Totally get why it’s infuriating but it does look pretty cool. Especially when it’s so subtle you don’t notice it easily without a closeup.
Can you hear that, costume designers? This is the sound of my 3D printer! It says „I‘ll have these deltas printed in no time.“
https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/scalemail-armor-flexible-scales-connected
I feel like this is similar enough it could be tweaked.
Now that you mention it, a 3D printed roller with the necessary pattern could be used to “print” that pattern on fabric.
If I had to guess, I’d say they probably used screen printing.
I’d wager you’re right, the lines to the right of the deltas flex with the uniform, so they may have used a metallic puff ink screen printed on.
God I wish… There are a couple things I’ve wanted to make with a 3D printer. MY NEED IS MIGHTY.
Find one used and be willing to tear it down and put it back together. Print extra parts once you have the process down. Prusa has kits if you’re willing to pay for a premium. Both assembled and built it all from parts.
Good 3d printers will have good instructions for repairs. Putting it together from parts is what you should really consider doing. Because 3d printers have a lot of movement and that needs to be corrected at times. If you spend the initial time to assemble it, breaking it down to fix something isn’t something to stress about.
Either way it’s a rollercoaster of an experience. Once you feel like you’re comfortable doing the first prints, you will look deeper into the abyss…
Most people don’t understand how basic 3D printers are. They’d be way better if it wasn’t for all the 70s patents holding them back for decades.
1989 patent by Stratasys
↑ This guy RepRaps.
I just got one real cheap and I’m having a great time with it. There are also services you can use that mail the prints for you
See if you have a makerspace or a hacker space near you. They are amazing for access to geeky tools, and knowledge.
Some public libraries have them on site.
I’ve actually been working on a similar thing for the SNW uniforms by printing direct to fabric. First tried TPU, but it’s hard to get a consistent pattern of some of the fine details. Some of them come out better than others. Then tried a transparent PLA–the emblems are small enough that the flexibleness of TPU shouldn’t be necessary–but it didn’t stick very well.
So they’re either using a very carefully calibrated 3d printer (and this is the first time I’ve worked with TPU), or it’s a different technique entirely, like a mask.
Full details of SNW uniforms for cosplay, for those who are interested: https://www.makingitsew.com/starfleet-duty-uniform-skant-variants/
This was a feature of the Kelvin uniforms in the first two movies. Including the undershirts.
I actually forgot about that somehow. I guess just because I saw Discovery far more.
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Eh. Not a huge fan of the ‘Nah, not canon’ stuff, jokes or otherwise.
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They want cosplayers to advance the state of the art by finding a cheaper way to do shit like this.
3D print a roller with the pattern and then roll it over very thin eva foam. EZ.
Screen printers of the world unite!
The new uniforms have something like that too:
Command
Science
Coms/EngineeringYep! That’s what I meant with SNW keeping the detail in. It’s not quite as obvious as the DSC gold on navy but it’s a really really cool touch and update to the classic design.
That looks like machine embroidery with metallic threads to me. Can already imagine how you would program the machine.
No, it’s not threads. Here’s a closer picture: https://www.makingitsew.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/illustrator_command_ops_pattern-1.jpg
They might use some kind of mask to spray something on. I tried to replicate it by printing TPU to fabric, but TPU can be hard to work with for such fine details and consistency.
Haven’t watched the show yet but that’s some Harry Potter looking shit.
This wouldn’t be super difficult with a vinyl cutter. The placement would be the most challenging part which just takes some practice and patience.
More like it’ll piss off the people who know that the delta didn’t become the symbol of all of Starfleet until after Kirk’s five-year mission. During TOS every ship had its own symbol.
Common misconception. There were several different emblems for different parts of the fleet, but each ship did not have a unique emblem. Someone from the costume department assumed that each ship had a unique emblem and one episode had it wrong, but we also have the memo telling them to not do that again.
I mean you can just run gold t-shirt foil through a plotter and get pretty much that exact effect. It’d still be a massive pain in the arse to get the waste removed and the pattern applied, but nothing that’s outside the realm of capability for cosplayers.
A friend of mine created similar detailing on the leather jacket they made. It involved hand-cutting tiny deltas out of plastic, adhering it to the jacket, then painting it with some kind of leather protectant to create the embossed effect. They’re not sure how well it will hold up over time but it looked great on first wear.
Mask and spray paint, maybe?
Rubber molding is probably the least-bullshit way to get it exactly right. Press or roll a bunch of little divots into some reasonably firm material you’ve made damn sure is level, pour in dark latex, get a thin sheet of flexible material with a bunch of bumps. Try to dip that bumps-down into a very shallow pan of metallic paint. Any goofs can be touched-up by hand.
The quick way is to run a paint roller over some bubble wrap.
Seriously though, if you spray-paint bubble wrap black, then run a sponge of gold paint over top, that’ll just about do. I’d only worry about the spray paint somehow melting the thin plastic… and the inevitable damage to all your shiny bumps.
Do pre-strung sequins come spaced-out? I am unclear how those work. If their orientation can be fixed then you could get a little tool and snip each circle into more of a Pac-Man shape.
Oh - “honeycomb sequin” might do. Gold on black, then delete the bottom of each sequin.
