Legion Rising

[HardCoil]

And thanks for the feedback and insight HardCoil. Don't get me wrong, ShapeWays offers a great service with great quality, but even the Ultra Detail seemed to have a bit too much obvious layering when I was looking at examples and researching. As usual, I could have been too critical, and it was a shame because it seems like the entire process they have is well thought out. I'm sure I would have tired them just to get first hand examples, but now that you've mentioned their new Extreme Detail (which must be very new, as I was looking just a few weeks ago) I think I'll give it a try. Looking at some examples of how others have setup multi-part objects has me thinking it will suit my builds perfectly. And, while I haven't had a chance yet to check out pepakura, I have learned of it since studying SolidWorks. I'm positive it will come in handy in the future; flattening a 3D form can be a major pain, so it's a great tool to have.

Don't get me wrong, ultra detail certainly isn't perfect, but it's pretty close to acceptable. You can see my initial efforts on the grey knight dude here

(bolter and backpack) I just painted it as it came, but with some cleanup I think you'd be able to produce very acceptable masters for casting. I'm going to order a run in extreme detail later this week,  so we'll see how that goes :)

 

Thanks again for this topic. You convinced me I need a pressure system, once I find a palce with room for a proper litte workshop :)

 

[jokaero weaponsmith]

Subtle discord I know you are getting bombarded by info at the moment but I think that there is a spray on paint or application that is designed to fill the striations from the 3D printing process that may prove cheaper than extreme detail printing or at least bring it up to your high standards, I will try and remember where I saw and provide a link if I can.

 

Found it XTC- 3D

Edited May 4, 2015 by jokaero weaponsmith

[RolandTHTG]

Subtle, will you be producing/sellong just the rapier-style carrier, or will you only be selling them with weapon systems?

Because I am definitely interested in getting an "empty" turtle shell that I can put some existing weapons in, as I have leftover guns from other projects. 

[40kChrista]

Those Rapiers are looking ace!

 

I know you had mentioned previously that you were planning on doing weapons as well, or at least baking in magnetization for weapons, is that still in the works? Would that be available as an add-on to the basic Rapier carriage?

 

Is the trim kit available now? Because I have a Knight project that would be perfect for.

 

Well done!

[Augustus b'Raass]

Chaos rapier, an extended storm eagle, trim kits, sicaran ceramite. You truly are the god of hellfire. I love you.

 

Im efinitely going to make another buy when your stuff comes out.

[Subtle Discord]

To answer/comment in order:

 

Some Heresy kits (or at least kits that can drift been the systems) are being considered, Kage. A series of Havoc Launchers being one of the first smaller kits I want to work on. Armour and Trims should go without saying, and tracks are very realistic, if they're not sculpted directly on the model like they are with the Sicarian.

 

Great minds think alike Chaplain, because large open fields on some trim locations for adding chapter symbols or other markings are exactly what I was thinking. And for the Rhino specifically I want to do some trims that take advantage of Zing's ability to cut curves for Chaos, and just a nice clean kit for Loyalist. I also really want to do a Light Armour kit that will be a very toned down Extra Armour counts-as; well detailed, but not as elaborate as the Predator or 'Raider. Just some plates for the sides (and doors) and a plate for the front, for those who want a little heavier than just Trim.

 

Until I can really see for myself, it's hard to tell exactly from pictures, but I can clearly see striations in on the top of the weapon. I can tell they are extremely subtle, but I can see them... and that just makes me clench, if you get my meaning, HardCoil. :) Yep, I'm a bit... retentive. I know how well the mould making process can pick up a detail. It can even replicate a fingerprint on the surface of plastic and reproduce it in casts. The XTC-3D product looks interesting, and it's made by Smooth-On which I like, but I'm not not sure if it's best suited for really small high-detail items like these; I'm worried it might be too effective and mute detail. Don't get me wrong jokaero, it's just the kind of input that I'm looking for and I appreciate it greatly. For the price for a small kit I think I'll still give it a go and see how I like it.

 

I hadn't actually considered selling just the Weapon Platform chassis without weapons, Roland, but I can't see why not now that you mention it. I will absolutely being doing the three Chaos weapons for the Platform (Hades, Ecto, and Beamer) 40kChris, and the kit is already designed for magnets. You can't see it in the pictures (in a different type of SolidWorks file I can explode the parts easier to showcase things) but the coupling component that holds the weapon is magnet ready. The new trims are in the works, and should be ready in the next few weeks, but as usual, I'm juggling a few things and need to take one thing at a time.

 

And as I've said... *Subtle's voice become a chorus of many* I am but a conduit for the voices that speak from the Warp. They say I must create and build, so I must create and build. They say I must document my trials, so I must document my trials. Attempts to ignore the voices only causes them to become louder, more numerous, and more aggressive. I must obey the whispers, lest they become screams.

[GhostMalone]

Dude you have my support, so can't wait to pick some kits up

[RolandTHTG]

I'll admit, some of that comment was impatience, just trying to get my hands on the chassis earlier, while you're still designing the weapons.

But I think I might just end out holding out for the beamer, in the end.

 

Definitely excited to see what comes out of the dark works!

[Subtle Discord]

Just a quick late-night sneak peek.


∙ Chaos Weapon Platform equipped with E-Plasma Cannon

Weapon system construction continues; further updates to follow...

 

Edited February 6 by Subtle Discord
+++ Image Data-link ∙ Repair +++

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Oh my

[Olis]

That's not bad at all. (Which is England-speak for 'that's pretty damned good'.)

 

 

Edit - The =/= That's :rolleyes:

Edited May 12, 2015 by Olis

[Augustus b'Raass]

Dude I'm all riled up because of your excellent work. I'm really going to buy from you again.

 

A few ideas on my part:

 

tracks are very realistic, if they're not sculpted directly on the model like they are with the Sicarian.

 

I hadn't actually considered selling just the Weapon Platform chassis without weapons, Roland, but I can't see why not now that you mention it. I will absolutely being doing the three Chaos weapons for the Platform (Hades, Ecto, and Beamer) 40kChris, and the kit is already designed for magnets. 

1. Wouldn't it be possible for you to design icons that fit the tracks on the Sicaran itself? The individual track links have large flar surfaces, which to me seem perfect to receive a simple bass relief kind of design. I've tried it with the excisting chaos symbols, but they're too large unfortunately...

 

2. I'm happy you would consider selling the platforms sperately, but my question is: would you consider selling the weapons seperately? If they're magnetized anyway, wouldn't it be cool if you could buy say three platforms with seperate weapon options, all with a magnet included? (or is that what you meant?)

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks, as always, for the encouraging feedback. To answer Augustus; Humm... a bag-o'-icons that can be attached as the builder sees fit? That seems straightforward enough, and actually simplifies the idea on many levels; let me see what I can come up with when I can get a chance. And, while the functionality of my little web shop is limited (You can't link stock levels from different kits to the same pool of stock), I'll definitely offer the kit so that you can switch between weapon systems. I suspect people might want the weapons completely separately for other projects, so I'm thinking of that.

Ok, sneak peek number two...


∙ Chaos Weapon Platform equipped with H. Auto-Cannon.

Progress is a little slower than I was hoping for (I have no choice but to learn and apply many advanced SolidWorks functions/processes as I build) but I think the results are worth it. Much like scratch building, getting the basic form is reasonably easy, but adding the details takes much more time. However, with each challenge figured out I have another option or process for future builds. The power to make changes without needing to scrap the entire part is by far one of the best advantages of digital creation; while I don't enjoy spending the time to redo a detail or part that isn't successful, just having the option available is wonderful.

Next up, my personal favorite (and why I forced myself to save it for last), the Conversion Beamer.

 

Edited February 6 by Subtle Discord
+++ Image Data-link ∙ Repair +++

[The_Chaplain]

The double magazine is an interesting aesthetic choice for the hades autocannon, I like it.  

 

Lovely to see you back in the forge SD! 

[Olis]

Loving the arrangement of the guns - very haphazard. Well, haphazard in a useful way. ;)

[Studio Silvernale]

Oh now that is just plain sexy

[Augustus b'Raass]

It looks very cool and I'm happy my ideas resonate with yours :d

 

Also, and I cannot stress this enough: I'm happy you seem to be moving away from the 'braided' chaos arrows to a more classic, straightforward system of arrows and points. While I love your 'old' stuff, the braided arrows always remind me of dwarfs! The classicarrows you're using on the rapiers are much more generic! :tu:

Edited May 17, 2015 by Augustus b'Raass

[JeffTibbetts]

Man, these computer renders are really cool to look at. I love the detail you're able to pack in. Really looking forward to your new stuff. 

[disease]

Apologies if I have missed this, but is there any plans to apply your trade mark lightning bolt and arrow designs to the Imperial Knight at all? The prospect of me attempting to do this for five Knights is terrifying.

[Midnightmare]

Think you are going to get a lot of buyers with that!

[Sception]

The weapon platforms are looking very nice.  The hades especially looks awesome, may have to pick up a trio of those when they're ready.

 

This isn't meant to rush you or anything, just curious, but do you think a re-stock of the rhino trim kits will be available in the next month or so, in time to use them in ETL?  If not that's fine, just trying to make some plans on purchase & painting orders.  I can't imagine doing chaos vehicles without your kits at this point, so it would make the difference on what I plan to vow, and what I plan to leave for after the event.

Edited May 21, 2015 by malisteen

[Forté]

Curse those delivery charges and import taxes!

[Augustus b'Raass]

Curse those delivery charges and import taxes!

i know what you're saying but as someone who took that bullet I can honestly say: totally worth it.

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks a ton for the vote of confidence Augustus. I like to think I've got an idea of what my market is, and what I want my product to be. I want to make very high quality (in design and production) models and kits that are for someone who wants that extra attention to detail in their army. I know it's not for everyone, and I'm fine with that, while always considering how I can expand and improve to broaden the appeal.

 

I've done what I can for shipping with a new flat rate; I only charge a little less than my minimum cost to ship ($7 North America, and $9 for International) to cover costs on small orders. Larger, heavier orders cost more but I absorb that cost as a 'hidden' discount to the customer. I wish I had control over import fees/taxes, but trust that I need to deal with them as much as anyone. I get all of my casting materials within my local city, which is a blessing, but all the best equipment is usually somewhere further abroad. I can say I've been working at my production process and know what I need now; last summer I worked out a few kinks in my casting process that improves my success rates, and I got servator Zing to help automate many cutting tasks. This summer I need to get digital creation and 3D printing process sorted and then get more casting equipment. I have two chambers now, but It's not enough... yet. If I can double down and get four working I can make a real dent in my cycle times and reduce labour enough to lower prices. Lower prices are a win-win because it also effects the import taxes. Plans are in place, but I need build up a bit more steam.

 

Please don't tempt me with the idea of a Chaos Knight kit, disease. I've wanted to do one (with some swappable parts for variety to make a pair or group of them) ever since the model came out. It's taken every ounce of effort to keep myself from getting one... I really really really want to... but I'm forcing myself to do several things that I feel make more sense, either because of scale, or because they have broader appeal. That, and well, formal rules for the a Chaos Knight don't exist, and i don't want a counts-as, I'd prefer a proper Chaos Knight. Either way, trust that I will get to the Knight... someday, when I can give it the proper attention and skill it deserves.

 

Finally, a restock is starting in the next few days. The last of my previous stock of resin turned to slag (note: casting resin does have an expiry date) so new materials were ordered. While I was waiting on that I got more ambitious with my studio rearrangement and general basement cleanup, and those changes are finishing up tonight. I swear there's a portal to Narnia hidden in the depths of my crawl space and I fell into it for a few days. While it took longer then expected, the improved space is quite worth it. Now to try and keep it like this for a while.

[Augustus b'Raass]

HI SD! I thought you'd like to see my Predator Annihilator, which has parts of your Proditor Patter predator extra armour kit on it. I'm doing two more of these in the ETLIV, all with parts of the kit, to give them a different, yet unified feel. Hope you enjoy. More pics here.

 

And so as not to disturb your thread, I put the pic between spoilers:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Showcase%20Night%20Lords/2015-05-23%2021.20.20_zps24ajly3p.jpg

 

EDIT: Replaced bad quality pic with better one.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Augustus b'Raass