Legion Rising

[Subtle Discord]

That's exactly what I mean, and this is why I post; a brief comment can offer an idea I overlooked. As soon as I read it, it seemed so obvious. For some reason I hadn't thought of scales. Simple-but-effective, perfectly suited for the concept, and it can even be used by more then one chapter/faction. Thanks!

 

I'm on the road home as I'm writing this, so there should be more updates in the near future. I've still got more designs to show, and many features that I want to showcase; every kit has at least one or two tricks up their sleeve. I can't wait to start showing more of what's in The Works.

[Chaplain Raeven]

I like the look of the pintle weapons. If you ever do a variant with multi-melta, I would buy a couple within a heartbeat. It's the only part that isn't painted on my Land Raider, since the gunner/pintle included in the kit just doesn't fit with the overall look of the vehicle.

 

On second though, might buy the current version anyway. Replacing the barrels myself shouldn't be too hard.

[Subtle Discord]

Yes, Heavy Weapon variants are planned, but I have only just finished the design, so I need to figure out how to best fit them into the components that I've devised. First I'll be doing the combi-Plasma/Melta/Flamer variants. Everything is designed to be magnetized (included in the kit) so the weapons will be able to switch-and-swap to suit the needs of the vehicle. I'll show some 'exploded' views to show how it things assemble, once it gets closer to completion.

 

I'll also be starting with the smaller kits when I get back into production, to work out any unforeseen complications on the smaller stuff before I invest in larger 3D prints. So, they should be something that arrives first in the shop.

 

I'll likely go dormant now-and-then when I'm swamped with stuff, but yes, I'm back and lots of stuff is in The Works. Still very hard to give a firm timeline for when things will happen, but I'm working overtime to get up-and-running soon.

[The Traitor]

I've been thinking about what I want to study and Industrial Design is one of the top contenders right now, so I'll be following this thread very closely, your stuff is very inspiring and interesting!

[TheOneTrueZon]

Will the new Loricatus marks for Rhino chassis include loyalists or will that still be the exclusive purview of Chaos. 

 

If so then I just might have to start a Chaos army simply to put some of this goodness to use. That is, once my inner Templar stops stabbing my visual cortex.

[Maarten]

http://imgur.com/kai4t2p.png

++ Status Report: Delayed - Primary Systems Unexpectedly Compromised ++ Status Update: Extraction Out From Under Rock - Commencing ++ Status Update: Information to Follow - Sand By... ++

You magnificent bastard! I was all proud of my Sagittarius pattern LR conversion and you pull off the one thing I couldn't get right: Mk IIB sponsons.

Beyond curious to see what these will look like.

 

To the industrial design hopeful: Do properly research your choice. You have to realize that most of the study you'll be designing home appliances and that what SD and I are doing is really more of a side job/requires a lot of personal investment.

[Subtle Discord]

Happy I could oblige. A take on the Mk.IIb was suggested quite some time ago and it fits so well with my current LR Armour kits, it really was something worth exploring. And miiine fits the proper LR doors, will include twin Las-Cannons in the kit, but it will also be very simple to include a blank plate to let the builder attach another weapon if they want. Naturally this also lets me design unique weapons of my own to offer more variety. I'll be sure to show some more of it with my next update.

[Lexington]

...you announce this literally the day after I cut up one of your beautiful Land Raider armor kits to accommodate the ugly, poorly-cast Chapterhouse MkIIb sponsons?

 

In all seriousness, tho, really glad to see you back and doing your thing, SD. Can't wait for more!

[Augustus b'Raass]

Hidden Content

http://imgur.com/kai4t2p.png

++ Status Report: Delayed - Primary Systems Unexpectedly Compromised ++ Status Update: Extraction Out From Under Rock - Commencing ++ Status Update: Information to Follow - Sand By... ++

You magnificent bastard! I was all proud of my Sagittarius pattern LR conversion and you pull off the one thing I couldn't get right: Mk IIB sponsons.

Beyond curious to see what these will look like.

To the industrial design hopeful: Do properly research your choice. You have to realize that most of the study you'll be designing home appliances and that what SD and I are doing is really more of a side job/requires a lot of personal investment.

haha you clearly haven't read all of SD's posts :) 

[Subtle Discord]

For those who may be interested in supporting my studio, The Dark Works, please read and if you are so inclined, offer some input, feedback, or general musings.

 

“What, no pictures?! … Awww!”

 

Yeah, I know, nothing but a wall of those bland words, when I’m usually so much more visual. I promise that my next update will return my regular modus operandi.

 

Ok, so I should be casting… buuut I got some new studio equipment (more on that in a moment) that’s sidetracked me as I get it setup, aaand I’ve got an urge to write since I’ve got an idea bouncing around in my brain that has me interested for some input. I’ve wanted to write for a few days after updating ‘A. Mechanicus… Darkly’ to give some workbench perspective to the project (next time, I promise), but I’ve been busy casting for the studio and that’s also given me some time to ponder.

 

So, The Dark Works is now shifting to fulltime operation and barring any unforeseen distractions that might crop up (I’m lookin’ at you ‘life’, back off! I gots cool stuff to make!), I’m starting to get product back on the shelves. As I work I’m also trying to figure out how to take this from a part-time endeavour to a full-time operation. Up to this point I have invested in kits, tools, equipment, and materials very carefully, returning the vast majority of the profits to the studio to continue the cycle. I’m very cautious about borrowing money, so I’m proud of myself for bootstrapping my studio this far, but now I’m reaching a tipping point; right now, I’ve got more ideas then I’ve got capitol (aka: money) to make them real, and I want to avoid borrowing if at all possible.

 

After investing another $1,400 into a new heavy duty compressor, deep vacuum pump, and materials, I’m starting to feel my financial wiggle room get rather tight. It was an absolutely necessary investment as my current compressor is on its last leg, and the new vacuum pump is so amazingly wonderfully efficient that it’s improving my casting quality even more; yup, good investment. However, I still have more setup I need to invest in, ongoing expenses (aw crap, I need more boxes soon…), all while I try to start getting new kits into production. The catch-22 is, trying to cover everything is going to be tricky, and slow things down when I want to ramp things up.

 

Even as I’m writing this, I can already sense what some of you are thinking and are going to suggest; this sounds like a KickStarter kind of problem. While that’s not wrong, for me right now, I don’t think it’s right. While I’m very confident in my ability to produce, I still have a few more things I need to work out so I have a complete grasp of what’s involved when I take this to the next level. KickStarter can grow very quickly on an unwary creator. I want to avoid surprises, know my production process inside-out, and have a good body of digital designs near completion to offer the public, before I consider a formal KickStarter project. I want to do it, but I want to do it right and be properly prepared.

 

However, I think I might have a cleaver micro crowd-funding idea that I would like some feedback on. To myself, I’ve been referring to it as ‘Adopt-a-Kit’ as a working title, as it were. Once the digital design work is finished (taking many hours in itself), the largest barrier to something becoming real is the up-front costs; a prototype needs to be made (by 3D print or more traditional methods), moulds are created, and the initial casting run is done, all with added labour for each step. Naturally, a popular kit will return on that investment, pay for the costs, and after selling several casts start to turn some profit. Some of which will eventually need to be used to maintain the kits with new moulds as needed.

 

In order to blunt some of these up-front costs I want to setup a system to let a small group of people pre-order a set number of kits; essentially adopting the production of the kit. Starting with 10-15 kits, I will complete each as a fully accurate 3D model and showcase it in digital format. Anyone interested in the kit can contact the studio and offer to pre-order whatever amount they are interested in. No money will be requested until enough people have pre-ordered enough kits to help offset the development costs. At that point I will contact the individuals, confirm everything, collect payment, and start on production. Rinse. Repeat.

 

So, am I crazy, or does this seem like an idea people could get behind? I think if I could finish a few projects this way I could prove the concept and help it gain further momentum. I’ve got all sorts of ideas I would feel much more confident showcasing and developing if I knew that 10-20 of them are already sold, before I invested many hours of labour and a good bit of capitol to make it happen.

 

So, if you’re still reading, thanks for taking the time. As I said, feedback would be welcome so I can get feel for how something like this might be received. I’m always open for ideas and perspective, especially now that I’m actually getting my studio started. So much to do, I hardly know where to start. Time to start figuring it out!

P.S. I also want to talk on the subject of Industrial Design, since it came up, but that will have to wait until next time.

[ChazSexington]

 

So, The Dark Works is now shifting to fulltime operation...

 

 

 

I think your idea sounds excellent! I was wondering about potentially supporting the Arcis production? Will an Arcis MK. II to be coming out with the new system?

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

I'm down to support just about anything chaos. I also have several hundred burning a hole in my pocket for your stuff that youve already made. PM me if you want, I've got your studio backed!

[Biohazard]

Definitely up for the preorder style system. Been using your stuff a lot lately and I’m definitely up for buying more in the future :tu:

[Lexington]

Completely on board with this system, SD.

[ToyShip]

I would definitely be interested! Sign me up!

[TheOneTrueZon]

Yes please. All of the above!

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

If you have any plans for Guard stuff, like track guards (which GW no longer produces) for the Russ and Chimera, I would definitely be interested in adopting a kit, and as much as I want to support you and see you keep making awesome stuff, I have zero interest in spiky Chaos accessories. 

[Augustus b'Raass]

This plan will only work if the developer already has established a trustworthy reputation and has a dedicated client base - which makes it perfect for you!

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

Having purchased your upgrade kits before I can attest to the high quality, so I'd be happy to support this venture

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks all, so much, as always, for the kind words and support. There's much more to ramble about, but it's too late for that right now, so instead just a little teaser before I shuffle off bed-ways.

 

Designation to be determined; Light Ablative/Spaced Armour design for the Rhino Chassis. Additional plates for the Predator sponson and turret are also in The Works.

 

While this design isn't complete yet, I have several designs that are finished (baring any final tweaks) and ready for me to showcase. I'll be showing those in depth, a bit more of this, and some other bits-and-pieces in my next proper update which I'll start writing up after some sleep. So with that...

 

Smoke bomb!

 

*Subtle attempts to stealthfully exit the room, but trips, knocking over a coat rack and failing miserably*

 

Missed it, by that much.

[Studio Silvernale]

I finished my CAD degree... why am I not doing this?

[Subtle Discord]

On the subject of Industrial Design:

 

Since the subject of Industrial Design (ID) has come up from time-to-time and it was commented about recently, I figured I could say a little something about the field, especially since I just graduated. I’ll try to keep it brief, since this is something that requires personal introspection if you’re considering studying ID and naturally I can’t make those considerations on someone’s behalf; only you really know what a good fit is for you.

 

A key thing to consider is that ID is a field that blends art and engineering. It absolutely leans heavily towards the artistic creative side of the spectrum, since the designer is tasked with conceiving the idea, giving it form, and working out the initial challenges and considerations on the concept, well before it ever moves toward final production. However, during the development of a product there is generally a crossover point where designers and engineers are working together to find a balance between the proposed design and the technical realities of manufacturing that must be considered in order to make an idea real. While not mandatory, a designer who can have some appreciation and understanding of the engineering required will be far more valuable and successful, in my opinion. I found ID to be an excellent fit for myself primarily because of this; I’m very creative and artistic, but I also have strong engineering inclinations. Despite being interested and skilled in both areas, I’ve learned that I’m not eccentric and prolific enough to be a successful visual artist, but I’m also not as deeply scholastically inclined to be a proper engineer. ID is a good fit for someone like myself.

 

While many industries are already feeling pressure from developments in AI and automation, with the reality that the effect is only going to expand/increase, ID is one field that is very resistant to these pressures. In fact, it’s an industry that benefits, as designers have ever more sophisticated production methods to make their ideas real. Put simply, the creative processes used in ID are not easily automated or emulated with AI. It’s absolutely supported and enhanced by these trends, but it’s not something that can be easily replaced by them. Additionally, the skills learned in a solid ID program are remarkably transferable, enabling a designer to consider their options in practically any industry or field; medical, products, automotive, industrial, aviation, resource management, urban planning, games, digital creation, luggage, furniture, architecture, entertainment industry, manufacturing, recreation, exploration, sport, humanitarian, etc., etc., etc.. Everything needs to be designed… or redesigned, for that matter, and you can find work opportunities practically anywhere. This also affords lots of flexibility in how you want to use your education; work as a freelancer, start a business, work on contract, or join an organization or company fulltime or part-time, it’s up to the individual. Few industries can offer such a broad scope of opportunity, flexibility, and security, for those who it suits.

 

Ok, with that tangent done, I’m off to finish my other article. Back to the beginning, it would seem. You’ll see what I mean with my next update…

[Subtle Discord]

First up, shameless personal plug; I’ve restocked the shop with the kits that have serviceable moulds. If anyone is on the fence, I’ll be honest and say a few more sales before the end of the month would be welcome and very helpful. An unexpected strike at my other contract job has pinched my finances this month. I’ll be fine either way (strike was several weeks, but over now), but I wasn’t expecting to be relying on the studio for proper income quite so soon. I respect that the stock is just too limited for now. So, if avoiding shipping costs with a split order is a factor, I totally understand, and I’ll be happy to offer free shipping on your next order to those who can help over the next few weeks. Again, my situation isn’t critical, but every bit helps when things are unexpectedly tight. So please, only help if it’s within your budget to do so. Thanks again to everyone, past, present, and future, who supports me on this endeavour; it’s finally starting, and the best is on its way.
 
*Starts to shake with anticipation!*
Reverend: “Do you see the light?! Have you seen the light?!”
Jake: “YES! I see the light!”
*Gospel music rises*
 
~The Blues Brothers
 
Content Warning: Massive wall-o’-text-n’-pictures to follow.
 
That said, all other kits are currently being redesigned (or will be in the future) along with new kits being created, and they will start appearing over the coming weeks and months; hence the creation of this article to showcase what’s on the way in the near future. I was having a bit of ‘design ADD’ when I started, bouncing between several ideas because I wasn’t really considering how I wanted proceed. Trying to do too much can quickly mean that nothing gets done, so I’ve since come to the conclusion that I need to start back at the beginning, as it were. I’m going to start by focusing on the Rhino and then the stock Land Raider, and then consider what to do next, once those models have received some attention. That’s not to say I won’t add other independent kits along with these designs, but these will sever as my focus for now and I’ll use other ideas only when I need some distraction, before they get their own focus in the future.
 
 

To the left; well that’s a familiar profile. To the right; and it only takes all of this to draw it accurately.
 
I see now that it’s going to be all but inevitable that I’ll need to create a 3D model of each kit that I’ll be designing for. It’s a lot of work (it took many hours just to get this preliminary 2D sketch done) but once it’s finished it’s both an invaluable design aid and a very useful tool to consider a design in context rather than floating in space on a screen or in a mind’s eye; useful for both me and the potential customer who might want to support the development of the kit.
 
I started with my old 2D CAD designs when I set to work updating my Rhino Trim kits for rapid prototyping. Importing the files to Solidworks is easy enough, but without getting into unnecessary detail, it became apparent that any time saved would be lost later down the line. This just reinforced that I needed to model the Rhino in Solidworks and create the kits on the model itself. This required recreating them… again, but that’s what needs to be done sometimes.
 


Mk.3 is a refined version of the original Chaos design that takes advantage of some curved lines made possible with the new process.
 
I really had no idea how popular these Trim Kits were going to be when I started making them. I’m glad to offer what I think is a unique kit that people like, but my old production method for them was simply too labour intensive for me to continue producing them in that manner going forward. Now that I’ve had some time to work with my new vacuum pump, which can pull a stronger vacuum in a fraction of the time, I’m feeling more confident in producing these kits with less labour if I design them properly.
 


Mk.4 is a intended to be something of a middle ground design; it fits in fine with a Chaos or Renegade force, but with no overt chaos elements also fine for Imperial.
 
So, these new designs have a much more significant sprew than I was originally considering. I’ve done them this way for two main reasons. Mainly, the vacuum casting process simply needs as many exit points as possible, in logical locations, to permit air bubbles to escape the components. But if I’m going to add in all of those vents, I’m going to do it right and take advantage of them. By adding some extra sprew sections to ensure the parts are completely encircled the delicate Trim components get some extra protection and resist warping when tightly packed for shipping. The delicate nature of the parts being prone to warping in this way was one of the few complaints these kits received, so I hope this alleviates the problem.
 


Mk.5 is clean cut with no extra embellishment intended more for Imperial vehicles, but naturally they’ll still work just fine in a Renegade or Chaos force.
 
I still want to do a few more designs to offer more variety, but I’m going to start with these to make sure they cast as intended and there are no kinks in 3D printing parts this thin. With the sprews for support it should be no problem, but I won’t know for sure until I have parts in hand. The bulk of the sprew will also add to the final printing costs, but I’m confident that the modest extra cost is offset by the improvement in production and by proving a better kit for the customer. It’s also a little funny that laying out the parts and designing the sprew took almost as much time as designing the actual kit components; everything always takes longer then you’d expect.
 



The Mk.2 Rhino Tracks are intended to look aggressive, plain and simple. Inspired by other ‘spiky’ tracks I’ve seen, I’m quite pleased with how my take on the idea turned out.
 
I wanted to recreate the Rhino Track kit I produced before, but again, I want to have the option to offer more variety. It took quite a bit of trial-and-error to come up with two unique link configurations that actually fit the model nicely. For some reason, the size of the wheels on the Rhino model and the angles that are required create… problems… when trying to get the links to travel cleanly the entire length of the model.
 



Based off the original Mk.1 Tracks, the Mk.3 design simply takes advantage of the refinements that can be made to the design in Solidworks.
 
Again, I’ll start with these two designs, and consider adding a few more in the future. Now that I have a starting point, I can easily strip the tread pattern off of the links and update it to something new. It’s one of the wonderful things about digital design in general. There are many opportunities to explore different ideas without needing to start from scratch; simply save the file as a new iteration and go to town exploring any changes you want, safe in the knowledge that you can return to the original file at any time.
 



The final full showcase for today is the Incursus Medium Siege-Ram Mk.1 designed for the Rhino chassis.
 
With this kit you can see an example of what will feature more-and-more in other kits; modular parts that can be switched-and-swapped and/or assembly options to provide the builder with some choice. In this case the smaller hydraulic bits can be rotated and Siege-Ram plate can be mounted either way. Sorta’ like choosing between giving the Ram an under bite or an over bite. I’ll also be doing a Ram plate with some Chaos details at some point, but that’s not a major change now that I have this base 3D model, so I’m focusing on a few other kits first. Such as… (oh, I’m not done yet)
 

Ok, this is a recycled image but it’s what I’ve got for now and it is what’s getting worked on over the next little while.
 
I haven’t had a chance to get back to this design while I was working on getting this other stuff ready, but I want to do it to accompany the other Rhino kits so it’s on my virtual workbench again. Naturally, being designed for the cupola opening of the Rhino, it will fit on practically any GW tank, but this is a fitting time to get this kit into production. For now I just want to get the Combi-Flamer/Melta/Plasma components complete and see how it all looks resin, then I’ll consider how I can get a selection of Heavy Weapons to fit the design for a future update.
 

Hinted at in an earlier image, two new version of the Interitus Missile Launcher, Mk.3 and Mk.4, are in The Works as well.
 
These kits are almost ready, but the pictured base mounting plate still needs a bit of detailing, and I want to make a smaller mounting plate that can fit the front cupola opening so the builder can choose where they prefer to mount the launcher. There are also a few other tricks designed into the kit in line with the modular swappable parts and assembly options concept that I mentioned earlier. I’ll be sure to showcase those features when it’s done. While not exactly ground-breaking, I’m quite pleased with what I came up with to solve a production problem, and it actually provides more options for the kit. Win-win!
 
Both the Missile Launcher and the Combi-Weapon kits will be done with Chaos/Renegade versions and Imperial versions similar to the Trim Kits at the beginning of this update. Where it makes sense and where there is demand, I plan to make that a running concept with most kits. I may not able to do every version right away due to costs, but if there’s demand I’ll be happy to cater to it. Which is why I think the ‘Adopt A Kit’ idea should work well. I can finish kits and develop the ones I can afford, and those that people like that I can’t get to right away, they can be supported and helped into production. At least, that’s how I hope it’ll work.
 

Last but not least, here’s another image of the new Spaced and/or Ablative armour with additional components for the Predator version of the chassis.
 
This is a perfect example of a kit that would be very hard to create without the 3D Rhino model to work from. For now everything is just floating around the Rhino, so I need to get under it and figure out how it’s all going to actually attach to the model. I’m going to produce this design first as a bit of a test to see how good the final fit of the kit will be. I’ve tried hard to make sure the 3D model of the Rhino is as accurate as possible, but I won’t really know until I have parts that I can work with. I’ll do several tests with templates cut from paper, in an effort to find any mistakes before I send the parts off to be printed, but that won’t be a guarantee since some places are difficult or impossible to test using that method. The turret being one good example. So, the plan is to start with this kit since it can work well with both a Rhino and the Predator. It will used a little less material to start in case there is a significant problem that requires a reprint. And, since it’s a Spaced Armour solution it will be more forgiving on how it fits the model. Hopefully if there are any minor fit issues, I can fix the casting prototype by hand, and make the required adjustments to ‘tune’ the 3D model for future designs.
 
Ok, with that I’ll bring this sizable update to a close. I was going to ramble a bit about a few other things, but the hour grows late and this has taken longer to finish than I was expecting. Those musings will have to wait for another time. To the B&C community in particular, I want to comment on some of the things mentioned, but I've simply run myself out of time. I will make every effort to dust off the quote function (something I'm strangely adverse to using for some unknown reason) and reply when I make my next update. As always, comments, questions, suggestions, input, or any other hobby/shop talk are always welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read and having a look.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Subtle Discord

[Augustus b'Raass]

W00T for that update! I love it as I do all your postings. 
 

And that spiked rhino track set is looking delicious. Sadly I had to sell all my trimmed SD Trimmed Night Lords vehicles, so I am lookign for a new fix. I LOVE that new rhino ram, btw. Excellent work!  

[Lexington]

So, look.

 

I had no plans of doing any visual mods to the basic Rhino-chassis vehicles in my Chaos army, SD. None whatsoever. Clean, easy, cheap as the breeze, you know? The one part of this dumb, huge army of mine that won't involve more money and modeling time than the average, sane person who puts together models in the normal manner.

 

I was happy about that, SD. So, so happy. Now you've ruined that, and I think it was uncalled for.