Item Search
     
BG-Wiki Search
+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 24

Thread: FFXI & 3D printing     submit to reddit submit to twitter

  1. #1
    Sea Torques
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    694
    BG Level
    5
    FFXI Server
    Asura

    FFXI & 3D printing

    No, I'm not asking how to do it. Because I've figured it out!

    http://www.kitf.photo/photos/i-3jD24...-3jD24Wb-M.jpg

    http://www.kitf.photo/photos/i-gNPjR...-gNPjRGz-M.jpg

    http://www.kitf.photo/photos/i-fGShK...-fGShKqk-M.jpg

    http://www.kitf.photo/photos/i-ZfMhr...-ZfMhr3X-M.jpg

    Pen I tried to make, didn't work that well:
    http://www.kitf.photo/photos/i-q2vhM...-q2vhM8W-M.jpg

    Instructions!
    Spoiler: show
    TOOLS:

    Foyle's Model Viewer (which means only models up to 2011, if anyone has a newer version PLEASE share it)
    http://www.mediafire.com/?av9g812vm8c3dnv

    Metasequoia:
    http://www.metaseq.net/english/index.html

    Google Sketchup (Pro Trial needed to import DXF)

    1. Get what you want exactly in model viewer, including poses, etc
    2. Export MQO files in from the model viewer
    3. Open it in Metasequoia. OPTIONAL: If it has paper thin areas, copy/paste, extrude about 5 or so, and then invert the faces. That should thicken it up a bit.
    4. Safe as a DXF file.
    5. Open it in Sketchup Pro (there's a free trial)
    6. Go to where all the points converge in the center, use the eraser tool to get rid of all of them. Make sure you don't accidentally erase any of the outside faces.
    7. Use the STL plugin for Google Sketchup to export to STL, the format that most 3D printing programs can use.
    8. OPTIONAL: Use Netfabb to clean up the STL to avoid any errors in 3D printing.
    9. Print!


    It's not perfect, unfortunately, since FFXI's models weren't anywhere near made thinking of physical models in mind. The mandy's legs broke off while taking off the print supports, so I had to glue it back without them. But some work pretty well!

  2. #2
    Bring on the Revolution
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Posts
    21,077
    BG Level
    10

    This is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing

  3. #3
    Irish Vagabond
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Posts
    535
    BG Level
    5

    Really cool. My boss is thinking of getting a 3D printer for the office. I will hopefully be able to contribute soon!

  4. #4
    An exploitable mess of a card game
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    13,258
    BG Level
    9
    FFXIV Character
    Gouka Mekkyaku
    FFXIV Server
    Gilgamesh
    FFXI Server
    Diabolos

    Would Altana viewer work?

  5. #5
    Sea Torques
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    694
    BG Level
    5
    FFXI Server
    Asura

    AltanaViewer is only a viewer, Foyle's is needed to export the DATs to MQO 3D files.

  6. #6
    BG's #1 Hatsune Miku fan!
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    7,435
    BG Level
    8

    Just don't try to sell stuff or SE will come down on you like the hammer of the gods.

  7. #7
    Fishing Guru
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    4,723
    BG Level
    7

    Neat!

  8. #8
    smashcat
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    109
    BG Level
    3
    FFXI Server
    Alexander

    I might try adjusting the smoothing groups or turbo smoothing the meshes to help with the faceted look. I know 3ds max has had plugins to import .mqo files. I'm half tempted to even export these meshes to zbrush and sculpt more detail into them...

  9. #9
    Caesar Salad
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    28,300
    BG Level
    10

    You need a heated bed, that warping shouldn't be there.

  10. #10
    Sea Torques
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    694
    BG Level
    5
    FFXI Server
    Asura

    Quote Originally Posted by Salodin View Post
    You need a heated bed, that warping shouldn't be there.
    This was with a heated bed, not sure what's up with it. I just got the printer on Friday, so it probably still needs some calibrations.

    Quote Originally Posted by pooter01 View Post
    I might try adjusting the smoothing groups or turbo smoothing the meshes to help with the faceted look. I know 3ds max has had plugins to import .mqo files. I'm half tempted to even export these meshes to zbrush and sculpt more detail into them...
    Yeah, most of the detail in the models come from the texture. These are PS2 models, so you won't get -that- much with just the mesh from the game. The faceted look is from the STL format, it only respects points, and doesn't do any smoothing of the triangles. The only way to smooth it would be to make it more high-poly.

  11. #11
    The Tower
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    2,160
    BG Level
    7
    FFXIV Character
    Stromgarde Siren
    FFXIV Server
    Gilgamesh
    FFXI Server
    Siren

    Judging by your pic of the back of the mandy it respects alpha mapping, which is pretty neat. I've always had a ton of respect for SE's model artists doing so much with so little with regards to poly count and texture size. One thing that I see on your corsair model which you may wish to consider amending for future prints is the clipping of the tassets of the body piece through the legs, but you can modify that manually in MetaSeq if you so desire. As far as smoothing goes I'm many years out of my last art class but short of doing a crazy amount of work to enhance the models a heated knife or even a hooked sculpting knife may help depending on the melting point/hardness of the material. Super nice to see that something like this is finally within the reach of consumers!

  12. #12
    Melee Summoner
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    30
    BG Level
    1
    FFXI Server
    Carbuncle

    That's amazing.

    If only Square had this technology and some way to deliver it to the public. >_>

  13. #13
    smashcat
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    109
    BG Level
    3
    FFXI Server
    Alexander

    Quote Originally Posted by Suteru View Post
    The faceted look is from the STL format, it only respects points, and doesn't do any smoothing of the triangles. The only way to smooth it would be to make it more high-poly.
    Ah, that would also explain why it handles the models so well as is. character models are full of holes, so I assumed it would be difficult to recognize solid geometry. Could still use a turbosmooth modifier in max, though that would have some slightly undesired effects too(silhouette would shrink slightly).

    the art college affiliated with my school has a 3d printer, I may try bringing one of these into zbrush and sculpting it slightly and see if i can get decent results. thanks for the info.

  14. #14
    Hydra
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    106
    BG Level
    3
    FFXI Server
    Sylph

    That is pretty freakin cool... You should make a prishe statue. haha ;p

  15. #15
    Drunken Red Mage
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    2,907
    BG Level
    7
    FFXIV Character
    Auspice Lasserott
    FFXIV Server
    Hyperion
    FFXI Server
    Cerberus

    Fucking awesome!

  16. #16
    Sea Torques
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Posts
    694
    BG Level
    5
    FFXI Server
    Asura

    Also, SketchUp doesn't do a good job of handling high-poly models, so it freezes up trying to render anything too complex, like Bahamut or Odin. If anyone else wants to take a crack at generating an STL file, please post it!

    edit: Or if you're afraid SE might crack down on rips of their 3D models, a better method would work for me too.

  17. #17
    HABS SUCK!!!!!
    Sepukku is my Hero
    Therrien's Cum Dumpster

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    37,942
    BG Level
    10
    FFXI Server
    Gilgamesh

    I'd assume as long as you dont sell them for profit, SE wont do anything. I mean, they've never gone after ffxiah or BG or ffxidats.

  18. #18
    Custom Title
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    1,066
    BG Level
    6
    FFXI Server
    Diabolos

    Quote Originally Posted by Suteru View Post
    This was with a heated bed, not sure what's up with it. I just got the printer on Friday, so it probably still needs some calibrations.
    Somebody call Garrus.

    FFXI abuses the shit out of smoothing groups, which don't get translated well outside of the game (FFXI really is that low-poly, it just has really aggressive, probably binary per vertex, smoothing in a really unprecise lighting engine). It won't be as simple as subdivision, you need to remesh with some selectivity in smoothing. This would probably go something like:

    1. Rip model
    2. Create vertex groups from low poly mesh, differentiating clothing from flesh and whatnot.
    3. Perform and save two heavy subdivisions, one smoothed and one not, retaining vertex groups.
    4. Import both to xnormal, bake a vertex displacement map from unsmoothed to smoothed.
    5. Import this vertex displacement onto the unsmoothed subdivided mesh.
    6. Adjust the smoothing of each vertex group by adjusting the vertex displacement strength to desired effect; smooth skin, chunky armor, sharp hats...

    This is the most 'artless' way to do it and still control smoothing effectively to not smoosh everything into blobs. Also it doesn't require any overpriced bullshit like Zbrush or Maya

    Quote Originally Posted by Suteru View Post
    Also, SketchUp doesn't do a good job of handling high-poly models, so it freezes up trying to render anything too complex, like Bahamut or Odin. If anyone else wants to take a crack at generating an STL file, please post it!

    edit: Or if you're afraid SE might crack down on rips of their 3D models, a better method would work for me too.
    Sketchup is kinda crap. It's only really for making Google Earth models. Even Blender has an STL exporter, and some spotty MQO importers too.

    Send me a model to work with, like Alexander or Odin, and I'll see what I can do.

  19. #19
    Custom Title
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    1,066
    BG Level
    6
    FFXI Server
    Diabolos

    Sooooo...

    Got that Alex model you sent me. Decided to do things the annoying way and all but retopo it (really: just tris to quads and chased down a bazillion edges). Four subdivisions later it looks great.

    How big is your printer? :3

  20. #20
    Smells like Onions
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Posts
    1
    BG Level
    0

    Thanks for this post! Now I can print some figures I want for personal display!


    User was infracted for this post.

Similar Threads

  1. FFXI Model viewer (where is a link)
    By mako in forum FFXI: Everything
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 2004-12-08, 19:05
  2. Replies: 3
    Last Post: 2004-09-17, 13:51
  3. WINDURST ~ REFERENCE POST ~ Print this out!
    By Yummy in forum FFXI: Everything
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 2004-09-07, 00:25
  4. When in rome..... you cant FFXI
    By in forum FFXI: Everything
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 2004-07-26, 21:11