How times have changed. When I was a kid, I hated eating vegetables and watching anything educational. I also dreaded research projects in school, especially creating bibliographies.

Now, I eat veggies on a regular basis...ok...I don't dread eating vegetables. I often find the shows on the Science, Discovery and Smithsonian Channels the most interesting things on TV. And I find myself researching almost constantly.

What do I research? Everything. Among other things, cars, electronics, and... armor.

With the armor comes a lot of history, culture and philosophy, in addition to the things you would expect to be associated with armor such as metallurgy, weapons and fighting styles. And lacing!

I love European and Asian medieval armor. But the armor of the Samurai really captures my imagination. The way they are traditionally displayed sitting with their anthropomorphized masks, they look like their own being.

Like they could stand up to greet you or to challenge you.

It's what inspires many of my armor designs. You can see some of my works here.

To that end, I'm about to embark on a research project to learn more about historical Samurai armor functionality and construction by building a ½ scale version of Date Masamune's armor from DeAgostini. I'll be posting a build diary to the ModelSpace USA forum.  Link to my build diary soon.

Who was Date Masamune? For those who want to know more about him but don't trust the Wikipedia entries you can visit the Sendai Museum site. If anyone has better information about Date Masamune please share it in the comments below.

In the ModelSpace USA diary, I'll be focusing on the mechanics of the actual build. Pointing out things I did differently or observations about particular assembly steps.

I'll also do supplemental posts here in my blog. My posts here will focus on my thoughts about the traditional Samurai armor design and construction and how, what I've learned from this build, may influence my future armor designs.

Stay tuned.

Please feel free to leave any thoughts you have about my research project or let me know if you've ever done a build like this as a research project in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by.

In this post, I'll be continuing where I left off in Part 1.  If you haven't read that post and would like to before reading this post you can find it here.

What came first? The 3D print or the virtual model? Unlike the chicken and the egg, the virtual model has to come first.

I started on this project with the client, Island Insurance, providing me a concept illustration (pictured right).

The illustration provided was only a front view but Island Insurance wanted him to be a full 360 degree sculpture in the round and not just a facade.

Sometimes, even if a character or prop is not intended to be seen from other angles, having it complete gives the marketing and production teams the opportunity to improvise on the spot and shoot from a larger variety of angles.

It also gives flexibility long term to be able to shoot the character from other angles even if the original intent was to shoot it only from the signature angle, in this case, the front.

Creating a sculpture in the round from just one image always leads to a lot of interpretation on my part. It is more time consuming. I have to imagine what the character looks like from the back and from the sides, top and bottom.

I also consider how all the details and features work together as you move around the sculpture. Sometimes, what looks good from one angle looks odd from another.

It takes more time not only in modeling but also in communication with the client. I have to secure approvals for all the decisions I make.

As an artist, I tend to work more on projects with a single sketch or image that requires me to infer what the rest of the 3D piece will look like. It is a challenge, but it leaves leeway for creativity and interpretation. I prefer that freedom of creativity opposed to following exact measurements.

To match the concept image as closely as possible, I use a process similar to rotoscoping in computer animation.  I start by importing the concept illustration into the 3D modeling software.

I position the concept illustration on an image plane.  The image plane is a virtual flat plane that shows any image applied to it.

Then, I use 3D shapes to trace over the illustration on the image plane by looking through the front view.

In the image above, the left half of the image shows the front view.  This view is orthographic with no perspective distortion which allows me to trace the picture on the image plane exactly.  If you look closely, you can make out the picture of the Cat through the 3D model's wireframe.

The right half of the image is what you would see in the perspective view of the software.  I included that view to give a better idea of the position of the image plane in relation to the 3D model of the Cat.  

As I built the features, I also kept in mind painting the physical prop.  It was to be hand painted but also needed to match the drawing exactly. 

To accomplish this, I modeled references for all the painted details.  For example, to paint the black lines that define the paws, I created recessed grooves (pictured left) to indicate the exact shape and placement of the paw lines on the physical model.

Once this computer model was finished, it was 3D printed. The surface was prepped and painted to give a smooth appearance.  I'll be talking more about that process in the next installment.

For this first round of TV commercials, the Cat's face would be animated so its facial features were not painted black.  You can see an image of what that looked like at the end of Part 1 of this blog series.

This is where the real and virtual worlds take a twist.  The facial features from the computer model used to 3D print the physical prop was utilized again in the animation of the face. Since the same computer model gave rise to both animated and physical Cat, they more easily matched up.

A couple of years down the road, Island Insurance approached me to recreate their iconic mascot. This time they wanted it fully formed with a painted face. On the second Island Cat, a few changes to the face were made as the expression of the Cat had evolved from their original concept illustration.

To get things just right and match the current images of the Cat in advertisements, many little nuances were discussed on just the face alone. You'd be surprised how many.

The image to the right was the picture of the Cat's face that I needed to match.

I used the same rotoscoping technique described above to model the new facial features.

Once the 3D computer model is done. It is again 3D printed, assembled and painted.

That's about all for the Cat in the virtual world. I'll talk about what happens back in the real world in the next installment.

Perhaps in a future post, I'll cover more details about dealing with the challenges of “imagining” the rest of someone else's design and maybe even the difficulties of creating a real figure from a cartoon.

Click here to continue on to part 3 where I talk about the finish work that went into the Island Cat prop.

Please share any questions or adventures you've had with 3D computer design in the comments below.

Feeling disconnected from 3D printing?  Where do you start?

Through my consulting, I have met many product designers, inventors and artists that have an interest in using 3D printing. Many of them don't know where to start, what is involved or what the process even looks like.

I am going to aim this post at artists but the principles are generally the same no matter what you do. So, here are the basic requirements to work with 3D printing.  This is in no way comprehensive, instead it is a very general overview.

1) 3D printing requires a watertight 3D virtual model. To create that virtual model, you will need to work with a 3D CAD designer or learn 3D design software.

If someone is creating your 3D virtual model, you may need to provide them with orthographic views of your design and/or provide measurements. Depending on who you work with, some people can, or are comfortable, working from a single sketch. But generally, the more information you can provide, the less time it takes to create the virtual model. Usually, less time means less cost. If you only provide one view, they will have to infer/imagine what the design looks like from other angles.

2) There are many different 3D printing technologies. You should understand the benefits and limitations of each technology or at least have a general understanding of the technology you're planning to use. It will help you choose the best 3D printing technology for your project. It's a good idea to not rely on a manufacturer's sales material.

For example, Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology typically offers lower costs and larger build sizes but has the roughest surface finish and can be slow in producing parts.  Refer to the images below of a couple diagrams of different 3D printing processes.

3) Post processing will most likely be needed for your 3D prints. This may involve traditional hands-on techniques to smooth and paint your print or even casting. It could also involve other technologies like machining. If you do your own 3D printing, post processing may involve removing supports by hand.

Please keep in mind, this is a very, very general overview of what's needed for a 3D printing project. There are many finer facets to each of these points and considerations that are specific to each project.

Let me know your thoughts about 3D printing or any advice you have for those who want to use the technology in the comments below.