3D Printed Character #3

Hello and welcome. I have continued my progress on my character sculpt. Take a look at some images I snagged:

I have begun the detailing phase of my current assets. Some parts are still low poly, but those will be worked on soon enough.

I also decided where exactly I will have her cut up for when I send her off to print. For each cut line, I created a simple template in maya that is just a circular plane that I place in the model where I wish to cut. For example, I placed a cut line where the pants meet the belly. Inside of Zbrush, I can use the ZProject brush which will allow me to snap the top of the pants and the bottom of the belly subtools to a singular plane. This helps for when I print, the two objects should be able to come together without any problems. I will also be adding in a simple key that I also modeled in maya. That way the two pieces can lock together seamlessly.

Another topic that I am still exploring is the method of printing I should consider. I may even experiment with different methods on the same model to get a fun contrast in materials. So far, I am leaning toward the possibility of doing a powder print, where it is essentially gypsum powder layered together using a binding agent. This produces some great detail and there is no need for support structures around your print. I also wanted to look more into using a resin or some hard plastic material that can preserve the detail but also keep the cost down and the final piece much lighter in weight as well. Cost will be a factor, so more research is needed. I plan to reach out to Shapeways for more information.

Other than all that, my job will be to keep the detailing moving forward and also get the hair sorted out. Right now I am just going piece by piece and detailing without symmetry. I am doing this a bit more traditional than anything, but my reason for this is to help me think more organically, especially when approaching the wrinkles on the different clothing.

I also want to mention that I plan to work with the noisemaker inside of Zbrush. This will be a finishing touch that will help sort of roll on the textures i need for each piece. More updates on that to come.

She is coming along and I am having alot of fun with this project thus far. I look forward to the next update on this model, Next update should be a basically finished product almost ready for print.

Until next time!

Ean