Internal supports...

Cybergrinder

Member Extraordinaire
Hi all,

I've extracted a few models from X-Wing Alliance, including the "biggie" of a 1m long Star Destroyer. Pepkuria is great to unfold & plan out the "skin" of the model but now this one is going to need a great deal of support. Any suggestions as to how I can do this, I've tried measuring with the tool in pepakuria but it's not coming out well.
 

Revell-Fan

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You won't be able to succeed with Pepakura. You'll have to go back to the original mesh and edit it in a 3D program (SketchUp, Rhino, Metasequoia ...). Create an internal skeleton and unfold it. Make sure that you are using the same size / scale so that the skeleton fits. Remember to consider the thickness of the paper of the outer skin; you have to reduce the size of the skeleton slightly. If your program features an offset function this may be fairly easy; choose a value between 0.2 and 0.3 mm. Just take a look at how I created the skeleton for my Aurora bomber:
http://www.zealot.com/threads/battl...t-by-andrew-probert.177074/page-2#post-983525

Another way would be making a skeleton on-the-fly while building the model. However, this might require a lot of eye-balling and try-and-error, but once you have developed a satisfying result you'll be able to use it to build another SD. And another. And another...! ;)
 

Cybergrinder

Member Extraordinaire
Thanks! That's really given me a good start & a great start point. Are the programs you mentioned free/share ware, or will I have to buy? The bomber looks great, BTW!
 

Revell-Fan

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Thank you! :) And glad to be of help! ;)

SketchUp is free for personal use. It imports *.3ds files, so you might be able to import the files you extracted. If they come in another format you might convert them (I use a program called "3D Exploration").

The unregistered version of Metasequoia is free but only saves *.mqo files (export functions are disabled). *.mqo files are read by Pepakura very well.

Rhino is fairly expensive but VERY GOOD (there is a cheaper license for students).
 

zathros

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If you wanted to make internal supports for a Pepakura model, you need to make each section, then go to a "Box" method. This would give the model strength, and is used in many models, Some sections could use tubes, either preformed from some packaging source, or hand made. Internal structuring can be made also by careful measurement of the model, but this entails you making the Pepakura model, and designing the supports as you go along by careful measuring, then scanning the parts, if you want to make a model for distribution.. There was a member here who did this after I recommended to him, and he built a very solid model of a big space craft. It is possible, but not within Pepakura. Toilet paper cardboard tunes used vertically, or horizontally, or a combination thereof, is an example of what could be used. Boxes and Tubes, the basic shapes, will give you an internal structure, and a strong model, especially if aligned along the bend lines. Boxes is really not a proper description, as they can be rectangles, trapezoids, or shapes which follow the models profile. Again, this would have to be done with a good measuring tools, like highly incremented rulers (scales) vernier calipers, etc. The end result is the same, except doing it by hand guarantees a fit. :)
 
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