Lulu's Moogle

Lulu's Moogle
http://rapidshare.com/files/153496320/Lulu_s_Moogle.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1AHAF1D1

Threw the .PDO together last night, seemed promising, so here it is. Set to two scales, pictured is the larger. Figured it would be just as easy at smaller scale, but in half the number of pages. This is the first non-FFXI model I've released. Seems like it should be a momentous occasion, but the fact that I went from "hey that'd be fun" to "here it is" in under 24 hours leaves it kind of underwhelming. Anyway, Next FFXI related release will likely be more moogles, and of course the big release on the horizon is Lady Luck. Check back soon, etc.

Mandragoras...again

Mandragora
http://rapidshare.com/files/153163877/Mandragora.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=RK4GAO2Z

This was originally a follow-up to the Life-size Mandragora. I printed out all three a few months ago, but just kept putting off the build. I figure one's enough for a proof of concept, and I improved the model in the testbuild. Pictured is a Korrigan; the release is all three: Mandragora, Korrigan, and Lycopodium. The idea was to make something a little more reasonably sized, for those who didn't want to waste half a printer cartridge on a single model. This is also the first of my models (I think) that's small enough to fit on a stand, so I took the opportunity to modify the classic Final Fantasy Papercraft stand. Credit to Black Mage 001 for the original design.

As for those Halloween related items I was planning on...well laziness and other projects dictate that they get tossed aside. Sorry if anyone was looking forward to them (honestly, was anyone? pfft, of course not).

In other news, Haywan, over at PapercraftMuseum.com has decided he wants a challenge, and apparently I'm the guy who's gonna deliver. Remember when I said don't hold your breath about seeing models like Odin here? Well, apparently that just sounded like "bring it on." So I'm going to be laying the model out for him over the next week or so, and he's going to take a crack at it and make some instructions (maybe even one of those fancy stop-time animation videos). I'd also like to thank him for posting everything from my blog in his museum (though I would advise everyone to avoid my earlier models, the ones I said were untested. Lord, what a mess.) Anyway, if you haven't checked out his site, it's an excellent repository.

(I tried to warn him, but whatever. Not my blood pressure on the line...)

Finally, I just made a massive breakthrough today with a model that...I can't even express how badly I want to see this thing sitting next to my TV. And I'd like to thank Gamerjoy for getting me moving in the right direction to expand my papercraft topic roster (ok, so a jump from one Final Fantasy to another isn't massive, but it's better than the same old nonsense every time.)

I'll just leave this here...

Castigated for Rasterbating

Tangentially related at best, but I figured I'd post it.
I used a large map of Windurst (edited smaller maps I got out of the AltanaView program and stitched them together in PhotoShop) to make a gigantic rasterized poster.



Here's the map if anyone else is interested.



Also did a rasterized version of my character, Kaizo/Oka

If you're unfamiliar, the Rasterbator can be found here:
http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator/
I recommend using the standalone version, as it gives you more options, especially in the dot size.
AltanaView's a good program to check out files other than basic models. If you're not familiar, check it out here:
http://longtear.hp.infoseek.co.jp/altanaview_en.html

I've been building a few smaller models to cool down after Carrie, including Ninjatoes' latest, Yuna



Made a mess of the head last night, so I'm gonna give it another shot, hopefully finish tonight.

Paperkraft.net has an article up that got me thinking about Halloween.


So I'm probably going to try to get these models worked out some time this week, just to be festive. Likely going to edit the lantern's texture to get a better shade of orange, and probably get the Hume style pumpkin hat as well.

Next release will be a set of 3 Mandragoras (black, white, and Lycopodium). I've got a Moogle model laid out just the way I want it, but I'm not completely sure about the size. It's just a little smaller than what I figure "life size" should be for a fictional mole-bat.

Finally, and at this point we're beyond tangential, today's my birthday! Woo! etc...
At least I'm not expected to get completely wasted at 22 (seriously, explaining to an Olive Garden waiter last year that 'I don't drink' was almost embarassing...).
Anyway, thought I'd post my giant raster-map and give a heads up on what to expect soon.
And now, back to my mashed potatoes.

Courier Carrie

Courier Carrie
http://rapidshare.com/files/150115838/Courier_Carrie.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KVUO6VPO

I would've had this finished and released a week and a half ago, but I went out of town for the weekend and got swamped with school work on my return. First attempt at my own non-folded model. I'm really pleased with how the finished product turned out. No ugly polygons, nice and smooth.

(This is what my apartment looks like when I'm too busy to clean. 12 pages of written work in about 24 hours counts as busy right?)

I didn't get many responses for my little vote, but they all pointed to working on the hats again. Well, bad news. After working on a test build a bit more, I've determined that making series of life-size wearable hats is simply more effort than I'm willing to put forth. After attempting to dial in on the perfect size with Maat's Cap, I've realized that what fits perfect for me won't be perfect for everyone. Not to mention the various difficulties of floating pieces (armor is riddled with them).

(If they were all the same size, I could have a nice little shell game.)

But the news isn't all bad. Given that the issues I have with making the hats all lie in making them wearable, I'm more than willing to make the sets at a smaller scale, just to be little desk toys. The main problem is that internal sections, which give structure and provide a face for floating pieces to attach to, must be removed in order to be worn. Take out the issue of wearability, and all the problems are solved. I'd love to hear some feedback, and I know there were people who wanted smaller versions in the first place.
I also know that between mine and (especially) GoblinGuy's work, a number of people have started working on their own FFXI models. First off, I'd like to extend my own services to anyone working on their own. I'd love to give advice, and particularly hosting. Contact me any time. Beyond that, as one of my problems with the hats is getting a perfect, personal size, I know many people are willing to do the work to make one perfect for themselves. If you're interested in this, I've thrown together a simple hat stand in Sketchup. I've abandoned making my own full set of life-size since, but if anyone's interested, the final product looks something like this:

(If you do make it, just attach the cylinder to the top plate of the base for stability. Don't bother making the entire box, it's just a hassle. The sphere, as is, is a little large for a head simulate. You may want to cut it up the back and adjust the size how you see fit.)
http://rapidshare.com/files/150126231/Hat_Stand.rar.html
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FK5OUKPO

I've still got exams going for a while, Disgaea 3 eating away at the back of my mind, and a big file folder full of models I'm ready to build. The next release will almost certainly be three mandragoras set to the same scale as Carrie, but I'm not ready to post them until I've built them for myself. Beyond that, I'm not sure what I'll do next, but I'm leaning toward a very large Goblin related project. I've also been dealing a bit with some other Final Fantasy models, so don't be surprised if I expand my roster soon. I may also have a special surprise coming, so keep an open eye.