Hello,
finally I got some time to complete the War Machine printing project. It was hard for me, but a real fun!
Compliments to Joe ( https://vimeo.com/user3828292 ) for his amazing digital sculpting job. It was an honor to print his War Machine.
Here a quick shot. Will follow other images soon…
Mattia
The sculpture is little more then 45 cm tall (approx 18 inches). the War Machine figure have 28 pieces assembled, puls other 18 on the rock (broken pieces of the armour) and 3 dozen of bullets. The rock stand was printed with an FDM machine (6 pieces assembed). Everything was printed at 0,1 mm, except the head, printed at 0,05 mm.
Printing time with Form1+ is appox 97,5 hours, plus other 67,5 hours for the rock (a total of 7 continuous printing days).
The FormLabs black resin surface is painted and varnished (just few acrylic paint with dry brush - the darker color you see is the resin itself). The PLA of the rock was painted in black then finished with colors.
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Hope you like it,
Mattia
Excellent piece of printing and post processing 
This. is. amazing!! Thank you for sharing it.
Would you mind if we featured your work on our blog?
Hi Jason and Colin. many thanks.
Dear Colin, sure you can use the image as you like. Will be an honor.
I am upoading more images in next hours. Maybe you can choose better photos. As you like 
Other pics are caming…
Mattia
Best regards,
Mattia
Holy! That looks AMAZING! saw the model on the Zbrush central forums, when I did so: I thought It would make an amazing figure. Lo and behold!
WOW! Amazing stuff!!
See some additional insight into the process from @MattiaMercante on our blog http://formlabs.com/company/blog/2015/06/16/mattia-mercante-war-machine/
My son was very impressed with this, and is dying to try printing and painting himself. I can’t seem to find the model files anywhere, am I missing something?
thanks!
Hello Simon,
here you can find all you need: http://www.zbrushcentral.com/showthread.php?1112160&p=1112160&viewfull=1#post1112160
Best regards,
Mattia
Thanks very much Mattia,
but I don’t use zbrush, is there a place where you put obj or stl files of the parts? I’m don’t think I can purchase zbrush for your model, even though its amazing!
Hi Simon,
sorry but it isn’t “my” model. And the file shared on the ZBrush forum is too big and complex that isn’t possible to convert it as a ready to print OBJ file. It need work in order to make it printable.
Best regards,
Mattia
ahh…ok. So then if we want to print it, best try and learn a bit of zbrush, and save each part as an obj or stl file to print? I presume this was how the actual print was done, piece by piece, with each part loaded through the preform software and then printed via the form1+?
sorry for the basic questions!
There is an article somewhere on how mattia did this, but yes, he broke it up into many sections. I have looked at the ZBrush model as I want to print this myself, and it will need a lot of work to get a successful model at the end.
Yes, I read the various articles. Clearly a monster amount of work. Yet at some point, the model was broken up into small pieces, and individually printed using the form1+. My understanding of the workflow is that if indeed the form1+ was used with the black resin (as the various articles state), then it must have been loaded via the standard preform software. If thats the case, then somewhere, someone has all the individual parts as obj or stl files, as thats the only formats the preform software takes. So theoretically, someone could just list all these objects in the appropriate format on a website, and then it would be relatively straightforward to print via preform. Putting it all together, and making it look as fantastic as the original author did is another matter though!
Hello Simon,
sorry but it isn’t so easy: each part that was sculpted in the original model isn’t ready for printing. This means that there are many open surfaces and not mainfolded meshes (inverted normals, artifacts, compenetrated surfaces,…). Printing jobs need closed and clean volumes (especially with SLS laser path printing systems). Furthermore if you convert the surfaces into solid volumes, then you will have pieces completely full. This can be ok if you print the statue at small scale (very small) otherwise you will waste resin and have a huge % of printing failtures. Then, assumed that pieces are closed volumes and hollowed, must have the right connections between them… and the original file don’t have these.
As far as I know, there isn’t a downlodable resource with all the pieces already prepared.
That is why it took me lot of time to complete the project: I spent hours preapring the original mesh and optimize it for the Form1+.
Hope this clarify the point.
Best regards,
Mattia
Thanks for replying Mattia, I totally get it! a lot of work on your part building on the foundational work of the original author. He was nice enough to publicly release his original model, which allowed you to do your fantastic work in realizing a 3d print. All I’m asking is that you help us in the same way. Clearly you printed the final parts to form1+, using black resin, and this is what I’m asking you to release - those files.
You mention its a fair number of individual parts (more than 30?). If you could post these files in a form which allows us to print as well, the same way you did, that would be great. We all appreciate the enormous amount of work you did on the zbrush file provided by the original artist, facilitating your final model. I know I speak for many people in saying that we would be very grateful if you could also provide the printable files you used (obj or stl’s which you must have used), so that we too can enjoy the fruits of both your labor, as well as the original artist who publicly released the source material. If you don’t feel comfortable releasing these files (some people sell these files I know), I understand. It seems kind of silly to repeat your efforts on the source material, when you already have the final printable files in hand. I know lots of boys and girls (and more than a few adults!) would really appreciate you releasing the printable files for form1+, so that more people can enjoy the fruits of your labors.
thanks again!
Dear Simon, thanks for the compliments.
Joe made a great gift sharing his model and I respect his decision. He did that because, as he wrote in the ZBrushCentral thread, interested to see how it will looks like if printed. Who interested can try to print it and share the photos. The circle is closed. So, I moved my steps in that way: I’ve used the file to train myself to create a printable mesh (that isn’t my job). If I share the ready-to-print pieces (and take in mind that I’ve done an hobbistic job abut that - I am far to be a pro- to cut the pieces and create joints ;-P) I will loose the Joe’s purpose: No one more will train themself to creating a printable mesh. And I am sure that there are so many other skilled guys that can do this better then me.
So, I can’t share it, sorry.
The only thing that I can do is to sell the printed piece that now is standing on my forniture (and honestly it looks great there 
). If I will give to someone the piece that I have here, I think is reasonable to have back something for the hours spent working on it and for the material used.
I think that you can understand my meaning (sorry for my terrible english) and won’t be too angry with me.
Best regards,
Mattia
Ok,
sorry for the bother, I understand the for profit motive!
I guess I’ll just slog through the zbrush files, but if I get that far, I’ll be certain to post the model files, so others can benefit, and print their own. Thanks for posting the pictures.