Ranger's Helmet: 3DS Max Model File?

Discussion in 'Metro: Last Light General Discussion' started by Rapid99, Dec 21, 2014.

  1. Rapid99

    Rapid99 New Member

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    Hi, everyone :)

    I'm currently in the midst of assembling a Ranger cosplay for PAX East 2015, and I plan on building a Ranger's helmet for it. However, I need to get my hands on a model of the helmet that I can use in 3DS max (or even the full Ranger model file, and then I can just cut the helmet off)

    I have managed to get as far as to unpack all of the models from the .vfs0 file, but the models themselves are .MODEL and .MESH files, which aren't native or supported by 3DS Max (or much else, as far as I know)
    I was only able to find one alleged program online that claims to be able to convert these model files into .3DS files, however, whenever I tried to load files into the program, it freezes up and crashes while trying to load the mesh... so, that is a dead end :(

    I've also tried using NinjaRipper to just rip everything at once, as an act of desperation... but, alas, in my attempts to do this, my game crashes each time x.x


    So, i'm stuck... if anyone can help me out here, it would be greatly appreciated...


    And for the sake of clarification, i'm talking about the custom Ranger's helmet, with full CBRN faceplate, such as:
    [​IMG]

    I do NOT mean the ZSH-1, K6-3, or MASKA helmets...

    Thanks :)
     
  2. Hey man. Does this help?

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Skaara Dreadlocks

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    You never cease to amaze me, Komodo :rolleyes:

    Cool idea, Rapid. I wish you all of best luck! But may I ask, how is a 3D model of the helmet gonna help you make a physical copy of it?
     
  4. I assume he could use it to 3d print the helmet or just use it as a virtual reference. Having a model that one can rotate to heart's content and look at from any angle is nice.
     
  5. Rapid99

    Rapid99 New Member

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    Oh, man! That would be fantastic, thank you! :D


    Oh thanks :)

    And through papercraft :D

    There is a program called Pepakura. The program takes 3D model files, and "opens them up"; like, it unfolds them, and flattens them. Then, it allows you to print the flattened blueprint, and it has lines on the paper showing you where to fold / glue / crease.

    So, for example, this:

    [​IMG]

    Can be unfolded, and printed out, and then cut out, to become this:

    [​IMG]

    And then that can be folded, glued, and assembled, to become this:

    [​IMG]


    So, that is made out of paper; usually you use a thick paper, like card stock.

    Then, after that is done, I will use the paper helmet as a skeleton. I'll follow that up by coating the helmet in fiberglass and fiberglass resin, and i'll use Bondo filler to smooth over areas and fill in little imperfections.

    Lastly, you sand it all down to make it smooth, and then you can paint it :)

    Then, ta-daaaa, a piece of fiberglass armor :)

    [​IMG]


    I plan on removing the visor and probably the filter on either side of the CBRN plate (if they scale the same)... then, for the visor, i'll use a replacement Ski Goggle lens... and where the filters are, i'll remove the filter plugs out of an old Czech M10M gas mask, and rig them into the helmet... if i'm patient enough, I hope to make the face-plate as a separate piece, and then attach it to the helmet with swivel bolts, so it can be raised / lowered from the face, like in game :D
     
  6. Skaara Dreadlocks

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    [​IMG]

    Seriously, that is so damn amazing. ....and Awesome! Well done. Good luck, and please post some pictures here when it's finished! :)
     
  7. Approved request on google drive.
     
  8. Bamul

    Bamul S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
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    This is a brilliant idea! I too would love to see the result. :)
     
  9. NuclearWastE3

    NuclearWastE3 The Toxic Avenger
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    Great project. I wish you luck.
    I knew somebody who made that same Halo helmet a couple years back. They finished putting the paper mold together, but I never found out if they completed it with the fiberglass finish.
     
  10. panchatbhau

    panchatbhau Member

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    Thanks for helping :)
     
  11. So hey, PAX East 2015 happened a month ago. Did you manage to get your project done?
     
  12. Arvis

    Arvis Member

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    Have you tried DX Ripper? That thing car get you whole 3D scene model into 3Ds MAX, I haven't tried it for a very long time, but I guess it's worth a try!
     
  13. Rapid99

    Rapid99 New Member

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    Unfortunately not :/ but i'm still working on it for subsequent cons

    The way the timing of my paycheks panned out with how much time I had left for PAX, I wasn't able to get the rest of the cosplay gear together in time, so I put it on hold.
    The actual shell of the helmet is mostly done though (not including the faceplate, because I plan on doing that separately, so I can attach it on a swivel and be able to flip it up and down)
    The rest of the helmet will be smoothed out once the resin and such is applied and sanded. The resin process will also cover up the tiny imperfections, such as the small gaps and holes.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Hoping to have the thing done for Otakon (if I wind up going), but for now it's going to be a side project that I work on over the summer :)

    Will surely bump this thread every so often with updates when I have em, though.

    For example..
    Friend of mine is an electrical engineering student, and he's gonna help me try and put together my own Nixie Tube watch :3
     
    #13 Rapid99, May 16, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: May 16, 2015
  14. Good work. Keep us posted.
     
  15. NuclearWastE3

    NuclearWastE3 The Toxic Avenger
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    neat. And the pictures you took, for some reason, looks like photo-realistic graphics for some game engine. In other words, it looks as if the stuff in the photo were rendered in a computer program....weird, but cool.
     
  16. Bamul

    Bamul S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
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    Nice work, I'd love to see this thing once it's done.
     
  17. Damnation13

    Damnation13 Well-Known Member
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    Awesome work! i wanna learn how to make helmets this way ,