Small dilemma/trouble

**legion** · #1 06-14-2010, 02:02 PM

I'm still designing Total Annihilation models and am working on a set of ships now:

I'm hitting a bit of a snag on the small yellow domes you can see in the first model. I can't seem to get a good way to unfold them, tried two ways:

Attempt 1 cut out
Attempt 1 glued
Attempt 2 cut out
Attempt 2 glued (on the left).

Would there be another way to unfold these domes? If needed, I can post either the 3d metasequoia file or the Pepakura model.

**cMags** · #2 06-14-2010, 02:10 PM

I think attempt#2 is best, but in building, I would remove all tabs and if small enough, simply edge glue, or if needed, add internal tabs so you don't get the assymetrical hump where each tab is folded under the next part. Some shapes are just though.

**looker** · #3 06-14-2010, 02:41 PM

And don't have a full base piece. Just 5 edge tabs. The full base also makes for asymetry.

**2Kamser** · #4 06-14-2010, 02:50 PM

may i suggest as a mere beginner
to go from the top and have each "leaf" all the way down to the bottom with a small flap to either glue direct on the other part of the model or have them meet up at a bottom part which then is glued to the rest of the model
if every "leaf" should have flaps on the sides or be butt glued to each other i don't know which is best

**legion** · #5 06-14-2010, 02:53 PM

The base piece helps with keeping the correct shape. But i think i got it nailed now:

Attempt 3 is the one in the center.

Each square on my cutting mat is 1x1 cm...

**ltla9000311** · #6 06-15-2010, 08:22 PM

Hey Legion, try this, if that pic is a little confusing, PM me and I'll redo it for you.

**Retired_for_now** · #7 06-15-2010, 08:59 PM

Concur with the direction you're going here. If you want a round/hemispherical dome you're stuck with making up petals (see the nose piece on just about any aircraft build). For a pentagonal "dome" you've got the easiest (best for me) way to do it. Check the Big-ISS in the download section and look at the construction of the observation cupola. It's very similar except 6 sided.
Yogi

**legion** · #8 06-16-2010, 02:31 AM

Itla, your method would leave quite a bit more edge then I'd like, as i'm trying to keep seams hidden, unless it really is impossible/hard to build.

But i did finish the prototype:

Yogi, those cupola's were what i was thinking of.