Thanks!

Thanks!

Glad you found the video helpful. I think that it's always better to 'cut' the 3D model in meaningful parts as this often helps with the build. Before unfolding the model, I tend to think ahead to how I'm likely to build it (for example assembling the horns separately and then attaching these to the head) and then seam the 3D model appropriately....

Yeah you should be on the payroll! ;-) I was completely new so didn't realise that you've full control of how it unfolds - the auto one produces such deranged results as far as I can see it's not much use. I guess another consideration if making a closed shape is how the last few parts come together to seal it shut.

Thanks for your kind words - and welcome to the world of papercraft!

İ KNOW YOU FROM İNSTAGRAM İ DİDN'T EXPECT YOU HERE 😀😀😀

oh nvm, I kept reading the reply and I think I found the same answer. Thank you :)

Hi, If you want the edge id's and fold lines to be on the inside then flip the faces (in step 1 'Adjust Model Coordinates'). This basically turns your model inside out and you'll see that the faces are grey on the outside and white on the inside. The other alternative is to not flip but just interpret the fold lines in the opposite sense when building the model - so fold a valley as a mountain for example. Having the edge id's on the inside makes building slightly more difficult and of course if you're going to paint the model then it doesn't matter whether they're on the outside. Hope that helps...

Thanks. As I already had it as a pdf file then, all I did was mirroring it. Work as well ;)

Hi, Personally I use Blender for all of my modelling work. It takes a while to get used to but it's really powerful and of course free!

PaperHen hi, thank you so much for letting me know

Hi. I guess it depends on the type of models you want to create and your current experience. For 3D modelling I use Blender which is great and can cover almost any model you can think of. If you've got some experience of 3D and are happy to learn more over time then I'd go for Blender. SketchUp is probably easier to learn but not as powerful and if you want to do more exact models for say, architecture, then FreeCAD is worth a look. All three are free of course so you can try each beforehand.

Thanks very much :D

MajorLacerations I highly recommend Blender. It is 100% free, easier to use than other programs (as far as I have been hearing), and there are many tutorials and troubleshooting pages for help on anything. And importing your model is simple. Just go to file > import > 3Ds format and save your creation and open in Pepakura.

If the 3Ds format doesn't work for you, experiment with other formats to find the right one for you.

Be aware when you are making the model, think about keeping it simple and low poly so it is easy to build later. I learned that the hard way. I am currently working on my favorite KZfaqr's OC Play and I didn't keep the head so low poly, so I'm​ sure I will be building the head for quite a while longer than any other parts of the body.

Thanks. Yes, you just need to export your model from SketchUp in for example, OBJ or DAE, and then open the file in Pepakura.

If you've got a very high poly model then you'll need to reduce the poly count first. I usually find that retopology is the best way to do this.

Hi, I'm assuming that the cape is in a different Pep file to the body but is from the same Blender model and you want to make sure that the cape fits the body okay. First check the scale factor you used when unfolding the body (2D Menu > Change Scale > Set Scale) and then use this scale factor for your cape. Then use the Measure Distance Between Two Point feature and measure the distance between two vertices on the body where the cape is supposed to touch. Measure the equivalent distance on the cape to check that the scaling is correct and adjust if necessary. That should be enough. Of course it's always better to export all of your connected object in Blender first and then import them into Pepakura as one file. In that way the scaling will just work....

PaperHen I made them separate so it will be easier to open the edges along the back and legs underneath the cape. They are both the same type of file.

PaperHen I tried changing the scale and tried to type in the same thing as the body, but the numbers kept changing every time I deleted or entered a digit. I kept trying until I realized the sizes of the body and cape are different..

Hi, The symmetrical edge only works before the model has been unfolded. In Pep4 make sure that the 3D Edit Mode is set to 'Specify Cutline Edge' and then enable the 'Select Symmetrical Pair'. Clicking on an edge on the model should then also mark the other symmetrical edge as well.

@@paperhen Thank you so much for your super fast response! Although I still have the same problem, I'm going to try uninstalling Pep4 and reinstalling it again and see if this works! Thanks again!

Hi, A dome shape will always have some slits between the faces when it's transformed from 3D to 2D. If you think about a real dome and then pressing down on it to make it flat then the dome shape will have to split apart to become flat.

You can either increase the amount of geometry (polys) in the original 3d model if you have access to it or, alternatively reduce the number of edges by hiding nearly flat edges using the Line Color Tool in pep. It depends on your model but generally don't go below about 160 Deg. If you're ultimately producing a 'real' helmet then you'd smooth with filler anway so it's a balance between how much you want to fill with a low poly model as opposed to how much time you take to build with a high poly model.

@@paperhen Well I read somewhere that it's best have as high a poly count or as accurate as possible before you start to print

Hi, Apparently Pepakura uses absolute coordinates of the edges in order to pick symmetrical ones. Therefore your model has to actually be symmetrical through the XY, YZ or ZX plane. You'll therefore need to check that your 3D model is actually symmetrical before importing into Pepakura (assuming you're importing rather than opening a Pep file). In Blender I usually use the mirror modifier which will guarantee symmetry. Hope that helps!

PaperHen Thank you for replying. My model is symmetrical. I guess I clicked on the wrong thing in the beginning when the program was asking questions about my model.. Oh well. Currently I have come so far now. I have already added where there are open edges. It sure will take a while to lay out all 330 parts and assemble it all together after I print the pages.

PaperHen And yes I am importing from Blender.

Not sure what you mean exactly, but if you want Pepakura to treat the left side of your model as the right side then just Invert the model when you open the 3D file (it's step 4 of 4 in Adjust Model Coordinates dialog).

its sorted now. i was on viewer not designer. i downloaded a file and it was for a left leg. theres an option that mirrors all the parts to make the right leg. (inversion)

Okay, I understand - yes the Mirror Inversion is the right way to do what you wanted (in Other/Mirror Invertion). Thanks for sharing the tip!

You usually import the textures along with the original model. For example if I'd added a texture to my Dragon mask example I would have done this in Blender and then exported the texture as part of the .obj file (the texture is defined in an .mtl file). When Pep opens the obj file it also reads the texture file as well and shows it rendered both on the 3D view and when you unfold. It'll also print the texture in the final pdf, although can stop this by switching the texture on/off (in the 'Other' menu). One thing to remember though is to allow your texture to 'bleed' over the edges otherwise you'll get white line in your final model as it's very difficult to cut out the printed parts exactly along a line. The option for this is in the '2D Menu/Add Outline Padding' and the amount of padding is in 'Setting/Other Settings/Other Tab (Amount of Outline Padding)'.

@@paperhen Thank you a million!!!! I will use pep in my final exams for college. I work in blender but I wanted to create a set of simple low poly figurines with textures on it. You helped me a lot!

@@plakjeham118 No problem! If you're just starting with Pep textures then I'd experiment initially using the Blender default cube and painting on it to see the outcome in Pep. A big thing to remember is to get your low poly figurines and textures correct in Blender first before doing much in Pep. When I started I made the mistake of doing the full parts layout in Pep and then decided I wanted to change the model geometry. When you do this Pep cannot just reload the model as the geometry has changed so you have to start again. Good luck with your exams!

@@paperhen I fully understand that pep is quite similair to uv mapping. When texture is added the model should be finnished and no further changes will be made that could change the geometry. I will try out some simple geometric forms in pep with texture on it first to get the hang of it. My exam will start 2 nov. I started early exploring on what I wanted to do. So I got some time to learn more about the option that pep gives me. Excited to work with ir.

Hi Catherine Mmm, It's difficult to say without looking at the model itself. If you have a link to it then I could take a quick look for you...

www.papercraftsquare.com/league-of-legends-ghost-bride-morgana-free-papercraft-download.html The download links for the model are at the bottom of this page. So far, I know that she is missing the outer part of her skirt, her veil, and the pieces that connect her wings to her body. There could be more pieces missing, these are jut the ones that I noticed.

Hi, I've had a look at this and as you say, there are a number of parts missing. Unfortunately only the creator of the Pep file can sort this out as it's probably got something to do with the original 3D model. I'm surprised that the creator didn't want to help as they've effectively published something which isn't complete and you would think that they would want to fix mistakes! Good luck though...

the creator said they no longer have the files or something along those lines. im surprised that not a single other person brought this to the creators attention. they have 3 models of this same character, all are incomplete. thank you for your help.

This sure does sound strange though..

Not sure what you mean? Any surface in a 3D model will have a face. So even a table top will have at least six faces for the top, bottom and four sides. When unfolded in Pep it will turn into a single polygon with five folds.

a square is a polygon

Hi, not sure what you mean about not being able to cut some of the edges - is it because the edges overlap each other?

@@paperhen I mean like I loaded a model with a lot of edges and I do not know how to delete all of them because it will take a long times is there a button to delete each. edge that the unfolding did?

You cannot 'delete' an edge (meaning a cut line), you can only turn an edge into a fold by joining one edge with another to create a larger part. You do this using the 'join/disjoin' method which only works on one edge at a time. If your model has got too many faces, which are the cause of the edges, then the only way of solving this really is to edit the original model. Pepakura does allow some 3D editing of the model but it's very basic and not worth the effort. If you want to reduce the number of 'fold lines' then there's a setting (in 'other settings') where you can hide nearly flat folding lines and set a threshold angle. Of course doing this will mean that your finished model will have curved faces.

Hi. In Pepakura 5 it's changed to 3D Model > Edge Selecting > Single Edge. Make sure that Edit Mode is set to Specify Cutline Edges first...

@@paperhen ohh thanks so muchh

The only one I know about is something called 'unfolder for mac'. It's a Mac app as you would expect. I've not used it so can't comment on how useful it is.

Go to the 3D menu and then 'change coordinates/change model coordinates'. If it's greyed out (because you've already unfolded) then you have to hit the 'Undo Unfold' button to clear the unfolding. Unfortunately you'll lose all of your current 2D layout when you do, so make a copy of your pdo and refer to it if you want to recreate your layout...

@@paperhen if the files I have are already unfolded, do I need to adjust the model coordinates? Also, the files I have are for foam. But, I want to make my armor out of card stock, resin and Bondo. Is there a difference or does it matter. I think all I have to do is scale the model to my size and add flaps

@@drpeppero3 You probably don't need to change the coordinates if it's already been done for the armour. As the files are for foam then I'd check that the 2D model is complete as quite often some parts are not. This is because foam already has a thickness so the parts of the model which add thickness are typically ignored and are moved off page. To check just select the thickness face of a few parts in the 3D model and see where they are in the 2D layout. If everything is there you should just need to scale and add flaps....

@@paperhen Thank you.

Hi Will, Unfortunately I don't really have time to unwrap models for people since it takes a long time to do. If this is your first time using Pepakura then I'd suggest starting with a small model to practice on and then move to the file that you really want to unwrap. In that way you'll learn a lot more. Of course if you want some advice along the way then I'd be happy to suggest things.....

Thank You

Pep only allows you to change the overall scale of the model rather than scaling each dimension separately - because you're basically changing the model if you do this. If you want to change the height and width independently then you need to change the original 3D model, export and then open in Pep. If you don't have the 3D model then you can always export a Pep file to a .obj (File-Export-Texture Editing-3D Model with UV info) and then import that into your 3D software.

@@paperhen what program should I use to put the width, length and height measurements the way I want since Pepakura doesn't have a way to do that?

@@GamerPro-nw5lf I use Blender for all of my modelling work so I can recommend that. You just need to import the Pep obj file, scale the height and width as required and then export the model back to obj. If you've not used Blender before then there are loads of good beginner tutorials on YT.

Do you mean the 3D model or the real thing?

@@paperhen I would like a Pepakura model of a German Fochs army vehicle. I want to make a robotic rover using it. Maybe with a front-end mod for mounting sensors, if possible. I can't do CAD stuff myself.

@@Farseeker0 Probably the best route is to try and get a good 3D modeller to do it for you. A site like www.cgtrader.com/ allows you to post a project as does www.freelancer.com/ . Alternatively you try posting something on the 3D modelling group on reddit...

To add colour to a model you need to specify a texture image for the material (in Setting > Texture Settings). If it's just a solid colour you want for all of the faces then simply create an image file (e.g. png) with that solid colour and load into Pep. If you want to texture your model with a pattern or logo then you need to use 3D modelling software to texture the faces of the 3D model, export the texture and then load into Pep. This is so Pep can map the texture to the correct faces.

@@paperhen thank you so much mate

You need to use 3D modelling software such as Blender (or others) to create your 3D design. There's loads of tutorials out there to help but start simple and get your end-to-end process working first before doing something more complicated.

I'm assuming you mean curving a surface as opposed to having flat planes and folds. To do this you just adjust whether the fold line is shown based on a threshold. So for example if you had a fold line which bends a surface slightly to say 160 degrees, then usually Pep would show this as a fold and you'd score and fold it. However if you wanted more of a curve and therefore not fold the surface then you'd ignore that line. You can get Pep to only display fold lines beyond a threshold by changing the 'hide nearly flat lines' setting in the menu 'Setting/Other Settings/Line Style'. So setting this to 160 degrees will hide any fold lines that are on surfaces which are 'flatter' than 160 degrees and hence will be curved when building the model.

Yes, just go into the 2D Menu and click Show Fold Angle. That will show the angle in degrees and whether the fold is a (m) mountain or (v) valley as well.

@@paperhen YOU ARE THE BEST I WILL FOLLOW YOU ALWAYS :)