October 06, 2024, 07:22:26 PM

Author Topic: Mayan Pyramid Test Print  (Read 2205 times)

Offline Stormwind

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Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« on: October 21, 2016, 12:11:03 PM »
I was visiting a friend the other day who has a small 3D printer.

Anyone who knows me will know that I spend an inordinate amount of time looking through forums and websites always looking for "bits" or terrain odds and ends that could be useful for something now or in 10 years in the future "when I get around to it".

One of the things I've been thinking about is jungle / Lustrian style terrain for Warmaster, that I could probably also use for Epic in future.  That means Mayan or Aztec style pyramids or ruins.  It's not a popular setting for wargaming so not many people make them, and when they do, they're for Pulp adventure settings in the 15mm to 28mm scales.

The thing is, with a 3D printer, you can /tell/ it what scale to print in...

We went on "Thingiverse", which is a website where people share their basic 3D print files, and looked for pyramids.


This fellow was a 6cm temple that took about a 80 minutes to print.  I knew it would be too small but I wanted to see how it would turn out.  It is 6cm along it's sides. A 10cmx10cm base one would have have taken 4 hours or so but of course would be proportionally much bigger.

It has me thinking - that I should get into Google Sketchup, and see if I can make something more fitting to the cartoonier 10mm scale of Warmaster and make a base that I could print different sizes from.
My Personal & Modelling Blog >>http://theancienttrack.blogspot.co.uk/

Offline Lex

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Re: Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« Reply #1 on: October 21, 2016, 02:23:39 PM »
Map the sides and print those, far flatter and thus quicker print

Offline Stormwind

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Re: Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« Reply #2 on: October 21, 2016, 03:22:05 PM »
That's a thought - and indeed doing the flat sides for something was another idea I had, to do the edges of a Spawning pool, inspired by:

http://www.forum.specialist-arms.com/index.php?topic=1127.15

But also, would be nice to have one a little more detailed looking like this:

http://www.lustria-online.com/threads/lizardmen-battlefield-terrain.4574/
My Personal & Modelling Blog >>http://theancienttrack.blogspot.co.uk/

Offline empireaddict

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Re: Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2016, 07:09:18 PM »
I've been finding some useful terrain pieces by searching for aquarium ornament + [specific type] on eBay.  They usually need re-painting but otherwise they're quite an easy win.
"I cannot believe you when you say [your friend] has identical plastic boxes for his armies, all color coded [...] Don't you think that is being little obsessive?"
"Yes, but not enough to scare us wargamers."
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Offline mlkr

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Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2016, 09:51:44 PM »
Map the sides and print those, far flatter and thus quicker print

Should also be cheaper to cast up in resin and much cheaper to pay for p&p when you start selling kits of them ;)


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Offline marell le fou

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Re: Mayan Pyramid Test Print
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2016, 11:22:49 PM »
Interesting idea. You are in concurence with the aquarium models, hence. I have some of them and turned them into WM scenery.

They are a little bit high so yours could be more useable.

I council too to cast the first with 3D and then mold this original. Far cheaper than printing everything.

And to add specific lizardmen motifs, to help increasing the interest, compared to aquarium ones.