PaperModelers.com

Go Back   PaperModelers.com > Card Models > Model Builds > Alternate Dimensions

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 04-24-2012, 05:09 AM
Neptune Neptune is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,566
Total Downloaded: 0
Appropriate Dimensions Directions ?

OK, here we go.... I've been putting out card models for a little over a year, this after asking questions about texturing, unfolding and so on for more years and essentially getting no where. I've litterally trained myself to create, rip and texture these models and I'm always trying to learn more, thus the reason for this thread. Even though I'm creating these models and hosting them for you the fans and builders, there always seems to be some kind of complaint, or negative comment with regards to various aspects of some, or all of the models. "You're models are unbuildable." "The model is to big." "I can't download the models." "There are no directions." "Where are the directions?"

So, in an effort to create those types of models that will make everyone happy, I'm going to suspend all work on all models until I can get some kind of consensus on what constitutes an appropriate model.

To be brutally honest, I really don't see the issue on some of these things. If the model is to big, scale it down. If you need directions with circles and arrows and lengthy dissertations on how to glue Tab-A to Part-B.... That's never going to happen. I don't have time to build more than half of the models that I've put out and since they are free, I would think that some people might try to puzzle something out for themselves. Now, if someone contracted me on a for pay basis to create the perfect model with their input and provide painstaking, excruciatingly detailed directions, I'd do it. Again, to be brutally honest, I have never, to my knowledge, complained about a free model that I downloaded from the internet that someone took the time to create, for me and others to build.

This reminds me of some of the same type of things in the styrene community. It's seems there are more people that would rather spend time and create forums for the express purpose of sitting around talking smack about other peoples efforts than actually building the models and trying do their own research and figure things out for themselves and maybe create their own models than people that are happy to have the model and to be able to work on it.

So, to be precise.....

1) What constitutes an acceptable model?

2) What is an appropriate scale, or size? (I will not put out tiny models).

3) What file type is most acceptable?

4) What File size is appropriate?

5) How detailed should directions be? I've went so far as to create step by step directions and create movies showing exactly how to build something and still people complain....????

The card models that I have created and hosted and provided links to and have reworked and reworked..... All of this is done in my spare time at night, this is not my profession, I'm not getting paid for this.....

So, what is an acceptable model, what do you have to have to be able to build a cardstock model. I'm really interested, maybe provide some links to your favorite examples of the perfect model.

Thanks for your time, I look forward to the positive, constructive input that is bound to follow.
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #2  
Old 04-24-2012, 05:30 AM
Lex's Avatar
Lex Lex is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, Britannia
Posts: 1,691
Total Downloaded: 70.75 MB
Send a message via MSN to Lex
I have to say there is no consensus here. Generally builders on this forum are very tolerant and has the skills to sort their own problems, be it instructions or scales. I would have thought those feedback come from what I consider to be "casual" builders who don't build models often. For this I think there is a limit to what you could do. Everyone has differing opinions and if I were you I would just go my own way - it's your own design after all, and after all you can't cater for every taste.
__________________
"The world is big"
On hold: Fuyuzuki, Zao, Zara, Akizuki,
Past works: XP55 Ascender, CA Ibuki, Seafang F32, IS-3, Spitfire V, J-20
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-24-2012, 06:03 AM
blaar blaar is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 393
Total Downloaded: 2.92 MB
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neptune View Post

1) What constitutes an acceptable model?
From the list of your questions this one I feel is most applicable for me when I release I model. I found many builders are quite capable of managing on their own when it comes to file formats, scales etc, and there is a lot of tutorials and other members to help out other builders.

Oky so, back to the first question.

Acceptable for me is any model that is build able with out the need to cut away parts to make them fit. I feel that the modeler should fix those, I for one hate intercepting parts and making them fit while building the model is a pain. I never touch those models. Now the more experienced builders can fix these type of problems on the fly, but in general I would say this is a no no when releasing a model. Might as well just rip the model from the game, import it into pepakura , unfold it, and release it as is leaving the builder to do all work cutting away parts etc etc.

So for me. Acceptable is when all the prats fit properly. Anything else is a bonus
__________________
DOWNLOAD all my paper models from my MediaFire page available here : BLaaR's Paper Models
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-24-2012, 11:23 AM
Neptune Neptune is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,566
Total Downloaded: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lex View Post
I have to say there is no consensus here. Generally builders on this forum are very tolerant and has the skills to sort their own problems, be it instructions or scales. I would have thought those feedback come from what I consider to be "casual" builders who don't build models often. For this I think there is a limit to what you could do. Everyone has differing opinions and if I were you I would just go my own way - it's your own design after all, and after all you can't cater for every taste.
Exactly! Some people like .pdfs, some hate them, some like .pdos, some can't use them. Some need really intensive directions and still can't build the model in question and some don't even download the directions, because they don't need them. On a personal note, I always thought the Ron Caudillo's were the best and well thought out models and directions. The problem is that I don't have that kind of time.

Last edited by Neptune; 04-24-2012 at 11:35 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-24-2012, 11:34 AM
Neptune Neptune is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,566
Total Downloaded: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by blaar View Post
From the list of your questions this one I feel is most applicable for me when I release I model. I found many builders are quite capable of managing on their own when it comes to file formats, scales etc, and there is a lot of tutorials and other members to help out other builders.

Oky so, back to the first question.

Acceptable for me is any model that is build able with out the need to cut away parts to make them fit. I feel that the modeler should fix those, I for one hate intercepting parts and making them fit while building the model is a pain. I never touch those models. Now the more experienced builders can fix these type of problems on the fly, but in general I would say this is a no no when releasing a model. Might as well just rip the model from the game, import it into pepakura , unfold it, and release it as is leaving the builder to do all work cutting away parts etc etc.

So for me. Acceptable is when all the prats fit properly. Anything else is a bonus
I see. Well, to that I will say this. I didn't release any new models for almost 5 months for this very reason and have went back with others and worked on some of the past models and more than once at that. Personally, I wish there were more thorough tutorials on how to work with Meta and Pep. I'd like to see a quicky on eliminating those pesky intersections more easily. I don't have a problem dealing with issues like that on the fly, so it's not a big deal to me, but I do see your point. I've seen a lot of models released that didn't even have textures, or anything else for that matter and I was still able to put them together, even though I would have preferred to have had textures and some modelers fawned over these blank models because they were happy to have them. Additionally, I would like to think that the recent spate of models that I've released have been very easy to build. I try to make the layout as easy to follow as possible.

1) Inspect your model after printing.

2) Look where you to need to score, or fold the cardstock.

3) Crease all of your lines.

4) Cut out each part individually.

5) Plan out your build.

6) Glue Tab-A to Part-B, repeat until done.

That seems pretty simple.

With regards to formers.... I really have not seen the need for these, but will make some effor in the future to include them.
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #6  
Old 04-24-2012, 11:55 AM
Phil's Avatar
Phil Phil is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Insufficient tracking data
Posts: 1,769
Total Downloaded: 0
You're the designer, therefore do what the hell you want and ignore other's discrepancies.
That is how I feel. You don't put a price on it, no need to follow industry standards.
However, if you design just to please others, the yes, by all means, jump through all their hoops. ;p
__________________
"even though he never learned I hope he showed you some concern"...



Last edited by Phil; 04-24-2012 at 11:58 AM. Reason: I wanted to...
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 04-24-2012, 11:58 AM
Falwin Falwin is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 12
Total Downloaded: 2.22 GB
Well, first of all, a big THANK YOU for doing this to yourself at all!
Been there, done that.

1) What constitutes an acceptable model?
Well, one whose parts fit together (just as Blaar said).

2) What is an appropriate scale, or size?
Scale mostly depends on the size of the Original.
Size of the model iŽd personally say no smaller than half my keyboard or 1:1 (whatever is smaller)
and for the big end...as long as you can find a place for it, its not oversized .
I build planes and vehicles in 1:33. My biggest ones now are DC-3 and Ju-52, but my biggest one ever was a DC-9
(sadly , it literally crashed...).

3) What file type is most acceptable?
One with as low data compression as possible.
PDF with Vector Data; PNG; Tiff, low-compression JPG and well textured prepakura are my favorites.
I HATE artifacts clogging up the texture!

4) What File size is appropriate?
As storage technology and download speeds are improving, iŽd say one should be able to open and edit the files
without crashing an average computer system (which is improving as well, so this might no really be helpfull...)

5) How detailed should directions be?
I find step-by-step instructions showing the more complex steps with still pictures should cover everything, including eventual language barriers.


And finally:
Just remember, even if you deliver The WorldŽs Most Perfect Whatever Of All Times, there will still be someone who has the need to complain about something.

Must be some kind of law of nature.

I hope that helps...
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 04-24-2012, 01:36 PM
Neptune Neptune is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,566
Total Downloaded: 0
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falwin View Post
Just remember, even if you deliver The WorldŽs Most Perfect Whatever Of All Times, there will still be someone who has the need to complain about something.

Must be some kind of law of nature.

I hope that helps...
Well, thank you for taking the time to give me your concerted point of view. I appreciate it. The point that you made in the quoted text is exactly what I've been saying for years with regards to the styrene, resin and card modeling community. LOL!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 04-24-2012, 09:50 PM
vbsargent vbsargent is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 121
Total Downloaded: 481.4 KB
As an art school grad and a former graphic designer, I feel your pain. But as has been said, there's no correct answers here. Someone somewhere will complain. That's the nature of the beast. Do what you want. Jan Rukr's models use a few "simple" diagrams, yet are for the most part easily followed. I have read some instructions that were very simple and yet I couldn't understand them until I talked to someone who explained that I was thinking about them from the wrong frame of reference.

Acceptable model as others have stated- a buildable one.

Appropriate scale or size- entirely subjective. I think that a 4' Republic Attack Gunship is acceptable, my wife: not so much.

What file type is most acceptable? Well, that depends. I personally don't like PDO's much. That's 'cause I mostly use my ancient Mac. But I would also point out that most anyone can open a JPG or PDF. Not the best formats, for high quiality graphics, but the most easily accessible. You decide.

File size- again depends on the subject etc. A 200 meg toaster model is a bit excessive, but All of Jan Rukr's Sulaco? Entirely reasonable.

Detail of directions- gotta be your own judge there, and realize that people will complain.

I've followed your work for some time now. I believe that you said that you make props for a living? Then you know how the creative world works- someone is always going to back bite- those are usually the ones that have the least to talk about. We learned a very VERY important lesson over and over again in my art courses: There is a difference between criticism and critique. There is no reason to be rude when you critique, you never know when the person you blast will blast you back.

Hope this helps, and those of us who do follow your work DO appreciate the work.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 04-24-2012, 11:40 PM
Neptune Neptune is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,566
Total Downloaded: 0
Brilliant response. You're right, of course, it really has to be about the art and the work. I was just trying to make things better.
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Parts of this site powered by vBulletin Mods & Addons from DragonByte Technologies Ltd. (Details)
Copyright © 2007-2023, PaperModelers.com