Monday, December 18, 2023

X-COM Custom Figures: Sergeant Argentina Isabel Romano, Ranger; and Lieutenant Ilaria Rossi, Sharpshooter

 

Dear fellows, here we go with two other Team members of the Team Menace 1-5.

My new X-COM cusotm figures are:

 Sergeant Argentina Isabel Romano, Ranger





And her card:
Name: Argentina Isabel
Surname: Romano
Sex: F
Nationality: Argentina
Age: 37
Rank: Sergeant
Class: Ranger

Please find her 4d complete view in the X-COM custom figures Gallery!


And the next is:

Lieutenant Ilaria Rossi, Sharpshooter


And her card:

Name: Ilaria

Surname: Rossi

Sex: F

Nationality: Italian

Age: 53

Rank: Lieutenant

Class: Sharpshooter

Please also find her 4d complete view in the X-COM custom figures Gallery.

Byezzz

Skif


Tuesday, December 12, 2023

X-COM Custom Figures: Major Viyan Antar, assault and Sergeant Ibrahim Okon, specialist

 

Dear fellows it is time to better balance the number of enemies with the number of members of the Team Menace 1-5.

That's why I am here to show the two last completed X-Com figures:


Sergeant Ibrahim Okon, Specialist

and his card:

Name: Ibrahim

Surname: Okon

Sex: M

Nationality: Nigerian

Age: 31

Rank: Sergeant

Class: specialist


and Major Viyan Antar (which deserves a special mention!)



And here is her card:

Name: Viyan

Surname: Antar

Sex: F

Nationality: Kurd

Age: 19

Rank: Major

Class: assault


Both XCOM figures can be seen in the 4D format in the dedicated X-COM Custom Figure Gallery.

Enjoy (as I do)!


Skif

Monday, December 11, 2023

XCOM custom figures: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, aka the Sectopod the Advent Turrett and the Zombie.

 

Dear followers, if any, finally I have done with three other X-Com custom figures!

Please take a look at the Zombie!


Don't forget to visit the dedicated gallery of Xcom Custom to see its complete 4D view.

And now it's time to show the Advent Turrett.


Last but not least the diabolic Sectopod! 

One of the fearest alien enemy both in X-Com Enemy Within and in Xcom 2 in its upgraded version.

Hop you like and hope you want to see this X-Com custom figure also in the Gallery where I published the complete 4D view.



I am pleased to show also what is in the melting pot for dinner.... as I am approaching the end of the planned issues for this serie, that is 45 XCOM customized characters.

Only 10 custom of X-Com figures are left, and I hope to complete them within January 2024.

I think you recognize any of them. If not... from the left we have: a Team member male, the Avdent Commander, on the back you can barely see the Heavy Advent Mech, first line for another Team member female, Exalt sniper on second line and last on the right another female Team member. 


See you soon on this blog, if like those works.

Yours Skif.


Friday, December 8, 2023

XCOM Project Sectopod custom figure

 

First of everything else, I have to mention and thank the author of  a fantastic job he made free on the net.

The author is sutinoer and he published on:

https://p3dm.ru/files/characters/supernatural/10698-sectopod.html

that is the biggest part of the work I am going to realize next days. You can download for free.


Sutinoer published more that one hundreds 3D pictures in .dae format of many many characters, fornitures, weapons, etc etc. 

My total respect goes with this person, please take a minute to visit his pages because this man is a pro!


The second step is to convert the .dae file into a .stl file.

This also is very easy and totally free online and takes no longer than 30 seconds. Just go to:

https://imagetostl.com/

and upload your .dae file to convert into a .stl one.


Last step is to run the slicing software that you choose when you bought your 3d printer, choose your scale and just press print!!!!

The result is below. There were hundreds of temporary supports to be removed and this took a bit of time, but finally I have my sectopod thanks to sutioner.


Considering that there is the driving seat on the top of the sectopod and it is usually driven by a sectoid, the final figure in scale 1/20 it should have been printed with a height of approximately 200 mm height.

My Anycubic Photon Mono 2 has a 165 x 89 x 143 mm (HWD) volume of printing so that I was limited by this constrain. Final height  is about 90 mm, but I am satisfied in any case. 

Now it is only a matter of  reallocate some parts that have been detected from the figure with transparent glue and paint, paint, paint like hell!


Just do it.

Skif


 

Thursday, December 7, 2023

X-COM Advent Stun Lancer Custom figure

 

Started customization from a resin figure bought on internet, I have to say that the quality of the print was really a royal one.

Hope you appreciate this Alien troop!

Visit the X-COM Custom Figure Gallery to see also his 4d view.

ciaoooooo

 



3D printers killed the modeling stars part 3/3 conclusion

 

The answer to this post title assumption is: definitely not.

I started modeling also on some software, it is a matter of time and needs to understand the different available commands, a part this the process is identical to model from scratch.

Luckily there is no need of the internal iron wire support, that was one of the most boring things to do for me... stay tuned, in few months I'm pretty sure I'll print my own designed first model.

In the meantime a suggestion to those who start  resin 3D printing and have in their mind that resin must be washed before curing with expensive machinery and liquids like IPA or similar.

IPA can be find at 10€/l not specific for resin figures, up to 30€/lt for those specifically promoted for 3D printing resins.

No way. It's a hobby not a bloody hobby! 

It is true that the resin not cured starts to collapse on your printed figures if not properly washed away, and this effect produces ugly effects on the printed model.

I tried with commercial products available in the market close my house and they only partially worked.

I did not want to use IPA because that's toxic and highly flameble and difficult to find in the markets a part the cost.

So I used normal Alcol 90° that you probably already have in your house. 

No high costs that is about 6€/lt, no toxicity, no angry wife for strange liquids around the house, you can find it everywhere.

Washed the figure in a little tank for about 20 minutes, and this is the result:


My opinion is that this is more than satisfactory for my needs, no uncured resin left, ready to be painted or customized. It will become a  friendly Advent Heavy Mech.

Compared to the original DAT file that I used to convert into the STL file to go 3D printing, I only changed the position of the legs to make him appear less static.

Next Post is to show you my last work, a Advent Stun Lancer.

Skif.




 


Monday, December 4, 2023

X-COM Custom Figure: Captain Shui Zhang, Psionic

 

Finally I got the new FEP and finally I started printing with my Photon Mono 2 3d printer. Of course my first print is related to those works of XCOM:


After three failed attempts, I understood the method and nobody can stop me now!! :) :) :)

Next step will be to learn how to sculpt on a 3D software. To avoid the extinction, as modeler, I don't want to fight, I want to embrace new technologies. As Darwin said: it is not the stronger to survive the changes, it is the one that can adapt itself to those changes.


And now let's see the new finished custom X-Com character:


Of course you can see the complete 4D view in  the X-COM Custom Figure Gallery. Meet you there!

And here is his card:

Name: Shui

Surname: Zhang

Sex: M

Nationality: Chinese

Age: 31

Rank: captain

Class: psionic