Applications closed, thanks for all the artists who applied!
Unfortunately, we had a NoGo on 17/11/2013 due to higher budget priorities.
We'll take action to get a budget and vote again on it on the February 2014 meeting.
If it's still delayed, it'll be again on the agenda of the September 2014 meeting.
More explanation follow on trailing post.
Hi all,
We're a French Association, that writes a Sci-Fi universe called Hoshikaze 2250, in a collective and cross-media way. We have already written a considerable background, through 50 short stories from 10 authors, a Conventions-tested RPG and a prototype Elite-like videogame. One of our authors is currently writing our first novel in this universe. We're currently only a collective of enlightened amateurs, but have plans and hopes of going professional in the next few years. We would like to establish ourselves as a cooperative company, probably under the French Consumers' Cooperative legal model, to ensure sustainability for our creative project.
This universe comprises 9 sentient species so far, including Humans, each with a unique twist and a complex background. No species is dominant or destitute, but they share thousands of star systems and hundreds of colonized planets. The story so far is one of epic Space-Opera laced with stories of understanding and cooperation between very different beings.
Here's a picture of the 6 main species, plus the extinct Purgatorians (and, yes, the Human has elven ears, such prosthetics being very fashionable ^-^) :
For years, we have dreamt of making figures of our characters... We would like to publish a series of figurines based on these species, as well as some starships figures, of which we have so far around 25 unique designs. And Shapeways could well be the sandbox in which we could test how this fares...
The first set, being figurines, would be based on 54mm for Humans, as this scale seems to be optimal for a balance between details and price, and well-suited for future developments. Of course, some variations will occur between the different species : from 40-45mm for the small pseudo-insectoïd K'Rinns to around 70-75mm for the feline-centaur-like Rithai. We would like to begin with Spacers, that is, a set of figurines of all 6 main species (the other 3 being either extinct or uncommon), all in spacers outfits made from the same fabric, that could form a multi-species spaceship crew. 4 will be easy : the Humans, K'Rinns and Rithai already described before, and the reptilo-avian Sshaads. For the Shapeshifters, we'll have to choose between their natural medusa-on-tentacles-like shape, or an assumed shape of another species, but with twists making it obvious that this is NOT a native of that species... The last one is the Pupeteers, who live as symbiots on gengineered animals, so the figure will have to show a particular Bearer animal, with enough details to clearly see the Pupeteer on it. For now, we have extensive 2D drawings on all species, by various illustrators from the project, but no 3D model at all.
Starships will seem more simple after that, except that they were created using DoGA, a "3D for Dummies" software working as a parts assembler rather than a modeller. So, even if there is actually a 3D model exportable in 3DS format, they are unusable as is, because they are made of parts, which are only juxtaposed, but not really merged. So, the 3D modelling will have to be redone using the existing model as a mere blueprint. We have ships ranging from fighter to cruiser size, most of them being various cargo ships, with a few military ships. Also, most cargo ships are modular, will hulls and/or containers that fit onto a main hull holding all fixed components. I don't know if this would make it difficult to print, as for the details and structural strength needed.
If you're interested, you can see more information on our website and wiki, in French only, but well-illustrated :
https://hoshikaze.net, and particularly the descriptions of the species and ships, for instance in the wiki :
- Rithai, one of the 6 main sentient species :
https://hoshikaze.net/hk-wiki//index.php5?title=Rithai
- Irali, a typical transport ship in 3D :
https://hoshikaze.net/hk-wiki/index.php?title=Irali_%28navire %29
We envision to first test with Shapeways how modelling such figurines is possible. The 3D model themselves could then be used by the Hoshikaze team to make illustrations, or by the videogame, or for other uses as we see fit, so we hope to fully integrate the modeller into the team. We would like to have it posted on such sites as Renderosity, to enable artists to make 3D art in the Hoshikaze 2250 universe. As for figurines, we have contacts with crafters in France, so after testing with 3D printing, we could move on to miniature figures, hence the choice of 54mm as a scale...A