Legion Rising

[Bryan Blaire]

You all are going to force me to invest in some Primaris miniatures, aren't you?

:lol: You're probably one of the only people here that can use the word "invest" in place of "buy miniatures" and get away with a red face test doing it...

 

I still haven't tried filling that gap with styrene, so I'm obviously asking for selfish reasons. :lol:

 

The maker plate looks awesome. Solus seems like a pretty snazzy servitor!

[Lord Commander Eidolon]

I think Primaris could be an untapped market! The multipart kit has separate shins and torso fronts, I reckon anything that could make them look like say MKiv marines with the torso and knee pads would be epic - I used plasticard to convert mine in a rough and ready test. Luckily Brass etch Aquila hides a multitude of sins....

 

Very excited for this long promised storm Eagle kit!

[Subtle Discord]

Yes, I see the humor in me using the term 'invest' when it's tantamount to 'buy miniatures', and in many cases you're completely right; awe shucks, looks like I need to 'invest' in a Sicaran and a Spartan so I can develop kits for them. Drat! *kicks at the dirt* :) But being someone who has no interest in collecting Loyalist Marines to create a personal army anything I get to aid my development of those kits really will be an investment. I'm happy to do it for the craft and look forward to making Loyalist kits, but it's the truth. I only just permitted myself to prime my Land Raider because I finally got another to be assembled, stripped of all surface detail, and remain that way for studio purposes. At some point I need to do the same for a Predator, I want to add a third to the pair I have finished. I basically need one extra of any model that I want to make kits for and add to my collection. C'est la vie.

 

It's very interesting that the shins and chest are separate and swappable. I hadn't looked very closely at the sprues, so that does indeed bode well for me to be able to create some alternatives. So many ideas, so much potential, so looking forward to this!

[Quixus]

While we're forcing you to invest in primaris marines, how about inceptor legs without the ridiculous skids?

[Naryn]

Awe shucks, looks like I need to 'invest' in a Sicaran and a Spartan so I can develop kits for them.

I know this is a joke, but I’d be wary of this. The resin cures with weird shrinkage that means no two are quite alike, there’s a lot higher variance than with the plastic kits. A good example is the Zone Mortalis boards, which apparently should fit Necromunda bulkheads, but due to weird resin curing seemingly almost never do.

[Paradogmatic]

Yes, I see the humor in me using the term 'invest' when it's tantamount to 'buy miniatures', and in many cases you're completely right; awe shucks, looks like I need to 'invest' in a Sicaran and a Spartan so I can develop kits for them. Drat! *kicks at the dirt* But being someone who has no interest in collecting Loyalist Marines to create a personal army anything I get to aid my development of those kits really will be an investment. I'm happy to do it for the craft and look forward to making Loyalist kits, but it's the truth. I only just permitted myself to prime my Land Raider because I finally got another to be assembled, stripped of all surface detail, and remain that way for studio purposes. At some point I need to do the same for a Predator, I want to add a third to the pair I have finished. I basically need one extra of any model that I want to make kits for and add to my collection. C'est la vie.

 

It's very interesting that the shins and chest are separate and swappable. I hadn't looked very closely at the sprues, so that does indeed bode well for me to be able to create some alternatives. So many ideas, so much potential, so looking forward to this!

The shin plates are swappable, but they are unique to each 'pose' of intercessor -- so each sprue of 5 multipart intercessors has 10 unique legplates. They are all based upon the same measurements; its mostly the position of the foot-cover that changes on each. The chest is a bit more complex but I can imagine doing alternate torso-halves pretty easily.

 

The Primaris weapons are also a pretty smart set of kit where there are only 5 weapons per sprue set + the pieces needed to customize them to the particular set of wargear for the squad -- so you only end up with extra custom bits rather than spare weapons. Not sure if this is GW trying to save plastic or kill the bitz market ( maybe both ) but it is a neat bit of engineering and leaves room for some custom small bitz there too.

 

Unfortunately whoever did the Hellblaster kit didn't get the memo and the legs are more traditionally moulded.

[Subtle Discord]

Hey there

Sorry to pitch in seemingly out of nowhere, but I saw you mentioning issues with supports and it reminded me of something, which I think you might find significant- there's a company called Materialise, out of Belgium, that does a lot of 3D printing and a few other assorted things. What they have that might interest you is their software package- when I was shown around their headquarters they've mentioned that they sell a full solution to take you from cad model to 3D print through one program, which, most importantly, generates the supports automatically for you. I saw a fully printed front bumper of a car with something like an Eiffel tower inspired scaffolding generated automatically. Though I cannot attest as to how reasonably priced their software is...

Anyway- sorry if you knew this already, thought it might not be a bad idea to share this bit of know-how.

No no, please feel free to pitch in from whatever direction you want to. Thanks for the input. While there's been a bit of a learning curve with adding support to the models, I think I've got it sorted out now. It was a matter of understanding just when/where they're needed, how fine a connection point I can get away with, and how densely they need to be put in. The problem with auto-generating supports is that the software tends to be 'heavy handed' in an effort to ensure the print; it also tends to lack precision so it won't always put supports in the precise spot that will produce the best results. The bundled software I'm using (Contour 1.9) is very good and design specifically for the Solus (so it compensates for the optical distortion and material shrinkage very well) and it has an auto-generator but it's just not as good as doing it by hand. The positives it brings to using Solus fare outweigh that small negative, but thanks either way for offering the insight.

 

 

Awe shucks, looks like I need to 'invest' in a Sicaran and a Spartan so I can develop kits for them.

I know this is a joke, but I’d be wary of this. The resin cures with weird shrinkage that means no two are quite alike, there’s a lot higher variance than with the plastic kits. A good example is the Zone Mortalis boards, which apparently should fit Necromunda bulkheads, but due to weird resin curing seemingly almost never do.

 

Thanks for your concern, but I'm not too worried. You're absolutely correct about the shrinkage and it's something I'll be careful of as I work on designs. Not only do I plan on getting a second Sicaran for my collection, which will give me an opportunity to see if there's a large discrepancy between them, I'll be sure to do kits with loose enough tolerances to play it safe and/or kits that won't depend too much on the precise dimensions of the model; it's easy to add one of my 'Siege Rams' to a Sicaran and make sure it fits well and provides ample clearance, for example.

 

 

Yes, I see the humor in me using the term 'invest' when it's tantamount to 'buy miniatures', and in many cases you're completely right; awe shucks, looks like I need to 'invest' in a Sicaran and a Spartan so I can develop kits for them. Drat! *kicks at the dirt* But being someone who has no interest in collecting Loyalist Marines to create a personal army anything I get to aid my development of those kits really will be an investment. I'm happy to do it for the craft and look forward to making Loyalist kits, but it's the truth. I only just permitted myself to prime my Land Raider because I finally got another to be assembled, stripped of all surface detail, and remain that way for studio purposes. At some point I need to do the same for a Predator, I want to add a third to the pair I have finished. I basically need one extra of any model that I want to make kits for and add to my collection. C'est la vie.

 

It's very interesting that the shins and chest are separate and swappable. I hadn't looked very closely at the sprues, so that does indeed bode well for me to be able to create some alternatives. So many ideas, so much potential, so looking forward to this!

The shin plates are swappable, but they are unique to each 'pose' of intercessor -- so each sprue of 5 multipart intercessors has 10 unique legplates. They are all based upon the same measurements; its mostly the position of the foot-cover that changes on each. The chest is a bit more complex but I can imagine doing alternate torso-halves pretty easily.

 

The Primaris weapons are also a pretty smart set of kit where there are only 5 weapons per sprue set + the pieces needed to customize them to the particular set of wargear for the squad -- so you only end up with extra custom bits rather than spare weapons. Not sure if this is GW trying to save plastic or kill the bitz market ( maybe both ) but it is a neat bit of engineering and leaves room for some custom small bitz there too.

 

Unfortunately whoever did the Hellblaster kit didn't get the memo and the legs are more traditionally moulded.

 

Yes, the modular weapons are very interesting and something I want to work with and a concept that I want to adopt in my own designs in the future. Modular, it's a good thing, and I think Solus is up to the task of providing the necessary precision. Yes, some ideas will take some trial-and-error to zero in on the fit, but that's the kind of thing I've found I'm good at, so I'm not intimidated by the challenge. If there's one thing I'm not too fond of on the Marines, it's the kneepad, it just doesn't work for me.

 

Granted, these ideas are still a ways down the to-do list, but it's an interesting idea by itself and when considering how GW might do future models.

[Subtle Discord]

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Comm-Link ∙ Active

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Information Exchange ∙ Update

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+++ Certamen Pattern Vehicle Weapons + Prototype Component Production ∙ Complete +++ Preparing Full Scale Production ∙ Ongoing… +++

 

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+++ Interitus Pattern Missile Launcher + Prototype Fit Tolerance Testing ∙ Ongoing… +++ Initial Components Produced ∙ Assembly Complete +++

 

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+++ Interitus Pattern Missile Launcher + Test Assembly ∙ Successful +++ Final Tolerance Adjustments ∙ Ongoing… +++ Further Updates to Follow ∙ Standby… +++

 

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Comm-Link ∙ Active

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[Naryn]

Wow, those look spectacular!

[The Nephilim]

These look fantastic!

[TURBULENCE]

Outstanding. Can not wait to see how glorious your shop will be after you start cranking out new designs

[Paradogmatic]

Oh man do I ever want the loyalist version of those pintle vehicle weapons.

[Augustus b'Raass]

I can't believe how quickly you've modified those designs into printable files!

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks all for the encouragement, more updates coming soon. I'll be making the first moulds with parts made by Solus very soon and I'll have some images shortly after. I've had issues making moulds from 3D prints in the past, the porous surface tends to 'bind' with the rubber and it can cause problems, but the surfaces made by Solus are so nice I'm hoping it won't be a problem. I can prime the parts to help deal with this type of issue, but it would be nice to avoid any extra steps wherever possible.
 

I can't believe how quickly you've modified those designs into printable files!

If you see a screenshot of a 3D model that looks close to being complete somewhere in the thread, that means it's simply a 'Save As...' away from being ready to print. Save the Solidworks file as an STL file (an abbreviation of Stereolithography, a type of 3D printing), open it in the printing software, and once you've got the supports in place it's good-to-go. Now, if it will print successfully the first time you try is another matter, but failures can be caused by both user error or simply bad luck.
 
Ok, so I've been a good little Fabricator General up to this point, keeping my focus on studio 3D models intended for production by the Forge World as I calibrate Servitor Solus. But since I've got some Dragoons to build I figured I'd permit myself a small distraction to create a few test bits that can also serve another purpose...
 

Inspired by the flat angular elements found in Lucius vehicle designs, I created some armour plates that have a more subtle curve and distinct crease lines. Oh, and droopy toes, I also made a few droopy toes.
 
This is partly a quick personal project, but also a small test to see if I can do something like this on a whim. The parts have some subtle curves that I want to try and challenge Solus with. I've also just had the idea to create some combat weapon arms to replace the clamps that come with kit; ooo... I like that idea. Or maybe I should integrate the Phosphor Serpenta into one of the arms? Hummm, there might be one or two more bits to come for this idea. Stay tuned.
 
I've tried hard to keep the critical measurement similar to the parts these bits will replace to ensure the fit, but I won't know until I can test them on the model. Fingers crossed that they'll fit, but there's a good chance I'll need to make some adjustments before they sit on the model correctly. Once they're dialed in, however, they could easily become a low-cost kit for the shop (minus the Atrum Laboris elements); in this case, given the price of the model they attach to, I'd want to keep the kit reasonably simple and as low-cost as possible.
 
These will be getting transmitted to Servitor Solus shortly, so I should have parts-in-hand by tomorrow at the latest. I'll be sure to take a few images of the components fresh from the vat and some of how they fit/look on the model.

[TheOneTrueZon]

Is it fate that I have come into possession of chaos models by chance, that they be of purpose by providing a suitable host for your wares?

 

It also gives me a moment of pause - do you have any interest in doing conversions for chaos bike models?

[TURBULENCE]

'strider parts! Now that's inspired and unique. Don't think anyone is doing anything like that. I'm excited to see how Solus handles the curves as well.

 

It also gives me high hopes for a Lucius pattern Knight down the road.

[Subtle Discord]

Is it fate that I have come into possession of chaos models by chance, that they be of purpose by providing a suitable host for your wares?

 

It also gives me a moment of pause - do you have any interest in doing conversions for chaos bike models?

Yes! I have two major ideas for bike kits, one that's anti-grav and one that's somewhat more conventional but more practical/plausible in my opinion.

 

I'm even hoping to have a former college classmate who is really talented at vehicle design help me out with concept sketches before I start 3D modeling; however, I want to pay him for his work so I'm waiting until the studio is generating the necessary capital to make it happen. I really want to make some amazing complete kits with this idea so I want to approach it more like a proper design project with a proper iteration process to finalize the design before moving to production.

 

I'm also being vague because I think I've got a great idea that others have tried but it hasn't been done very successfully and I think I can do it justice. More on this idea when I've got some of my backlog caught up.

 

'strider parts! Now that's inspired and unique. Don't think anyone is doing anything like that. I'm excited to see how Solus handles the curves as well.

 

It also gives me high hopes for a Lucius pattern Knight down the road.

I've already been comparing the size of the parts in the knight kit to the build volume Solus provides; Lucius pattern inspired Knight kits from my studio are all but guaranteed. It's something I've wanted to do since the Knight kit was first released.

 

As with the smaller Dragoon components pictured above, I will keep some subtle curves in some of the surfaces (as opposed to the absolutely flat surfaces seen in most true Lucius pattern vehicles) to give a distinct look to my kits. I think doing so will update/refine the look a bit and keep it unique while still staying reasonably true to the inspiration.

 

Again, this is just an issue of time. I need to get other smaller projects done to make sure I'm completely comfortable using Servitor Solus before I turn my attention to larger more ambitious projects like a Knight kit. It'll happen, in due course.

[Subtle Discord]

Useful distraction time!! One part personal project, one part equipment testing, and one part product development. So, while I was 3D printing some other items that will be used during mould making (more on that in a future article) I added the new Dragoon/Ironstrider parts. With these components, I have since concluded that Servitor Solus is a small piece of the Omnissiah made real and gifted to my Forge World so that I might make my ideas real.

 

Here’s an image to give an idea of how subtly curved the surfaces is that I’m trying to print; concave or convex, Servitor Solus delivers top quality surfaces.

 

This is the first attempt at 3D printing the components and they look really good but the fit isn’t quite there; the plate is sitting too far away from the leg, the radius that could be matching the round detail of the hip is off, and I didn’t leave nearly enough clearance for the hoses that attach to the inside of the leg. That said, the parts look good otherwise and the overall forms are blending with the model nicely, if I do say so myself.

 

On the left is the first attempt, printed straight vertically. On the right is the second attempt that was tilted 10° to try and improve the surface quality, but it made the result worse.

 

I’m still unsure if there’s a better sweet spot for the printing angle of this component, but even the first attempt is actually quite good. You can see layering when the light reflects off of the surface, but it’s so subtle it can hardly be felt if you drag your fingernail across the surface. Its surfaces like this that have me wondering if a layer of primer and paint will hide the marks or will it be better to refine the surface a bit before mould making. I’ll be sure to do some painting tests at some point to attempt to find out where the tipping point is for this. I want to avoid labour if it’s not needed, but surface problems are so rare with parts created by Solus even if I do need to sand a few surfaces before mould making, that’s a small price to pay for all the other things Solus does right.

 

To the left, I sanded the first print with a 600 grit sanding stick just a little bit to get this smooth result. To the right, is the part straight from Servitor Solus.

 

See, the effort to clean up this component is very minor and it’s quite easy to get really nice results so it’s not that much of an issue to deal with it. Solus does a great job of avoiding these issues on most surfaces but when they do show up they’re easy to deal with compared to any other 3D prints I’ve worked with in the past. The more I work with Servitor Solus the more I’ve come to conclude that it is some small part of the Omnissiah made real and gifted to my Forge World so that I might make my ideas a reality. It’s far from foolproof but there’s no denying the results, and every test I throw at it has me come away convinced that Solus is more than up to the tasks I will be requiring it to complete in the future.

 

I show large images to illustrate how seriously I’m taking the issue of quality, I really want to produce some of the best kits on the market and I want people to be able to see for themselves the standards I’m after. It’s taken a little longer than I wanted to get everything up-and-running, but now that I’m in the final testing of Solus I know the last pieces of this first puzzle are falling into place. For now, the first round of mould making is underway so further updates will be coming soon.

 

Praise be to the power of iteration! The fit of this second attempt is better but it’s going to take at least one more round of tweaking to perfect it.

 

That said, even with a few alignment and clearance issues (there’s still not enough room for the hoses to attach to the inside of the leg – D’oh!) I think the parts are turning out quite well. They give the model a unique look without it being too dramatic of a change. I’m particularly happy with how the combat arm attachment turned out…

 

 

I actually tried to print six of them in a few different poses but five of them failed to print correctly. I already know what went wrong, so this shouldn’t happen again in the future.

 

With all sorts of details just fractions of a millimeter in size I was worried Servitor Solus might not be able to reproduce everything, but right down to the tiny gear teeth around the inside circle of the serrated blade, Solus was up to the task. Heck, each of the teeth on the blade is only 0.8mm tall by 1.0mm wide and they’re all perfect. There’s literally no reason why I might want to create details smaller than this, so this really shows that Solus has opened the portal to virtually any idea in my mind becoming a reality, if I can model it in 3D. Interesting times ahead…

 

As always, comments, questions, input, ideas, and general hobby musings are always welcome. Thanks for looking and following along.

 

*Subtle wanders off to do more 3D modeling*

 

[DuskRaider]

Wow, most impressive! I hope we see some Dark Mechanicum kits from you for Ad Mech stuff, looks like you can knock it out of the park easily.

[Subtle Discord]

Oh yes, for now, I'm doing Mechnicus that represent the segment of Atrum Laboris that conducts themselves with those loyal to the Imperium of Man. You can trust that as these first projects start to be completed I have every plan for things to take a very Dark turn. Ideas that I was completely stumped on how I might be able to create them, well they're not much of an issue anymore. Once I'm completely comfortable with Servitor Solus I'll start exploring more challenging bio-mechanical and dae-mechanical constructs. first the backlog, then new ideas!

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

Very Cool updates! If the surface feels a little rough, consider a thin layer of matte varnish to seal in the imperfections before a coat of primer. Should give you a nice smooth surface.

[Subtle Discord]

Good call. Yeah, I invested in some really nice self-leveling primer (Mr. Surfacer) that Gundam/Mecha modelers use when they want a really smooth finish. I got it when I was expecting to work with the inferior 3D printing I had done initially and I've found that it's really good primer as well as being excellent at hiding minor surface imperfections. I'm still not sure if I'll need it when I make moulds but I have it as an option to seal the surface and get a really smooth finish.

 

I'm really hoping it won't come to that, however. Spraying all the parts just adds another step and another process that can potentially ruin a component; dropping a freshly primed master model usually means you're either stripping and repriming it or starting over completely. The smooth surfaces that Solus produces are practically the same quality as injected plastic components in consumer goods, they feel completely smooth, even with the tip if a pin or needle; seriously, it really is as smooth as it looks in the photographs. It's only on really extreme angles where the layering of the 3D print process becomes noticeable, but even then the layers are only 15 microns thick. I'm thinking of it from the customers perspective; after its cast will a customer be able to prime and paint the model without any unique steps or products and hide any of the minor flaws that will crop up? I'm confident the answer is yes, but It's the bar I refuse to compromise on so I'm making sure.

 

All that said, new kits will start arriving soon and they will usher in a slow-but-steady increase in the selection of kits available at The Dark Works. More on adventures in mould making in the near future.

[Eldrick Shadowblade]

Oh yeah, I was just saying for your test print. It looked pretty close to perfect. I wasn't recommending that for all the kits your going to ship out. That sounds like a nightmare. Speaking of shipping.... I'm running low on subtle kits.... : ) Looking forward to it!

[Naryn]

Absolutely jaw-dropping work.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Wow. Just, WOW.