Terra

Edited - scroll down

Terra
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E1TR1ZIX
http://www.mediafire.com/?rzmdmmolkyg

First Dissidia model, and I must say it was an interesting one. Not to scare you (it's only scary if you've actually tried to build her), but the whole thing reminded me of Lady Luck. The models are of similar complexity and detail, both have crazy hair that consumes about half of the frustration of the build, etc. I would recommend 65lb for this one. Probably continue to build the Dissidia models on 65lb, just because they're detailed to the point that 110lb is going to make things more troublesome than they're worth.

The scale is set. She's big, but not "hueg liek xbox." I think it's a good scale. It's a bit challenging, but certainly not impossible, and looks good next to decently sized models on a shelf. All the rest of the Dissidia models will be at the same scale (meaning most of the models will be a bit larger, but you get the idea).

No lined version this time, because I'm doing some funny things with the parts. New system for double-siding things, which you may have already seen if you've done Genesis' Sword. Anyway, I don't think a model this detailed should be folded anyway. Both costumes are included, in case you're curious. I just prefer the green haired version to the classic Amano-blonde.

In mildly related news: I've been trying to update the Sandbox as frequently as is appropriate. You may have noticed that I re-did all the links to use icons instead of just text. If you're linked here and don't like the impromptu icon I made (had to just use screenshots of banners in many cases), then please, send me a link to the image you'd prefer I use. Briefly considered changing the layout to 3-column, but I think this works.

Also: Added a new Bonus Question, and it was answered quite rapidly (still nothing on the first question though). The reward chosen was that I bump Balthier up on my to-do list. So, no more distractions. Balthier will be the next release. If I get him done fast enough, I may have time to do something interesting for my one-year anniversary. Kinda scary, but in less than two weeks, I'll be hitting that marker.

Gotta think of something really awesome...

Anyway, back to it. No rest for the wicked, etc., etc..




Seriously, a billboard? The first time someone brought up the Greek word τέρας, I would've said "Yes, totally. That is exactly what I was going for when I decided on the name. Good show, nothing lame about it at all, certainly not like I was a windowless office away from naming her Stapler."

Ugh...



EDIT:
Startling developments...
(not the detective agency)



While altering the layout and scale of Steph's Fran, groaning about how scary the model is in general, it occurred to me that she has two right ears. On the left, you see the layout as it was originally released, and on the right is the PDO. The fact that the old release was done in single images suggests that the layout was altered in Paint or Photoshop to mirror that specific section, giving her a left and right ear.

The short version is, I'm not doing a new layout for Fran, it's just too much trouble, and without the original 3D model to modify, I can't guarantee that the finished product would be of any quality. So the question is, which scale should I go with for Balthier? I could try to match the original Fran to make them match, or I could make a giant model to match the version of Fran I built, or I could just stick with what I've already got laid out, which is comparable to the Dissidia models.

Even shorter version: I already have a layout I like, at a decent scale, and this project has given me so much trouble that I'm not changing it when I'm so close to the finish line. Maybe I'll do a brand new Fran when I can get back into the FFXII models after the viewer is modified.

I'll be starting the build tonight, and will try to do as much of it live via Ustream as I can. Expect the release in a few days.

Retitled: In My Wake?

EDIT: It didn't quite occur to me that some other designers have gone unnoticed.



http://fezcocrafts.blogspot.com/2009/05/ffx-2-leblanc-release.html

I don't usually do the aggregate thing, but since this is his first model, I've gotta help him get his name on the map. This is Fezco's LeBlanc, done much in the same style as my own Lady Luck (i.e. a massive FFX-2 character). Personally I think the finished product puts Lady Luck to shame, a notion which is compounded by the fact that it's his first design. I'd love to say it turned out so well because he's a good student (implying that I'm a good teacher), but come on. First shot? I guess I helped a little, but that kind of result on your first go is just genius.

Anyway, if you were crazy enough to try Lady Luck, you should definitely try LeBlanc. If you weren't crazy enough to try Lady Luck, you should still try this one. I may just have to add it to the built roster myself...

Anyway, appropriate aggregators (messrs Rementilla and James), I believe you know what to do with this.

EDIT:
There are two other designers I'd like to point the spotlight at...



http://dwpapercraft.blogspot.com/2009/05/sandy-final-version.html

DW also released his finished version of Sandy Magus recently (sorry for the delay, I'm a few days late on this release). But he's another designer worth keeping an eye on. If you do a bit of exploring, you'll see he's also close to a release of Seymour Guado, as well as some related FFX projects.



http://lunaticpapercraft.blogspot.com/

Last, but not least, we have Lunatic, who I mistakenly assumed was already on the collective radar. A double check of Paperkraft.net reveals that he is not, but certainly should be. He's already released a nice layout of Elena as well as Tifa's outfit while attempting to...ascertain information from ol' Don Corneo. Considering just ceding my proposed "Turks pack" project to Lunatic. He seems more interested in getting it done than I am, and I have confidence that his layouts are more or less what you'd see from me anyway. So it's all gravy.

Anyhow, these two have been on my link list for a few weeks, but it didn't occur to me that I could help get them a bit more into the community's collective view (Oh who am I kidding, I want to help them because they thanked by name, unlike some).


Anyway, back to the grind.
(I'll get back to my own business soon. Stay tuned, etc.)
((What a self-serving re-title, eh?))

Genesis' Sword

Genesis' Sword
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?wd22x0ggtwm

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QVRQRPTC

This is another one of those models I kind of did on a whim. Took only a handful of hours to go from idea to finished model, so it's lacking a few things. Mostly just too lazy to give it full blown release treatment. It's (not quite) life size. The idea was to go 1:1, but I did the layout at 3 feet long, then checked my reference material and realized it should be about twice that. That's a bit too long to be feasible, so I'll leave it here. Also, apparently according to the Crisis Core Ultimania book, the sword is officially called "Rapier." That's a bit lazy on Square's part, and the validity of the claim is actually a bit sketchy, so I just decided to stick with "Genesis' Sword."

I'll spare you all the little extra details of what else is going on right now. Finals are over, and I don't have a job (yet), so I'm going to "kick it into overdrive." I've added a link on the sidebar, I'm calling it the "Kaizo Papercraft Sandbox." I'll use that to make all the little incremental posts I usually tack on as Edits to major releases. Check it regularly (maybe even hourly) if you want to stay on top of what I'm up to.

Expect a few more little gimmicky releases before I get around to something big (Glenn or Balthier).

EDIT:

Remember those gimmicks? Like so~



Shinra Supply Tin
http://www.mediafire.com/?jtimmmcnymg

Did this killing time waiting for 2 o'clock. It's a box!
Have fun.

>_>

Dissidia Enemy Icons

Updated, scroll down.




Dissidia Enemy Icons
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UR88QMO7
http://www.mediafire.com/?ozzwtmen0nz

This is maybe a half-release at best. Obviously the big news is Dissidia models are now on the menu. Anyone who's checked the "Official Request Policy" or "Working Project List" recently may already know this, as would anyone clever enough to recognize the images added as edits in my last post. Did these as kind of an introduction to Dissidia models. They're all small, page number-wise, only half a page in some cases. I've been playing Dissidia a lot lately, and this just seemed like a fun thing to do. Did some basic instructions and included PDFs and whatnot, just because there are a fair number of them. No fancy coverpage or anything though, these just aren't big enough for proper release treatment (also because there's no concept art of them, and I really didn't want to see a name as underwhelming as "Enemy Icons" on a coversheet).



Also made some simple stands, as I know plenty of you don't like going with the more awesome aerial display.




Perhaps equally important news: Crisis Core models unlocked. Did a good ol' Banora White as another "intro to a new game" sort of thing. This one I'm not even going to bother with a PDF. It's a single page, so I'm just going to stick the PDO in the shared Mediafire folder. It's approximately life-size to a real apple, and is simple enough that I don't think it needs any sort of instructions.

Enjoy your gift of the Goddess.

http://www.mediafire.com/?miztjmrkkzx


In other news, you may have noticed the fancy new banner. I've been wanting to make a banner for quite some time, but due to a complete lack of proficiency with the Photoshops, I never really got anywhere with it. Thankfully, a reader by the name of Chenille was willing to help me, and produced something of the highest caliber.



Asked her to inclued a PSD with just the title layer (with Usagi holding the P in Papercraft, how freaking awesome is that?), on a simple gradient (same gradient as my Pepakura Designer background, if you hadn't noticed, also awesome), for use as a link icon. So, if you're a reader and also a Blogger of some kind, and want to link to me (thank you for that), and want to use an image for said purpose, go ahead and use the above, scaled to whatever size you like. I think there were too many conjunctions in that sentence...

Anyway,

So Chenille offers to make me a banner as an act of charity. Little does she know, I pay back my debts. In return, she got a release of her choosing, and I said I wouldn't take no for an answer, so...



First proper Dissidia release will be Terra (or Tina, if you like). She was quite adamant about using the green haired version, so I'll be building in that (also because I prefer it as well), but the difference is just texture, so as usual I'll include the alternate for those of you who prefer blond.

(Larsa will get done eventually, it's just I can't get my hands on any new FFXII models at the moment. To the person to whom this is addressed: you know who you are.)



After Terra, I'll start working on my own character of choice: Cecil. At the moment, I'm using the pre-posed stuff that you see on the battlefield alongside the enemy icons, but to make the Paladin complement, I'll need to get into some other stuff. Don't worry, a Cecil release can never be just one model.



I've also jumped ahead of schedule with the order of my Chrono Cross models, and am nearly done with Glenn. This one's another request, for a friend who asks me if I've done it yet about every other weekend. So to get her off my back, and because it took all of about 2 hours to get him into Pepakura (honestly, if I was getting paid for this stuff, didn't have to worry about doing anything else all day? I could churn out models faster than you could believe), he'll be making an appearance fairly soon. If you're curious: the sword he's holding isn't anything from Chrono Cross. The model extraction method is still fairly experimental, so weapons are out of the question. I just did a custom texture for an Ancient Sword from FFXI. I figure it looks decent, the requester approved, so that'll be his accessory. I know nothing short of the Einlanzer is appropriate, but I just can't pull it off. If anyone out there is working on an Einlanzer from scratch, let me know, because that would be pretty God damn awesome.



And of course, Balthier is sitting at about the same level of doneness. This week is the last before final exams, and I've yet to find a job, so rest assured, he'll get done soon. I've just got a gauntlet to run first...

I'll try to get as many models done as possible before I find some employment. Give it about two weeks, and I'll make up for this dryspell. Promise.


In related news (related to school work, not papercraft): a few friends and I made fools of ourselves in public for an assignment in Japanese. I'll let you guess which one I am, for two reasons. One: if you're bored enough to watch it, you've also probably been bored enough in the past to watch videos I've posted here, and can probably recognize me by voice alone; and Two: if you don't recognize me, I'll be spared some shred of what remains of my dignity.

Enjoy
(video won't be up until this weekend, but I figured I'd get this all typed out now. Check back if you really want to see me make an ass of myself...)

Ahh college, this is money well spent.


EDIT:

Did these layouts while procrastinating about writing my papers. Built them after I finished the last paper today. Just some one-pagers thought you might enjoy.
(Oh who am I kidding, I did them because I'm nerdy enough to enjoy them.)



Zack's Phone
http://www.mediafire.com/?ymrmzm2fn2y

Texture's really low resolution, so it looks pretty blurry, but whatever. It's a gimmick model that takes all of 10 minutes to build. Decide how you want to glue it (open or closed). You may want to utilize my wire method, from the Treasure Chest instructions to make it a proper flip phone. It's roughly life size to a real phone.



Banora Juice
http://www.mediafire.com/?yznorhloxyz

Genesis' claim to fame. Sorry I couldn't make it closer to "life size" The volume/surface area ratio for cylinders isn't great when you want to keep the top and bottom part of the same piece. Again, it's just another silly gimmick, takes maybe 5 minutes to build, and that's if you're being really careful.



Buster Sword
http://www.mediafire.com/?mujzjn2u1ky

The Crisis Core version of the Buster Sword, another one-pager. Don't think it really needs explanation. I'll try to follow this one up with a two-pager of Genesis' sword later. I could probably try to make a life size version a bit later.

Stay tuned, I've been watching Doctor Who again, and I know a real simple build that would be kind of funny.


EDIT AGAIN:

Added a new page on the sidebar, calling it the Kaizo Papercraft Sandbox. I'll be using it as a regular updates page, just to give you a glimpse on what I'm working on. I'd rather not have to keep making edits like this, so I'll just use the sandbox as an intermediary between major posts.