These past few weeks has been hell. I have come to realize that I won't be able to produce this project, as I got sick from the casting resin. Yeah, I know, bummer. But fret not, the project will be released, just not by me. There will be an update on that later.
Going all-out with this latest and final batch of 3D models for the v2 line, I've had the face mask re-scanned and below you can see a comparison between the new scan on the left and my old scan on the right. Though being fantastic for what I had available and with the skill level I had when scanning the face mask, there were a lot of flaws in both the scan as well as the assembly. Even though I got better at scanning, I never really wanted to revisit scanning the face mask due to how complicated it is to scan something like that with a device where the laser line and camera were at a 30 degree angle from each other. I can tell you, those undercuts and structural overhangs were a major pain in the rear - whenever I was finally able to see a specific area in the view-finder, the laser line was unable to reach it due to something blocking. For the face mask alone it was 2x15 hours just the scanning and double or triple that time to assemble it afterwards, and what you saw in the v1 print was the best I could make it. These new scans - I'll also get an ESB specific version done - are in a whole other ballpark and barely any work is required on the prints when they are made. And unlike the first batch, where most of the armor pieces were printed in regular HD due to all the flaws, this current batch will be all Ultra HD.
Anyway... here's the face mask scans.
While working on this new scan, fitting it with tusks and grills, I first noticed that I had initially made the tusks too small for the v1 print batch. So those were re-scaled and fitted to the mask. Secondly, when adding the grills I noticed that even though they looked right, there was something off. Counting the gaps in the grills visible in the middle teeth gap, I realized that the grill model was too narrow top-down, so I had to rescale things, and even though it looked weird at first, it was infinitely more accurate to the reference.
And here is the new grill in close-up.
Never being too fond of the printed ANH dome, due to a misaligned scan slice covering the most important part of the dome - the Y-crease widows peak area - I went back to an older scan that was actually sharper, but incomplete. Doing a little Frankensteining on the two scans, basically cutting up the new scan, removing the surface layer, so only the inside layer was left, I started patching up the old scan and closing the holes. The only place the new dome scan outer surface is seen is at a hole at the top of the old dome scan, and the inside rim down at the brow at the widows peak area. Everything else is the old dome scan. I had to get my old computer out of storage, so I could use the scanning software to align and merge the models into the final piece. There are a few small holes left in the geometry, but those will be closed manually.
Here it is with the new ANH face mask scan:
Lastly, since I knew this was gonna be the last batch for this project I decided to redo the lightsabers as I mistakenly had them printed in the wrong measurements previously - yup, my stupid beginners mistake - making one longer than the other. Activating a trial in my 3D viewing software I was able to scale the models, enlarge the D-rings a little and eventually export as .stl files ready for printing. I'll print separate D-rings just in case the attached ones makes it a molding and casting nightmare. Wasn't able to make a hole in the area where they attach, otherwise I would have removed the D-ring from the models, so molding and casting would be easier.
Furthermore, since some of the rods on one of the ESB belt boxes snapped during the many shippings back and forth I decided to have those re-printed as well. And never really liking the way the red light turned out, I decided to redo those and make them more accurate. I got a little friendly advice on how they should really look and I think I managed to get it looking pretty decently accurate with my meager skills.
After fitting the upper and lower ANH grills to the face mask, I removed the mask model and fused the two grill models into a single model that will be printed separately.
This is the prepared models so far. What is missing is a complete ESB specific face mask where I will add grills and tusks, similar to the ANH one.
