Yamaha Jack-O-Lantern (customized unfold)

Revell-Fan

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Hello folks,

Halloween is approaching and like every year it is time for me to build something for my dear colleagues. This time I chose the Jack-o-lantern from Yamaha.

I built one for myself last year to check out how the piece was assembled. It is really a cute model but the unfold could be improved. Some steps were rather difficult, the model was about to be severely damaged during assembly. That made me edit the unfold to produce a more user-friendly arrangement. It took me two builds to see which changes had to be made. And now I'll show you how to do it. :)

First, fire up InkScape since the Jack-o-lantern a vector file. This preserves images quality and makes editing much easier. Then import the first page of the two-page file: File > Import (Ctrl+I) > OK:

jack1a.jpg

Center the image by clicking the "center" buttons in the positioning dialogue:

jack2.jpg

Right-click the image and "ungroup" it:

jack3.jpg

All separate elements are compsied by an "ants road line". Now move in onto the image by using the "+" button on your keyboard. (NOTE: "+" is for zooming in, "-" for zooming out; the mouse wheel moves the image up and down). Using the hotkeys is much easier than going through the command functions. ;)

jack4.jpg

Draw a rectangle around the lower mouth parts and the bottom piece to select them. Move them away from the body piece using the up / down / right / left keys or the mouse:

jack5.jpg

Click on the flaps comprising the bottom piece and delete all but one of them.

jack6.jpg

Zoom in and move it to one edge of the main body piece. Double-click it:

jack7.jpg

Drag the little cross in the center to the top left edge. This is the new rotation point. Then grab the "turn" arrow at the bottom right and turn the part towards the edge:

jack8.jpg

Zoom out. Chose the "rectangle" drawing tool:

jack9.jpg

Now draw a white rectangle to hide the single top ring parts on the main body. This will hide the parts forming the top ring of the main body. If you assemble the ring as is, the ring will look segmented. In addition, glueing all the single elements together is a it tedious. It is easier to hide them than to edit the shape of the part. Choose "no colour" for the contour:

jack10.jpg
 
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Revell-Fan

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Draw a new flap using the freehand drawing tool:

jack11.jpg

Select both flaps by holding the Shift key and clicking on them.

jack12.jpg

Double them by either Ctrl+C > Ctrl+V or Ctrl+D (the latter doubles the elements and is the easier combination because you don't have to execute the paste command). Then move them up to the next empty edge. Continue till all edges on the body piece have flaps:

jack13.jpg

Mark the center pieces of the top part the same way, double them and move them to another location on the canvas. This gives us a new complete ring for the main body. Re-arrange all parts till the page looks like this:

jack1.jpg

Now you have four separate parts which are much easier to assemble. :)

Save the new file as *.pdf: File > Save as > *.pdf.

jack14.jpg

Next: The build. CU! :)
 
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Tonino

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THIS is a wonderful example of how a tutorial should be!
Step by step, nothing is taken for granted, all is explained and documented, every single mouse click!
I would like to see a lot of these "how to" ! ! ! :)

BRAVO RF!!! :Bravo:
 

Revell-Fan

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Thank you! :)

This is the first time I actively used InkScape. I mainly use CorelDRAW12 but it has problems opening / importing *.pdf files correctly. This is a known problem with that version. One of the most irritating things is the use of the mouse wheel. In Corel you zoom in and out with it, in InkScape you scroll up and down. The "+" / "-" keys are much easier to use for zooming than the menu commands. Another thing which should be improved is the lack of an elements explorer. You cannot see which elements are grouped and you have to click on an element on the canvas to select it. This is more of a trial and error method. In Corel you can select certain elements from a special dialogue box which is much easier if you want to move, delete or recolour something:

jack15.jpg

I still have to discover the "snap-to-corner / -edge / -line" function in InkScape which would make aligning elements more precise. ;)
 

Rhaven Blaack

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@Revell-Fan It looks like you have made that "Jack-O-Lantern" project your own. I like the tutorial that you did on the redo of the unfold. Your version looks like it makes more sense. I am looking forward to seeing the build of it.
 

Gandolf50

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Have fun with snap function...it always wants to snap to every-thing in the world but where I want it to go...same with snap to grid!! Then I forget and use the wheel to zoom in an woosh...there it goes...but for FREE what's to complain about...;) Nice Tutorial by the way!!!!
 

Revell-Fan

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The build begins! :)

The parts are cut out as usual. However, I found out that it is better to leave the eyes and nose cutouts intact for the time being. I also left some "flesh" around the upper jaw area. That way the main body part will get more strength. If you cut out all openings first the part will become very flimsy.

DSCF6661.jpg

The parts are pre-shaped (rounded) by pulling them over a pencil:

DSCF6662.jpg

The main body leaves are glued together one by one:

DSCF6664.jpg

You may have noticed that I did not cut out the flaps as intended. I wanted to save time and only made several cuts into them. ;)

When the main body was completed I attached the top ring:

DSCF6665.jpg

DSCF6666.jpg

Then I cut out the eyes and nose and removed the excess flesh at the mouth:

DSCF6667.jpg

The next picture shows how the new unfold compares to the old one (on the left):

DSCF6760.jpg
 
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zathros

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Freaking awesome!! You amaze me Revelle-Fan!!! with a nice fat candle in there, or one of those lights that blinks bright and erratically, it would look awesome, and it won't rot!! :)
 

Revell-Fan

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DSCF6822.JPG

:wink: :wink: :wink:



:fireguy: :fireguy: :fireguy:


...


AHEM! :hammerhead: OK. Back to topic.

Assembling the top piece can be challenging. It took me a few attempts to find out the best way to do it.

I start with scoring and pre-shaping the leaves as usual:

DSCF6807.jpg

DSCF6808.jpg

The leaves have to be glued together one by one. I begin with the one next to the ones with the stems. I find this easier because it prevents the stem pieces from getting in the way.

DSCF6817.jpg

Having glued all stemless leaves together I take care of the stem leaves. They are glued together and then to the neighbouring leaves.

DSCF6818.jpg

DSCF6819.jpg

DSCF6814.jpg

The stem halves are glued together, folded down and attached to the surface.

DSCF6815.jpg

Done! :)

DSCF6816.jpg

Of course you may proceed as you prefer, the way presented here is just a proposal. :)
 
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Revell-Fan

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Howdee pumpkin people, right in time I'll give you the conclusion to this build thread. :)

I have created a white pattern and printed it at 300 %. It was then traced onto heavy orange cardstock. I'll explain how to turn a colourful pattern into a white template for enlarging in another thread in the new GIMP section, BTW. ;)

This huge pumpkin is almost the size of my head. :D ;) It will be turned into a candy jar for my cousin's birthday. Assembly does not differ from the smaller ones, so I'll show you only a few random images I took during the build:


DSCF6828.jpg

DSCF6829.jpg

DSCF6826.jpg

I cut off the stem and assembled it separately. Since it was orange like the rest of the model I had to cover it with brown crafts paper. The edges were painted with a brown felt-tip. Easy-peasy. :)

DSCF6830.jpg

DSCF6831.jpg

When everything was finished it looked like this:

DSCF6833.jpg

Lights on:

DSCF6834.jpg

DSCF6841.jpg

DSCF6842.jpg

DSCF6845.jpg
 

Revell-Fan

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A few more impressions:

DSCF6853.jpg

DSCF6856.jpg

DSCF6847.jpg

DSCF6851.jpg

DSCF6861.jpg

DSCF6872.jpg

DSCF6873.jpg

Today all small ones were stored appropriately

DSCF6888.jpg

DSCF6892.jpg

and sent to their new owners. My colleagues loooved them!
:)

THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

:):):):):)
 

Rhaven Blaack

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These look FANTASTIC! You did a GREAT JOB!!!
NICE touch on the box!!!
I am glad to hear that your colleagues loved them!
 
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