RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pics)

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Here's how the helmet is coming along. Just a couple more details to add/refine in the back and then it's finally done. SirPalesAlot and I are both quite nit-picky about getting the details correct and there are a number of them on the helmet so that's why it's taking so long to complete. I expect it will take a couple weeks to unfold this thing properly.

 

[FlyinPhil]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

That helmet model looks slick! Looks like it will be a challenging pep with all those small polygons, but it should look great and save a decent amount of bodywork time!

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Yep, that's the idea. Folding and gluing paper is much easier than filling and sanding, so our approach is more polygons and smoother models that don't require as much finishing time after hardening.

 

[WandererTJ]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Are you intentionally exaggerating any of the details so that the bondo doesn't hide them and make sanding a pain?

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Are you intentionally exaggerating any of the details so that the bondo doesn't hide them and make sanding a pain?

Nope, all the details are at the proper scale to each other. It isn't Bondo that will make these models a pain to sand - it's the many different faces. However, I've learned of a different way to assemble the parts for even less sanding after resin and I'm looking forward to trying it out on the helmet model using a customized unfold.

(And it's no exaggeration this model is packed with detailing! )

 

[WandererTJ]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Awesome, can't wait for a write up about it!

I'm guessing you keep portions of the model split up when you do everything, and then attach them together at the end, which should make it so that internal edges/corners aren't a pain.
Maybe, idk...

 

[x30ffx]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

The level of detail in this thread never ceases to amaze me. Taking the small etchings into account in your modeling is certainly the most impressive thing I've seen on this forum thus far. Good work!

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

The level of detail in this thread never ceases to amaze me. Taking the small etchings into account in your modeling is certainly the most impressive thing I've seen on this forum thus far. Good work!

Thanks - another shout-out here to SirPalesAlot who does most of the actual modeling work on these models. I help out with some of the detailing and a lot of critiquing, but most of the Mk VI modeling work comes from him. The MA5C is a side project I've started up, but SirPalesAlot has already gotten his hands a little dirty on that model as well helping out with tasks my CAD software just can't do very well. I just like to make sure he's getting his share of the credit. When people say "your models", I take that as both RobotChicken and SirPalesAlot.

 

[x30ffx]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Thanks - another shout-out here to SirPalesAlot who does most of the actual modeling work on these models. I help out with some of the detailing and a lot of critiquing, but most of the Mk VI modeling work comes from him. The MA5C is a side project I've started up, but SirPalesAlot has already gotten his hands a little dirty on that model as well helping out with tasks my CAD software just can't do very well. I just like to make sure he's getting his share of the credit. When people say "your models", I take that as both RobotChicken and SirPalesAlot.

Ah, I see it's good to give credit where credit is due? What CAD are you using? I personally use Rhino and 3DS Max

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

I'm using TurboCAD Mac Pro, which in hindsight is an awful application and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. SirPalesAlot uses SketchUp and Blender.

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

The helmet model is done except for working out the design of a visor buck model. That's the good news. The bad news (if you choose to take it as such) is we've decided I'm going to assemble a prototype before uploading the model so any discovered issues with the model or its unfold can be resolved prior to releasing.

 

[Blorin]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

QA testing is always a good thing cant wait to see finished photos of the helmet. :thumbsup

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Vacuum forming buck models are designed for the visor and the initial unfold is complete for the helmet. We're working out a sizing tester model and which features to remove for the less-detailed versions (HD, MD, and LD). Once I get sizing figured out for my build I'll start on assembling the prototype for verifying flap placements in the unfold. I'll be building at a scale comparable to the models assembled thus far in hopes they're all going to fit once everything is done. Here's how it's looking in Pepakura Designer:

(At over 400 parts, this is the model to make you not want to pep anymore....!!)

 

[Blorin]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Holy parts batman! That will take me forever to build but boy is that one beautiful model sirs and you have done. You guys work is top notch.

 

[SavedbyGraceG12]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Was curious, will there be LOW, HIGH, and ULTRA detail files released for this model? Thought it would be good to have one file fully detailed, and then have the breather ports removed. Hope I'm making sense here. By the way, awesome work as always!!!

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

The Cameo unfold for the UD helmet has about 220 parts for two reasons, avoiding flaps interacting with faces or other flaps, and having the parts fit onto letter-sized paper. There is a separate file for the light domes, rebreather inserts, and bottom button covers, and that unfold for Cameo is also about 200 parts. Then there's also the visor file which is separate for the option of vacuum forming. SirPalesAlot will probably be making "normal" unfolds for manual cutting that will have edges joined which were separated for the Cameo, resulting in fewer parts. One nice thing about Cameo cutting is I can be gluing together parts while the machine is scoring and cutting the next page. And yes, I did already say that HD, MD, and LD models are being created.

 

[PapaGuido]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

This just took me a week to read every single post, and let me just say that you sir, RobotChicken, are a talented man!
I am looking forward to seeing the helmet pep'd.

And just some words of wisdom about resin if you don't mind.. Resin by itself has no strength, just like fiberglass by itself. It is when you add the two together that it becomes strong. The same holds true with resin and paper.. So your first coat of epoxy resin on the paper was all you needed. The less resin the better. Adding another coat of resin only adds weight without adding any strength benefits. So I would only add a second coat on the inside when you apply the fiberglass.

Thank you for giving me a level of build quality to strive for.

On on a side note, my dad is looking at getting a cricut cutter for his model train layout build. Then I came across your build saw you had traded up from a cricut to a silhouette. When I mentioned what the silhouette could do to him, he insisted that the cricut could do the same. I'm guessing they've come out with a model that can use pens and emboss now like the silhouette. Assuming the hardware, is similar, what would you recommend based on the software side? And yes, I realize that your wife didn't let you have a lot of time with the cricut before you upgraded..

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

This just took me a week to read every single post, and let me just say that you sir, RobotChicken, are a talented man!
I am looking forward to seeing the helmet pep'd.

And just some words of wisdom about resin if you don't mind.. Resin by itself has no strength, just like fiberglass by itself. It is when you add the two together that it becomes strong. The same holds true with resin and paper.. So your first coat of epoxy resin on the paper was all you needed. The less resin the better. Adding another coat of resin only adds weight without adding any strength benefits. So I would only add a second coat on the inside when you apply the fiberglass.

Thank you for giving me a level of build quality to strive for.

On on a side note, my dad is looking at getting a cricut cutter for his model train layout build. Then I came across your build saw you had traded up from a cricut to a silhouette. When I mentioned what the silhouette could do to him, he insisted that the cricut could do the same. I'm guessing they've come out with a model that can use pens and emboss now like the silhouette. Assuming the hardware, is similar, what would you recommend based on the software side? And yes, I realize that your wife didn't let you have a lot of time with the cricut before you upgraded..

Thanks. I've already come to the same conclusions that you mention about resin and your description is exactly the process I already planned on doing for the remaining models. As for the Cricut, yes they have come out with a newer model that is more competitive with the Cameo, but I don't know much about it so your dad might be correct. From what I've seen in stores, the Cricut might actually have a better blade housing and less expensive blade replacing. I could have used my wife's Cricut any time I wanted to - I just wasn't interested in it. It wasn't until she started wanting to trade over to a Cameo that the dots started connecting in my head about using it to cut out Pepakura models. Silhouette is also coming out with a new model that supposedly can handle thicker material. If it will do mat board, I might buy one. Software for the cutting machine is proprietary for the machine. With Silhouette you'd be using Silhouette Studio as that's what interfaces with their products. For the Cricut you'll be using whatever software comes with that machine. To cut Pepakura parts it just needs to be able to import vector files (Pepakura Designer exports this as DXF) and then you should be able to apply the concepts presented in my video tutorial but using the available features in Cricut's software.

Edit: By the way, I too spent weeks reading other people's build threads when I first arrived at this site. But at least they had finished costumes! ha ha

 

[RobotChicken]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Helmet pepping was set aside this week to get something built fast (4 days from start to finish) for a birthday party this weekend. Photos and video will be uploaded once I get it all edited and mixed.

 

[Macattack64]

Re: RobotChicken's Halo 3 Mk VI Master Chief, Ultra Detail, First Build WIP (many pic

Any update on that beautiful helmet?