Dark Trooper - I have a suit, what next?

[HidingInCosplay]

Hi! I'm new to the 501st, having built a Dark Trooper cosplay from scratch without knowing anything about registering etc... sorry! 

I'm thrilled to find that there is some discussion already underway about a CRL for the Dark Trooper, is there any further news? 

That's me at SWCE2023!

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Jo,  nice job! I and another member are in various stages of building kits, I think you are the first to actually build something that is wearable and recognizable.

We have not actually started any CRL wording. I think the biggest hurdle is determining what we want the CRL to represent. We have some good photos from a Mandalorian Exhibit at which they had a stunt suit on display. which though very similar to the screen  CGI effects suits, it still has some missing components and obvious variations in the hands, mid section, neck, shoulders, and limb joints. If we go the stunt route, it will make it easier to replicate a wearable suit, but it will be very obvious that it is not as what appeared on screen. If we go the screen route, we will have to have all the elements of the screen version but in a design that can be worn.

Andreas, who has a build thread already started is going the stunt route for the most part and is doing an awesome job with pulling ABS and various other build materials. I am going the 3D route. I have finished modifying a helmet from Do3D which is a great design but it lacked some of the detail greeblies that were seen on the screen helmet. I have completed the forearms and biceps. My biggest challenge has been the hands. I started out using the design of the stunt suit, but was not happy with the way it looked verses the screen. I think the screen hands are way more ominous so I completely resigned them. I am in the process of printing and assembling the pieces and hope to have a finished hand design in the next couple of weeks.

You might want to turn this into a build thread if you have photos from your build or maybe post up individual pieces with explanations on construction etc.

Build threads we can reference will help us immensely in progressing to actually writing a CRL.

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

I'd second what @Chaos said about a build thread for this! I'd be very interested to see your process in this, you look great!

It'd be awesome to get this CRL started as far as the wording goes with the amount of talent that we have on the ABS and 3D printing.

[Andreas Funk]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:53 PM, HidingInCosplay said:

Hi! I'm new to the 501st, having built a Dark Trooper cosplay from scratch without knowing anything about registering etc... sorry! 

I'm thrilled to find that there is some discussion already underway about a CRL for the Dark Trooper, is there any further news? 

That's me at SWCE2023!

Hello

can you send a new Foto I can't see or open it

 

Greatings

 

Andreas 

 

[Andreas Funk]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:53 PM, HidingInCosplay said:

Hi! I'm new to the 501st, having built a Dark Trooper cosplay from scratch without knowing anything about registering etc... sorry! 

I'm thrilled to find that there is some discussion already underway about a CRL for the Dark Trooper, is there any further news? 

That's me at SWCE2023!

Hallo

 

I am Andreas from Germany and build a Darktrooper Version from a Hot Toy 1:16 Dark trooper

I want all the Armor Parts vacuum form from hips

Now I build the Greeblies for this Armor

 

greatings 

 

Andreas

https://imgur.com/yVWgeNi

https://imgur.com/IVxCsvh

[HidingInCosplay]

Hi Andreas, hi everyone, apologies for the big gap in comms, my day job has been crazy since Easter and I haven't had a chance to get my WIP thread sorted. 

I'm hoping after this weekend I'll get a bit more time to get the photo uploads done so I can get a thread going. 

Since SWC, I've made some fixes to the suit - I only got it wearable the day before so there were a number of issues that arose on the day. I'm taking lots of photos as I go along so should have lots to share soon. 

Most of the armour is 3d printed in PLA, using STLs from Nikko Industries and Andromeda 3D with some major adaptations (the files are definitely designed for the male form rather than someone with curves LOL). The feet and belt greebles are eva foam. 

I've also found the hands extremely challenging, currently on version four, based on some tactical gloves with eva foam fittings. Hoping they look better this time. 

Low quality images attached, more to follow soon. 

MTFBWY

Jo

[IcyTrooper[CMD-DL]]

@HidingInCosplay no worries! I understand that life can be busy! I can't wait to see the WIP thread and making some movement again on getting that CRL text drafted and images captured for the CRL  

[HidingInCosplay]

Hi @Andreas Funk @Chaos @IcyTrooper!

Finally had some time to curate my WIP images into imgur, so here we go!

Reference materials https://imgur.com/a/OPeeRf5

Images of the HotToys figure, the image from Andromeda3D on Etsy (shop sadly closed now) and my own Black Series figure (which is a bit too small to be a good reference but helped me identify the parts of the STL files I couldn't recognise from the TV show). 

I bought two sets of STL files, one from Nikko Industries and another from Andromeda 3D. 

Each set had advantages and disadvantages: the Andromeda was generally better designed for a human to wear but was missing some elements, notably the ammo strap on the right shin. The Nikko is more squared off and screen accurate, I think, but the belt and ab greebles were designed as a single impossible-to-print piece among other issues. 

The amazing Marc Lohez at Printastique in Dorset gave me a tonne of advice as I was a total newbie to both 3d printing and armour design, I can't thank him enough for his patience. 

As I was totally new to this, I opted to get the helmet made for me, by Paul at PSD Armoury; he was also massively helpful throughout the build. His helmets and droids are usually display-only so he made a few adaptations for me, including eyes that glowed but that I could still see out of. 

 

[HidingInCosplay]

Initial ideas for scale https://imgur.com/a/FAO3i2K

Marc and I used the Black Series figure to start to assess how we would scale the files (I also have zero Blendr or 3d modelling experience!). We used an artists' mannekin to fit tiny versions of key pieces, to see whether they could be put on as a single piece or whether they needed to be split. 

Because I'm female, the capability to remove enough of the suit easily to be able to take, ahem, bathroom breaks during the day was important in our plans, as well as decisions over how big a piece would fit on the printer bed in one go. 

We opted to go for PLA print so it was as light as possible; I'm not especially strong or fit and I had concerns that a lot of weight would just made the suit exhausting to wear. 

On the other hand, I've obsessed throughout the project about accuracy (before I knew the 501st existed 😄), so there were lots of compromises to make where wearability and accuracy were in conflict.

[HidingInCosplay]

First foam build - belt greebles https://imgur.com/a/AaC5zJ4

At the start, I wasn't sure how much of the suit should be printed and how much would be eva foam, and how I would finish the whole thing - I wanted maximum shine! Eva foam seemed more difficult in terms of getting a gloss finish but I was really worried about weight too, so considered doing some pieces in foam where the finish wouldn't be so much of a problem. 

I also wanted to make sure I could keep my phone with me during the day, so the first piece I worked on was this belt greeble, initially made out of foam.

Um... I've also never worked in eva foam before so I was learning all the skills super fast! 

Looking back at the pictures, I've realised I did the whole thing in three months. I am certifiable, apparently.  

[HidingInCosplay]

Harness first design https://imgur.com/a/cR4ACF2

Previously, I've been more about the needlecraft than 'hard' crafts, so designing and stitching the harness was more in my comfort zone. 

I wanted something to distribute the weight of the various sections. It had several adaptations as the project progressed, but this underlying 'cross your heart' design endured. Another difference in designing for a female cosplayer: a traditional 'braces' style harness would have put weight on my boobs! Sorry if it's not OK to include these details, lol. 

[HidingInCosplay]

SDCC? No other detail https://imgur.com/a/H99Sid2

Someone on a cosplay group sent me this, I think it's from SDCC? It's a really good effort, I think, but it made me even more convinced that the finish needs to be SHINY. The person wearing the suit has a very different build from me as well, I should really do a side by side comparison at some point 😁

[HidingInCosplay]

Foam techniques - filling and detailing https://imgur.com/a/QjTWftY

Automotive vinyl wrap test https://imgur.com/a/Ngphltl

These two really make me cringe now - I have come a long way since this bodge effort. 

I still have a lot to learn if I'm going to use foam for future builds. 

I was really interested in the possibility of using automotive vinyl wrap to get a super-glossy finish, and the test pieces I did looked great! There were two downsides: one was that it was difficult to get a good finish on small non-rectangular detailed items (the smaller belts greebles would have been a 'mare) and the other was that the edges of the vinyl started to lift and peel after a short amount of time (a couple of days). 

I actually took some pieces to an automotive wrap company near me to ask their advice: their answer was that the wrap needs quite a lot of heat and pressure to get a good, lasting seal - more on the 'heat' part of that shortly. 

[HidingInCosplay]

Hands attempt #1 https://imgur.com/a/7QTdZhx

Hands attempt #2 https://imgur.com/a/zgIJCLc

Hands #3 https://imgur.com/a/lNFUCtL

Hands #4 WIP https://imgur.com/a/MU3wWHg

All the hands so far! 

I'm in the midst of attempt #4, hoping this one's the charm!

OK, taking a break to rest my eyesight (I'm old!), if you have a chance @Andreas Funk, @IcyTrooper, @Chaos to let me know if this is the kind of thing you need, please do; I will never be offended to be given basic advice! 

[HidingInCosplay]

Accidental double post, apologies

[HidingInCosplay]

First print: blaster greebles https://imgur.com/a/mO8EDRm

Until we found our way with the sizing of the armour, Marc and I opted to make the main sections of the blaster the first print we did. It immediately looked amazing and really got me inspired! 

We had a bit of trouble getting the greebles to fit; the print on the sight failed a couple of times and I had to redesign its mount because the version in the files was very flimsy (you can see it some of the SWCE images that it's held on with a strap and kept getting knocked out of place). 

The rails on the barrel are also a bit flimsy so I have reinforced them with a little extra thickness where they joined. 

Last image here is Marc with the raw print. 

I think my version of the blaster is too big: would value a steer on how long it should be. I also note from the TV show that the DT seems to be able to stow the blaster against the right thigh bug that there's no evidence of a clip, holster, strap etc. The ammo magazine also sticks out significantly on the inside of the blaster, which means it won't sit neatly alongside my leg. For con days, it would definitely help to be able to stow it quickly. 

[HidingInCosplay]

Scaling files; if only I'd known... https://imgur.com/a/BILs8mG

The Blendr file for the thigh, with a first effort at a scale. 

The thighs have been a giant headache. I needed to make them short enough so they didn't foul the knee rings and didn't come up so high I couldn't walk, but also wide enough so that they would fit my fairly sturdy thigh. 

I also hoped to make it removable without having to take off the rest of the legs.

It was a big expensive print and we didn't want to get it wrong so we tried a few slices, and settled on the final sizing. More on the ensuing disaster later. 

[HidingInCosplay]

Helmet arrival https://imgur.com/a/L96wh79

Helmet fix https://imgur.com/a/Q6qq9LI

Paul at PSD Armoury made this for me, a find on Etsy. He usually makes helmets and droids for display only, so the helmet is raw on the inside. 

Because the DT helmet is so shallow, and I have an above-average sized head 😄 there's not much space inside. I had intended to fit a trooper cooler but there was no space for the battery pack, plus the original eye LED system sticks out and presses into my cheeks a little. The battery for these LED strips is smaller but dies really fast, so I've upgraded it since SWCE. I also added some slim foam strips to stabilise the helmet. 

Paul had mentioned he'd had difficulty fixing the chin/respirator section, there's only a very narrow edge to glue along. It snapped off quite soon after it arrived in spite of my efforts to avoid rough handling, so I added a layer of eva foam on the inside to try to avoid it snapping again. This might required a rigid reinforcement soon. 

Hot tip: putting my hair in two bunches instead of a pony tail helped it fit better too! 

 

[HidingInCosplay]

Important lesson about heat and PLA https://imgur.com/a/OYoqq9T

The first armour section I got to work on was a forearm, I spent HOURS sanding (not having discovered spray putty at this point. 

I then rinsed the sanding dust off and got impatient waiting for it to dry, took a short cut with the heat gun and... disaster! 

Well, that taught me a lesson. 

This was the reason for deciding against vinyl wrapping for the finish: the heat needed to seal the wrap would have melted the print. 

[HidingInCosplay]

Shoes foam build https://imgur.com/a/Hznhkn7

Shoes are so crucial for cosplay, right? 

The feet in both the STL file sets were solid, inflexible and impossible to wear, so I decided early on to make the feet in foam. They're based on a pair of wellies, cut down and cut away, with some lifts in the heel (I wanted to try to get a bit more height). The foam shoe fits over the top, so the original sole is still on the ground for safety. 

I jointed the shoes with elastic so they would flex as I walked without creasing or splitting. I also didn't want them to be too long: I wanted to be able to climb stairs safely, so the result is probably not quite right in terms of proprtion. 

 

[Chaos[CMD-DCA]]

Outstanding! Nice work and kudos for documenting your build. 

[HidingInCosplay]

Thanks, @Chaos😊 

I've been on an incredibly steep learning curve, not really having done any 'hard' building before, so I wanted to try to keep a record for myself of the journey, it's been a ride! 

I hoped to do a full try out of the fixes yesterday but hit some big problems, *sigh* back to the garage...

[Andreas Funk]

 Wonderful
 It's progressing tomorrow I'll also send new pictures
 The remaining molds for deep drawing have been built and are now 
 being fine-tuned
 I've already started my construction report, 
 I just have to see it's better to create it as a PDF because it 
 already contains many photos and reports
 But Dark Troopers we are on a very good way and I am sure that
 we will get approval

 Imperial greetings from Germany

[Andreas Funk]

Hallo

Here some Photos from my remaining molds

https://imgur.com/nOiWdm2

https://imgur.com/QNfDqQY

https://imgur.com/U2BVHpm

https://imgur.com/dHCsrW0

https://imgur.com/IQyS0qb

 

The next few days I will deep draw all parts, then I will send all parts as a photo again
Imperial greetings from Germany

[HidingInCosplay]

Wow!