stormachtig

I've been campaigning for an *addition* to the colour ranges, as opposed to a replacement. I'm now firmly in camp Black, but I understand that some people (not yet approved) have spent a lot of time and effort working on their armour, and leniency should be exercised. As for the difference in rank stripe blacks.. I'd bet good money that's a gloss vs matte thing, but if somebody has painted their armour dark grey, then as long as there's a noticeable difference, then that should be fine. Then again, I'm not making the rules here.. I'm just campaigning for them to be tweaked. (there are a lot of examples from the past, like the AT-AT driver, where there was an *insane* amount of post-processing involved to make that mid-grey look white. That used to happen a lot (Han Solo's ESB brown/blue parka being another prime example). There's nothing special that's been done in this case. It's just the way that light works, on and off-screen. ).

Just to expand on the point I made above, albeit in a crude way, as I don't have the best materials available, I took a scrap piece of ABS, sprayed it with gloss black, and after letting that cure overnight, I used my cheap Matte varnish on one half of it, to try and demonstrate the difference in reflectivity that those finishes can have on an item. The only difference between the first and second pic is the angle at which it was taken. With multiple, and different, light sources, you can achieve a whole range of effects on objects with a matte finish. (also, to go back to yet another previous point - belts, gloves, and boots, always look darker than the rest of a black costume due to the material/finish - see the TIE CRLs for examples) I had to add this one extra shot that I took a few minutes later after I turned the bench lights off. Only diffused light now coming in through the window. The material behind it is medium/light grey. The painted ABS is still black. Explanation? Matte finish, materials, lighting, angles.

No, it can *exactly* be explained by materials, angles, matte/gloss contrast or lighting. Exactly that. Matte black will never be as uniformly dark black as other compositions of black. You paint one piece of plastic half gloss back, and half matt black, and stick it next to a black boot, and you'll see the difference in perceivable tone of black. The matt will reflect surrounding light in a more uniform manner, making it seem lighter, or even more colourful. It's not just that it "looked black" on set. It was black on set. The actors said it was black and the wardrobe staff said it was black. The only request here is to add the colour of "black" to the permitted shades of armour paint.

Ok, so these are crappy photos from my tv screen, but... In the bunker (around 22:15 or so in The Eye), it's quite clear that the armour is matte black, with no green tint. The black only differs with the reflection from the environment.

Agreed, to an extent. But this is a bad quality example which is down to lighting. You can see that the white railings on the left are bright blue, so of course there is going to be an effect on anything else. Flat surfaces reflect light, whether gloss or matt, but they reflect on different ways. Gloss will provide more "spot" light with greater contrast between light and dark. Matt will tend to take on a more even hue from the reflected light. This photo is taken in the dark with coloured lighting. Not admissible as an example. (also, black fabric will always look "blacker" due to texture differences under almost all circumstances)

I'd say that armour looks grey, but maybe that's just my screen. Like I said, I'm not trying to undo anybody's work - I'm suggesting an addition as opposed to a wholesale correction. Black armour, I feel, is screen accurate. If you take one of the characters and remove the background, sure! There will be a green tint. But we know that the environment was mostly green, because that's what we see on screen. Black armour is completely screen accurate as seen on the hill. When the main characters are inside the bunker, there is no evidence of green hues, more grey... Because the environment is grey. I've always thought of it as black. To me, it's always looked black on screen, but I was talked into painting my armour blackgreen. I wish I hadn't been so easily convinced!

I also watched the Aldhani storyline yesterday while considering whether to make the post or not, but came to a different conclusion! I was in favour of the "greenblack" which was talked about, but now believe that it's just black, reflecting in its visuals the vast expanse of greenery of the environment. It certainly does not appear grey to me, but different eyes see different things on different devices. Since we've now got 4 different people involved in the production of the episodes who say the hard parts are black, can we not just add black as an option, and advise applicants to paint their armour according to screen references? This isn't quite the same as the AT-AT helmet (which appears white due to lighting and post-processing) - this is just environmentals at work. The Ferrix troopers look like they're wearing a slightly different shade, but then they're surrounded mostly by the brown tones of the buildings. I guess sometimes black is just black... 😐

How do we go about updating a CRL already in existence? Is that a simple process? I ask the question with a point in mind. Recently, I've had the fortune to speak with a nice lady called Yvonne who was a stand-by... costumer? wardrobe person? on set at Cruachan, and I've also spoken to one of the extras at the same location. They both told me (because I asked) that the armour was black. That being the case, can we have the CRL updated to specify just "black" as an option? Maybe the chap here that was also an extra for the Aldhani scenes can confirm. (sorry, I can't remember his name!)

It is. Brain forgot to add that yesterday. I've added that to the original post.

KeepTrooping soft goods. Dylon Olive Green. Recommended amount as per weight of fabric. Photo taken outdoors in sunlight.

Is it a ridiculous question to ask where/how the strap attaches to the weapon?

Much better than the neon green you previous had! Definitely in the ballpark now. I think. I've been looking at so many shades of green over the past few weeks, I think I've gone green-blind.

So... I attempted my first round of serious gluing last night. Took the plunge and did the collar on the rear armour. It's about as tricky and annoying as I thought it would be. Turned out not as nice as I wanted it to be, but it is stable. Thought I might have to fill the gap, but the join between the two pieces is visible on-screen. Going to use a strapping system over the shoulders, beneath the actual rubber straps, as I don't know how much I can rely on them. Especially since I'm considering using magnet attachments. Anyway, what I came to say was... The front and rear pieces meet at the sides. Just. However... If I eat more pies.. They will not.

I tried taping stuff together, and the gap isn't as bad as I thought. Just a couple of cm. I think I can fashion a good looking accurate-ish ABS plate on each side to take up the slack...

Yes, thanks.. that's why I was concerned. Also, still looking for WTFers to confirm what they're doing to mitigate this. It actually looks like there are multiple extra pieces on that shot, doesn't there? Possible smooth extension on the back part and a separate place under the front, and over that extending back piece...

First question to the collective; I have a WTF kit - all trimmed, sanded painted.. actually looking really good. Looking for advice from other WTF'ers - the CRL(IP) says that the front and back armour meet at the sides. I'm 100% I did not receive a part in the box for this purpose. Is that correct? If so - what did you all do? Trim and shape connecting pieces out of the ABS sheets? Thanks in advance!

I did a semi-troop a week or so ago, and wore my Aldhani fatigues outside of my TK time. Incredibly comfortable to wear. Too stiff? Here's a tip - iron it. Mine was all tough and scratchy when it came out of the washing machine, but after a good iron... it was super soft and comfy.

I think he means a different CRL, as per the TIE, for example. Not just a version of a single CRL. I know the decision has been made, but I do find it a little strange, given the extra effort involved in making the hard parts, and the identical soft parts. Usually, versions of a costume/CRL have completely different parts. Here, we're adding parts on to a base costume to make different versions. Which usually means a different CRL. (well, I say "usually", I haven't done a review of ALL the CRLs.. but it sounds plausible! )

I thought it was already with the LMOs! Is there a list of tasks and names? Are there any gaps that anybody not already assigned can help with?

That's a beauty! Did you buy it pre-made, or have somebody you know print and assemble it? I'd be interested in knowing the source as I have limited 3D printing resources here.

Then again, it depends what the BTS shots were taken with, right? I've only had one phone that seems to accurately represent the colours on the screen as I see them in real life. If that's not bad enough, the greens look different on my phones compared to my laptop. I mean.... you've seen the last pics I posted, right? Will you take a look at this poop (edit - apparently, the censor bot on the forum is a little on the puritanical side! ) Taken on a bus with the same phone. If you didn't know better, you'd say these were legs from different people / dye batches. I know this is the opposite of super-helpful. But... it does demonstrate that given the difficulty of getting things to match accurately on screen, maybe the definition of the colour range should remain.. not vague, per se, but not especially specific. "Olive green... blah blah... screen references... blah.. aim for this range.. blah.."

You're using Rit, right? I'm no expert in dyeing stuff (this is the first time the process hasn't ended in a semi-disaster for me), but I guess there's only two variables - amount and shade. TeaJay's swatches are all much deeper/darker greens, and assuming you're using Olive Green like he is, it should just be a case of doing the process again but with more dye? Plus maybe adding a little brown? If you have spare fabric, play with that. Always a risk doing everything at once. (I do that, but I'm stupidly impatient ) ((also, thank you for the compliment on my green! ))

I think that looks good! I know the camera can make the colours look a bit whacky, but I'd say this is definitely in the range.

Do you have a better photo? The colours of the clothes and the background being so similar, and the bright sunlight(?) means that everything is washed out. It just all looks... "light"., Can't really tell the colours apart. Maybe it's just me though.

I know you're only asking for @TeaJay 's assessment @Vanedor , but that green looks way too vibrant/lime/neon. Then again, the camera can be tricksy. On the plus side, since you're on the light side, it's easier to dull/darken down with more dye. I tested my stuff in trooping conditions today. Freakishly cold winds, but bright sunlight. Before this, I was ok with the shade.. not 100% certain. Now I'm very happy with it. Again - 2 pods of Dylon Olive Green for hat, top, and bottoms, in one washing machine load.