Wilycub's "Virtual" Custom Figures

adssse · June 25, 2014, 7:40pm

I would love to see more of these Wilycub. Makes me think of what could have been!

Wilycub · June 26, 2014, 2:34pm

Thank you! Well I really did want to create more of these 3D figures, ideally, all the characters that appeared in the cartoon but never made it into production.

But I’ve just been so busy with my day job that I hardly get any time. And since my job involves sitting in front of the computer for most part of the day, I just don’t have the strength to spend another couple of hours staring at the PC at home! LOL! Hopefully when I get some free time (maybe during my vacation) I’ll get cracking on a couple more.

culvuk6 · June 26, 2014, 3:32pm

Fantastic ability. Really impressive indeed.

Mark_M · May 8, 2016, 9:00am

Wow. Those are amazing. If only you could get those 3-D printed. Love all of them, but Claudis is my favourite. :rolleyes

Wilycub · May 9, 2016, 12:59pm

Muchas gracias! 3D printing is still a bit on the expensive side, but the rate at which the technology is developing and expanding, I feel that it is a matter of only a few years before it will become very affordable. Then I would surely like to get these printed out.

Mark_M · May 9, 2016, 3:26pm

Get several printed and you will have a cue of people on here more than willing to purchase them from you.

adssse · May 9, 2016, 6:00pm

I have no idea how much it costs or how many would have to be produced to make it worthwhile, but I would definitely be interested!

Mark_M · May 9, 2016, 8:15pm

See Wilycub.

Wilycub · May 10, 2016, 5:08am

I myself don’t know exactly how much such a figure would cost to get 3D printed. There are many companies which offer this service and they can even provide one with the exact cost of printing, but there are two problems with that.

Firstly, it requires one to upload the 3D design to their site so they can analyze it. That is an issue because such files are generally very big in size and my internet isn’t the fastest. Also I’m not too keen on giving my entire design to the company. It is very possible that someone could get their hands on the file and start printing and selling my designs. :cautious

Secondly, in order to minimize cost, all 3D designs need to be digitally “hollowed out”. So there should only be a “shell” that gets printed to reduce the amount of plastic used and consequently the overall cost. I don’t really know how to hollow out the 3D figures. It’s a bit complicated and technical process, and these big companies like Pop Culture Shock or Icon Heroes have special people who handle just this specific task. One guy does the sculpting, one guy does the technical preparation of the 3D file, one guy does the painting, and so on and so forth.

Also 3D printing is generally used for prototyping and not for mass production. This is because the cost of printing one figure is the same as the cost of printing 100 figures, unlike factory production in which the more items you order the less the cost. So toy producers usually get one or two figures 3D printed to see how it looks, rectify any mistakes and then send these figures to China to get molds made out and manufactured in their factories at cheaper costs.

However, that does not mean that I’ve completely abandoned the idea of getting these printed out. I have a few friends who are more versed with the whole process of toy making and I am going to discuss this with them. And if I ever do go ahead with the printing, I will surely print enough figures for all my friends here on TC.org.

Daremonger · May 10, 2016, 2:25pm

Wilycub:

I myself don’t know exactly how much such a figure would cost to get 3D printed. There are many companies which offer this service and they can even provide one with the exact cost of printing, but there are two problems with that.

Firstly, it requires one to upload the 3D design to their site so they can analyze it. That is an issue because such files are generally very big in size and my internet isn’t the fastest. Also I’m not too keen on giving my entire design to the company. It is very possible that someone could get their hands on the file and start printing and selling my designs. :cautious

Secondly, in order to minimize cost, all 3D designs need to be digitally “hollowed out”. So there should only be a “shell” that gets printed to reduce the amount of plastic used and consequently the overall cost. I don’t really know how to hollow out the 3D figures. It’s a bit complicated and technical process, and these big companies like Pop Culture Shock or Icon Heroes have special people who handle just this specific task. One guy does the sculpting, one guy does the technical preparation of the 3D file, one guy does the painting, and so on and so forth.

Also 3D printing is generally used for prototyping and not for mass production. This is because the cost of printing one figure is the same as the cost of printing 100 figures, unlike factory production in which the more items you order the less the cost. So toy producers usually get one or two figures 3D printed to see how it looks, rectify any mistakes and then send these figures to China to get molds made out and manufactured in their factories at cheaper costs.

However, that does not mean that I’ve completely abandoned the idea of getting these printed out. I have a few friends who are more versed with the whole process of toy making and I am going to discuss this with them. And if I ever do go ahead with the printing, I will surely print enough figures for all my friends here on TC.org.

Cool beans!

Mark_M · May 10, 2016, 4:49pm

Wilycub:

I myself don’t know exactly how much such a figure would cost to get 3D printed. There are many companies which offer this service and they can even provide one with the exact cost of printing, but there are two problems with that.

Firstly, it requires one to upload the 3D design to their site so they can analyze it. That is an issue because such files are generally very big in size and my internet isn’t the fastest. Also I’m not too keen on giving my entire design to the company. It is very possible that someone could get their hands on the file and start printing and selling my designs. :cautious

Secondly, in order to minimize cost, all 3D designs need to be digitally “hollowed out”. So there should only be a “shell” that gets printed to reduce the amount of plastic used and consequently the overall cost. I don’t really know how to hollow out the 3D figures. It’s a bit complicated and technical process, and these big companies like Pop Culture Shock or Icon Heroes have special people who handle just this specific task. One guy does the sculpting, one guy does the technical preparation of the 3D file, one guy does the painting, and so on and so forth.

Also 3D printing is generally used for prototyping and not for mass production. This is because the cost of printing one figure is the same as the cost of printing 100 figures, unlike factory production in which the more items you order the less the cost. So toy producers usually get one or two figures 3D printed to see how it looks, rectify any mistakes and then send these figures to China to get molds made out and manufactured in their factories at cheaper costs.

However, that does not mean that I’ve completely abandoned the idea of getting these printed out. I have a few friends who are more versed with the whole process of toy making and I am going to discuss this with them. And if I ever do go ahead with the printing, I will surely print enough figures for all my friends here on TC.org.

Sell the designs to Lulu-Berlu those guys that made the Lunatacks figures a while back. ££££

adssse · May 10, 2016, 5:56pm

Wilycub:

I myself don’t know exactly how much such a figure would cost to get 3D printed. There are many companies which offer this service and they can even provide one with the exact cost of printing, but there are two problems with that.

Firstly, it requires one to upload the 3D design to their site so they can analyze it. That is an issue because such files are generally very big in size and my internet isn’t the fastest. Also I’m not too keen on giving my entire design to the company. It is very possible that someone could get their hands on the file and start printing and selling my designs. :cautious

Secondly, in order to minimize cost, all 3D designs need to be digitally “hollowed out”. So there should only be a “shell” that gets printed to reduce the amount of plastic used and consequently the overall cost. I don’t really know how to hollow out the 3D figures. It’s a bit complicated and technical process, and these big companies like Pop Culture Shock or Icon Heroes have special people who handle just this specific task. One guy does the sculpting, one guy does the technical preparation of the 3D file, one guy does the painting, and so on and so forth.

Also 3D printing is generally used for prototyping and not for mass production. This is because the cost of printing one figure is the same as the cost of printing 100 figures, unlike factory production in which the more items you order the less the cost. So toy producers usually get one or two figures 3D printed to see how it looks, rectify any mistakes and then send these figures to China to get molds made out and manufactured in their factories at cheaper costs.

However, that does not mean that I’ve completely abandoned the idea of getting these printed out. I have a few friends who are more versed with the whole process of toy making and I am going to discuss this with them. And if I ever do go ahead with the printing, I will surely print enough figures for all my friends here on TC.org.

It certainly sounds like there is a lot to take into account and considering how much you have put into these designs it is nothing to take lightly. Whether you ever decide to print them or not I am certainly glad you created them!

Brutikong · May 11, 2016, 8:54pm

Hey Wilycub
check out my thread where I am 3D printing some Thundercats statues.
http://thundercats.org/forums/index.php?threads/thundercats-by-brutikong.9880/

We should talk, as I had many of those same concerns and questions when I started. I think these kind of community supported fan activities are what is going to keep the franchise alive, and would love to see you move forward with it.

Captain_Shiner · May 22, 2018, 10:44pm

Phenomenal work Wilycub. The Mandora in particular is exquisite

They could have sold her with the electro charger and a free quickpick

Wilycub · May 23, 2018, 6:00am

Thanks mate! Absolutely! The Electro-charger was a vehicle that was just screaming to be made into a toy. Actually they should have made it and Mandora first instead of the Thunderwings, Luna Lasher, and Stilt Runner (even though I really do like their designs! :biggrin).

Daremonger · May 23, 2018, 6:27am

Are you up to making any more 3D ThunderCats figures?

Captain_Shiner · May 23, 2018, 6:49am

Why on Earth didn’t they make a Ratstar? It was featured often enough

Captain_Shiner · May 23, 2018, 6:50am

If you are I have some requests

Wilycub · May 23, 2018, 8:38am

Good suggestion! I’m guessing it may be due to the size? Probably why they scrapped the Feliner. Too big = costs a lot = people don’t buy.

An LJN Castle Plun-Darr would have been great though!

I wanted to create a lot more such figures but don’t really have the time. When I made these, I had quite a bit of free time. But since then I’ve been preoccupied with other stuff that doesn’t leave any time to create more of these 3D figures. But hopefully I’ll revisit this project some day in the future.

Captain_Shiner · May 23, 2018, 9:47am

Understood.

Could have done a Mumm-Ra and Mumm-Rana double pyramid set