Pepakura help

[assassinslover]

Hi guys,

I've got some 3d models from games downloaded, and I was curious to know if anyone here would be able to give me a basic tutorial as to how to turn them into actual models that I would be able to print out and build using Pepakura Designer. A guy on one of the blogs I use is in the process of doing such a thing, but I have no idea when he's going to post again and I don't need to know how to extract models from a game when I already have the files.

Cheers for any help :) Or bumps to other threads that already contain what I need to know.

[legion]

Well, first thing you need to do is edit the model so that there are no clipping parts. Then simplify it more (you don't need 5000 polyons to make a good looking model). Then think about adding some sort of support structure, because if you make a big model, it will sag even if you use heavy paper. Then save it as a file that Pepakura can read.

A good program to do all this in is Metasequoia, which is available for free.

I'm sorry that I can't go into more detail on all this, I don't work like that myself...

[codex34]

Which games/models?
WoW models for example are fairly easy, not much messing around needed.
Scifi models tend to have parts that intersect so need cutting up in 3D to make them buildable.
Some game models are so complicated that they basically need rebuilding from scratch. And contrary to this some models are very simple but smooth shaded to look good in game but can't be built to look 'correct'.

I'd suggest loading them into pepakura, if that's possible, and seeing how many polygons there are, anything over 2,000 is pretty difficult to build, but it will help show you which parts can be left alone and which need adjusting.

[shedifice]

Legion,

How does one do support structures? do you do them separate from the outer shell or in the same model? If its the same model is the model not a solid but a shell?

Thanks for any assistance.

L.

[legion]

I hardly use support structures in my models, as most are small enough to keep their shape. Or the model itself can only be made with the support being part of the model (like separate sections that can be joined together later). Only one of my models actually has an internal support structure, which is just a couple of boxes. The Kisiragi is this model: TA model galleries Total Annihilation Papercrafts (http://www.tapapercraft.com/index.php/nggallery/core-builds/core-kisiragi-alphabeta?page_id=11/). The white boxes are the internal support and fit snuggly inside.

To create the kind of formers or support seen in aircraft/ship models, you have to create a cross-section (can be done in both axis) and shrink it by a small amount. That is to account for paper thickness.