An Exclusive: Our New Unique War Game Scenery

Good morning world, 
       It's been a weird start to the week for Tabletop Workshop. Monday, we were all hit by a winter storm. Tuesday, we caused our own kind of storm by finally revealing our new Wargame scenery to the world. So that brings us to Wednesday, where the sun is shining (It's still freezing. Think positive) and I'm going to sit down and try and fully explain this unique concept. For us, the idea to develop our own  scenery came about late last year. How is it unique you may find yourself asking? Well there's only so much you can post on Facebook and Twitter so I'm about to explain...
      A few of us in the office are Wargame veterans. In previous blogs I've already spoken of my fascination for Warhammer 40k and The Lord of the Ring's Strategy Battle Game (or whatever it's referred to now.) So, when we all sat down last year to discuss moving more into the wargames scenery side of things we felt we had enough experience to make something that would really impress. But then it finally hit us. We didn't have the money to afford scenery when we were growing up! 
      Designs were discussed and eventually we came up with a solution. What if the gamer had the opportunity to buy parts of buildings rather than buildings? As the gamer only has to buy the parts he needs it's going to be cheaper for him. It'll also be cheaper for us as we don't have to keep churning out giant 3D structures hoping someones going to massively fork out to take it them our hands.

     So we set about designing these separate parts. Our idea was to bring a wide variety of highly detailed floors, walls and roofs that can easily be built up in whatever way the gamer wants. This enables them to have a new level of control over the buildings on their board. If you want a house, you can buy a house. If you want a manor house, you buy a house and a few more panels here and there, maybe even add a floor. It's cheap, it's efficient and you're in control of just how big you want the product to be. 

     There's no need for glue. For the first time, buildings can be built up and taken down. This enables them to be easily stored and easily changed. More importantly, the design gives gamers the freedom to make changes to their buildings. This is something which others don't offer. We know people have different armies, have different battles and even have different showcases. So why play with the same scenery? Instead, change your medieval house into a gothic ruined pub for a few more quid. We plan to experiment with further releases of different varieties and timescales of the parts. This experiment also includes a whole new interior set (staircases, interior walls. etc.) allowing the gamer to battle inside as well as outside. Roofs and walls can even be taken off during the battle so you can see inside to make your move.

    We're really excited about the flexibility of our design in comparison to those of others. We appreciate that wargamers have different armies and have a budget or else we'd all be playing in our massive Gaming Rooms in giant castles with thousands of soldiers. We see the idea as a lot cheaper and a lot more space efficient and we're going to paint one up and showcase it as soon as possible. 

   In the coming weeks we plan to touch up the detail on these medieval surfaces and prepare them for manufacture. If you have any questions you can follow us on our webpages, by joining our mailing list or following us on Facebook on Twitter. Don't forget. We also have a table at Salute on the 20th April so if you have any further questions or just want to come for a chat you can find us there! 

3D Scanning. (It's what made Avatar good!)

Hi again, 

      Just a quick Monday afternoon update from me at Tabletop Workshop. Firstly, we've got some exciting news in the pipeline about our fantastic model building kits. Our artist is sat to the left of me scribbling some extraordinary detail onto the files as I type. This should mean we're late in the process and should have something to show you in the near future. So keep your eyes open or follow us on Facebook and Twitter and you'll be able to get a glimpse at our brand new scenery! 
      Salute 2013 takes place on the 20th April at the ExCel in London and with good thanks to the South London Warlords Gaming Club, Tabletop Workshop have a table where we will be looking to show off our new buildings. So if you're attending or live locally come find us and we'll have some samples to show off!

       Recently, we've been getting a flurry of emails asking if we offer 3D scanning services to go with that of our printer. So I thought I'd pop up and give a brief explanation of the process and what services we can offer as an industry!

What is 3D Scanning?

3D scanning involves using a device that analyses a real-world object or environment to collect data and appearance. This can be stored on a computer or even printed off on a 3D printer to make scale replicas of the item analysed! The process has already been used many times in video games and movies (Think Avatar!) to make animated characters massively more realistic!

How's it Work?

Don't worry, the process isn't as boring as it sounds! A scanner is used to create a point cloud (basically, a load of points) onto a surface. These can also determine colour and tone and are finally used to estimate and conclude the shape! Multiple scans of the object are produced to and aligned around a common reference system to make sure the scan is as accurate as possible! Software then can be used to transform the point cloud into a CAD (computer-aided-design) file! We can use these files to make 3D prints!

What's it Used For?

Many things!

• Computer and Video Game Design.
• Making lifelike models - Action figures from movies etc.
• Cultural Heritage - making scale models and realistic plastic copies of history. Stanford University even designed a Michelangelo model so advanced the chisel marks could be seen!
• Architecture - Producing small scale replicas of buildings to highlight spatial issues and design issues.
• Quality Assurance - Checking that parts can fit and work together before they're mass produced.  
• Medical - Used to design hearing aids perfectly fitted to ears and innersoles and braces for back problems. etc.
• Dentistry - Producing bridges and implant bars specifically designed. 

Want more....

If your interested in using 3D scanning and printing for any services. (You may want to plonk your head on top of a character and call yourself an Emperor!) Then use our Facebook and Twitter to contact us and get a quote. We can help with all sorts of daft ideas (and even a few not-so-daft ones!)