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WIP USS Defiant 3D-print build.


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#61 Prometheus

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Posted 14 January 2022 - 04:36 PM

Destructor! This is a work of pure genius!! Just amazing. Totally blown away!

#62 Destructor!!!

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Posted 02 February 2022 - 02:03 PM

Thanks Prometheus!

 

I go into a deep dive on my techniques on this podcast interview I did last week:

 

[EDIT]: Here's a cut-down version of the interview that focuses on the Defiant.

 

(full length podcast here)



#63 Destructor!!!

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Posted 07 February 2022 - 03:17 PM

I have remodelled the rear end and tweaked the shape of the strongback and nacelle housings. I also updated the vents/buttons as I realised I overcomplicated them on the first version. In addition I redid the panel lines in the jowels behind the nose, as I found some better-lit reference photos of the model that highlighted some misinterpretations I had made.

 

It's way more accurate to the studio model now. I also made a bunch of tweaks to the panel lines as I noticed inaccuracies here and there. I updated the paint templates too. Procrastination pretty much complete, and now I need to turn those paint templates into printable masks, which will likely take as long to print as the model.

 

This obviously invalidates the already-printed model, but I will be finishing the paint on that when the weather warms up a bit. It's cold in my workshop and the paint will not dry properly.

 

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#64 Alteran195

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Posted 07 February 2022 - 04:50 PM

Gorgeous, really loving how this is turning out. 



#65 Destructor!!!

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Posted 17 March 2022 - 05:38 PM

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The weather is a little better here now, so painting time!

I thought I had a better match for the hull colour, but it has come out looking a little too warm. This only really became apparent to me after I masked and sprayed the light-blue hull segments. I've been dithering, but I think I will wash these layers back and try to find a slighty darker light grey than I used first time (see several posts ago) and start again.

 

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In spite of the off-ness of the base colour, I had to see how she looked with the new panels painted and the lights on. Overall, I'm pleased - but d'oh! I forgot to primer the nose and bridge pieces and I neglected to update the hull colour on the torpedo launcher chevrons - although that last part is a positive now that I'm aiming to go back to a more monochrome base colour - one less layer of paint to kill the light bleed.



#66 Destructor!!!

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Posted 21 May 2022 - 05:27 PM

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After a long delay, I have an update. The delay was mainly due to a very looooooong delivery time on new paint. I think this base colour has actually nailed it. There's a different paint on the top half versus the bottom half, just as a test to see which one worked best. It's gloss on the bottom and chalky matte on top, but otherwise a very similar shade.

 

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Here's the top half. I have printed the paint masks for the light-blue hull segments. As they are printed based on the updated model files I tweaked *after* this initial prototype, the masks don't quite match this model, and you can see the panel edges are a bit blurry in places as a result.

 

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Top down view. You can see what I mean about the lack of definition in the blue panels towards the aft end, as I significantly altered the slope of the strongback. This means the paint mask sits proud of the hull on this model, but it should conform to future production prints.



#67 Destructor!!!

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Posted 24 May 2022 - 07:28 AM

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I printed up the dark blue paint masks for the top hull.

 

 

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Unfortunately, even where they conform well to this model's hull, the definition isn't what I would have liked.

 

 

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The aft end cloudiness is to be expected given the changes to the source files since this prototype was printed (a friggin' YEAR ago!?), but the forward end has had minimal changes, so the mask conforms well. It seems you just can't match the precision of tape, which is sad because I had hoped to avoid all the tape-fu necessary for the hull markings with the printed masks.

 

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The colour choice for the dark blue looks pretty spot on in these photos, I think, but in person it seems a touch too dark and bold. You be the judge please.

 

EDIT: Actually, I think the dark blue is quite right for the nacelles, but the majority of the dark blue panels are a bit lighter than that.



#68 Alex

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Posted 11 September 2022 - 12:40 AM

-Insert multiple colorful metaphors here- Destructor, that is brilliant!

 

1. Has DST hired you yet? You know, to help fix their “logistical issues” with the Enterprise-C? At the very least have they offered to buy the 3D file for their Defiant toy so that it’ll take them 3 years instead of 7 to get the thing out the door? :P I’m only being half-facetious here; they really should hire you given that you seem to “get” what ship collectors want in the same way the late Tom Sasser did

 

2. I love the nose-less concept, it feels like it has some Ships of the Line calendar potential. Of course, when I saw that design my next thought was to go the opposite direction much like DS9 itself would have and narrow the deflector while adding big honkin’ phaser cannons similar to a TOS movie era concept from this year’s Ships of the Line calendar. I was also unaware of the weapon concept for the nose, but it explains Playmates’ weird adjustable design for that part, and kind of makes me appreciate it more

 

3. Yes, Art Asylum did consider capacitive touch plates in a pre-smartphone world but determined that they were too expensive. I wish DST had given them a second look though, they seem like where ship toys should eventually go, but if they don’t…

 

4. I’m glad someone FINALLY did what I wished DST AND PLAYMATES TOYS had done back in the day, and hidden the dang buttons into places on the ship where they didn’t stick out like a sore thumb or limit playability! Both of of you take notes DST and PM, Destructor has it right; buttons should blend in but ultimately be functional. Playmates always made questionable button choices (the new 1701 is no exception,) and the Defiant had questionable button placement too. DST tried to solve this by only having one button, but that created other issues. I like your solution as I always thought that’s where the buttons should have been on the Playmates ship

 

5. FFD/FDM printers actually should be able to print clear plastic for pure transparency, although that would probably send you back to blender to account for any such changes. I think the transparent filament I’ve seen in use before is sold under a name like HD Glass, but it’s just a transparent or semi-transparent filament in completely clear or partially clear (color tinted) options. If I had seen this thread two years ago I would have said something sooner, sorry for not seeing it back then

 

6. How easy is it to remove the supports that your printer generates? I’ve seen several instances where supports for the model wind up damaging it in a way that’s a pain to work around

 

Finally, have you considered doing a time lapse video of the printing process? Yes, you basically need a camera set up to shoot a little bit of video every hour, but the end result is drool-worthy in its own right. (Trust me, I’ve done such a video before.) If it comes out right you basically get one long cross-dissolve that shows the ship being built by the printer, or you get something that you can intentionally keep choppy and it looks like those stop motion LEGO build ups you would see at the end of their commercials which is still awesome. Likewise, you could really show off the lights and sounds in a video in a way that isn’t possible in still photos. I’m definitely loving this thing and hope I can afford one when you start selling them. This is absolutely awesome dude, I totally love it!






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