WIP masterpiece slipstream

[lancalot]

i need feed back...been staring at her too long.... her shoulder too big...any suggestion with out compromising the alt mode..


http://imageshack.us/scaled/large/401/img1047medium.jpg

[M-bot]

Is shaving the edges of the arms down out of the question? Or does it too obviously effect the alt mode?

[lancalot]

Is shaving the edges of the arms down out of the question? Or does it too obviously effect the alt mode?

if you look carefully i shave the most that it would go already...see how it all round now...some of the part gone through the plastic and i had to putty it up

[Defcon]

I don't think its something to overly worry about, you could add some shoulder pads , pointy and slender looking to try to remove the squareness of the shoulders. When you paint the figure maybe paint the shoulders black, and if you have shoulder pads paint them to stand out in a light mauve/purple colour. The black shoulders should be less visible as the eye is drawn to the lighter colours. Just a theory anyway.

[M-bot]

Maybe also soften up some of the other edges, like the legs and the torso, it may give a more "feminine" appearance to the model as a whole, take some of the emphasis off the arms.

[AJ_Prime]

Ah now I see what you need the custom slipstream head sculpt for. Sorry haven't done much 3d modelling lately, had to reinstall windows last week and have been putting together a job app for a promotion. Hopefully will get a chance to start working on it in next couple of weeks.

Also Genesis Planet X (aka Omega Supreme) arrived last week which caused further distraction :D.

[Sinnertwin]

Have you tried looking at it with the hip kibble taken off? Its an inherently masculine figure, so you may need to add something like a cape, something around her waist or headpiece :confused:

[Iriorne]

How about shaping the panels that form the torso sides, maybe filling in the steps to get a smoother, more shapely look? The broad chest makes the figure very masculine - not much you can do about the cockpit but you could also try filling and shaping the turbine/missile pod covers.

Shoulder pads could utilise the connector points already on the shoulders.

[lancalot]

Thanks for the advice ... ill take all that into consideration ...

[GoktimusPrime]

Hhmmm... I wonder if the colour scheme will effeminate the mould at all? Look at Binaltech Arcee, I think that was done well in terms of taking a rather masculine mould (Overdrive) then giving it a less masculine looking head (Decepticharge) and then painting it in white and soft pink colours. I thought that worked wonders in effeminating that mould. So maybe the way you work with the colours might help to make the figure look more feminine. You could try to make the colours as pastel as possible. e.g. with the purple go for lilac, lavender, dark fuschia etc. See if you can add the same pastel purple around her mouth to make that "lipstick" effect. The turquoise should go well with the pastel purple. Perhaps the trick is in selecting the right shade of purple and getting the head/face to look more effeminate. It would take the focus away from the body proportions.

I just Googled Transformers Slipstream and found some other custom figures people have made.
Animated Slipstream (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachments/radicons-customs/27123435d1256655827-tfa-slipstream-aka-femscream-mangamike-4.jpg)
TF Prime Slipstream (https://sites.google.com/site/ptnavydiary/home/transformers/slipstream/Slipstream-10.JPG)
Beast Hunters Slipstream (http://www.toyark.com/custom-transformers-prime-slipstream-139317/)

And here's a piece of fan art for Masterpiece Slipstream (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/115/c/1/AHM_ver_Slipstream_Finished_by_Uwall.jpg).

[Jinto]

I'd suggest cutting off the upper arm completely and replacing everything from the shoulder to the elbow with a thinner, more cylindrical upper arm. you'll want something with stronger ball joints though... perhaps something from a revoltech figure. You may have to then alter the forearm a bit to be consistent. depends how much remodeling you're willing to do.
I think that would give a more feminine look.

Making the sides of the 'rib' area a bit more concave would really help too, if that's possible.

[Ae-Evolution]

I reckon if you add the little block detail on the upper arm and mould shoulder pads it will blend in and the wouldn't really be that noticeable.

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121225155759/transformers-legends/images/8/88/%28Decepticons%29_Slipstream_-_Robot_%283%29.png

[AJ_Prime]

Bit more progress on the head sculpt:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress2_zpse2be7fe3.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress2_zpse2be7fe3.jpg.html)

[lancalot]

OOoooo nice :)

[AJ_Prime]

I've made some more progress on the head sculpt, there's still quite a bit of cleanup to do and I haven't completely closed the model in yet. The other thing I need to work out is measurements, especially with regards to how it will fit on the transformer. Also looking at it now, I think I need to bring the section of the face with the nose out a bit more. I was also thinking of putting some vents or something in the sides of the helmet, looks too plain with those big holes there.

Hmmm, looking at it now the chin looks a bit pointy too. Might bring it up a bit and round it off more.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for refinement or in regards to my other problem about how you would like it molded to fit on the transformer.

Here's a test render so far:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/test1_zpsd14e7f50.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/test1_zpsd14e7f50.jpg.html)

And I thought I'd play with the colouring, so here is a colour test of the render:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/colourttest1_zpsa493f574.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/colourttest1_zpsa493f574.jpg.html)

[UltraMarginal]

I'd suggest cutting off the upper arm completely and replacing everything from the shoulder to the elbow with a thinner, more cylindrical upper arm. you'll want something with stronger ball joints though... perhaps something from a revoltech figure. You may have to then alter the forearm a bit to be consistent. depends how much remodeling you're willing to do.
I think that would give a more feminine look.

Making the sides of the 'rib' area a bit more concave would really help too, if that's possible.

That's a good idea, though I'd suggest some sort of panelling on the back of the arms, or perhaps the side of the torso that will replace the blockiness of the arms in vehicle mode as the arms make up a large portion of the side of the jet fuselage.


I've made some more progress on the head sculpt, there's still quite a bit of cleanup to do and I haven't completely closed the model in yet. The other thing I need to work out is measurements, especially with regards to how it will fit on the transformer. Also looking at it now, I think I need to bring the section of the face with the nose out a bit more. I was also thinking of putting some vents or something in the sides of the helmet, looks too plain with those big holes there.

Hmmm, looking at it now the chin looks a bit pointy too. Might bring it up a bit and round it off more.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for refinement or in regards to my other problem about how you would like it molded to fit on the transformer.

Here's a test render so far:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/test1_zpsd14e7f50.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/test1_zpsd14e7f50.jpg.html)

And I thought I'd play with the colouring, so here is a colour test of the render:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/colourttest1_zpsa493f574.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/colourttest1_zpsa493f574.jpg.html)

That's really coming along, looking at the face, is seems a little too smooth overall, and maybe a bit pointy in the chin. there is something about the cheeks that feels wierd. It looks a little like "the silence" from Dr Who at the moment. scary.
I think you're idea of vents along sides of the head will work really well.

[Iriorne]

Looking good. If I might make a few suggestions:

The shape of the eyes seems a bit funny, most depictions seem to show more triangular eyes, rather than rounded at the bottom?

The mouth looks too narrow, should perhaps be 30-40% wider, and a bit higher, closer to the nose.

Nose is a too small and pointy. I suggest making it taller, longer, wider, with a flatter tip - more faceted, rather than smooth.

Vents in the side of the head sounds like a good idea, and will tie in well with the standard seeker heads.


there is something about the cheeks that feels wierd.

The pictures I've been able to find seem to cheat a bit here. The face appears smooth, while the helmet extends over the face, giving the illusion of cheeks. They also help define the shape of the face while keeping a relatively wide base, which is going to help give it the strength to accept a ball socket. I had a look at my MP transformers and most seem to either do the same, or just omit cheek bones altogether. Check out the Animated (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:AnimatedSlipstreamModel.jpg) or Legends (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:LegendsSlipstreamArt.jpg) art to see what I mean.

Faces are tough, keep it up! :)

[lancalot]

It getting there ....i think the whole front face abit flat ....here a link to other female faces ...they have a 3d view to help you abit
http://www.shapeways.com/model/758634/cyrene-head-for-rid-arcee.html?li=productBox-search

But it come out great so far.... faces is one of the hardest to do... do you have a MP seeker to get the measurement of the head?

[lancalot]

the arcee head nice ...see how it look like she in the helmet ...
http://www.shapeways.com/model/762560/the-oracle-ver-2-for-prid-arcee.html?li=moreFromShop&material=6

[AJ_Prime]

Cool thanks for the tips guys and the reference pics. I'll take a bit more artistic license with it while trying to keep to the look and feel of Slipstream.

Lancalot - Do you prefer a smooth face or something harder, linear like G1? Also I'm happy to change the eyes, I just went with what the original pic you had on first page of this thread. Perhaps eyes that are flatter and more "digital clock" might look better here though.

Yep I'm still not happy with it either, that face just looks really freaky, definitely too flat. The small nose and mouth are my feeble attempt at being too anime in line with the first reference pic.

I'll keep plugging away and will post another progress pic hopefully in next week or so depending on how much time I get.

Thanks again for the feedback everyone, it's very helpful. Lancalot, hopefully I'll have something ready for you to print soon.

I do have a Masterpiece Thundercracker I can use as a reference and I'll do some research too on how to get the right fit to the model. I guess if it's a ball joint (I haven't checked yet) then it's better to make it slightly too big than too small, at least that way you can sand it down. Having said that if it's only a fraction of a millimeter too small then you could always apply a coating of clear nail polish to the ball joint to fill in the buffer. I'll do my best to get it as close as possible to exact measurements though.

[AJ_Prime]

Ah dang, this designer made a legends looking Slipstream head sculpt already:

http://www.shapeways.com/model/1005956/talon-for-tfp-bh-starcrm-r.html?li=moreFromDesigner&material=6

Happy to continue progressing with mine if this one isn't the style you're after.

[lancalot]

Yeah it nice ...but it too small.... :(

[AJ_Prime]

Got a spare hour today so started on the new face (still prelim):

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/facev2_zps8968c107.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/facev2_zps8968c107.jpg.html)

Those references were heaps better, got some more ideas about the helmet too. Will post pics as I get closer for you to comment on in case you want any adjustments made.

[kaiden]

Got a spare hour today so started on the new face (still prelim):

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/facev2_zps8968c107.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/facev2_zps8968c107.jpg.html)

Those references were heaps better, got some more ideas about the helmet too. Will post pics as I get closer for you to comment on in case you want any adjustments made.

that looks a lot better - nice work!

[Iriorne]

Hey, that looks great! Only thing I'd suggest is to bring the centre of the top lip up a bit, bring it a little closer to the nose and make the lip a bit fuller. Can't wait to see how it fits into the helmet. :cool:

[AJ_Prime]

Hey, that looks great! Only thing I'd suggest is to bring the centre of the top lip up a bit, bring it a little closer to the nose and make the lip a bit fuller. Can't wait to see how it fits into the helmet. :cool:

Cool thanks for tip. I'll incorporate it next chance I get to work on it, hopefully later this week. I appreciate your feedback. Hopefully we end up with a really nice head sculpt for lancalots custom. Can't wait to see how it ends up on his final figure. Hopefully does it justice.

[lancalot]

Wow that looking good now :)

[Iriorne]

No worries, giving my opinion is the easy bit. ;)

If you need some measurements of the existing MP seeker heads and openings to scale the model, let me know. I've got some digital callipers sitting around which should get some pretty accurate readings. Just need to know from lancalot what version of the seeker mould the head will need to fit.

[lancalot]

No worries, giving my opinion is the easy bit. ;)

If you need some measurements of the existing MP seeker heads and openings to scale the model, let me know. I've got some digital callipers sitting around which should get some pretty accurate readings. Just need to know from lancalot what version of the seeker mould the head will need to fit.

it actually from a MP3 starscream mold

[AJ_Prime]

No worries, giving my opinion is the easy bit. ;)

If you need some measurements of the existing MP seeker heads and openings to scale the model, let me know. I've got some digital callipers sitting around which should get some pretty accurate readings. Just need to know from lancalot what version of the seeker mould the head will need to fit.

Yes please! That would be VERY helpful! Thanks again.

[Iriorne]

Alrighty, here's a few drawings and dimensions:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/MP-03%20dimensions.jpg

Higher quality PDF here (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/MP-03%20Head%20Dimensions.pdf).

Accuracy on most dimensions should be about +/- 0.01 mm. The main outside dimensions (L, W, H) are pretty solid as they were easy to get the callipers around. Some of the others I had to eyeball but they should be fine for this purpose. The original is in Visio so I can remeasure anything if there's something I missed. :)

Also, the little step at at rear of the head is probably worth including as it makes the head sit a bit lower, hiding the hinged stem that it sits on.

[AJ_Prime]

That's brilliant, thanks very much for that Irorne. That'll be helpful. If I have any more questions about the dimensions I'll PM you. In the meantime here's some more progress pics. I've finished the face now, next step is to add it to helmet, and helmet vents and tidy it up. Then of course to scale to the correct dimensions.

Face sculpt so far:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/test2_zps71e599bd.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/test2_zps71e599bd.jpg.html)

2nd colour test:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/colourtest2_zps1e6f13aa.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/colourtest2_zps1e6f13aa.jpg.html)

Took your tips on board and checked my reference pics again to make it look a bit nicer. You're right it made a huge difference. Thanks again for the help.

[lancalot]

i dont know about the purple lips :p but that look good now

[AJ_Prime]

Sorry it's been a while since I've had a chance to work on this but managed to get some more time today. Here is progress so far without smoothing:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress4_zpsdeea51b8.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress4_zpsdeea51b8.jpg.html)

[Bidoofdude]

Sorry it's been a while since I've had a chance to work on this but managed to get some more time today. Here is progress so far without smoothing:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress4_zpsdeea51b8.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress4_zpsdeea51b8.jpg.html)

Fantastic! Will you be making a second head with some type of scowl or shock face? ;)

[AJ_Prime]

Once the base model is complete anything is possible!

[Iriorne]

Looking good! When you get around to adding the ball socket, maybe make the opening a bit bigger than the dimensions I measured earlier. I just tried to pop the head back on and it was pretty tough, I have a feeling a 3D printed object would have shattered.

[AJ_Prime]

No probs, thanks for that advice. Better to be slightly too big than slightly too small, at least if it's too big you can add some clear nail polish or something to the ball to make it tighter.

Also I notice that shapeways has a range of plastics to choose from, including slightly malleable ones. Something to investigate once I've finished this.

I just finished closing in the back of the helmet then, so it's progressing. Hopefully I'll get some more time this weekend to work on it.

[UltraMarginal]

That face sculpt is coming along really nice, I'm getting a bit of an arachnid vibe from it prior to the helmet addition.

with regard to shapeways, i've found that strong white flexible is the best for strength and one of the best for detail, but the clear detail is probably the best for actual fine detail, I've never used that one.

Strong white flexible has a slight powdery feel to it. keep in mind also that there will probably be a very small amount of shrinkage in the plastic as it sets, which may effect your ball/socket interface.

It's looking great, keep up the good work.

[lancalot]

that looking good man ,,,,

[AJ_Prime]

That face sculpt is coming along really nice, I'm getting a bit of an arachnid vibe from it prior to the helmet addition.

with regard to shapeways, i've found that strong white flexible is the best for strength and one of the best for detail, but the clear detail is probably the best for actual fine detail, I've never used that one.

Strong white flexible has a slight powdery feel to it. keep in mind also that there will probably be a very small amount of shrinkage in the plastic as it sets, which may effect your ball/socket interface.

It's looking great, keep up the good work.

Thanks for that advice, hadn't considered the shrinkage. I'll have to see which material gives the best result for this sculpt. I've seen other head sculpts use the clear, but as you say strong white flexible might be the way to go, especially for ball joints.

[Sinnertwin]

Looking good, AJ :)

[AJ_Prime]

Looking good, AJ :)

Cheers, this has been a good learning curve for me (as you've seen), with still so much more to pick up. I'm just hoping it does Lancalot's custom justice when it's finished.

[AJ_Prime]

Did a bit more work on this over the weekend. Here is another progress shot, still got some cleanup to do but model is fully closed in now. Next I need to scale it to the right size and add the ball socket then should be good to upload to shapeways...

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress5_zps6afd93bf.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress5_zps6afd93bf.jpg.html)

Although I'm thinking of maybe adding a little bit of detail to the sides and back, like some vents or something just to break it up a little bit...

[Hursticon]

Damn! :eek:

That's starting to look REALLY good dude, lovely proportions! ;):cool:

[Iriorne]

Shiny. :)

In addition to Shapeways, it might be worth looking at local 3D printing services? It'll probably cost a bit more for the item, but postage was the killer for Shapeways last time I looked.

A few that I found were:

http://www.parts2print.com.au/

http://www.prototypelabs.com.au/

[lancalot]

love the face Aj ....but can you blend the ear up alittle cause it just sticking out abit much... something like this..

http://imageshack.us/a/img194/7268/3wfl.jpg

[AJ_Prime]

Sure thing dude, leave it with me. Also thanks for those other links, I'll look into that. As you say, if it can be done cheaper locally then that's definitely the way to go.

[lancalot]

yeah if it local then we save on shipping...as shapeway cost way too much for shipping like $30 for the small head.. and that shipping only!

[AJ_Prime]

Lancalot - Is this the kind of shape you were after? Please let me know before I add the smoothing and fine edges etc. I still have to reshape the top and rear some more but just wanted to know if this is what you were going for before I start fixing it all up. Happy to make any other adjustments you prefer.

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress6_zps35d2c900.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress6_zps35d2c900.jpg.html)

Iriorne - Is it possible for you to post a pic of the rear/base of the head where the ball joint is for me, just so I can get an idea of positioning? This sculpt has a more rounded base and rear than the original, although if necessary I can make it a little squarer to accomdate the ball socket. Will see what I can achieve with this first without making the head position look weird.

[lancalot]

can you do something like this bro..
what program your using??..

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/3232/2u84.jpg

[AJ_Prime]

Sure thing. I'll post another pic once it's done to make sure you're happy with it. I'm using 3DS Max design.

[lancalot]

Sure thing. I'll post another pic once it's done to make sure you're happy with it. I'm using 3DS Max design.

cool thanks man ....

[Sinnertwin]

Looking good boys, looking good. You're on the home stretch now :)

[UltraMarginal]

Looking good boys, looking good. You're on the home stretch now :)

what he said:D

[Iriorne]

Here's a shot of the back of the head: image (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_head_back.jpg)

Let me know if you want me to pop it off the ball again.

Just a guess, but I think you'll probably need to square up the back of the head a bit. :)

[AJ_Prime]

Here's a shot of the back of the head: image (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_head_back.jpg)

Let me know if you want me to pop it off the ball again.

Just a guess, but I think you'll probably need to square up the back of the head a bit. :)

Thanks very much for that Iriorne. Just wondering, is it possible for you to take a pic of his head in bot mode from behind as well, just so I can see how it needs to sit and how much clearance to leave underneath? If it's not too much trouble that is...

I appreciate your help with the references on this too btw. Thanks again ;)

[Iriorne]

No problem, I got bored with having everything in robot mode so I transformed them all into alt mode the other week. :)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_1.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_2.jpg

In the second photo you can see the shelf in the bottom of the head, it helps the head to sit over the the pivot hinge for the cockpit.

[CBratron]

You're braver than I am by modding something as expensive as a masterpiece.

[AJ_Prime]

No problem, I got bored with having everything in robot mode so I transformed them all into alt mode the other week. :)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_1.jpg

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/mp03_2.jpg

In the second photo you can see the shelf in the bottom of the head, it helps the head to sit over the the pivot hinge for the cockpit.

That's fantastic, thanks very much Iriorne. I see what you mean now about squaring off the rear and base of the head. Hmmm, should be able to do that reasonable easy (hopefully)... :D Those pictures are very helpful though. I might do some research on ball joint tolerances in 3D design and use that in conjunction with your measurements.

In the meantime, here is my progress on the sculpt. Got some work to do now with squaring off and creating ball joint socket (and a little bit more cleanup around the ears), but hopefully if Lancalot is happy with the design I can start on that now.

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress7_front_zpscf5a110f.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress7_front_zpscf5a110f.jpg.html)

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress7_rear_zpsa0fd27c2.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress7_rear_zpsa0fd27c2.jpg.html)

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/progress7_top_zps753a556d.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/progress7_top_zps753a556d.jpg.html)

[lancalot]

Wow that nice AJ ....perfect bro....

[Iriorne]

Looking at the MP-11 mould, the neck stem looks pretty much the same as MP-03, but the ball socket is entirely on the underside of the head. The shelf on the underside is also gone.

The arch the head passes through has quite a bit of plastic that can be ground out with a file or motor tool to increase the clearance, so that might give a little flexibility with sizing the head, too.

[AJ_Prime]

That's good to know, thanks again. I'll try to keep the head dimensions in line with the original to avoid any work that isn't necessary.

I hope to nail the the ball and socket joint but it's going to be interesting alright.

[AJ_Prime]

So here are some reference pics based on Iriorne's measurements. There are a couple of problems that I see:

1. With the head at this size, the ears are about 1.5 - 2mm too wide.
2. If I reduce the size of the head to accommodate the ears, the head looks too small for the model.

I might try reducing the "ear" size and making them a bit thinner, that way I don't have to reduce the head size too much.

I still have to reshape the back of the head to square it off for the ball socket section. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. I think I have an idea of how the ball socket is going to work, hopefully it comes out alright!

Any other thoughts or suggestions to make this work?

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/ReferencePics_zps638c51da.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/ReferencePics_zps638c51da.jpg.html)

[Iriorne]

Hmmm... reducing the ears might be the easiest solution. If necessary, there's also about 2mm of space at the top that you can recover by dremelling out the head pass-through as well. Another option might just be to scale the head well and have it non-transformable? Just pop it off the ball when converting to jet. :p

If you want to get a feel for how the face scales, here's a front-on photo of the head:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/233731/OTCA/head_trans.png

Are you able to set it as a texture on the front of the block head and and post a front-on render?

Edit: I'd be wary of scaling the head too small as the MP-03 seeker head is proportionally quite small to begin with, particularly the width.

[lancalot]

yeah i agree , that you should reduce the ears as the head scale is small to begin with..

[AJ_Prime]

Cool, I'll give it a try. Back to the drawing board. :o

[UltraMarginal]

As awesome as it already looks, reducing the width of the ear may add to the femininity of the sculpt. just a thought.

brilliant work by the way.

[Iriorne]

Just had a thought: what if instead of just reducing the width, you adjusted the angle of the ears? Make them more swept back and streamlined?

[lancalot]

Just had a thought: what if instead of just reducing the width, you adjusted the angle of the ears? Make them more swept back and streamlined?

That would be interesting ....

[AJ_Prime]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I'll have a play and see what I can come up with. Maybe even a combination.

[AJ_Prime]

I think I've finished. I've based the ball socket on a diameter of 4.80mm according to Iriorne's measurements. If the ball itself it 4.80mm then it may need to be sanded down slightly and lubed if it's still too tight.

I hope the socket is alright, took me ages to get it right. It's in the same place as the reference pictures that were provided, so hopefully it's the same seeker mold you're using otherwise I've got more work to do :(.

The ears only stick out maybe a mm or so, but not very much so it shouldn't be too difficult to make some adjustment on the mold as Iriorne suggested.

I had to square the rear of the helmet off so that the ball socket would fit properly, but I tried to make it as little ugly as possible.

Anyway, here's some pics:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/rearballsocket2_zps2e2f1b74.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/rearballsocket2_zps2e2f1b74.jpg.html)

Cutaway image with ball joint in place. I have included two stems to show the 2nd position with the head folded down during transformation:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/rearballsocket3_zps0555610b.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/rearballsocket3_zps0555610b.jpg.html)

Close up of ball joint in place:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/rearballsocket4_zpse0b22288.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/rearballsocket4_zpse0b22288.jpg.html)

Side/Rear view:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/rearballsocket6_zps717414b1.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/rearballsocket6_zps717414b1.jpg.html)

Size comparision:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/rearballsocket5_zps6268750a.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/rearballsocket5_zps6268750a.jpg.html)

(sorry Iriorne, that's the best I could do with the image you provided for now. I didn't want to spend too much time on the reference image).

And because I was curious, here's one with colour:

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/finalcoloursample_zps48392dd5.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/finalcoloursample_zps48392dd5.jpg.html)

Here is an animation of the head sculpt rotating so that you can get an idea of how it looks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAtaM2ErBkc&feature=youtu.be

And just for fun, I was playing with the chrome effect :D:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiCe60scG1Y

Anyway Lancalot, let me know if you're happy to go to print.

[Iriorne]

I've based the ball socket on a diameter of 4.80mm according to Iriorne's measurements. If the ball itself it 4.80mm

Sorry, the ball is actually 5.00 mm exactly. The 4.80 measurement is the width of the opening but it widens inside to accommodate the ball. Apologies for any confusion.

You might be able to get away with the smaller socket if there's enough flex in the material that the squared off sides can bend without snapping? It would definitely make sure the joint stays tight, but the part might be prone to failure due to the stress. Probably the only way to know for sure is going to be to give it a try. The other option is, as you say, to sand down the ball. It can always be built back up again with some thick super glue if necessary.

Don't worry about that render with the head texture, I just thought it might be useful to see how the proportions of the faces matched up when you were tweaking the size.

Looks great, can't wait to see an actual print. :)

[lancalot]

Now that look great AJ :) im totally happy with that ...
so now which company to print it...? Is there any in Aus?.. if not then shapeway i suppose but their shipping cost lot....

[AJ_Prime]

Iriorne - doh! My mistake, I should've checked with you about the ball joint size. Can you please tell me the width of the ball joint stem?

Lancalot - I'm stoked you like the design. Just before I print I'll need to adjust the ball socket size. I also noticed that I've inadvertently picked up a couple of vertices on the front of the face while I was manipulating vertices on the ball socket. I mustn't have turned off the ignore backfacing checkbox (facepalm). You will notice it on the bottom fin of the ear vents.

I'll try to get some time this weekend to fix these two things up.

Regarding the print, I will check out some options to find the cheapest method including shipping. Iriorne mentioned a couple of other options, I will do some research and let you know soon.

Even though I don't have that seeker mold, I might print one for myself as well considering it's my first finished work with 3D modelling. Who knows, might even be able to save on shipping if I order two and mail one to you.

[Iriorne]

The stem is 3.8 mm in diameter. :)

I think some of those Aus based printers I found do free quotes, so there's no risk. Shapeways is at least a known quantity in terms of materials and quality, but the $20 shipping is a real killer for small orders.

[AJ_Prime]

The stem is 3.8 mm in diameter. :)

I think some of those Aus based printers I found do free quotes, so there's no risk. Shapeways is at least a known quantity in terms of materials and quality, but the $20 shipping is a real killer for small orders.

Awesome, thanks dude!

[lancalot]

Even though I don't have that seeker mold, I might print one for myself as well considering it's my first finished work with 3D modelling. Who knows, might even be able to save on shipping if I order two and mail one to you.

yeah it cool with me , just keep me informed then...

[AJ_Prime]

Hi guys, progress update:

I have increased the size of the ball socket to just slightly over 5mm. That will allow for some play and if it's too loose it's easier to just put a coating on the ball joint.

I went to save the file to STL format for printing, but first applied an STL check modifier. It came up with a few errors, but I couldn't locate them. So I managed to find a program called Netfabb which highlights the errors in the model.

It turned out that 3DS had added a few vertices around the model right on top of other verts. So when you select what looks like one vert, you find 2 or more. Weird. So I just need to go around the model and weld them all together.

Earlier this week I checked out some 3d printing websites and found a couple that looked decent (in terms of variety of materials and reasonable pricing etc). I sent off quotes using their webforms, but haven't heard anything yet. Not sure if they cater to individuals or prefer more commercial orders. If I don't hear anything I'll check out shapeways (once the errors in the model have been corrected).

So shouldn't be too long now, I'll keep you informed. Hopefully will get more time this weekend to move it along.

[lancalot]

That cool man ... im not in a hurry anyways so take your time , got a few custom lining up atm ... and been to busy to get started on any of them ... thanks for the update , am pretty excited about getting this head printed.

[AJ_Prime]

So, I finally got the model onto Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/model/1317650/transformers-custom-slipstream-head-sculpt.html?li=search-results&materialId=61).

I went with the material that should give the most detailed result, considering its small size. Problem is, price including shipping was about US$35, if I get two then it comes down to about US$22 each. Considering I was going to get two anyway, would you like me to purchase and I'll just mail the other one to you (I'm happy to wear the cost of local postage)?

I still haven't heard back from the other two Australian companies...

[lancalot]

So, I finally got the model onto Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/model/1317650/transformers-custom-slipstream-head-sculpt.html?li=search-results&materialId=61).

I went with the material that should give the most detailed result, considering its small size. Problem is, price including shipping was about US$35, if I get two then it comes down to about US$22 each. Considering I was going to get two anyway, would you like me to purchase and I'll just mail the other one to you (I'm happy to wear the cost of local postage)?

I still haven't heard back from the other two Australian companies...

yeah that cool...ill take one head :) just PM me the final price with shipping as well and your detail .... i post it up in the customTF facebook , you might get more order form other people

[AJ_Prime]

Cool, thanks dude. All ordered. PM'd you.

Also want to thank Iriorne for your help with the head sculpt dimensions.

Can't wait to see the finished custom Lancalot! Sorry, didn't mean to hijack your original thread but glad I can help out.

[lancalot]

Thanks again for your hard work and effort ... can't wait to see the finally head ... then it will motivate me to finish her up ... Great job man

[UltraMarginal]

Wow, shapeways have gone up in price since I used them a couple years ago. AJ_Prime, you might be surprised how many people buy your head through shapeways.

I can't wait to see pictures of the head and the finished Slipstream.

[AJ_Prime]

Thanks again for your hard work and effort ... can't wait to see the finally head ... then it will motivate me to finish her up ... Great job man

Thanks mate, just hope it fits ok for you.

Ultra marginal, cheers. Yep I noticed it can be quite expensive, glad it's only a small piece. The shipping is the killer though. It was a great exercise and I've learned heaps from doing it. So glad Lancalot posed the challenge.

[AJ_Prime]

WOOHOO!! Look what arrived today! And it turned out great!

http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q525/AJPrime75/20130913_201604_zps9035f715.jpg (http://s1162.photobucket.com/user/AJPrime75/media/20130913_201604_zps9035f715.jpg.html)

Lancalot, PM me your address and I'll put it in the post on Monday.

[Iriorne]

Ooo, very nice! Can't wait to see it painted up and attached. :)

[UltraMarginal]

Very nice indeed

[lancalot]

wow that cool man !!

[lancalot]

just got the head AJ

http://imageshack.us/a/img706/8872/w41d.jpg

[UltraMarginal]

That's kind of creepy being transparent like that. can't wait to see the finished product.

[AJ_Prime]

Hey man, that looks good. Does it sit in the right position on the model? Looks a bit further back than the original, although this head had less height and depth than the original. Was the width ok?

How is the ball socket? Does it fit on ok? Is it too tight or too loose?

The other thing I was worried about is that although this particular plastic was good for bringing out the fine detail, it was also more brittle. The walls to the sides of the ball socket turned out thinner than I had expected so I was worried that if it was too tight on the ball joint that they might snap off. Did you find there was any play in the plastic?

Looking forward to seeing the finished product all painted up. Should be an awesome custom. Have you sorted out how you're going to do the arms?

[lancalot]

Hey man, that looks good. Does it sit in the right position on the model? Looks a bit further back than the original, although this head had less height and depth than the original. Was the width ok?

How is the ball socket? Does it fit on ok? Is it too tight or too loose?

The other thing I was worried about is that although this particular plastic was good for bringing out the fine detail, it was also more brittle. The walls to the sides of the ball socket turned out thinner than I had expected so I was worried that if it was too tight on the ball joint that they might snap off. Did you find there was any play in the plastic?

Looking forward to seeing the finished product all painted up. Should be an awesome custom. Have you sorted out how you're going to do the arms?

the ball joint hole fit good but the wall was abit thin walls so it actually bend at the end but didn't snap which was good..and it was sitting to much at the back need to bring it forward and close the back , but the head sitting nicely now so i think you need to extend the back abit .... maybe the head need to be scale up just a little say 2mm ... but im happy with it now anyways..

http://imageshack.us/a/img819/1253/dsyp.jpg

[AJ_Prime]

Cool thanks man. Yeah I think maybe if the helmet was made a bit longer (front to back) that might help a bit. I'm glad it fit over the ball joint ok, bit of a worry about the bending though.

It'll take some trial and error with future sculpts, might try another one down the track and see how that goes. It would be interesting to try one where the socket for the ball joint is more central to the base of the head.

Can't wait to see it all finished dude.

[Bidoofdude]

Looking good man. Really coming together. :)

[lancalot]

I finally had some time free so i decided it was long over due to finish her...
Initially i when with a different colour scheme for her ... i was experimenting with the chameleon paint... the one that shift from green to purple , but i couldn't spray it for some reason it , keep getting a white off spray from it ... and it stuff the right wing up...had to take the paint off and re-sand it back ... lucky it actually could come off without doing to much damage ....
decide to add front fins and bling her up ... :D left her side kibble because i imagine it like a dress for her ...
Thanks AJ-prime again for modeling the 3d head ...
Looking at the photo i took from my phone the colour turn out abit funny .... it metallic purple not dark blue :rolleyes:

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/Lance_Nguyen/3slipstarem_zps79d9f218.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/Lance_Nguyen/1slipstarem_zps719e4930.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/Lance_Nguyen/2slipstarem_zpsa2526e6b.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/Lance_Nguyen/IMAG0298Medium_zps20be46e8.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p217/Lance_Nguyen/IMAG0317Medium_zpsd56543a3.jpg

[PhaseWave]

Woah dude

[janda the red]

:eek: Wow!!!

That turned out awesome!!!

Hella impressed :D

[M-bot]

Slipstream's been attacked with a bedazzler!!!:p

Seriously though, the gems on her wouldn't have been the way I would've gone, but that's an awesome custom. Really love the way you've softened her lines and the paint job is outstanding. :) Well done Lancalot and AJ Prime.

[Bidoofdude]

I like it. The MP-3 leg kibble suits her.

[Kazza]

That head sculpt is amazing, it's really nice to see another one of your customs man.:)

[Seraphim Prime]

That's pretty amazing Lancalot!

The colour choice in robot mode is spot on!

Like Mbot, the gems/bubbles motif isn't something that I would have chosen, but it breaks up the all blue plane mode really well. I was also uncertain about the extra wings in plane mode, but that really add to the bot mode, and help her stand out from the male seekers.

Excellent job!

[MayzaPrime]

That looks awesome...

Nice work :D

[lancalot]

Thanks everyone .... she was sitting collecting dust for a long time so i kind of rush her abit , and she became a test subject to alot of paints and ideas , luckily she came out ok so im pretty happy with that .
now on to the next project of backlog i got !! :)

[AJ_Prime]

That looks pretty awesome dude! I'd completely forgotten about this one. Nice colour blue and also love the wings at the front of the plane, they work really well. It's also cool to see that head sculpt painted up. Great job man!

[UltraMarginal]

I really like it, sequins is something I'd have never thought of, but it fits with a character having a more effeminate sense of style.
I really like how the head sculpt came out with paint on it.

I'd be interested in a clear side shot of beneath the wings to see where the other sequins are in vehicle mode.

[Sky Shadow]

Bwahaha - I love that she's bedazzled. The purple is great in robot mode.

[gamblor916]

That turned out great. Where did you get those jewel things? Are they glass or plastic? I'll post why I need them later.

[lancalot]

That turned out great. Where did you get those jewel things? Are they glass or plastic? I'll post why I need them later.

lol as other teased you can get bedazzled kits at TRU but i got the strip from bargain stores , they made of plastic .