3D Model to Real World Papercraft

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Did you like those papercrafts found in youth magazines like Mickey Mouse and others? I always did. Nowadays, almost every single paper model is designed on the computer. Here’s a short summary to show how this is done using my latest project as an example (a detailed light tower, placed on a rock).

Creating the 3d modell

The first step is to create a 3d model. If you can avoid it, don’t get too complex or detailed, otherwise you’ll have a hard time to assemble all the parts (which can easily be a few hundreds for detailed models).

The next step is to apply textures to the model. For me, this is the most important, and therefore time consuming step. The textures determine the look and realism of the model. Personally, I like my models to look as realistic as possible (except for anime characters, for example).

Unwrapping

The third step needs to unwrap the model, from a three-dimensional model to plain 2d faces that can be printed on paper. That requires juicy math, but fortunately, there are some good tools that can do this you (like Pepakura Designer, for example).

The unwrapped modell can now be printed to several sheets. Depending on the complexity of the project, this can be anything from a couple of sheets right to dozens or even hundreds! Smart crafters use a paper plotter to automatically cut out all the parts. I am so happy that I grabbed one, too! It really saves you hours and hours of tedious work.

Once printed and cut out, you need to fold and glue all the parts. This is somewhat time consuming, too -but also kinda meditative. It needs a good amount of practice (and the right glue) to do clean and proper work here.

From your imagination into the computer -and finally into the real world. That’s creativity.

Cinema4D

I am working with Cinema4D for more than fifteen years now (semi professional), but I still find myself discovering new stuff almost every day. It's absolutely amazing how much functionality Maxon packed into this mighty tool while keeping a clean and intuitive user interface. For me, Cinema4D is the perfect allrounder and I use it for all kind of graphics and animations.

Download

Due to many requests I decided to offer the model for download. Unfortunately I don’t have time for a guide or any kind of instructables. I can therefore only provide the PDO files of the model for download. You can view these files in 3D with the Pepakura Viewer and print them as a cut-out sheet using your printer.

Download Mirror #1: Mike vom Mars Lighthouse (PDOs)

You think this article raised lots of questions? Or you're interested into this topic and would like to know more about? Want to express your personal oppinion? Then feel free to drop a comment here.

Author: Mike vom Mars
A couple of years ago, Mike emigrated from his home planet to Earth to study and examine the human species. His findings offer a deep insight into the nature of human beings and their strange society.

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