RE: A new solution to the buying/painting miniatures problem

> > >http://www.zcorp.com/products/printersdetail.asp?ID=2
> > >All you need is the CAD files...
> >
> > and US$31800 plus shipping, installation, etc plus $1-2/cubic inch
for
> > powder and dye.  I don't know about you, but if someone were
> able to offer
> > prepainted minis "any design, any color you like--provide the
> files or pick
> > one of the paint patterns shown here"...
> >
> I would bet the stuff produced by this is fairly soft, but I bet you
> can make a mold off of it.  Talk about rapid miniature development.

I saw a couple prototypes for minis a few years ago from this process. 
It
was resin-like but had a pretty rough surface which would take some
effort
to make smooth enough to be a decent master for a mold.

I there are a couple mini companies currently using these types of
machines
but with varying success.   Most of what I have heard is from Agents of
Gaming and what is left of them after they went out of business.   They
had
been doing 3D computer models of most ships and thought this would get
ships
out more quickly but I don't think that ever happened with their B5
ships.
I think their Fleet Action 2: Turning Point minis were 3D printed,
especially since they used the same graphics files as artwork in their
rulebook, unfortuately that artwork included a cylindar on the bottom of
the
ship image that was not part of the ship but was added for the minis
since
they were small minis and needed a place to connect it to the stand.

Lately they have been trying to get the new Lyran miniatures done for
SFB.
They are more than a year behind due do al sorts of issues including the
engines being too small for the rest of the ship.  They thought they had
them all ready and cast up a bunch, only to be rejected by ADB because
over
50% of the minis looked like crap and were unusable.

Also Ken Burnside of Ad Astra Games who will be releasing Attack Vector
(was
Delta V), the the hard science, true 3D movement game of space combat,
this
summer tried to get minis ready for his game and spent a bunch of money
working on it, but with nothing useable so far.  From what I have heard,
most 3D programs don't work with these machines, and a package called
Rhino
is needed.  I guess visual 3D programs can leave gaps in surfaces that
may
look solid, but when built as a real object, those gaps cause problems.

Dean Gundberg

Starship Combat News
The latest information on Space Games and Miniatures
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dean@star-ranger.com