Groizer X - Space Pirate

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Hello, everyone. I hope this is the right place to put this thread.
Anyone know of a good FREE papercraft model of the robot/ship from an 80's anime show called "Groizer X", aka "The Space Pirate"? I've been looking around in the internet for it, but the closest I've got was someone saying that it had been built, but it was difficult!
So, if anyone could be so kind to point me in the right direction, I would really appreciate. I have attached two images of it, for reference.
Thanks in advance!
 

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Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Hmmm...

Hi

It seems that my post didn't go anywhere...:cry: Since no one pointed me in any direction, I started learning Blender from anything I could lay my eyes on, and tried to make a model myself. Here's what I've got so far.
It's kinda like the cartoon, but I'm still working on it. I haven't done any internal support structure yet.
Please tell me what you think:confused:, but don't hit me too hard, ok?:cry: I'm just a beginner, and this is my first model (AND IT'S STILL WIP)...:eek:ops: Besides, I have yet to learn how to unfold it.
 

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ThunderChild

Active Member
You are off to a wonderful start Rogerio, it looks fine.

Just a useful tip when starting out on your own designs:
One thing to remember while creating your 3D model, is to always think to yourself: "How will I unfold and build this specific area"
It is easy to forget that you are actually designing a model you will have to unfold and physically build, and if you forget that, you start adding more and more detail, ending up with parts that are just too small or too complex.
Of course, the bigger you want the finished paper model, the more fun you can have with the details.

Looking at your head, I really like the spikes, they look cool, but be careful that they are not too difficult to make from paper. If you know you can build a cone that thin, or if your paper model will be big enough to be able to build the spikes, that's great.
One solution for the spikes if they are too small is to make a flat 2D shape instead of a 3D cone.

I have to say that, for your first design, you choose a model that can be challenging in some places but by the looks of it you are coming along nicely. Keep up the good work man!
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Thanks!

It looks like you are off to a really good start.
Thanks, Mentor! Your words mean a lot to me :inw:!
You are off to a wonderful start Rogerio, it looks fine.

Just a useful tip when starting out on your own designs:
One thing to remember while creating your 3D model, is to always think to yourself: "How will I unfold and build this specific area"
It is easy to forget that you are actually designing a model you will have to unfold and physically build, and if you forget that, you start adding more and more detail, ending up with parts that are just too small or too complex.
Of course, the bigger you want the finished paper model, the more fun you can have with the details.

Looking at your head, I really like the spikes, they look cool, but be careful that they are not too difficult to make from paper. If you know you can build a cone that thin, or if your paper model will be big enough to be able to build the spikes, that's great.
One solution for the spikes if they are too small is to make a flat 2D shape instead of a 3D cone.

I have to say that, for your first design, you choose a model that can be challenging in some places but by the looks of it you are coming along nicely. Keep up the good work man!
Thunderchild,

You are always as kind as it gets:thumb:. Thanks for the very kind words, and even more for the tips.
Yes, I am really worried about the antennas/spikes, specially because they are in two-stage building, like telescopic ones. I am still thinking about how to design an internal support structure, mainly because the front wings are long and thin (a total aerodynamic absurd, I know, but it's just like the cartoon, check it out...:cry:). And the weight of the weapons and "wing tips" (they do look like tanks, but really small ones:confused:) don't do any good to it.
After building the Enterprise, I think I might have learned a thing or two about internal support, but the front wings... They are all that I've already said, and they have an upright angle, to make it worse...:eek: Let's see what I can make out of it!:eek:ops:

Thanks!
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Once again...

HI, all

It seems that I'm having a little trouble trying to design an internal support structure for the model. So, as we say here in Brazil, "taking a lift":twisted: from what I have learned in my previous buildings, I designed my first attempt of internal structure to the "chest" part of the ship.
BTW, I pratically redesigned the whole thing, since there was no simmetry:rolleyes:. Only now I've learned how to do mirror mesh editing in Blender... I guess (and hope) it will work.:p
Of course, I'll have to come up with something rather efficient for the wings (these will be a challenge), since the "rocket legs" are tubes, and that's the easy part.:mrgreen:
Once I have it all figured out, I think I'll be able to do an alpha build. Let's see!
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
So far, so good!

This is how the work is... A good deal of it has been changed since the first pictures. I hope for the best!
Please don't hit too hard, I'm still learning! And I don't know whether the antennas will be 2d or 3D yet. If 3D doesn't work, then 2D will be.
 

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ThunderChild

Active Member
You'll be doing a lot of reworking on your designs as you learn new things with your software. That's normal and a very good sign! I'm honestly glad to see you have not given up. The only way to learn is to do. And you my friend are doing a good job. Keep it up! :D
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Right on!

You'll be doing a lot of reworking on your designs as you learn new things with your software. That's normal and a very good sign! I'm honestly glad to see you have not given up. The only way to learn is to do. And you my friend are doing a good job. Keep it up! :D

Thanks, ThunderChild!

Coming from you, those words are really appreciated. I'll try to keep myself up to the expectations.
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Skeletons in the closet...

Hello,

This is what I came up so far for wing and chest inner support structure. Any comments?:confused:
 

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Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Hmmmm...

Yes, I get the idea. What about making straight cross sections to determine the shape of the first set of formers like this:
http://ludemannengineering.com/2013/01/23/building-the-body-buck-part-1-ribs-foam/

and then another set of diagonal slices which interconnect to the first set like this:
http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php?topic=78490.40

I really thought of something like that when I started the chest. If you take a look at the chest inner structure, you'll see that it pretty much follows the idea, although a bit simpler. That is due to my intention of using thicker paper for the inner structure...
About the wing skeleton, I don't now if that would work... I mean it, I really don't!:confused: Of course, I'm no aeronautic engineer, but... since the front wings are very long, thin and have a rectangular section, do you think it would work, specially with the things (greebles?) close to and on their tips?
I did it for the rear upper wings, though...:thumb:
 

ThunderChild

Active Member
For the main wings you could always create a very long box going through the body. If your model is big then you can even add internal support for the box.
 

Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Hmmmm...

For the main wings you could always create a very long box going through the body. If your model is big then you can even add internal support for the box.

I thought about that, too, but the problem is the upward angle of the wings...:cry: And there's the head and helmet of the ship in the way...:curse:
Revell-Fan posted a great link, but I don't know if that would work for my case (please see latest posts).
I'm solving some problems for the rear wings, but still taking suggestions on how to do it!:mrgreen:
See ya!
 

Revell-Fan

Co-Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
For the main wings you could always create a very long box going through the body. If your model is big then you can even add internal support for the box.
You could use the box as a socket for the wings. Prolong the wing where it attaches to the body (and so create a plug) and stick it into the box similar to the way the arms on Julius' Iron Man are attached (there he made a tube instead of a box; a box should add more strength to the construction and hold the wing in place properly).
 

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Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Ooooohhhhhh...

You could use the box as a socket for the wings. Prolong the wing where it attaches to the body (and so create a plug) and stick it into the box similar to the way the arms on Julius' Iron Man are attached (there he made a tube instead of a box; a box should add more strength to the construction and hold the wing in place properly).

With the pictures, everything got much easier to see, thank you so very much! Yeah, Julius Perdana's Iron Man is a great example, specially because we both worked on it...:mrgreen::thumb:
About the box: should it extend to the wing tip, or maybe just till the missile launcher? It would add less weight to it, don't you think?:confused:
Thanks!
 

Revell-Fan

Co-Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Erh, that's something I cannot tell now. These are the questions which can be answered during test building. That's the reason why I begin exporting and unfolding my models before I have decided on the final shape of the formers. However, the box should be attached to the wing tightly with its flaps behind the face which closes the wing. In order to achieve that, do not make a complete box but leave one of the sides open and add flaps to that side. Cut out a rectangle which is as big as the open side of the box from that mentioned face of the wing, put the flaps through the hole, fold them up and glue them to the inner side of the face. Then close the wing with it. Do not make a complete box and simply glue it to the wing; it would sag then.
 

ThunderChild

Active Member
Actually I used the term "box" loosely, trying to get the concept across. in fact, to save on paper and weight, you can remove the top and bottom of the "box" because you only need the sides.

Here's a pic showing the method I use in my designs lately, its easy to do and I haven't received any negative feedback about it (yet).

I tried to get my example to look somewhat like what you are going for Rogerio, of course your model is a little more complex but I hope it get's at least the method across...
 

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Rogerio Silva

Active Member
Hmmmmm... and YEAH!!!

It looks as though as I was doing something right for the body, and that makes happy! I'm beginning to grasp the way to do it.
About wing structure, I was kinda in the right path, but probably overthought it. The simpler solutions here presented by you show it; I do thank you all once again!
I'll make the necessary changes... All right, guys!!
 
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