The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: Galactica on October 30, 2012, 10:19:32 AM
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So I know that 3d printing has been around for a few years now- but I only recently discovered it. It is seriously like Star Trek technology to me- you create a 3D image on your computer- and then hit print and you can have your 3d colored image come to life??? Seriously awesome.
There is this artist that has created an Octavia and a Vinyl approximately the same size as the brushables-
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I have to say his work is amazing (even better in person) and makes me want a 3D printer SO BAD (despite my lack of 3D rendering skills) The price of a 3D printer was not at all what I expected! $500 for a basic one- and around $2000 for the very top of the line! Not cheap- but not what I was expecting considering what you can do with it-
On the other hand- this particular artist appears to have taken a very very very long time to get his pony from concept to image to print- suggesting that the process might be more challenging than one might think.
Have any of you tried it? What do you think of the 3D prints made by Hashbro? Seems like a fun (if extremely labor intensive) way of making custom ponies-
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It does take quite a lot of time. You have to model it in a 3d program, make sure it's printable(fix it if it's not). In some cases to get a cheaper print they can hallow the 3d model out(the artist needs to do this ). There's also texturing which requires a uv map.
I've done 3d printing myself and had it done for me.
I've got a large statue piece, a donphan ring and a beaver charm.
3d printing is all that diffident that what Hasbro does it's just on a larger scale.
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So interesting! Would love to see pix of your 3D prints if you have any?
There is another artist (kp-shadowsquirrel) that has built templates of various ponies to use http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=pony+3d+print#/d3k5wig (http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=§ion=&global=1&q=pony+3d+print#/d3k5wig)
Apparently you can use his templates to build your own pony- for using in fan-videos or for printing- like this random artist on Deviantart appears to have done using his own home 3d printer...
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Looks like a bit of work?
There are a few of the shadowsquirrel ponies on Shapeways and some are really cool (like Chrysalis) but I like the faces made by Hashbro better-
I wish I could do this!
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I like the idea of 3D printer technology for fixing things around the house that don't have an easy way to get replacement parts - like when your cheese grater falls apart.
But as far as "re-printing" a toyline that is currently available is concerned, I wish Hasbro would protect their intellectual property better. Now, technically, I know they can't do anything unless these artists begin to make profit from their work. Regardless if these artists are "creating" things that Hasbro has not done, such as certain characters or show-accurate hairstyles, I disagree very heavily with these being made. Just my humble opinion of course...
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I really don't have any great photos of it. I planned to get pictures taken it just didn't happen.
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I went through the whole process's with this one even clean up once it was printed. You have to power wash the extra material without breaking it.
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Waiting for G1's. I think you have to be really good at 3D computer design in order to use a 3D printer.
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That statute is awesome!
Waiting for G1's. I think you have to be really good at 3D computer design in order to use a 3D printer.
I agree- it looks like it takes a LOT of talent and skill
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After looking more into it apparently you typically use ABS plastic which is hard like legos, or you use the stuff made of corn starch that's biodegradable. Neither of those are the most appealing for making ponies, except for those with all plastic manes. It looks like the plastic isn't very cheap either. I don't think Hasbro or other companies have to worry a whole lot just yet.
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They print in "sandstone" too- it does in fact feel like stone... (brittle brittle stone)
The hollow plastic (is this the biodegradable stuff?) is not that great- I got one one of those BJD ponies before they got expensive and she is so thin and fragile I am afraid she will break apart if I sneeze. She would definitely NOT survive a fall to the floor....
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They print in "sandstone" too- it does in fact feel like stone... (brittle brittle stone)
The hollow plastic (is this the biodegradable stuff?) is not that great- I got one one of those BJD ponies before they got expensive and she is so thin and fragile I am afraid she will break apart if I sneeze. She would definitely NOT survive a fall to the floor....
Oh no.. really? I was kind interested in one. ): I guess they should cast it in resin instead.
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They look so delicate. They look like they would be good for moulds, but I don't think Hasbro would like that.
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Sorry for being so pic heavy, lol. I just LOVE 3d pony toys, and lighten up guys, people make and sell them because people want SHOW ACCURATE toys, like these. Besides, they're pretty reasonable, too. I don't know which type I like more, the painted ones where the colors are way better, ore the printed image ones with fuzzier colors. My favorite's the Vinyl Scratch, fuzzy Chrysalis, and the adorable :muffin: Pony!!! I read that they're very light but are made of material hard enough to be dropped and stuff.
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Those are adorable! Thanks for posting pix! I hadn't seen that Nightmare Moon or :muffin: Pony before (WANT!!!)
I agree that Hasbro has nothing to worry about with these- they are nothing like what Hasbro is making- and while I do agree they are not too expensive for what they are- the cost of printing with even the cheapest material makes them WAY more expensive than any Hasbro pony or licensed product available-
I have the "fuzzy" Chrysalis (sandstone) and she is much much thicker than the hollow plastic one- and quite heavy- but also pretty brittle- apparently the horn broke before they had even packed her up so they had to print a new one... I haven't conducted a drop test though- and based on the fact that she broke once already- I am very careful about her, Octavia and Vinyl (they are high and safe from prying paws).
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I wouldn't test it anyway XD
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Oh my gosh!!! I love those :) They are all so cute !
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Some of those look pretty rough...
Can't say i care much about these, even though some are very nicely made.
I prefer the items in my collection to be official. Otherwise i could just as well be buying fakies and bootlegs. I'm not someone who easily spends money on customs either.
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They cute, but the texture on some of them bother me... like on the Lyra one...
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Seriouslu Amazing! :shocked:
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Why not save alot of bucks and just get some modelling clay of fimo or something?! I bet that's way more fun and messy anyhow! It is interesting and some of them are cute but given the proice of regular print supplies that I would certainly pass on. :lol:
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Looks like some of the materials require some serious sanding to look okay (the plastic ones)
I was reading that artist's page for the plastic ones above- and apparently the first plastic they were using was very durable- but that also made it really hard to sand- so they recently switched to a softer plastic (ie the nightmare moon one)
I actually like the texture of the sandstone one- it is "fuzzy"-
I would certainly buy modeled ponies just as fast- I love customs and fan-art! If only I could make stuff this good-
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They print in "sandstone" too- it does in fact feel like stone... (brittle brittle stone)
The hollow plastic (is this the biodegradable stuff?) is not that great- I got one one of those BJD ponies before they got expensive and she is so thin and fragile I am afraid she will break apart if I sneeze. She would definitely NOT survive a fall to the floor....
Oh no.. really? I was kind interested in one. ): I guess they should cast it in resin instead.
That might have been the first design which has since been improved upon, I'm waiting on one of the newer ones to arrive so I hope it's a little more durable. The creator was trying to find a way to cast in resin last I heard but it's not as easy as it sounds.
I love show accurate 3D printed ponies, especially ones with creative poses! If only Hasbro were more into this, the Funko ponies look promising but they're still in the standard standing pose so far.
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They print in "sandstone" too- it does in fact feel like stone... (brittle brittle stone)
The hollow plastic (is this the biodegradable stuff?) is not that great- I got one one of those BJD ponies before they got expensive and she is so thin and fragile I am afraid she will break apart if I sneeze. She would definitely NOT survive a fall to the floor....
Oh no.. really? I was kind interested in one. ): I guess they should cast it in resin instead.
That might have been the first design which has since been improved upon, I'm waiting on one of the newer ones to arrive so I hope it's a little more durable. The creator was trying to find a way to cast in resin last I heard but it's not as easy as it sounds.
I'm sure you are right- it feels thinner than an eggshell - probably so she could get the design hollow enough to string. I am impressed that she figured out a way to make a strung jointed pony at all- quite impressive really. Resin would be a significant improvement...
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They print in "sandstone" too- it does in fact feel like stone... (brittle brittle stone)
The hollow plastic (is this the biodegradable stuff?) is not that great- I got one one of those BJD ponies before they got expensive and she is so thin and fragile I am afraid she will break apart if I sneeze. She would definitely NOT survive a fall to the floor....
Oh no.. really? I was kind interested in one. ): I guess they should cast it in resin instead.
That might have been the first design which has since been improved upon, I'm waiting on one of the newer ones to arrive so I hope it's a little more durable. The creator was trying to find a way to cast in resin last I heard but it's not as easy as it sounds.
I love show accurate 3D printed ponies, especially ones with creative poses! If only Hasbro were more into this, the Funko ponies look promising but they're still in the standard standing pose so far.
Oooh. :) I hope you make a post about it when you get it. I'd love to hear an opinion about it
u__u; yeah resin is no fun and toxic.
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Yes- please do post about it when you get it!
I am dying to see what someone can do with one of these-
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Yes- please do post about it when you get it!
I am dying to see what someone can do with one of these-
I'll definitely make a post about it. I won't be customising it though, I prefer the creepy blank look lol, plus I've heard it's a nightmare to paint because it absorbs colour so easily that mistakes can be difficult to fix.
She's also made pegasus and unicorn molds, if the earth pony I get is awesome enough I might just ask if she'll put together an alicorn for me.
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In some ways I agree with LBS on this to be honest.
I do think these are very very clever and how creative fans are continues to amaze me. But in my personal opinion, I am surprised Hasbro are not a little more protective of their intellectual property. There is a very large difference between creating something for your own interest & your own collection and printing something in order to sell it. I say that as that is what people pay Hasbro for licenses for. You can be sure Funko have shelled out a significant amount of money for the rights to their licences - I think its perfectly understandable for someone to have the opinion that if items are being sold commercially the original artist, in this case Hasbro, are entitled to a percentage of the item.
When its done on a small scale its not anything I imagine Funko or Hasbro will concern themselves and it is lovely to see how character images are being recreated 3D.
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I think they're an interesting product and that it is really cool that we have the technology to print these sort of thing nowadays, in our own homes. It looks like it takes quite a lot of talent, skill and patience to create anything viable with them though so I don't believe Hasbro (or any other toy company ) has much to worry about yet.
As for intellectual property, I consider these in the same vein as customs - original creations inspired by Hasbro. I don't think Hasbro feels threatened ATM, which is why they aren't objecting. And if they don't want people to create their own versions of Dr. Whooves and the like, maybe they'll start to release official versions.
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Would there be any interest in 3D "blank" pony bodies for customizing? I'm thinking of G1's in harder to find poses, or ponies that would not generally be used as bait like Piggy ponies. My husband does rendering & works with vendors that have 3D printers. I'm not sure what a project like that would cost, but it could be interesting.
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Although I'm speculating, I suspect Hasbro enjoys and profits from its reputation of being extremely fan-focused and tolerant of minor derivative works that are common in its fan base (why else would they encourage pony conventions and custom pony contests?)
The deviant artists in question don't make more than a couple of dollars on each one of their projects- which is a far cry from a toy company that is making a widely available commercial product and advertising with trademarked names...
Out of curiosity I read through the cases that Hasbro has pursued over the years, and it is quite a fascinating read to see what they go after and why- and what they win and don't win (it is news to me that in the 80s and 90s- they sued fakie makers like Lanard all the time over competing, infringing products- they didn't always win...
Would there be any interest in 3D "blank" pony bodies for customizing? I'm thinking of G1's in harder to find poses, or ponies that would not generally be used as bait like Piggy ponies. My husband does rendering & works with vendors that have 3D printers. I'm not sure what a project like that would cost, but it could be interesting.
I would think that making a mold of a piggie would be easier than 3D rendering and printing? Printing something the size of a G1 is likely to be very expensive-
but I would LOVE to see smaller G1s in unusual poses- maybe modeled after the early artwork :D
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3D printing is pretty expensive and lossy. I mean- its easy to mess up your print. And unless you have a very big expensive machine, it's very slow.
It's definitely not a true manufacturing process yet. It's really only for prototyping or for creating something to cast off of.
Give it time- when it's perfected, then Hasbro can worry. :D
Err, also to the OP - a top of the line 3D printer actually costs closer to $40,000. We have some at work and they're still fussy and unreliable . . . .
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3D printing is a new technology and like any new field, it's going to have a long way to go before it can produce something reliably, quickly, and of high quality. Look at the very early printers, anyone remember dot matrix? with the little perforated borders with holes that let the paper be fed into the computer? It could take hours to print a large sized banner and the quality was pretty abysmal. Nowadays you can get prints in a minute that rival those of a professional photo shop.
Even if it is perfected, it does not produce something that rivals real ponies. The materials are rigid and generally pretty fragile. Suitable for display, but not so much for playing with. Nor can you render brushable hair!
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Why not save alot of bucks and just get some modelling clay of fimo or something?! I bet that's way more fun and messy anyhow!
Some people can't sculpt with clay or fimo worth a darn but are good at 3D computer modeling.
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Although I'm speculating, I suspect Hasbro enjoys and profits from its reputation of being extremely fan-focused and tolerant of minor derivative works that are common in its fan base (why else would they encourage pony conventions and custom pony contests?)
Oh Hasbro can be both supportive and non-supportive of the collecting community - they pursue some infringement [e.g. the inference of a potential cease and desist to a plush maker recently and years ago they did once issue a c&d against a customiser] and others they ignore, sometimes they listen [the Fan Favourites collection] and sometimes they completely ignore [the Bore-7]. Personally, as a collector, I don't think it would be fair to say they are fan-focused to be honest. The difference this time is that StudioB are fan focused and engaging - Hasbro the toy manufacturer not as much.
In the 80s and 90s they were a little more aggressive against the like for like manufacturers who they could get to but now with most fakie manufacturers being remote Chinese factories its not worth it as the product has a different market in some ways; you dont see Demon Donkey on a shelf beside MLP in TRU. Its a balance - what affects their bottom line whether that be through the loss of rights to their own products, the loss of identity of their products or the actual loss of money through companies/individuals infringing licensees [there is a reason they contacted a well known plush maker and then shortly thereafter were discovered to have sold a license for plush manufacture].
I am 100% on board with creativity and people engaging so much with a brand that they start a loyalty cycle - I am in marketing after all and when you work with a brand that has this level of customer/client/partner engagement then its so much easier! All I am saying is that things have to stay at a comfort level - i.e. a level where Hasbro see it as engaging and not in any way intrusive. Yes the brony and collecting world is clearly on their radar but personally I like being a little blip and not an incoming cruise missile :)
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I don't think it's really fair to criticize the makers of 3-D ponies when a good chunk of customs in our community are made using fakies in bootlegged molds--the Dollar General babies, the Crumpet pose, and all the G3 / G3.5 / Newborn Cuties and now even G4 fakies.
You can bet those fakie companies are making more $$$ than one person with a 3-D printer in their basement.
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I am not criticizing these people in any way - in fact I think I mentioned a few times about really liking the creative aspect of it - I am only voicing my opinion on the idea if it ever was done on a commercial scale and that doesnt have to be as grand as Funko or Funrise it only has to be enough to annoy the parent company. Companies like Disney have become crazy protective over everything because of abuse. I have no problem with anyone doing anything to engage with their fandom or a product they love.
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Oh Hasbro can be both supportive and non-supportive of the collecting community - they pursue some infringement [e.g. the inference of a potential cease and desist to a plush maker recently and years ago they did once issue a c&d against a customiser]
Actually- all that crap about Hasbro pursuing a cease and desist against a plush maker (whitedove) turns out was complete bunk. All that they did was ask Deviantart to ask her to take down her public commission post- she was asked to do it privately or not post sale links/prices on her Deviantart page. They did not EVER pursue a cease and desist against a plushie maker. You can read it on her Deviantart page...
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I don't think it's really fair to criticize the makers of 3-D ponies when a good chunk of customs in our community are made using fakies in bootlegged molds--the Dollar General babies, the Crumpet pose, and all the G3 / G3.5 / Newborn Cuties and now even G4 fakies.
You can bet those fakie companies are making more $$$ than one person with a 3-D printer in their basement.
The difference about customs is that the artist is using the pony as a base, as a canvas, as a medium, not copying Hasbro's product in the first place.
Hasbro employees were paid to create the molds for the ponies, therefore someone sitting down and re-working the mold in another 3D modelling program is akin to copyright violation. You can't say that about an artist who re-hairs a pony, re-paints it, gives it a symbol, or sculpts it into a different pose. Arguing that customs should be "challenged" for the same reasons that these 3D printed ponies are being "challenged" is like arguing that an artist should be punished for using a sketchpad instead of leaving it as a blank pad of paper.
And it is true, we should be "against" all fakie manufacturers who use Hasbro's molds but currently there is no way to force a court to convene and press charges against Chinese manufacturers. The Chinese government simply does not allow that sort of lawsuit to be brought to their courts, except in rare cases such as designer goods like clothing, purses, jewelry, etc.
So it's up to the individual collector and their conscience - personally I can say I don't buy fakies at retail, even if they are cute sometimes. I mostly end up with them as the extras in a toy grab bag at the thrift store. But I certainly don't want to condone a retail establishment's purchase of the fakies, as yes, I do believe that Hasbro-sourced fakies are incredibly inappropriate.
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Those are pretty neat. Looks like a fun hobby!
People are getting pretty excited about 3D printing, but it isn't really as glorious as it sounds. As many people have mentioned here, the 3D print is brittle, and/or really rough looking. They are just meant to make a rough model as a proof of concept or prototype to show off a new design.
I have made 3D prints with a harder plastic that was rough, and another with a brittle, wafer-like material, but don't think they would suit a sculpture very well.
For any purchasers looking for something to last, I wouldn't recommend buying 3D prints. I can't imagine them surviving shipping.
Neat pics though. That would take some fancy modelling skills.
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Oh Hasbro can be both supportive and non-supportive of the collecting community - they pursue some infringement [e.g. the inference of a potential cease and desist to a plush maker recently and years ago they did once issue a c&d against a customiser]
Actually- all that crap about Hasbro pursuing a cease and desist against a plush maker (whitedove) turns out was complete bunk. All that they did was ask Deviantart to ask her to take down her public commission post- she was asked to do it privately or not post sale links/prices on her Deviantart page. They did not EVER pursue a cease and desist against a plushie maker. You can read it on her Deviantart page...
Yes that's why I said "the inference of a potential"...i.e. they didn't do it but they went so far as to make effort to put some kind of stop to the activity :)
And even if they didn't get into the legalities on this one that doesn't stop the fact that they did react to fan made merchandise in a negative way on this occasion.
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I love this thread. 3d printing/rapid prototyping fascinates me. :D The customs pictured above are fantastic! Do you know what kind of material the artist uses and the process the use to finish it. The details look so much finer than that of the brittle organic substances a lot of 3d printers come out with.
As for the discussion on using 3d printing for customs; I think its a great too. From what I have seen thus far it can not be used on its own from start to finish well but its a great tool for staring stages of items that needs to be cast or molded. Hasbro actually uses similar machines for some of their initial prototypes right?
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I find the process fascinating too! Totally sci-fi, I can't wait to see where this technology goes next!
It sounds like there is a pretty wide range of materials- and most require sanding/finishing I think...