"Help!" for: Papercraft or Pepakura
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RTWHOCKEY
Active Member
It's a bit hard to explain. Basically, make the file go from being a 3D object to 2D faces you can print out. There's a whole process involved to edit and unfold a file to, basically, make it realistic to build out of paper.
Carpathia
Sr Member
...because it's not as easy as hitting a button. Try it and see for yourself; the automatic unfold function is pretty bad. There is quite a bit of work that goes into properly unfolding a complex piece. It's all about choosing the cut lines and arranging the parts so it's organized and easy to build the model.
You also have to know on which side the tabs should be, how big the tabs should be, what folds will actually work, etc. There's a lot to think about.
You also have to know on which side the tabs should be, how big the tabs should be, what folds will actually work, etc. There's a lot to think about.
Is this the right thread for questions about the actually papercraft or is this for the Pep Designer?
Cuz if it's also for buiding pep helmets and armor, I have a question.
Does anyone have a basic list of tips that will help me make my pep model less... bad? Every time I make a pep helmet, it always winds up all warped and oblong to the point where it's not even worth applying resin. And i take my time with it too, I don't rush. I will spend 5 minutes gluing one tab 'perfectly' but another tab on the same polygon will always wind up off.
So any pep pros have some tips for me?
Cuz if it's also for buiding pep helmets and armor, I have a question.
Does anyone have a basic list of tips that will help me make my pep model less... bad? Every time I make a pep helmet, it always winds up all warped and oblong to the point where it's not even worth applying resin. And i take my time with it too, I don't rush. I will spend 5 minutes gluing one tab 'perfectly' but another tab on the same polygon will always wind up off.
So any pep pros have some tips for me?
hobbitdude13
Active Member
Hey if the designer is set to "Flip pattern", would mountains become valleys, and vice versa?
When you are building, make sure you line the numbers up as they represent the middle point of each polygon. It's a bit trickier than that though for instance the number 1 has the little hat on it, and so if the numbers is "1007" you go from the left tip of the 1's hat to the outer pointed part of the 7, since the other piece's number is upside down, you line the leftmost edge of the top piece's 1 to the rightmost edge of the bottom piece's 7... if that makes sense. Most warped pep builds don't have the numbers properly aligned. Additionally, as you glue long pieces down, do a dry run first by holding it up and making sure you are going to be laying the piece down so the numbers on one side are lined up, as well as the numbers on the other side of the pep piece. Then I usually like to glue the middle piece down, as it will keep the piece from straying too far. Lastly, be sure your cuts are as sharp as possible, and are ON the black lines. You could post a picture of the piece and we can see if there are an visible problems we could point out for you.
If you are referring to the flip option when you import a model, that is to flip the normal. This should only be done if for some reason all normals are pointed inwards. If it's something else, I guess I personally need clarification!
hobbitdude13
Active Member
Lol I figured it out. Somehow, the pattern flipping inverted all the folds, so now I"m having to do every fold backwards and it's working fine. Thanks though!
This is my first time pepping, and I can only find H3 Chief's helmet in low def with the visors, can't find any without the visors. Do you craft the helmet, then cut out the visor part, or craft the helmet, resin and THEN cut out the visor? Also, is there a special technique I should use to cut out the visor without messing with the helmet it self, resin'd or not?
Carpathia
Sr Member
The best way to do it is pep the helmet with the visor, resin, fiberglass, THEN cut out the visor. The helmet has the potential to warp all the way to the fiberglassing stage, so it's best to leave as much support in the model as you can.
For cutting out the visor, many people, myself included, us a Dremel with a cutting wheel.
RTWHOCKEY
Active Member
Exactly. Which is, like I said, making it realistic to build out of paper/foam.
Well, that's kind of the thing. I don't have a dremel, only have X-acto knives and scissors, so what can I do with that?
It depends on how you intend to do the visor. If you are on a tight budget and can't spare 20-100$ for a rotary tool of any kind, you should pep the helmet with visor, resin it, then cut it out with the xacto knife. Then use popsicle sticks or chopsticks to hold the visor up so it doesn't sag too much and rondo the inside and then fiberglass it, then pull out the sticks and it shouldn't have warped TOO much. Then buy a cheap motorcycle visor and fit it into the helmet. You can see some of the veteran buildlogs from two or three years ago did this method.
I will say now though, a rotary tool is invaluable in prop making. It will pay for itself very quickly when you start wanting to detail your pieces and cut down on sanding certain parts of the piece. But I understand the investment can be a bit much for some.
I will say now though, a rotary tool is invaluable in prop making. It will pay for itself very quickly when you start wanting to detail your pieces and cut down on sanding certain parts of the piece. But I understand the investment can be a bit much for some.
Ok, I can see if. Can pick up a cheap dremel. also, for gluing, what do you recommend? I tried gorilla glue, and it takes forever to dry, and when it does, I lift my fingers off and the tab imediately breaks. How do I also prevent warping?
RobotChicken
Well-Known Member
My two questions would be, did you score the fold lines before folding, and did you let each tab dry completely before gluing an adjacent tab - because it looks to me like the folds aren't wanting to lay flat (scoring issue) and the seams are lifting/separating (stress on a joint that isn't dried yet).
FreedNightHawk
New Member
I would have to agree with the scoring issue. My personal preference for valley folds is a cheap dollar store pizza cutter (too dull to cut anything), fold the seam, then press it flat with a burnishing tool I stole from my wifes jewelry making kit, though the side of your x-acto knife will work just as well. For mountain folds, it takes a bit of practice, but you can lightly "scratch" the card stock, which, if done correctly, will just break through the upper layer, making your fold very accurate and easy. Again, fold, and press to get the cleanest possible edge.
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