YES!

This is what I have been hoping for since I have heard of 3D printing technology.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures

Awesome....

Nice, not nearly as fancy, but you get a cheap (like basically free), functional tabletop miniature by taking any 2 dimensional piece of art from any source you like.

Print it twice to size, one up-side-down, leave a litle square of paper below the lower portrait, print out, fold at the crease on the top, fold the square on the bottom over, secure with tape or a paperclip, and voila, functional miniature.

Nice, not nearly as fancy, but you get a cheap (like basically free), functional tabletop miniature by taking any 2 dimensional piece of art from any source you like.

Print it twice to size, one up-side-down, leave a litle square of paper below the lower portrait, print out, fold at the crease on the top, fold the square on the bottom over, secure with tape or a paperclip, and voila, functional miniature.

Not nearly as awesome.

Perfect if you hate your money and want to get rid of it as fast as possible. Extremely overpriced.

I've been waiting for a turnkey conversion of OBJ files created in 3D renders. The software is free, and the digital models reasonably affordable.

http://fluffybush.deviantart.com/gallery/43049247

Can anyone name all the characters in this render?

I backed this project, very excited about it!

I'm hopeful that the "space-fantasy" nature of Star Wars will make it possible to create figures that are pretty compatible with the Star Wars setting.

There are a number of services that will take in .obj files and create products. Shapeways, Thingiverse, Sculteo, etc... Plenty of programs to make and share the digital models like Zbrush, 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave, Blender. For the slightly less artistic there is Poser or DAZ Studio that has plenty of people that make creatures and accessories (clothing, weapons, hair, etc...) and easy to pose with the built-in skeleton system.

There are a number of services that will take in .obj files and create products. Shapeways, Thingiverse, Sculteo, etc... Plenty of programs to make and share the digital models like Zbrush, 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave, Blender. For the slightly less artistic there is Poser or DAZ Studio that has plenty of people that make creatures and accessories (clothing, weapons, hair, etc...) and easy to pose with the built-in skeleton system.

What these guys are doing makes sense they designing model bits that will naturally produce the final water holding obj. They can even pre-emphasize the detail on the bits as necessary. (Eyes typically need to be inhumanly large, necks, arms, wrists, and swords can't be too thin.)

I hope that under the hood they are using Daz Genesis. You can morph the body into some interesting shapes, like trolls or dwarves, etc.

Lightwave has some functions specifically for testing models to export for printing. If the clothes and such are coming out only 1 pixel of depth, then someone just modeled them as a plane and is using visual trickery to make them work. Plenty of other apps that allow for true 3D stuff, like marvelousdesigner. Obviously this is something that takes some effort on someone's part to do. Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of creation that can take advantage of economies of scale (look at the cost of a single mini for this kickstarter vs what Reaper is charging for the Bones miniatures).

Umm.. No. I am talking real 3D, and there are no turnkey solutions. Marvellous Designer clothes are 1 pixel thick. (Maybe I'm not clear here... They have no thickness and there are (un-watertight) gaps between the clothes and the body underneath after they are draped.)

Here's a Daz model that was converted. It took the guy hundreds of hours.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23365

I think in this case the company is counting on you being willing to pay more for a mini that is 'custom'. However it isn't. It's 20 'clothes' and 20 poses to choose from. It's very likely that they will turn out a lot of the exact same mini. The other reason they are expensive is that they are not manufacturing the minis. That's already outsourced.

That is why i stick to modelling ships. My computer weeps and starts acting like R2 being hit by a jawa ion gun if i try doing something as complex as clothing or hair. plus making an object hollow, which is important if one wants minis to be affordable, is a lot easier with inorganic forms

At 28mm, you won't be making the organic minis hollow. So, that step doesn't matter. If you were doing something larger, like a vehicle or a 12" figure, then yes, the wasted material inside the figure does add up.

That is why i stick to modelling ships. My computer weeps and starts acting like R2 being hit by a jawa ion gun if i try doing something as complex as clothing or hair. plus making an object hollow, which is important if one wants minis to be affordable, is a lot easier with inorganic forms

I use Reality/Lux for rendering. It can take up to 40 hours to crunch. My PC was wheezing so bad that I had to put in a water cooler. ( cooler master H6O?) The PC is a bit louder, but doesn't break a sweat when rendering.

Octane uses your video card to render complex scenes really fast.

One day i will have a computer that doesnt run on coal and it might be easier *L* And while it is true the hollowing out factor doesnt enter into 28mm. Unless im making a robot or something the rendering and stl conversion will still make my comp cry.

One day i will have a computer that doesnt run on coal and it might be easier *L*

If you can export a textured obj... I can render it. hint hint

You don't need to render the 3d object to print it, heheh.

Hey there, folks! I was poking around for folks who might be interested in our Kickstarter and I was directed from a Deadlands message board to you guys here! It is always good to find people's unprompted feedback.

If anyone is interested or hasn't heard about it, we are looking to build a service which will allow people to design a mini from a library of 3D parts (armor pieces, weapons, characteristics like race, hair, face, etc.) and have them 3D printed. The latest news is that we've begun adding lots of exciting new genre stretch goals. We've already hit sci-fi, and are working towards adding wild west themed parts! The idea is that we want to appeal to as many genres as possible. And this lets us hit up those overlaps between genre too (space western, sci-fi fantasy, etc)! Anyway, if anyone has any new thoughts or questions on the whole shebang, I'd love to hear them!

For those who missed it, here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures

"If you can export a textured obj... I can render it. hint hint"

One day if i get to making something that is worth a full scale render i might take you up on that, but for now ambient occlusion work well enough to show the details etc on my minis. Im planning on getting a far better comp soon and then i might branch out into organics then i will consider a lovely render to be more important.

"You don't need to render the 3d object to print it, heheh."

I know, but if im going to make something it helps to be able to show off levels of detail which dont show as well while it is being created.

A simple ambient occlusion makes enough of a difference compare the first to the second. it isnt a full render but it does look a lot better than the unmodified one

Hey there, folks! I was poking around for folks who might be interested in our Kickstarter and I was directed from a Deadlands message board to you guys here! It is always good to find people's unprompted feedback.

If anyone is interested or hasn't heard about it, we are looking to build a service which will allow people to design a mini from a library of 3D parts (armor pieces, weapons, characteristics like race, hair, face, etc.) and have them 3D printed. The latest news is that we've begun adding lots of exciting new genre stretch goals. We've already hit sci-fi, and are working towards adding wild west themed parts! The idea is that we want to appeal to as many genres as possible. And this lets us hit up those overlaps between genre too (space western, sci-fi fantasy, etc)! Anyway, if anyone has any new thoughts or questions on the whole shebang, I'd love to hear them!

For those who missed it, here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures

What would be the possibly be like for alien humanoid species. Perhaps for example a bothan from star wars look a like with a sci fi blaster rifle.

Perfect if you hate your money and want to get rid of it as fast as possible. Extremely overpriced.

It is comparable to fantasy flight's detailed x-wing minatures is it not?

I don't know about character figures, but from what i can tell (and i dont make any of the ships that FFG does for obvious reasons so i cannot compare them TIE by TIE to use an example) it is comparable but that depends on the size of the ship and quality of the design, With the sales etc that large stores can run one can get better deals on the FFg minis. But 3d modelling is the best way, i think, of getting things that have been ignored or rejected for production for those who want them. Unless you are one of those people who can scratch build nice ships, and even then it is handy if you want a group of them.

Hey there, folks! I was poking around for folks who might be interested in our Kickstarter and I was directed from a Deadlands message board to you guys here! It is always good to find people's unprompted feedback.

If anyone is interested or hasn't heard about it, we are looking to build a service which will allow people to design a mini from a library of 3D parts (armor pieces, weapons, characteristics like race, hair, face, etc.) and have them 3D printed. The latest news is that we've begun adding lots of exciting new genre stretch goals. We've already hit sci-fi, and are working towards adding wild west themed parts! The idea is that we want to appeal to as many genres as possible. And this lets us hit up those overlaps between genre too (space western, sci-fi fantasy, etc)! Anyway, if anyone has any new thoughts or questions on the whole shebang, I'd love to hear them!

For those who missed it, here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures

What would be the possibly be like for alien humanoid species. Perhaps for example a bothan from star wars look a like with a sci fi blaster rifle.

Hey there! We're definitely going to steer very clear of any licensed properties that we don't have the rights to.

I hope you all make it to the Western themed minis. My Gand Bounty Hunter wears a trench coat!

Perfect if you hate your money and want to get rid of it as fast as possible. Extremely overpriced.

I think you (and a lot of people) misunderstand what kickstarter is. It is not a preorder service, it is not an online retailer. When you back something you are more like a miniature (no pun intended) venture capitalist. You are not and should not have the thought that you are getting a deal, instead you are backing an idea so they can get off the ground.

Also, when you back something you are NOT guarenteed to get it or have it be successful. There is a risk. If you can't afford the loss, don't do it. It's like going to vegas.. take only what you can afford to lose.