Switch to supported free models - Shoud I?
Added 2021-01-22 17:49:42 +0000 UTCSo here's the deal guys! I've decided to make this February release supported free. You will only need to put it on the printer and get your mini the easiest way possible. I had some challanges that I actually found quite exciting during the modeling process so I said to myself, is this something I want to keep on doing? Spoiler alert: For me the answer was yes.
If by any chance you also want to have supported free minis from now on vote yes, on the other hand if you want me to keep on doing normal pre-supported models vote no.
I just want to hear what you think about it! If we finally decide to go on with it that doesn't mean I wont do any pre-supported models. Sometimes when I can't actually model something the supported free way because it's virtually imposible or has some negative impact on the final result I will do it the old fashion way.
The amount of work would be about the same for me. I would have to model more stuff in order to make it free supported (including bases) but on the other hand I don't have to pre-support them. The time I put on each model is about the same. the main difference is that there's more fun involved on support free.
Normal miniatures would be labeled as Roleplaying Miniatures, and supported free as Boatman Roleplaying Miniatures (something along those lines) just so you can distinguish them. I'm also making the Hades boatman supported free right now. This mini will become a free sample here on Patreon for you all to download, kind of like a demo of what can you expect from this supported free miniatures.
Here are the renders and the test prints for the two of the four miniatures for February. (They are work in progress, I'll add a censer on the preacher and some potions for the doctor, I just wanted to make sure they were supported free, also I'm a bit impatient).


Other thing that I would've in mind is the bases, I've just realized that sometimes (due to temperature or leveling) it is hard to get them out of the plate, so I tought that maybe giving it this form it would be much easier to pull them off with the spatula and preventing any undersiered breaks. So that's good news!
That's pretty much all I wanted to tell you guys! Any feedback or idea on this matter or other stuff are always welcome! I would like to know what you think! Thank you for your time and support!
Take care guys!
Jacob - Rolelplaying Miniatures - "Boatman Miniatures"? lmao
Comments
I will also add: given how easy it has become to add supports through the slicers now, I'd love to see people moving away from reliance on support-free models. Even with FDM printers, supports are so easy to set up and remove now, thanks to advances in Cura and PrusaSlicer.
2021-01-25 15:45:09 +0000 UTCWhile supportless models are all the rage, I do not like their look and feel. They're generally the same poses over and over, and are overly thick.
2021-01-25 14:34:02 +0000 UTCNo supports are needed, place them on the build plate and print. No support removal after printing and no support marks on the model.
Beholder.Madness
2021-01-24 05:20:08 +0000 UTCWhat does support free means? That no supports are needed or that they are needed but we must add them manually?
Christy Zamora
2021-01-24 00:54:09 +0000 UTCWhy not some of both? I think Vae Victis does a good mix. They do pre-supports when the model calls for it but most of their models are support free.
Brandon Blewett
2021-01-23 14:03:40 +0000 UTCSupport free models are generally boring to me because of the incredible limitations it creates for the sculpt. The models are always "reaching for the sky" or have their weapons/clothing attached to the ground... They frequently look like big blobs of resin/filament on the base with no separation or fine detail between elements. Everything has the "statute of liberty" look, so to speak, and you can tell where the artist made comprimises to the model in order to keep it support free, which is limiting to art and bland in appearance. And they take more resin/pla to print for a worse looking result. So I would like to see the current style continue, the sculpts are just so much more alive and interesting. You couldn't have created most of the awesome miniatures you have so far if they were support free. So I say no to support free, even if it means we support them ourselves!
Christian Savarda
2021-01-23 00:23:24 +0000 UTCI love love love supportless models! A Kickstarter I backed was all supportless, and he did the bevel under the bases too, calls them easyslip bases. They really do make getting them off the plate easier.
Beholder.Madness
2021-01-22 23:04:41 +0000 UTCI support about 60 patreons ;) Im a glutton for punishment (especially when they all decide to send out updates on the same day) There is NO QUESTION for both FDM and SLA support free is KING!!! I wish more people took the time to think about that. And I realize the details/poses go up with supported, so do the printing challenges. So the more support free, the better !! Or those with very minimal support, not encased in a support cage.
PUGDOG Enterprises, Inc.
2021-01-22 19:28:42 +0000 UTC