Chaos' Dark Trooper Gen 3 CRL Development and Pre-Build Thread

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I decided to jump into this costume as I enjoy a challenge.

I will post up various photos as I compare screen grabs and SWC suit photos and think through possible ways to make these pieces and parts into a wearable and easily constructed item.

There is a place for reference photos in this forum so I ask that you don't post them here unless you are highlighting something of interest or expressing an idea. If you quote me and the quoted entry has photos please go in and edit the quote to remove the photos. This will keep the thread neat and organized and easier to read through. With that being said, if you do happen to accidently post something mentioned above, please don't be offended if I remove it. I will be kind enough to send you a PM with a reason as to why.

I anticipate that this will take a while as I am working full time and only doing this during my down time.

There is another thread in here that @nanotek started where we can discus ways to convince the LMOs to accept this costume as a viable CRL Spec Ops character. Please post any ideas you might have or information that will help reinforce references over there.

Quoting Michael Vale in that famous 1984 DD commercial "Time to make the doughnuts!"

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

[Trachta]

The hands I could see being 3d printed and then casted in vytaflex 40 from smooth on.  Kind of similar to what they do with the robo cop costumes.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

1 hour ago, Trachta said:

The hands I could see being 3d printed and then casted in vytaflex 40 from smooth on.  Kind of similar to what they do with the robo cop costumes.

I could do that but the "armor" pieces might loose rigidity and possibly flex out of shape. Its something to consider though.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

First attempt at design and functionality. 

[Trachta]

I wonder if something in the style similar to the iron man gloves people make could work as well, or even the 3d printed Robo Cop hands. 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

6 hours ago, Trachta said:

I wonder if something in the style similar to the iron man gloves people make could work as well, or even the 3d printed Robo Cop hands. 

They could use the design concept but the actual design and details would have to match what we end up using for a CRL photo.

I looked at a lot of 3D printed hand designs. I even thought about making the hands look like the CGI and running wire pulls up into a modified forearm like this guy did for a costume he built.  

 

I may end up trying this later.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I have been working with the finger files and think I have got the right look etc., for the fingers based upon a combination of the CGI and the Stunt costume hands from the Mando Exhibit. I added some back extensions to the fingers so that they would nestle up under the back hand plate. So far so good. I will need to work out the layering of the back extensions so they fit under the hand back plate. I'm waiting on some black Nomex flight gloves to arrive as I think they will work better than the ST and DT gloves (they are too bulky) plus the cuffs extend farther back making it easy to tuck under the forearm and wrist joint. More to follow on that later. Slow and steady!

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I also started on the elbow joint, I thought about printing a Ninja Flex type piece and model it like the Stunt elbow joint but decided if I could get it to look like the CGI geared joint it would be best. I have been playing around with just how to do that. I have looked at medieval suits of armor and other cosplayers ideas and right now this is the best that I can come up with. It consists of an upper opening for the bicep and a lower opening for the forearm. Between each are a set of interlocking / overlapping plates that  when the arm is moved from straight down to a bend up, the plates collapse upon themselves. So far I have been able to get the total bend angle to around 38 degrees and with the gap between my actual arm and the openings I can get an additional movement of my arm itself by about 12 degrees more. That's only about 40 degrees total but I think it might be enough to have a decent range of motion. Of course after I work out the mechanics of it all I will go back and work on the cosmetics to make each section look like the CGI gears in the joint. The photos show only the front side of the joint but the back plates will be arranged and work the same way.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Well I changed the design of the elbow joint. I went back through all the photos and decided to go in a new direction. I think this design will be much better and I can get almost 80 degrees of range of motion. I am printing the parts for one elbow now to test fit and see if my design will be feasible. 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Update on the fingers and hands. I decided to attach the individual joints and covers with heavy duty elastic. I found the stiffness of the glued covers made it difficult for them to stay in place under the back hand plates. After I paint the fingers I will attach the elastic and try out the new design with the hand plates and gloves. By the way the black flyer's Nomex gloves came in and I honestly think they are the best way to go. They fit well and the cuffs are long enough to go completely under the forearms. I'll post photos when I get them assembled.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

The forearms are done to include the greeblies. Now I just need to finish the hands so I can make the joint between them and the forearm. I may use the same design I have for the elbows, just scaled down and simplified.

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

Just pumping this stuff out! I love Nomex flight gloves by the way.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

3 hours ago, IcyTrooper said:

Just pumping this stuff out! I love Nomex flight gloves by the way.

Yeah me too! The tactile feel makes it easier to manipulate triggers and buttons on my electronics.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I have had a chance to put the elbow and forearm together in virtual to test fit things. Now I am in the process of printing the pieces for the left side to see if they will work in practical application. Hard part is waiting the long hours and days to get them all printed. I am hoping that I took enough time in designing them that after the printing I won't have to make any major modifications. If anyone sees anything I missed or might need to tweak please let me know. I am still not sure about the internal coverings for the elbow joint. I want to make them look more like the screen shots than the Mando exhibit.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I had to take a break from designing 3D files so I decided to play around with some electronics I had delivered. Wait for it to load. AUDIO ON. 

[Trachta]

What are your thoughts on making the joints out of rubber urethane casted in a silicone mold? 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

5 hours ago, Trachta said:

What are your thoughts on making the joints out of rubber urethane casted in a silicone mold? 

I have considered that. Currently I'm making the parts match the screen CGI images. If that becomes too difficult then I may lean towards the stunt suit joints we saw at the Mando exhibit. The screen CGI fingers and the stunt suit fingers are totally different. I wish they would have used the same design.

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

I have been dark (no pun intended) on this thread for a while. I took a vacation, got promoted to a new position, and am getting ready to move to new billeting for my job. I have been working on re-designing the fingers and hands. I think I nailed the "stunt" hand designs on my previous work but I kept going back and forth as to whether I wanted to continue my design as the "stunt" suit or did I want to try and replicate the "screen" look. After many hours of looking over both sets of reference photos I think there is enough to go the "screen" suit route. So I completely re-designed the hands and fingers and after a test print and assembly of the pinky fingers I think I have a design that is almost spot on to the screen used hands and also functional to wear. I will post up some photos this weekend as I will have the time to create the photo sets. I bought Do3D's helmet files as it was the closest I could find to the screen used helmet. I had to modify some areas as their design was slightly off in the vent greeblies and also in the lower vocoder area but I think I can call the helmet complete. I just need to print off a test build to see how it will come out. The forearms and biceps with greeblies I think are done. The big challenge is to design the wrist and elbow joints so that they look like the screen suit but are functional like the stunt suit. Once I figure that out I can design the way the joints will attach the pieces together at the elbows and wrists. That will make it easier to complete the thighs, shins, and feet pieces as the joints are the same just different sizes. I've got an idea for the abdomen but it involves me losing a few inches off my waist and increasing the size of the upper and waist pieces in size so they present the correct look but are still functional enough to wear. More to follow soon on that.

Someone else has jumped on the band wagon of the Dark Trooper Mando! I'd like to thank @Andreas Funk for posting up his work and inspiring me to get off my ass and get back to work on this.

[Andreas Funk]

 

 

Hi

Great, I'm glad that I've found someone with whom I can work on this project.
Unlike you, I'm going to deep-draw the full armor and am currently sticking more to the Hasbro character, but your photos of the armor are also very helpful and interesting.
Yes, I will capture everything in photos and videos to be able to use this later.
I think we can exchange ideas with each other.

Imperial greetings

Andrew

 

[Andreas Funk]

 

Hi

I'm completely of the opinion that the Darktrooper is absolutely feasible as armor. I've already developed some versions of joints that are movable even in the horizontal and vertical areas and can still be rotated and are also closed in certain areas to match my model yes the Darktrooper from hasbro 1/16 is.
The armor parts are all deep-drawn from black high-gloss polystyrene, apart from the complete construction drawings to build the molds, I will soon send some photos again
Greetings Andrew

[Andreas Funk]

[Andreas Funk]

Hi
Next month I'll be ready to pull out all of my legs and build them up so that they can be fully put on, then come the arms, then the belly back plate and finally the back and chest armor with the shoulder armor, that's the plan. The costume should be finished as a wearable version by the end of this year, so let's get to work
Good luck to everyone who is thinking

[Andreas Funk]

On 9/6/2022 at 1:23 PM, Chaos said:

I have been working with the finger files and think I have got the right look etc., for the fingers based upon a combination of the CGI and the Stunt costume hands from the Mando Exhibit. I added some back extensions to the fingers so that they would nestle up under the back hand plate. So far so good. I will need to work out the layering of the back extensions so they fit under the hand back plate. I'm waiting on some black Nomex flight gloves to arrive as I think they will work better than the ST and DT gloves (they are too bulky) plus the cuffs extend farther back making it easy to tuck under the forearm and wrist joint. More to follow on that later. Slow and steady!

 

Hallo Chris

is that a problem for you when I ask you if you can send me your STL for your handparts to check them out if there compatible with my armor works ?

Here is my E-Mail Adress   Harleblick18@kabelmail.de

Greatings Andreas

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

6 hours ago, Andreas Funk said:

Hallo Chris

is that a problem for you when I ask you if you can send me your STL for your handparts to check them out if there compatible with my armor works ?

 

Its not a problem, this weekend I am making some adjustments, when I am done I can send them to you to check out.