3D Modeling For Pepakura (Basic 3D Knowledge Required)

[Hiro]

So I downloaded blender and I assumed that when I did I could use regular pictures to make the 3d images I wanted.

Was I wrong in assuming this? Or am I a nub and not figuring things out right?
I tried looking at some of the video tutorials but they all talk about making something and usually its something they've already started.

If I can't use 2d pictures to make 3d models, is there a program that will let me accomplish this?

 

[Hugh Holder]

So I downloaded blender and I assumed that when I did I could use regular pictures to make the 3d images I wanted.

Was I wrong in assuming this? Or am I a nub and not figuring things out right?
I tried looking at some of the video tutorials but they all talk about making something and usually its something they've already started.

If I can't use 2d pictures to make 3d models, is there a program that will let me accomplish this?

You can use 2d pictures as "reference planes" to sit in the background while you manually model/sculpt.

If you want a program that automatically generates a 3d object based on photos, there are a couple programs. But they are all pretty much garbage and anything you produce with those programs will have to be cleaned up heavily. Most of them generate a triangulated "tin" mesh.
Also, in order for those programs to generate a mesh that even kind of resembles something accurately you'll need to have photos from various angles at the same focal length.

When I worked as a laser scanning technician this was one way that we got basic 3d models of areas that we couldn't set up the scanner in. I'd have to go in and take photos at various angles, then the software we used would make a really ugly, super dense 3D plane that I would just re-model over by hand.

It was so much easier just to scan the objects then register the point data together.

 

[Hiro]

Thank you, this is really helpful. c:

 

[escipi0n]

Hugh Holder..what program do you use to make the designs..I design in 3ds but when i export to pepakura designer it is more ''dirty'' than yours.
Some people told me it is because i ahve to smooth my pdo,but i think thats not the problem.
In my 3d document,all my vertex are a vertex in the pdo...and in your gallery i see some parts of the halo armor that are round

my question is,what program do u use?how can i smooth my 3d ang have a good quality before exporting to pdo?

thank you.
PD: i have heard that metasequoia is the best for pepakura but i dont know if is true.

 

[Hugh Holder]

Hugh Holder..what program do you use to make the designs..I design in 3ds but when i export to pepakura designer it is more ''dirty'' than yours.
Some people told me it is because i ahve to smooth my pdo,but i think thats not the problem.
In my 3d document,all my vertex are a vertex in the pdo...and in your gallery i see some parts of the halo armor that are round

my question is,what program do u use?how can i smooth my 3d ang have a good quality before exporting to pdo?

thank you.
PD: i have heard that metasequoia is the best for pepakura but i dont know if is true.

I model in Maya, but that's not why your pdo files have hard edges. Smoothing your normals (edges) won't have an effect on your object in Pepakura. In 3ds or Maya you can smooth your normals which makes hard edges appear smooth for rendering purposes, but it has no effect on the object when imported to Pepakura since it doesn't recognize smoothed normals because it doesn't render.

Those images you see in my gallery, the pep images, are after I altered the smoothness of the Pdo.

Generally, I use these settings in Pepakura:

1.) Go to - Settings/Other Settings/Hide Almost Flat Folding Lines/Threshold - I always start with a value of 150

This is going to be the biggest help in cleaning up/smoothing your pep file. It's going to hide redundant folds that you don't need to use and help keep your prop from looking squared and polygonal. Its very useful because you don't have to sand quite as much, or use as much bondo

2.) Go to - 2D Menu/Join Adjacent Edges/Threshold - I use .50 mm

This is also useful, but be careful with the threshold as it can make lining up the edges accurately more difficult. This basically take open edges/flaps that are really close together and merges them so you don't have to cut.

 

[escipi0n]

thank you!!! very useful

 

[Black Kaos]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Milkshape 3D? I downloaded it and have been using it as a trial basis. It is not a bad program but so far I have modeled the future Batman mask from DC Universe Online video game first trailer. When I modeled it in Milkshape it's showing that there is separate groups and when I exported it to an obj. file then opened it in pepakura like Rundown stated. In pepakura my model had those (red lines) where the different groups. I'm not sure how to merge the groups into one who model. I have all the vertexes facing the right way but it has the lines exactly where my groups are. If someone can help I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[bevbor]

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with Milkshape 3D?...

I'd suggest to publish here if not model itself, but photos of problematic mesh at least. So we could continue to talk

 

[Black Kaos]

I would post pics but I'm not sure how to take snap shot of the pepakura file like everyone else does.

 

[Black Kaos]

I figured it out yesterday and got all the red lines out so when I opened it in pepakura and unfolded it, the pieces were connected. When I started the model in Milkshape I only started making one side, half. Then when I was done I duplicated the half I made and flipped it so both sides would be exactly the same. When I opened it in pepakura there was a red line down the middle and on some other parts meaning that they were not connected. At first I went back in and welded the vertexes together but it still did not change anything in pepakura. I was playing with Milkshape and found a "Group" tab on the right side where the tools are. The "Group" tab has a lot of different options. I found a
"regroup" button and started selecting the groups I wanted and regrouping them. When I opened it back up in pepakura both halves were connected so my first model is done.

 

[CyberPaddy66]

2.) Go to - 2D Menu/Join Adjacent Edges/Threshold - I use .50 mm

This is also useful, but be careful with the threshold as it can make lining up the edges accurately more difficult. This basically take open edges/flaps that are really close together and merges them so you don't have to cut.

Tried this myself before I read here and I found it made the finished pep build really difficult to make so now I just unfold it with more flat pieces instead of the little cuts and although it makes building the pep take longer it's final shape is much better and all the tabs line up perfectly

 

[brkat02]

Hey everyone, I'm brand new to 3d modeling, anyways, I finished my first model, and when I exported it into Pep Designer I got a bunch of (for lack of a better term) ghost polygons in the pep model, that aren't there in 3ds Max. does anyone know what causes this and is there an easy way to fix it? they show up as a darkened area

here's an example

 

[rundown]

Hey everyone, I'm brand new to 3d modeling, anyways, I finished my first model, and when I exported it into Pep Designer I got a bunch of (for lack of a better term) ghost polygons in the pep model, that aren't there in 3ds Max. does anyone know what causes this and is there an easy way to fix it? they show up as a darkened area

here's an example

that are probably doubles. These come from a modifier to make smooth or hard edges. Try to get rid of that and your problem will be solved.

 

[brkat02]

thanks Rundown, I finally got them all fixed (I think), I got rid of them by adding more edges to the "flat" surfaces, I wish there was a way to make them show up in 3ds max. I'd fix a few, then save & export, re-open in pepakura, and look for more... talk about a pain in my a$$. but it was a good learning experience for me

 

[Satchmo III]

I've been doing some unfolding with Pepakura Designer and have recently discovered the 'mirror point' or 'pick symmetrical edge' function (I think the name is different depending on the version of Pepakura Designer). I have found that sometimes the function works and other times does nothing. When working in the 3D window, the function allows for an edge to be opened automatically if its corresponding symmetrical edge is opened manually. The mirror point function allows for saved time and the easier achievement of symmetrical unfolds since you're able to open edges on both sides by only working on one side.

When it hasn't worked I've tried a number of things to get it to, all to no avail. I've used the mirror modifier in Blender to ensure that I have a symmetric model exported to OBJ but when I import the OBJ with the symmetric model into Pepakura Designer the mirror point function doesn't work. I've searched goggle and the 405th but only found one passing reference to it that only mentioned that it was finicky.

Does anyone know the special incantation that must invoked to get the mirror point (or pick symmetrical edge) function to work?

 

[Satchmo III]

Does anyone know the special incantation that must invoked to get the mirror point (or pick symmetrical edge) function to work?

I queried this to Tama Software (the developers of Pepakura Viewer/Designer) who came back with the following info.

Pepakura Designer sees absolute coordinates of edges to select symmetrical ones. The paired edges have to be located symmetrically through XY, YZ, or ZX plane.

I thought I had the model I was working on centered but looking into it more I did not. With Blender, in edit mode with all selected, pressing 'n' will bring up the transform properties window in which the center-point for the selected can be modified. Assuming the model is symmetrical along the YZ axis, the median X coordinate needs to be set at 0.000. Once this is done the mirror point function will work when the model is imported into Pepakura Designer (provided that the front is correctly specified when importing it).

 

[Pack hunter]

just so every1 knows the higher your poly count the more folds are gonna be in the pep model, the more folds are due to the smoothness of the model and the detail, which in either case results in a higher poly count in blender its your face count, to get your poly count divide your face count in two, think of a face as a square and a poly as a triangle, i myself having been doing blender art for 10 years, i only just started Maya in 2010 because Maya is the Game design industry standard, if you want animation you go for 3ds, if you want better texturing you use Maya, i find their modeling systems to be simalar, only the controls are different

 

[Satchmo III]

Recently I am finding it difficult to export to wavefront (OBJ) format with Blender (Version 2.49b with Python 2.6.2).

Sometimes it works fine but other times (most often) I export and although an OBJ file is created, the file is less the 1 KB in size and it fails to open with Pepakura Designer. Other working OBJ files have sizes ranging from 20 to 100 KB so I'm thinking it's something to do with the exporter but I don't really have a clue.

Has anyone run into this issue or know what may be causing it? Thank you.

Edit: I discovered you need to have the object selected when in object mode in order to export it correctly. Logical, I suppose. Noob-move, Satchmo III, noob-move.

 

[Pack hunter]

Recently I am finding it difficult to export to wavefront (OBJ) format with Blender (Version 2.49b with Python 2.6.2).

Sometimes it works fine but other times (most often) I export and although an OBJ file is created, the file is less the 1 KB in size and it fails to open with Pepakura Designer. Other working OBJ files have sizes ranging from 20 to 100 KB so I'm thinking it's something to do with the exporter but I don't really have a clue.

Has anyone run into this issue or know what may be causing it? Thank you.

Edit: I discovered you need to have the object selected when in object mode in order to export it correctly. Logical, I suppose. Noob-move, Satchmo III, noob-move.

Yea i had a simlar issue so i just exported it as a 3ds file..... by the way does anyone know whats it means in pepakura when there is abunch of red highlighted lines in your model??? and i might some1's help unfolding the darn this too, it nvr seem to come out as clean as other people's stuff

 

[Satchmo III]

Yea i had a simlar issue so i just exported it as a 3ds file..... by the way does anyone know whats it means in pepakura when there is abunch of red highlighted lines in your model??? and i might some1's help unfolding the darn this too, it nvr seem to come out as clean as other people's stuff

Thanks for the response...my issue was just that I didn't have the object selected for export (so essentially nothing was being exported when I'd try).

In Pepakura Viewer/Designer, red lines indicate single-sided edges. If a red line shows up at an edge between two faces it may mean that there are duplicate edges in the model at that location. If this is the case then one edge needs to be deleted and the remaining edge needs to be shared between the two faces that it's between for the red line issue to be resolved.

The unfolds that are yielded from Pepakura Designer's unfold function are not sufficient for actual use. Unfolders will typically use the 'specify open edges' tool to manually select the cut lines in the 3D view before unfolding, and then after unfolding to scale, use the join/disjoin face function in the 2D view to modify how the pieces are configured to achieve better unfolds. It's not always an easy process but, as with most things, the more you do the more you know what to look for and how to maximize space and shape for the pieces.