Monday 25 February 2013

The Next Generation of Wargame Scenery. Brought to you by 3D Printing.

 So I'm sitting here on a Friday afternoon in Leyburn. A local newspaper is in the office taking snaps of the 3D printer. Is it that much of a big deal? The printer is an Objet30 Pro. At times, it can reach an incredible 14 micron resolution and it is a fascinating piece of software well capable of producing plastic molds in such detail that until a few years ago, the concept seemed unimaginable. 
  You see, to a former Warhammer Space Marine collector (all be it a fair few years ago...) it's a dream come true. For years, I tried to create designs made of polystyrene and cardboard using knives and glue only to eventually come out with a design that looked like it had been mauled by a dog. Truth be told, I was never really the arty kid at school. I could calculate, read, run, cook and maybe come up with one or two cracking jokes (well I thought they were). But art just wasn't one of my things. I tried to improve but I just lacked the talent and know-how to make products that some of the Games Workshop guys could. This was probably due to the fact I had the delicacy of a baby elephant and lacked that flair that some gamers can muster out of nothing.  Don't get me wrong! Some companies and artists make some of the most imaginative and attractive scenery imaginable, however nothing which I could afford was ever really up to the standard I wanted. I flirted with a few companies' resin models but there was no market that offered serious value for the hard-working paperboy! Eventually, I settled for a grass mat and an open field with one or two trees. It worked but that's about all it. There was potential for so much more!
 This brings me back to the Objet30 Pro. It's a large piece of machinery that can print out models designed by 3D CAD software on computers. Look at the dinosaur above. Notice how the teeth are built and the skin is textured. We wish we could show you more. But due to customer confidentiality (it sucks, we know) this is all we can show. Now imagine that form of detail on your walls, houses and fortifications! The idea gives you goosebumps and this is why we're the first company trying to push the use of our printer into the wargame market. The printer is so good it can detail almost anything into the plastic. Details that can range from grooves in the wood to tiny pieces of armour. From what I've heard it can even replicate bullet damage so the early signs are very promising indeed. So them stats got me thinking. Maybe finally, seven years too late we can build that dream gaming board as well as helping the world build their own dream gaming boards at the same time . We aim to produce a cheaper building kits and small one-off objects for the gamer. I know that the market isn't a cheap one to fish in but I have been assured we can do it for half the price of some of the better designers.. 
  So, I'll be updating this blog regularly to show my insight into the projects here at Tabletop Workshop to the wargamer and keep you updated on my projects and ambitions, whether it's from designing North American Star Forts to World War 2 Searchlights. I'll also update you of products we're working on including our new hard building kits. These offer the war-gamer a new, cheaper way to collect a wide variety of buildings and is an idea which we're very excited about.  More news as it comes!

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