Finhead, what was your process on the Iron Man suit? Start off with a 3d file, print it out, fold it up, cover it with hardening solution and 'bondo' (for lack of a better term) and go from there? It looks really great! Just trying to wrap my head around the process, I still don't quite get how it goes from paper to a hardened wearable armor. Especially the smooth rounded bits...
The reason why people refer to it as pepakura as opposed to papercraft is because of the powerfully indispensable program Dung0beetle brought up earlier. You won't find many plans out there that pepakura (or some similar program) wasn't used in helping create.
I'm going to chime in quickly as someone who has worked in both Pepakura and Clay, and loves them both for different reasons.
Clay is easier than pep! There I said it. When it comes to getting something beautiful and smooth, with intricate line-work, give me a soft medium like clay (Rakes and lighter fluid are my best friends) over body filler any day. In fact, I've used scaled-down pep files as sculpting armatures before just because it saves me clay, not because it makes it any easier, it just prevents me from having to deal with 25 lb of clay or more.
It seems that all the people who complain about pep have never tried to create a finished prop from it. Try it, and if you still don't recognize how skilled someone needs to be to finish a prop that way, you did it wrong...or you're Finhead.
-Nick
Clay is easier than pep! There I said it. When it comes to getting something beautiful and smooth, with intricate line-work, give me a soft medium like clay (Rakes and lighter fluid are my best friends) over body filler any day. In fact, I've used scaled-down pep files as sculpting armatures before just because it saves me clay, not because it makes it any easier, it just prevents me from having to deal with 25 lb of clay or more.
It seems that all the people who complain about pep have never tried to create a finished prop from it. Try it, and if you still don't recognize how skilled someone needs to be to finish a prop that way, you did it wrong...or you're Finhead.
-Nick
And again I see apples and pears being compared :lol
If someone makes a sculpt from scratch, just with clay, he masters the difficult task to make the translation of forms and volumes from one medium into another medium into threedimensional space. He uses his eyes and hands to get all the proportions and textures right.
The result is a sculpt.
Then that makes him IMO a full blown artist.
If someone makes a 3D model from scratch, then that makes him IMO a full blown artist. He masters the difficult task to make the translation of forms and volumes from one medium into a digital medium into threedimensional space. He uses his eyes and hands to get all the proportions right.
The result is a 3D-Model.
Then that makes him IMO a full blown artist.
NOW...
If someone uses the artists (!) 3D-file to unfold it, print it out, cover it in resin, bondo the heck out of it, paint it, he probably will get a great statue/costume/item.
The result does IMO not make an artist out of him, but a craftsman. There are excellent ones or rather poor ones, but the result depends more on the skills and patience that goes into finishing a piece rather than depending on real artistic skills.
So, all in all the artistry-level of sculpting and pepakura can only be compared up to the creation of the sculpt, whether it´s clay or 3D.
What I really wonder about is that the discussion is unheard of in the area of e.g. studio scale modelers. The original modelers are the artists, but also the builders are admired when they show a completed model that looks fantastic.
So, PEP to me is in the end not different from a model kit. It takes patience and skills to complete it. But completing it does not make the builders a sculptural (!) artist, but primarily very, very talented craftsmen who mastered (!) various techniques. So, if they can make a simple (or not so simple) paper cut out pattern model shine and look like it´s from a movie (Finhead, I am floored by what you did to that pep!), they are master finishers, their techniques are perfect. But artists? IMO not really in a classical sense such as any sculptor.
If someone makes a sculpt from scratch, just with clay, he masters the difficult task to make the translation of forms and volumes from one medium into another medium into threedimensional space. He uses his eyes and hands to get all the proportions and textures right.
The result is a sculpt.
Then that makes him IMO a full blown artist.
If someone makes a 3D model from scratch, then that makes him IMO a full blown artist. He masters the difficult task to make the translation of forms and volumes from one medium into a digital medium into threedimensional space. He uses his eyes and hands to get all the proportions right.
The result is a 3D-Model.
Then that makes him IMO a full blown artist.
NOW...
If someone uses the artists (!) 3D-file to unfold it, print it out, cover it in resin, bondo the heck out of it, paint it, he probably will get a great statue/costume/item.
The result does IMO not make an artist out of him, but a craftsman. There are excellent ones or rather poor ones, but the result depends more on the skills and patience that goes into finishing a piece rather than depending on real artistic skills.
So, all in all the artistry-level of sculpting and pepakura can only be compared up to the creation of the sculpt, whether it´s clay or 3D.
What I really wonder about is that the discussion is unheard of in the area of e.g. studio scale modelers. The original modelers are the artists, but also the builders are admired when they show a completed model that looks fantastic.
So, PEP to me is in the end not different from a model kit. It takes patience and skills to complete it. But completing it does not make the builders a sculptural (!) artist, but primarily very, very talented craftsmen who mastered (!) various techniques. So, if they can make a simple (or not so simple) paper cut out pattern model shine and look like it´s from a movie (Finhead, I am floored by what you did to that pep!), they are master finishers, their techniques are perfect. But artists? IMO not really in a classical sense such as any sculptor.
CustomPropSculptorGuy
Well-Known Member
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