Your Opinion on Pepakura....

[Crank729]

I have had this question in my head for quite a while now. I have heard and seen some people praise pepakura for its simple technique and impressive outcome, given that time and care are put into the final product.

Yet, I see other people think that pep has no creativity and will not encourage a good final product.

Some love it, some hate it. What do you think about pepakura?

 

[Blaxmyth]

I think for me it's added an affordable and work-intensive (read 'fun-intensive') alternative to the hobby. For me, it's a way I can own a version of some iconic helmets, and have the fun of building them at the same time. Also, I find the process of making something just as pleasurable as owning the finished item, so I get a double dose of prop fun!

Just my thoughts, and I appreciate that others may disagree.

Oh, also, one last thought - it's a cool new way to increase my vast stock of partly-finished projects!

 

[ONEYE]

I don't like the word Pepakura, isn't it just paper-craft?

 

[moose]

i find it incredibly rage inducing, but at the same time, i'm glad it's around. just that sole purpose of being a simplified template is worth the time and effort, in my opinion. plus, like mentioned above, it is very affordable. a stack of 110lb paper, some resin, fiberglass, and bondo, really doesn't break the bank at all. as for the idea of it not being creative or not encouraging a good final product, that all has to do with who is doing the build. if you don't spend the time to make it a good pep, and don't bother with the fine details in the bondo, then no, it's not particularly creative, and definitely not a good product. BUT, if you do spend that extra time, holy crap does it become a serious work of art.

 

[Dart]

I agree with moose. While I've never done pep myself, I've seen stuff that was really poorly done and other stuff that didn't look like it started as a pep file. The artistry is in the finishing but the patience to assemble it all is completely necessary.

 

[micdavis]

Hate the name, but what's in a name.

It seems to be more work than just building something out right.

Although some it is spectacular, most of what I've seen it ends up looking blocky, chunky and unfinished.

I also have no idea what it really takes to get something "pepped".

 

[elro]

An example of what PEP can do :
Standard pep,

After putting effort into making the surface perfectly flat to 800 grit paper, which requires more finesse than anything (+skill working with products rather than skill in making templates).

My thoughts on PEP? As long as someone puts effort in after the paper model, it is MORE than acceptable.

Well, there is no question as to what is right or wrong - Whatever works for you is how you make something. Pep requires certain skills, and scratch building requires others.

Pep = Finishing skills / Working with products.
Scratch = Finding Materials with an existing finish and applying them into a certain shape.

they are completely different so there is no question as to what is 'better'. simply, they are different.

 

[mikey123mushukl]

PEPAKURA IS AAAAAAAWWWWWWWSSSSSOOOOOMMMMMEEEE!!!!!!!!

Pepakura has allowed me to make props that are not redily available or are astronomicly expensive, or both. I can also customize the prop. Pepakura / papercraft has provided me with a realatively inexpensive hobby that produces amazing results. Check out my pepakura based Rocketeer rocket pack photo album on my RPF profile page. pepakura as a hobby more than pays for itself.

 

[ONEYE]

I don't know, I view paper as something cheap, easily destroyed, fragile. I prefer something made of sturdier material, stuff that will last. I confess, I don't know much of the process. There are too many things made out of stuff that I do trust to get involved in collecting paper props.

 

[elro]

I don't know, I view paper as something cheap, easily destroyed, fragile. I prefer something made of sturdier material, stuff that will last. I confess, I don't know much of the process. There are too many things made out of stuff that I do trust to get involved in collecting paper props.

Paper is weak? Thats why we fibreglass it then coat with a filler on the outside

Well the good Pep artists will glass then filler + sand for many hours.

 

[Hamsterstyle]

I think it's another great tool in crafting.

But really, all it is, is a template.

My only issue with pep is the tons and tons of threads that only include pictures of the assembled pep model, but with barely any work done on it. But it's not a big deal just something I notice. Those threads really are only showing a paint by numbers result, not much actual artistry.

That being said, when people put the time and effort into finishing the project that is templated out from the pep. There is some amazing, amazing work done there.

But hey, it's a great and easy way to start for people, I just wish that people would get a few steps into a project before posting a thread with their assembled pep models.

Just wait until 3d printers are everywhere.

 

[micks75au]

Pepa kura leads itself to other mediums aside from the paper resin route. Its led to some sensational foam works (Don Robert and Stealth as examples). I see that it can also be a good visual and fabrication aid for prototyping full scratchbuilt works on th cheap so you can see what problem areas there will be in advance before you expend and waste time (and cash) on costly errors. As mentioned previously they can be printed out to create full scale 2D blueprints. At the end of the day it comes down to the modeller and the effort he/she expends. Not everyone has the budget for vaccuforming.

 

[Rinzler]

I for one love the idea of being able to make it from scratch (not buying kits etc) and the whole (long & frustrating) process. I've only pep'd 3 helmets (all Tron Legacy ones) and my only gripe is the pep's never seem to line up properly despite utmost care cuting and gluing :S so I am having to improvise/adapt the model as I go.

 

[pRoJectEarth7]

Yet, I see other people think that pep has no creativity and will not encourage a good final product.

Some love it, some hate it. What do you think about pepakura?

I think the key statement on the 1st post is "PEP HAS NO CREATIVITY AND WILL NOT ENCOURAGE A GOOD FINAL PRODUCT"...

In my humble opinion, pep is just a start... now to make a good final product will definitely need a LOT of CREATIVITY... It really lies on the person using pep :thumbsup... sample of final product below...

(Click photo to see details of the build)

Just wait until 3d printers are everywhere.

CREATIVITY???... WHERE? :confused... but its a great machine really...thumbsup

I've only pep'd 3 helmets (all Tron Legacy ones) and my only gripe is the pep's never seem to line up properly despite utmost care cuting and gluing :S so I am having to improvise/adapt the model as I go.

^Now that's CREATIVITY there...thumbsup

 

[Gilmortar]

I for one love the idea of being able to make it from scratch (not buying kits etc) and the whole (long & frustrating) process.

But see, technically you ARE just assembling a kit.

Most these pep files come from other peoples designs, IE ripped from a video game, or a 3d scan or a character, or a file someone creates and offers to the community. (Also, Rinzler, not trying to poke at you or single you out, just your quote led to my initial point)

We do have a lot of folks here talented in 3D design who create their own pep files from scratch, but probably 90% of the "pep threads" on this forum, are just people using someone's created work and just printing it off and taping it together. It's the same mentality as me buying someone's "kit" and putting hours and hours of finishing work into it, and attempting to make it better than the artists original piece. I spend hours with precision jewelry files edgings out grooves and angled recesses to perfection, or filing the tiniest pin holes to give an unrippled and unscathed surface for paint.

In all honesty, I have tried my hand a pepakura, and you are right, it takes an incredible amount of patience to do. In fact I own a Master Chief kit by our own Thorssoli, whom constructed his suit out of pepakura and molded it for fiberglass repro. There are some true masters out there who are insanely skilled with pepakura. But most the persons using Paper-Craft think it is the end all be all of prop making methods. When in fact, to me, its nothing more than a prop-making "paint-by-numbers". We have members here who were classically trained at some of the best institutions in the world for sculpting and production, who have put YEARS into their craft, to have people (and I'm sorry to throw it out there, but I'm going no holds barred on this) who are in the age bracket of 12-16 years come here and expect us to gravel at their wobbly Iron Man pep helmet they made in a day or 2, when we have members like TMP who spent WEEKS, MONTHS EVEN, sculpting from a raw clump of clay, an full IronMan suit. No numbers to line up, no instructions, just raw uninhibited talent taking over.

So, my opinion, like it or hate it...but I think Pepakura really brings the prop world a very unskilled demographic, but at the same allows props and costuming to become a hobby for those who might not truly be able to afford it.

 

[Leander]

Pep itself might not be all that creative, exept for the adjusting adapting and improvising mentioned. But Pepakura is a great tool to use when making a touchable scales product of a model you made in 3D.

the real creativity lies before and after the Pepakura phase. in making the model aswell as making your pep into a detailed nice looking product.


Another example I found at my studies.

I am a Product designer and at my studies I've used pep serveral times to make my 3d product into a model of the actual product (well the outer casing). During one of my projects I was the only one who made a real model because of the time pressure during the project. But a model that people can actually look, touch and feel says so much more then a nice 3D rendering where the product is rendered into an enviroment or Photoshopped into someone's hands.

So in my opinion Pepakura is a tool, Papercrafting is a method.
But they are very effective for making a low budget model in a small amount of time.
With the option of making it very detailed (and pricy depending on how far you want to go).

 

[Gilmortar]

So in my opinion Pepakura is a tool, Papercrafting is a method.
But they are very effective for making a low budget model in a small amount of time.
With the option of making it very detailed (and pricy depending on how far you want to go).

Exactly. That is the great thing about it. Which the later portion, having the option to make it more detailed, we have a few artists here who have done that. And ultimately they went to the lengths to then mold their pieces into a applicable medium.

What it is that really fatigues me when I come to the RPF is when the "Replica Movie Costumes" Forum page is literally all IRONMAN PEP WIP, or MK4 IRONMAN PEP SUIT. What used to distinguish artists here was their own take or their opinion on a certain curve on an item in a certain place and how they machined that curve or sculpted it was the modifier, or the VAST amounts of diversity in items we see. Now it is, "I used 99% scaled instead of 100% scaling". They are a recast thread of a recast thread of a recast thread to me.

The same Iron Man suit, done with the same Iron Man Pep file, done in the same materials, done in the quickest time possible, with 10 pages of I taped this here today, and resined it there this evening...

 

[Jehudah Design]

I think it's sort of cheating to make something awesome, in a way.
Even if the end result looks awesome, it really comes to show that you only proved your skill at reinforcing a shape someone else already made, not that you can replicate details exactly or create something completely from scratch, so this is why although some of the things I make exist as Pepakura files, I prefer to make the whole shabang myself and be way more pleased with the outcome that way.

 

[466]

Pepakura rocks!
I started a War Machine (HD). Its my first attempt on this kind of custume. Shure, im ONLY printing, cutting out, follding, glueing, smoothing and painting that thing. BUT I dont wanna spend two or more years on building that thing from scratch. Whoever likes to do it that way...go for it

I was building a Boba Fett costume 15 years ago...from scratch. It was expensive, took a looong time and the end result was...O.K.
Internet was no help at that time, so i had to figure out everything by myself.
It was fun. But today, i dont have anough spare time to do such a thing again :/
I like Pepakura. Its an "easy" way to build nice costumes and not burning money. Thanks to all the PPL doing those great PEPs!!! I hope i can stick to the building process. It took me 30 hours just to build the forearm XD

I respect those ppl saying that they wanna build things from scratch. But they should respect other ways also. Some ppl build their own furniture. Others walk into IKEA and bamm the stuff together
For me, the end result counts. Did i had fun building it? Was it worth the time and money spent? If i can answer that question with "YES"...everything is fine
The most important thing over all is: HAVE FUN ^^

 

[ReverendCasey]

I gotta say as a noob to all of this I was actually amazed by pepakura (terrible name) I'll admit when i first found this place i got super excited to make a iron man suit. Didnt know that something so amazing looking was even possible! But I gotta say, even I am sick of all the iron man threads and I just got here lol

Even with that being said, I feel like some of you guys come off a little discouraging, condescending and elitist with your above comments. Now I don't dare make a Mk V because I don't want to bore you guys... However, in order for me to sculpt and become a "real" craftsman in your eyes, I need to life cast my own bust since a normal armature won't work for my abnormal 24" melon... And that's just the helm. I'll need to buy a fullsize mannequin to do the rest of the suit. With no sculpting experience... That's a pretty large investment for something you've never done befor when you don't even know that you Are capable of doing it. Guess I better go buy some clay befor I try to contribute around here...