Idea for an FFG article: Creating a Miniature

[JaggedLittleFel 162]

...or some title along those lines.

 

I want to see from start to finish.

I know I'm not alone.

[Kyrios Mirage 588]

That would be cool. I'm curious how they do it, as opposed to other companies (if there even is a difference...).

[Gadge 4,294]

Pretty similar processes used these days by the bigger companys with digital/rapid prototype sculpting.

 

Injection moulded plastics used to have a very long lead time, be very epensive and were usually made as masters three times the size you buy them at 'three ups'.   I used to guide VIP guests round GWs productions facilities but that was over ten years ago its moved on a long way since then.   Plastics are now pretty easy to produce and dont take months to get them to work as components like they used to (basically a lead model from 'green' out of putty to production mould could be done in a few days whereas a plastic kit could take the best part of a year).

 

I'd love to know how FFG do theirs in this day and age.

 

I'd *imagine* though its close to what GW were doing when i left them in 2006.

 

A sculptor uses a virtul tool to make a digital model, a layered 3d printer style rapid prototype is made (again usualy larger so you can put intons of details), this is then pantographed ( a machine than you trace over the large model and it carves the minituarised version into steel presses three or four times smaller) to the correct size in the press.

 

Then they get banged out in parts, probably glued by hand, probably painted by putting them in 'masks' and spraying them.

 

Just guess.  Be really interested to know the process.

 

Obviously GW made stuff on sprue and unpainted so total supposition about the assembly and painting.

[Engine25 2,910]

I'd be interested in this as well as a summary of their game design process for x wing, from conception to testing to final card text.

I work as a technician in the film industry, and it's interesting to me how much or little some know about how movies are made, even though they love to watch them. Here, Im the other side of the coin. I'm sure far more work goes into it than many realize and I'm interested to see the process.

[chilligan 1,302]

I second this. It would also be interesting to see how they paint them. They probably have molds that only cover the model partially, but it would still be nice to see.

[Gadge 4,294]

Give the consistancy of paintjobs i'm almost certain its spray painted /airbrushed over a series of masks then 'washed' with a black ink which is skimmed off... whether its done by machine of a 12 year old in india or china i cant tell you.  I hope it is the former

 

Going back to my old job, *years* ago i put a proposal forward for prepainted 40k forces and vehicles with the argument that a lot of people like playing, just dont have the time or inclination to glue stuff together and paint it.

 

I could see 'dragon' making a fortune doing this with 20mm wwii models.

 

GW shot down the proposal (or rather one man did who considers himself 'gw' ) with the claim that 'its not *the hobby*'

 

Clearly Xwing s success shows that to a lot of people 'the hobby' is playing the game, not spending a 10 to 1 time ratio on painting to playing