CAD sculpting

[Shaun]

Hi all

CAD sculpting seems to be the growing technique in figure production but the question is why?. Im not complaining but just wanted to know the advantages of such a process such is it cheaper to tool or does it offer higher quality or faster tooling. If you follow the larger 28mm figure production CAD has only really broken through in the last year or two, with the main bulk of producers still using the old pantography method. If anyone has used or are using CAD, id be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the programs.

[Paul]

Some of the bods produced,....so far..look technically exceptional..but they lack the human touch, no "feeling"..as if the distance between human and final result is miles apart..give me a mediocre sculpt over a CAD sculpt anyday....

[zzed]

If you use an authentic proportions, and authentic uniforms, and paint it in authentic colours, you will be authentically disappointed

sculpting is a creation, and the trick is to train sculptors to make some use of a new technology

any Zvezda set made before is outstandingly better than their recent production like those mini-kits

and Strelet's with their oversized heads makes the best faces in the market

[Shaun]

The sculpting is very nice extremely detailed but i think the pose choices leave a bit to be decided. Dont know wether its the machining process or not but i doubt it.. Hopefully when the wargming figures are done we might see more creative choices maybe a return to form i hope. I think for more modern forces CAD would be excellent but that being said i doubt the previous sculptors of Zvezda would have any problem with that.

I cant help but wonder if the CAD was simply brought in because of the height issue. I never really had a problem with that, but i knew a fair few did, maybe CAD allows more easier modficiations to be done as opposed to a 3up master.






PS Check Yariks blog hes got a full CAD render of the supposed german infantry set

http://yarikminiatures.blogspot.com/search/label/Zvezda

its at the bottom

[Paul]

PS Check Yariks blog hes got a full CAD render of the supposed german infantry set

http://yarikminiatures.blogspot.com/search/label/Zvezda

its at the bottom

And they look lifeless..like shop manikins

[Shaun]

I think the most lifless one is the shooting one he needs to have a more better firing pose (more importantly have his cheek on the sItock aiming down the sights). In all if this set ever comes out i know i will buy a more then 3 boxes , becuase they are simply superbly detailed but just the poses let it down slightly. Facial expressions may need to be a bit more expressive

I think we will see more CAD in the future i believe Plasitc soldier company is also a CAD user. Im in favour of this new technology and lets see what good can come of it. The more impressive the technology becomes hopefully will get the new people into the hobby and maybe, just maybe we might see the golden age of 1/72 again. Kids these days are fussy, but show them something detailed and you might get their attention long enough.

[Fbminis]

One of these days, we'll be able to print our own figures at home

[Francesco Giova]

My opinion: if the Spartans are made with CAD, gimme CAD everyday
Seriously, I think CAD is only a tool you can use, worse or better is up to you. A talented sculptor can use CAD to give life to his dreams: he can create folders and facial expressions, produce realistic poses etc. The fact is that firms like Zvezda think they could use CAD without sculptors; that way, poses are not lifelike because the one who designs them has not the ability and creativity of sculptors. The secret would be CAD AND SCULPTORS

[Andreas]

It´s all about Money . Why pay an expensive Sculptor or a Master if CAD works ?

[Shaun]

The spartans really did show that there is certainly a great deal of promise with CAD as Hedgehog and Yarik have demonstrated with their fine paint work. I think Francesco Giova has got it right sculptors plus new tech equals a next to perfect product, hopefully zvezda will not abandon the 8000 box sets so we can see the future of plastic soldiers.

Dragon model i believe now uses CAD for its 1/35 figures the news ones at least , if only they could talk about 1/72 however......


@Andreas how much does the CAD program and accessories costs?does it require intensive training like a sculptors course or something along those lines. Id be very intrigued to know how much and whats involved. Im tired of having fickle companies not produce the figures i want go and do it myself in the very distant future .

[Andreas]

I don´t know about the costs , but i think this technology will soon get much better and cheaper .
So maybe you don´t have to wait too long

[Shaun]

@ Andreas

I certainly hope so . I get the feeling skipping the pantography or miniaturisation of the 3up master is really what makes production cheaper.




PS You hear that emhar and Imex CAD up and come back please .

[Shaun]

Was doing some digging around getting some info on CAD, and it turns out you do need to be a sculptor to use CAD. Apparently it uses like some sort of pen like appliance and a electronic sensor/drawing board.
In this link on the photo "tim" thats what a CAD studio looks like http://www.defiancegames.com/index.php/ ... g/the-team.
Check out this article on CAD http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/david-tackl ... tory-11251.

[Paul]

The computer generated bods look very good on screen..the results are a bit...less than I expected
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4822

[Taipeh]

Hi ,
I get into contact with a german company which makes CAD Sculpting of personal bust from people, dogs and cats. They only need 3 pictures to sculpt a lifelike bust.

http://www.ego-3d.de/

May be that in some time it will be possible to sculpt figures from pictures of Reenacters. Let us see what time will bring.
Ciao Michael

[poky]

not a really big fan digi sculpting it can be done really good as size is no problem all the small detail can be made easy, texture much easier to make in digi then with real sculpting, the much harder part is good folds in clothing but also in flesh. Some sculpting programs are better at 1 others are better at another this is do what the program is made for, CAD programs are made for designing steel parts not flowing material, others are more a digi canvass made for painting more then sculpting there are no programs just for sculpting this is more a after though in programs, now there are software for sculpting but its still based on older software.

All in all its a sculpting medium just like clay or epoxy putty, I dont like working with clay but like some epoxy putties other putties I hate, some are good for 1 thing and not for another thing, same goes for digi sculpting.

Now here is the part that I have problems with, its the 3D printing this leaves lines or steppes in the sculpt after printing, with bigger sculpts its easier to fill and smooth over but in smaller scales and with small detail the detail will be lost what is the biggest plus on the digi sculpting in the first place.
Now the lines/steppes are getting smaller and smaller, years ago it was around 1mm these days as thin as paper.

that the figures look stiff is do to the artist and/or molding style and that does not matter if its a digi sculpt or from clay putty sculpt. just look at older figures.
where digi sculpting and 3d printing are really good for is tanks