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WoW! I am very impressed. Thank you for posting your progress, I was considering the Form1 printer for my next venture into that (for jewelry mainly). The lines are visible, but you know after priming and painting, I really don't think they'll look much different than most other painted minis. That automotive spray-filler primer is pretty good to fill in tiny grooves and things like that.

I haven't heard of the Hydrospan to shrink things, just to expand things. Gonna have to check that out!

I'd love to see what these models would look like printed out with a top-grade printer! They're excellent designs - the aesthetics are really good and the poses are very intimidating.

Have you considered selling these models through Shapeways? The Aquila designs could be an issue.

~Tim?

This is pretty neat. I like your designs. I do spy a Hydra logo on the shoulder pad of your first image. I'm eager to see where you go with this one.

Subbed.

I'm in awe here... Too bad your printer's resolution isn't that good. Beyond that your stuff is pretty amazing!

Forgive if I've missed the information in my skimming, but what software do you render the models in before printing?

PS, Awesome models

He said Zbrush and 3ds max.

Do people still use Maya?

You have some real deal skill there, buddy, and I'm not foolin'!

3d printing is of course still in its infant stages, but it's just not fair that you are having to use such a terrible printing method on such absolute boss 3d models. Fantastic work on the 3d work. Just astounding.

 carlos13th wrote:
He said Zbrush and 3ds max.

Do people still use Maya?

Yep. Think that is still the package of choice for a lot of FX houses (Pixar is or was predominently Maya as of a year or so ago).

Since Autodesk bought up a bunch of them though, Max has managed to firmly entrench itself as the modeler of choice though.

ZBrush and a few other smaller ones have managed to gain their place as specialist software.

The software is less important though. All the full featured packages are more than capable of this sort of work (from Lightwave all the way up to Max). Blender could probably do it too, in a pinch.

People often chase 3D software looking for the built in easy button, but it is as much about talent as any other art form. Just like I wouldnt be able to sculpt like Tre Manor just by using the same putty he uses without putting in a lot of practice (or being born naturally talented).

Best 3d ever so far.

 Emicrania wrote:
Best 3d ever so far.

I would have to disagree with this, still awesome work.

V3 is looking really good. If you could just find the right machine....

Loving your design. Good luck with the rest of the project.

These are some sweet models. Definitely commenting so that I can see how this progresses! Nice work, mate

Not a bad start, I take it you have a game modeling background?

The prints look great!

You may want to be more realistic. try designing with reality and your printers resolution in mind. Try thinking like an engineer not an artist!

Hero-scale works better than true scale here, like increasing the gun barrel to make it less fragile and more likely to stand out visually with the resolution same with other details, exaggerate.

my ignorance of using max is nearly ... max, ditto for what you can do in the other apps. For what its worth shapeways has a printability and wall thickness checker that you may find useful.

i'll be watching this

thank you all for the great advice. and I totally agree with you OneManNoodles that one of the things that I need to start doing is thinking more on an engineer way. Right now I I have not found much time to work on modeling but I sense that this weekend I may be able to sit and have some fun. I want to start modeling a bigger vehicle but I am undecided yet. Also I need to get more resin cuz I'm out.

I like the legs and the more shallow cab, it makes it look more menacing. Great results once again. I've heard it said that it could take up to 18 months to properly start to learn to do competent 3D work, but yours seems to be a level beyond that so I assume you've been at it longer, would you say that is about right?

 Gogsnik wrote:
I like the legs and the more shallow cab, it makes it look more menacing. Great results once again. I've heard it said that it could take up to 18 months to properly start to learn to do competent 3D work, but yours seems to be a level beyond that so I assume you've been at it longer, would you say that is about right?

Thanks! I did learn to use 3ds max and Maya a while ago but did not use them for a very long time. I been using Zbrush for the past 5 months and while it was very hard to get used to it, once you do is sooo much easier. I know only the very basics but I learn more and more each time and Youtube helps a lot.

Very cool soldier design, can't wait to see the tanks etc.

I very much look forward to when 3D printing becomes so prevalent that GW will be forced to deal with it. I hope they still manage to make a tidy profit through licensing their IP and guiding the hobby through rules and such, but a world where I could take my pick from literally hundreds of designers and print the models that I think look the coolest is definitely one I want to be in.

Wow awesome sentinel design!!

Keep going with the heroic scale...true scale is great too but since GW figs are heroic scale, the true scale stuff looks reallllly out of place.

The issue with vehicles is also scale. 1/35 scale models are too big, 1/48 are just a bit too small. You need to aim for something in between tthose scales. To be honest, I think its all done by eyeballing it and comparing and nothing hard and fast.

 Saz000 wrote:

Thanks! I did learn to use 3ds max and Maya a while ago but did not use them for a very long time. I been using Zbrush for the past 5 months and while it was very hard to get used to it, once you do is sooo much easier. I know only the very basics but I learn more and more each time and Youtube helps a lot.

Someone put me onto some free programmes to use that certainly looked like they could produce great results but even 'free' I have very low data allowance so, maybe one day in the future I might be able to download one... However, I would love to have a go at something like this as I can't draw to save my life but I reckon 'sculpting' with a 3D programme is something I could learn to do; especially if, after a few years, you can get results like these.

 Saz000 wrote:
thank you all for the great advice. and I totally agree with you OneManNoodles that one of the things that I need to start doing is thinking more on an engineer way. Right now I I have not found much time to work on modeling but I sense that this weekend I may be able to sit and have some fun. I want to start modeling a bigger vehicle but I am undecided yet. Also I need to get more resin cuz I'm out.

I say this as a sentinel fan - I want one.

Fantastic designs- better than GW for guard by a long way in my book. Looking forward to seeing where you go next.

Just found this thread and I have to say stunning work, great designs love those troops evil looking buggers and the sentinel is just amazing.

You should put these into production I would buy these would make an amazing blood pact stand in, just amazing work and really you should release these I am sure you would make a ton of cash.

I swear, if you can get the final products looking that good, and in a better scale GW, I will order some, or politely ask that you can make some from a few sketches XD

Hi All,

I really appreciate the great comments, they really give me a push to continue modeling.
Now I have some good news and bad news. The bad news is that there seems to be an issue with my printer. Now the good news that is very probable that this has to do with the lower quality of the prints. So I'm excited to fix it. mean while I have just started with a chimera.

So you you know a little bit of my work flow, I begin in Illustrator creating the outlines of the shape (I'm basing this one out of Patoroch's design), then import the paths to 3ds Max to create the basic shapes. After that, I will bring the block-shapes to Zbrush and there is where the fun happens.
I leave you here with the humble beginnings.

Looking forward to see an 'updated' Chimera as there are some great mechanical details on the sentinel and it will interesting to see that translate to a tank. It's also very interesting to see how these things begin with basic shapes and outlines, Zbrush obviously comes into its own for the details.

That sentinel is awesome man. It looks menacing. I love it!

This will be fun to watch the developing process, I also would second that the sentinel is one mean looking machine.