Tron 1 Lightcycle model kit

here's a link to my project Davlin, I mentioned it in the pm

Will

http://www.therpf.com/f9/making-1-1-old-style-lightcycle-movie-display-68819/

You, sir, are an artistic warrior! That's seriously impressive work! I'd love to be able to work in 3D programs like that, but my pitiful little computer can hardly handle an X and Y axis, let alone adding a Z to the mix. lol.

And adding an led to make him "glow" sounds wicked! Looking forward to seeing that!

Would you consider doing a run where the bike is 1/6 scale? It would be an awesome companion piece next to a Hot Toys Lightcycle.:thumbsup

can you recommend a program to start 3d modeling?

i'm a complete noob and know nothing about it but would like to learn.

-z

@ Firefoxm31 : Showing the pilot within the cycle has always been my goal, what's why I asked about clear materials in my first post.

And, yeah, since the pilot part is hollow, I have some plan to make it glow so we can see it. Check my little idea in my posts above.

I replied to your PM, did my reply reached you ?

@ Hogosha : Thanks a lot ! I'll put the same amount of work on the real parts as well.

@ Chrisisall : Who doesn't love Tron ?
Since it seems to generate a great deal of attention, the idea of selling kits is more likely, but I won't talk prices for now. I'd like to finish the prototype, see how much it cost me and how much people would be interested to buy a kit. 'Till then, there's a lot of work still to do. Hope your son won't hate me for that.

@ Nintendophile : Thank you very much, but I don't think I deserve all your praises, I just put some hours of work in this one. Really a labour of love, even if some parts were tricky enough to make me wanna bang my head on the nearest wall.
Yeah, the glowing circuitry may look like a good idea, but now add the glowing jet wall behind the cycle...

@ CSMacLaren : A 40 centimeters long kit ? Woah, that could be easy to do ( simple rescaling, 5 minutes to do so ) and awesome ( and very simple for the molds to be created, much than a 16 centimeters one ), but I don't think I'd have the money to get the prototype parts printed. Parts this size could really make the price soar way too high, unfortunately. :/

P.S : Just had a quick check on Hot Toys Lightcycle's price... I got around 400$. IMHO, I think it's a price too big to even consider buying it, whatever the quality, but I may be wrong.

@ zorg : Blender if you want to go fully legal, MAX or Maya if you want to go a bit "pirate". Those three software packages have a lot of ressources and brilliant tutorials online, or on DVD. It's really up to you, see which one you like most. If you have a friend who is a bit knowledgeable about this, it could give you a good kickstart, but in the end it's all learn-and-apply and the numbers of hours you're willing to put into that. My two cents.

Send me a diameter of the rear wheel and i'll laser cut ya some lightwalls in clear plexy

Will

Davlin said:

@ Chrisisall : Who doesn't love Tron ?
Since it seems to generate a great deal of attention, the idea of selling kits is more likely, but I won't talk prices for now. I'd like to finish the prototype, see how much it cost me and how much people would be interested to buy a kit. 'Till then, there's a lot of work still to do. Hope your son won't hate me for that.

Click to expand...

He's a patient boy!:rolleyes

Congratulations on the render and the print! accuracy seems to be 100% spot on from what my memory recallS

I'm soooooo in for 3 kits in whatever scale you make it! (if you do make it )

Wow, this is incredible! What scale is this currently in? I'm not up on what the centimeter's translates to. I would love to see these in 1:18 scale to match my diecast car collection.

approximately 6.5" long

@ Firefoxm31 : As said in my PM, thank you for your offert, I'll keep that in mind.

@ Chrisisall : I'll try my best to make his wait worthwhile.

@ Spinner 44 : Thank you very much. Actually, I'm more around 95 % spot on. There's details I changed... for instance, the little bar, that goes from the center of the front wheel to the inner edge of the wheel, is more like a faked reflection of the grid below the wheels in the movie. I made it a "real" bar, not a reflection but more of a pratical element of the wheel. I also had to create the inside of the cockpit, which is an inacurracy by itself, since it's never showed in the movie.
I just hope those modifications do bring something more to the table.

@ DS Operative : Thank you ! I'm very sorry, but I don't see what size would make a 1:18 scale. I believe Firefoxm31's conversion is correct.
I'm currently in the process to see if it is feasable, for me, to make a 20/25 centimeters long lightcycle prototype. Maybe that will be closer to what you would like.

I've sent the files to Moddler, I'll see what price they'll quote for the whole prototype, that will be a key ingredient to my reflexion about the new size.

Davlin, what's the cost-estimate to have it 3D printed at 40 cm length? Just curious.

@ CSMacLaren : Sorry, I'm still waiting for Moddler's reply. once I get their price quote, I'd be able to estimate a rough price for a 40 cm cycle, and I'll tell you asap.

Gimme!Gimme!Gimme!

That is freakin' awesome and I so want one.

You have done yourself proud there and going by the comments your post has generated I'm not the only one that loves this.

If you do go bigger (30 cm - 40cm) or whatever larger scale you end up doing put me down for at least one!.thumbsup

Truly excellent work there.

@ Centurion : Thank you very much for your nice comment.

Okay, guys, I finally had the price quote from Moddler. Surprisingly, and unfortunately, their actual prices do not differ much from Shapeways. I did the test on both with a 22-centimeters long Lightcycle and 27 parts... Moddler is asking for 544$, Shapeways is asking for approx. 553$.

If the cycle was 40 centimeters long, then it would probably cost something around 1020$. Defiitively something a company can afford, but alas I can't. :/

And don't forget the casting materials, add a whooping 200$. That ends to be quite pricy for this little project.

Really cool!

Davlin said:

Okay, guys, I finally had the price quote from Moddler. Surprisingly, and unfortunately, their actual prices do not differ much from Shapeways. I did the test on both with a 22-centimeters long Lightcycle and 27 parts... Moddler is asking for 544$, Shapeways is asking for approx. 553$.
If the cycle was 40 centimeters long, then it would probably cost something around 1020$. Defiitively something a company can afford, but alas I can't. :/
And don't forget the casting materials, add a whooping 200$. That ends to be quite pricy for this little project.

Click to expand...

Ouch!But then again you pay for what you get.Time to raid the piggy bank and folg a kidney methinks!thumbsup

@ Delmustator : Thank you !

@ Centurion : Piggy is flat already, spending too much time and money on awesome stuff here on RPF, made it to looks like much more of a skeleton recently.

More seriously, if I go that road I have to find a way to fund the 25-centimeters long new prototype, but I highly doubt that some people would buy the actual version if I say I'll offer a bigger one later on. Would'nt be the same price of course, but I don't think that argument would hold.

Anyway, guys, please allow me to copy/paste some questions I asked in my first posts, and have yet to receive some replies I really need.

The glass parts are to be made into a clear material, and I don't really know which material, whether it would be resin, or acrylic, or something else, to use to achieve that. The molds will be made with some thin silicone, of course, but would you have some tips or advice about the molded material ?

Click to expand...

Of course, I'd like to reduce the resin shrinkage problem to the minimum if possible...

Another question I'd like to add : For those of you who are familiar with airbrush paints, do you know a good primer to use with Procolors paints brand ? Or, a good primer to be airbrushed in a very thin coat ?

Thank you very much, looking forward to read your replies !

You'd be looking at clear polyurethane for the glass parts. I've never worked with those, tricky and long setting times involved last I heard, might be better these days.

I'd be happy to help you make a stand for it.