From Start to Finish!! (Tutorial)

[Durlaburban]

Ok well right of the bat a special thanks goes to everyone whos tutorials and pics i used. I know theres plenty of tuts on how to use this stuff but im gunna go ahead and put them all in a mixing bowl and hit the purree button!

How To Make pepakura Armor

Step 1: Using the pepakura program (unedited from Frizzlefry)

Part I: Downloading Pepakura

To download Pepakura, you will need to visit the URL below, which is Pepakura's website:

http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/

From here, you will want to select "Download" from the left. Once on the download page, select Pepakura Designer. Once that is selected, follow the download and installation instructions on that page.


Part II: Downloading the Armor Files

Thanks to the hard work of JediFraz, all of the pieces of Mjolnir Armor are available for download right here. You will want to click all of the links below and save them to your hard drive in a place that you can easily find. Here are the pieces:

Helmet
Chest and Backpack
Left Bicept
Left Forearm and Hand
Right Bicept
Right Forearm and Hand
Crotch and Rear
Left Thigh
Left Calf
Left Foot
Right Thigh
Right Calf
Right Foot

Also, supplied to us graciously by Fraz is a model of The Monitor:
Large Monitor
Smaller Monitor


Part III: Opening a .pdo file

Open Pepakura Designer by selecting it from your Start Menu or double clicking the shortcut on your desk top.

Once the software is open, under the File tab select Open:
Find the Helmet file that we saved from above. Select it and click Open:

This will open the file. From here you should see two images.

On the left you will see the 3d version of the helmet assembled:

And on the right you will see the individual pieces mapped out to single pieces of paper:

Part IV: Take away the grey

We'll start off by showing you one of the easier parts of the Pepakura software. A lot of people don't want to have their printer print out a grey version of the armor they are creating. It's not really necessary, and it sucks ink out of your printer. So to change this, we are going to remove the grey material used as a face.

To do this you will want to go under the Both Windows tab, and uncheck "Use Materials for Faces":

This should turn your helmet white, as well as all of the pieces shown on the right to white as well.


Part V: Changing the paper size

For those of you who are fortunate to be printing A4 sized paper, you are in luck because a JediFraz has organized all of the pieces on the paper for you. But for those of us using Letter sized paper (8.5 x 11) we will need to change the settings and reorganize all of the objects.

To do this, we will need to go under File and select "Print and Paper Configuration":

From here, you will want to change the paper size that is set at A4, to Letter:

Also, since Letter is not as long as A4 and we will want these pieces to successfully fit on the paper, you will want to reduce your Side Margin and Top/Bottom Margin to as low as possible (5):

Once we've made this change, you will notice that your pieces on the right no longer fit on the pieces of paper. They are scrambled around and need to be re-aligned.


Part VI: Moving the parts

First what we'll want to do, in order to make things easier, is get rid of the 3d image window so that we can focus soley on putting our 2d pieces correctly onto single sheets of paper.

To do this, go under Configuration and select "ShowOnly2dPatternWindow":

Now we should see only the 2d patterns (if you have a mouse with a scroll wheel you can use that to zoom in and out):

To space these patterns out, we will want to use the Select and Move tool located on the tool bar. The icon should look like this:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut11.jpg




Grab each pattern and spread it out so that it is fully within the dotted lines that indicate page breaks. Remember that it may be necessary to fully zoom in on a page in order to make sure that the pattern does not overlap or pass a dotted line.


Part VII: Using Part Rotate

Using the Select and Move tool one can successfully seperate each piece onto it's own sheet of paper. However, for the environment concious or people who just don't want to waste a lot of paper for monetary concerns, you can use the Part Rotate tool to "spin" the patterns around and make more fit on a page.

First, we'll select the Part Rotate tool from the toolbar. The icon looks like this:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut12.jpg




Once you've selected the Part Rotate tool, you should see circles show up on all of the vertexes for each pattern as so:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut13.jpg




To use this tool, I first suggest that you zoom in on the pattern so that you can get an easier view of the vertexes. Select the vertex that you want to pivot the turn of the pattern on. You should see a cross hair through that vertex now:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut14.jpg




Now you will want to select another vertex in order to spin the item around the first selected vertex. You can play around with this a lot to make many pieces fit on one sheet of paper. Overall I eliminated five sheets of paper that I otherwise would have wasted by pivoting patterns and placing multiple patterns per sheet.


Part VIII: Almost Ready to Print

You have the paper resized, and you have the patterns re-aligned to the new sized paper. And from now you may be able to print. But there are a few functions left in Pepakura that you may want to utilize before you waste a lot of paper.

Flap Configuration
With this tool, you can change whether or not there are flaps (which are used to tape or glue one pattern to the other), give the flaps colors, or change the width of the flap.

Edge ID Configuration
This is where you turn on or off the Edge ID. An Edge ID is a number that helps you put the puzzle together. If left on, you would connect Edge ID #1 to Edge ID #1. If turned off, you would essencially turn your patterns for your helmet into a bit of a 3 dimensional jigsaw puzzle, which is not recommended unless you have a lot of time to waste and enjoy a challenge. From here you can also Flip the ID position and change the font size of the ID.

Line Style Configuration
I highly suggest that you at least take a look at this configuration, even if you don't edit it. From here you can edit the way your line looks if it is a Cut Line, Mountain Line (outside fold) or Valley Line (inside fold). Knowing the overall look of your Mountain and Valley lines will help you to know whether you are folding out or folding in on all of the fold lines printed on your pattern. If you are not satisfied with the line types that came default, you can also edit them to your preference.

Other
There are several other tools that are useful in Pepakura, but for the most part they are used to manipulate the 3d object into different 2d patterns. Since JediFraz was kind enough to take most of the legwork out of this for us, we will skip these parts in the tutorial. But feel free to play around with them to get a better feel for the software if it suits you.


Part IX: Print

The first thing we'll want to do is check our Printer Setup. From the File menu select Printer Setup:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut15.jpg




From here we will want to make sure that we have the correct printer chosen, and that we are in the correct Orientation. If you did not change the Orientation from when you opened the file, your printer will need to be in Landscape. But if you have changed the Orientation when we adjusted the paper settings, make sure that your Printer Setup Orientation matches the Print and Paper Configuration Orientation. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A RESCALE OF ALL OF YOUR PIECES OR YOUR PATTERNS WILL BE SPREAD OUT ACROSS MULTIPLE PAGES:
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u48/Fri...fry13/Tut16.jpg




Now that you've verified your Orientation, all that's left to do is Print! To do this, just go under File to Print and you are ready to rock!


Part X: Conclusion

In conclusion I hope that you have found that this tutorial makes using Pepakura easier for you. The software is really quite friendly, and for those of you that have $40 laying around, is probably worth registering. If you have any questions at all about how to use the software, feel free to ask them in this thread and I will do what I can to answer those questions in a timely manner.

Step 2: next post

 

[Durlaburban]

Step 2: cutting and folding



Part 1. Cut only the Solid lines!!! do not cut the dotted ones!!
Picture coming soon


Part 2. (folding tut from Iceman29)
This is a tutorial on how to fold the lines on Pepakura correctly and clean.

1. Your going to need is 2 Pens and a ruler. Make sure that the 2 pens are each different colors. (Try to use a metal Ruler)

2. You must assign the pens to a certain fold. (remember you must keep them the same through out the procedure)

Example:
Red Pen = Valley fold lines
Black Pen = Mountain fold lines

3. Cut out the piece you are going to be folding.

4. Set up the Ruler so it is parallel to the line you are going to score, make sure that it is a bit close, as seen here:

5. Then your going to want take the pen you assigned to valley fold or mountain fold and go over the line 3 or 4 times pressing semi hard with the ruler as a guide to keeping the pen straight and on the original line.

6. Once you have done that you may fold the paper accordingly to come out as a nice clean fold.

Yes this may add more time to the making of your armor, but in the end you are stunned with a nice looking piece.

 

[Durlaburban]

Step 3: putting it all together.

Part one: you will need your choice of glue. i reccomend hot glue but this may cause burns. normal elmers glue dries way too slow so it is not recommended.

when putting peices together its important to know how the go together. For example

1 will go to 1
2 will go to 2
3 will go to 3
Anything will go with another number that is the same.

Put a dab of glue on the tab and secure it to its corrosponding edge.

Xavier

 

[Durlaburban]

Step 4: Resin and fiberglassing

(from Long Shot)

Since I know many of you have questons about how to resin and fibre glass your pepakura costumes I will explain to you the process that I use with my costume. Hopefully these tips and instructions will help you out on your road to completion. For the time being I will start you off with the Resin application part of this tutorial. (this is my first tut so let me know if i miss anything)

----------Resining with "Resin"----------

STEP 1:Get Materials Together

----------Materials----------

Resin

Liquid hardener

Brush(s), reallys it's personal preferance
Container(top of resin can)
Tinfoil(to put inside container so it can be reused)
Mixing stick or the like
Knife/Scissors
(Self Explanitory)

Stand(to hold work) i think it's wats left of Lopez

Piece(the most important part)

Before you jump into any thing you first want to make sure you're in a well ventilated area and you have a large enough work area for the piece you will be working on.

The first thing you need to do is clean the surface of the object that you will be resining. Make sure it is free of debris and foreign objects.

Next you want to place you piece one your stand, in this case it is the master chief helmet.

Now you are almost ready to resin your piece.
STOP
Before you do make sure you read, and re-read if necessary, the instructions on the back of the can.

MIXING

The first thign you need to do when mixing the resin and hardener is to line your container with tinfoil.

Next pour in the desired amount of resin.(Pour an amount that you think you will use in 5-10min as it will be unusable after that.)

Next add the correct amount of Liquid Hardener. (READ DIRECTIONS!! Too much will cause the resin to harden within a couple minuets.)

Mix the two together for 10-15seconds and remove stiring stick.(wipe off excess resin on stick.)

>>>WARNING: Never mix a new batch with an old one, the onld will start to harden the new one instantly<<<

Now dip your brush into the resin and load it up with a moderate amount, not dripping off. If there is excess just wipe it on the edge of the container so that it flows back in.

Apply the resin to your piece starting at the seams first and the working your way around. You start at the seam to make sure it gets a healty amount of resin to give it support.

Remember to work quickly as the clock is against you, if you're too slow your resin will end up like this->

At this point ti is too bad too use, sorry, just throw it away.

After you have used the desired amount of resin on the piece let it dry. it should start to look something like this.

I reccomend doing your pieces in sections so as to not "water log" your medium. This also ensures you'll have a dry spot to get a firm grasp on.

 

[Durlaburban]

From long shot.. Ty very much

Step 4 cont.

PART 2: FIBRE GLASSING

***Take the usual precautions as above; work in a well ventilated area, cover your work space, wear a respirator, and so on.

Now after that has been done get your tools and materials ready(again)

After you have your tools and materials ready go ahead and lay out your fibre glass sheet

Next you want to cut your sheet in half

After you have your sheet cut in 2 fold up one half and put it to the side for the time being.

With the half sheet you have in front of you cut it in half again, then cut half of that in half(too many halfs, lol)
It should look something like this:

Now it is time to cut the sheets into strips for easier workability.
Try and aim for strips roughly 3" wide.
the long ones should be approximately 3"x14" and the short ones 3"x8"
After that stack them together

Now take your piece (helmet in this case) and set it on your table.
Use some tape to make any nessecary adjustments. (had a slight bow in my visor)

 

[Durlaburban]

From twistedcory.. ty also

Step5: Detailing

So when I first started i didnt really have any idea how to use bondo, now that I do, i figured I'd make this tut for you all incase some noob like me rolls around with the same question!

How to mix bondo body filler:

Get a FLAT clean surface made of plastic or metal (plywood is not acceptable).

Scoop a 4" diameter dollop of filler onto the surface.

Squeeze out a 1-3" line of hardener. A 1" line is what is called mixing the putty "cold". This means you will have more time to work with it, but it takes considerably longer to dry. If you use too little hardener it will never dry and will always be sticky. If you use a full 3" line of hardener you will be mixing it "hot" This will give you quick drying times and a very hard finish. Unfortunately it will be more brittle than mixing it cold. 2" is the median and is what I would recommend.

Using a putty knife, fold the hardener vigorously into the putty so that it is mixed evenly. Don't take too long doing this or the filler will begin to harden while you are mixing.

Now carefully apply a generous amount of putty to the area you are trying to fill or shape.

When the putty is hard but can still be dented by your fingernail use a small Sureform file to roughly shape the putty. You can also use some 80 grit sandpaper for this.

Now allow the putty to cure completely. When cured it will be hard like plastic, and will be giving off no heat.

Now do your final forming with some 360 grit sandpaper, elbow grease and finish it up with 1200 grit for painting.

hope this helps someone!

 

[Durlaburban]

reserved

Painting your armor

Thanks to Adam

 

[Durlaburban]

Special Thanks:
Frizzlefry
Iceman29
Longshot
TwistedCory
Adam
Xaveir



Questions:

how to use edge id:
If when you print there is no edge id then you have not followed the tutuorial right

 

[flying squirl]

sticky, anyone?

 

[SOLIP5IL]

Oh my goodness LOL i was just thinking about posting a thread like this-with everyone's tutorial's in it recently-LOLOL ROFL!! hahaha...

 

[jayrq2o1]

for a cheaper, faster and possibly stronger bond, you might wanna try professional contact cement. i use elmers, but any brand contact cement should be the same. and if you're too lazy to read the long tiny printed instructions on it, here's a summary.

apply a thin even layer to both sides that are to be bonded. so one layer on the flap and one where it will sit. it says it needs to set for 10-20 minutes, but it will be tacky at around 5, so you can just slam the pieces together at that time and still be able to adjust the alignment of the piece. if you do wait the 10 minutes though, it will bond on contact and once cured, this stuff is truly like cementing the paper in place because contact adhesives actually get stronger when you try to pull the pieces apart. it will go on like water, however, so its easy to just clean off if you get any in an unwanted place.

hopefully this will be of use to somebody who doesn't want to buy or use a glue gun, or is concerned with the strength of their bond. i've played with glue guns before, but i guess it depends on the glue stick you use that determines the adhesive strength.

 

[Bentobochs]

Looks fantastic so far. It'll be great to have one place to go to for all this stuff.

Also, could you mention something about scales prior to printing?

In your resining and fiberglassing sections, please make sure to mention PPE (personal protective equipment) - gloves, respirator, and goggles. And if you wear contacts, as a chemist in a previous life, we were told not to use contacts in the lab, even if we worked under a hood, due to the chance that chemical vapors could collect on the corneal side of the lenses and cause ocular damage.

Thanks for your work.

 

[jdevries]

Didn't Falcon do this one day? And wasn't that one deleted?

 

[AoBfrost]

Seriously, you think something already posted is useless? your just reposting it.

Too many people are too lazy to click the tutorials and want help, dont help them, just point them to the tutorials and let them learn like we all did when we made our suits.

 

[Xavier]

when glued it will look like this.

 

[SOLIP5IL]

How do you join 2 parts when there is no id allocated to them?

 

[Spartan K22]

the tutorial should be completely finished soon.
just hot-glue the numbers together...if confuzed about how to get the paper-folds
together

 

[kahmaui]

I have pictures in my personal gallery making the pepakura calf (start to finish - no fiberglass). I didn't want to take up too much space on the 405th servers.

http://www.regularguyblog.com/gallery/main.php?g2_page=2

 

[Iceman29]

be ready to change the folding tutorial, because I'm updating it in about 1-2 days.

just a heads up.

 

[Durlaburban]

ok ty