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An almost working cloud jamis
I'm still working on the head-to-body connection and some of the hair needs re-cutting but most of the modeling has been fixed (except the neck...)

pepakura doesn't follow the mesh edges exactly when it unfoldes so I don't know how well the connection will be between the legs and the hips or the calves and the feet...

oh and i had to add tabs to various parts manually...

annnnd I haven't added textures yet either...


The final version (which is getting very close - I'm going to test build some parts tomorrow) will have to be a pdf because I think I'm going to need to edit the pieces manually. It'll be easier to do the textures as well.

But for now, here's a pdo file. Try building it if ya like, but I warn you, some of the pieces are a bit complex...

http://rapidshare.de/files/31020347/a_working_cloud.pdo.html

if you want the modified meshes just ask.

thanks Nonymous for the original cloud meshs!
>> Anonymous
I found it a lot easier to make the template in parts, i mean like, import the hair, face, arm, etc. in sections that way.... hope i make sense :)
>> Anonymous
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I see you've been cutting away at the ankles for example: that is indeed the way to go!!
But I spotted a small problem now that you did so... Some of the faces run outside the form? Once again, this is probably not a Pepakura problem, but a 3D model problem... You should only use quadrilaterals and triangles, so a shape with a notch in it would be made out of 4 quadrilaterals, and the extra lines would be deleted in Pepakura later on.
>> Anonymous
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You can either right click and use "erase edge" to erase any folds that you don't want, or you can use Configuration > line type configuration > and check "Hide Polygonal Line near the Surface", but this may take away too many lines, also any lines you may wanted to preserve. You can use this for example on the upper legs, but there are many other places where you should use this.
>> Anonymous
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Also, the knee part isn't really optimized for papercraft this way... You left the "pyramids" insdide the head as they were, but it would be much easier to just discard those, and to just connect the upper leg to the lower leg. This isn't very difficult in a 3D modeller, and will make the papercraft much easier.
>> Anonymous
The tip of>>22086is quite useful as well: sometimes it's difficult to see what you're doing, because for example the hips will obstruct your view of the top of the legs. It would be a lot easier to move the bodyparts away from each other, so you can have a clear view of all the parts. Because they're not attached anymore that way, you'll need to add tabs manually (or just add a white face in the 3D modeller where they should connect, that's what I usually do), but that's not really a big problem.

In big models, you might even want to make different 3D files and different PDO files for different (body)parts.
>> jamis
Thank you very much for the tips!!

I'll go back through the 3d model and fix up the major joints instead of building today. This is the first papercraft I'm making a template for and I'm still figuring out how pepakura cuts stuff into bits.

The other issue I have seen is the piece of hair on the right of clouds face, the one hanging down. It actually folds down over the rest of his face and makes the folds in that area rather strange.

I think it might be better to connect it to his face but I'll have to try that out as well.

Again, thanks a bunch!

Oh and for people that are interested I'm using Maya instead of 3d max... It's the same concepts for both really...
>> Anonymous
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yay i love you /po/!!
>> jamis
>>22098
>or just add a white face in the 3D modeller where they should connect, that's what I usually do

I'm a bit confused by what you mean here... a white face covering over the hole in the end of the piece?
or connecting the two pieces together?
or just adding an extra polygon to the end of the piece?

maybe I should just do em manually...

Almost done! I fixed all of the leg joints and the neck connection. I'll post a rapid share of the new one in a minute...
>> jamis
ok so here's a newer copy:
http://rapidshare.de/files/31071739/a_working_cloud_2.pdo.html

only problem is a piece of hair in front of his face that isn't attached to anything... back to the 3d modeler...

This one should be completly buildable except for that piece of hair and manually adding tabs in places.
>> Anonymous
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>>22121
Instead of keeping the whole arm together, I usually break it up in parts (forearm, upperarm, shoulder: basically at the joints where the game breaks them up as well).

To glue them back together in the papercraft, I add white faces (I call them that, because Metasequoia does and I don't know how to call them otherwise ;o) where they get seperated: this usually works better than just tabs, especially in big or complex models.

I move these parts away from each other, to get a better view of the parts in 3D (most of the times, I even save the parts as different files).

But if you keep your model nice and small, it may not be necessary to do this, you can find that out by doing a testbuild. For instance I would NOT break up the upperleg and lowerleg at the knee (keep them as you have them now!!), because these shapes are very easy to keep connected.
>> Anonymous
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>>22124
The legs look fine to me now: I expect them to be very easy to build, since they are made of very simple shapes now. The ankles that you cut up and the knees that you re-build are much better than the ones of the original model that came straight from the game.

I do have a small remark about the ankles, though (but this time, it's a true Pepakura remark, not a 3D model remark):

You're making cuts on a flat surface: you're better of cutting at the corners. Just compare the right and left ankle in the 3D and in the lay-out. You can do this pre-developing (with the cut/no cut tools in the 3D model window in Pepakura) or post-developing (with the right-click menu in the development window).
>> Anonymous
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One last remark for now:
There's a problem with the shoulders, the parts are overlapping, you'll have to cut them apart or at least configure them some other way.
>> jamis
well poo, i changed the colors by accident and now it's gonna be a bitch to print... I'll change that in the next one...

here's an update with more problems fixed. Most of the problems are now in the layout in pepakura - except perhapse the hair...

The hair is a bitch but it will/would work out if you've got patience.

http://rapidshare.de/files/31083695/a_working_cloud_3.pdo.html
>> jamis
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annnd if you just wanna take a quick look...
>> Anonymous
Will Nonymous or anyone else upload the original 3D mesh? I'd like to try too
(perhaps the orginal Reno or Vincent model please?) ^___^
>> jamis
I just noticed that all of the folds are backwards... sorry 'bout that... I tried out the ankle joint and it works out great... a bit of a pain in the butt but looks great. The hip joint may need some reworking. I'll test that next... for now the glue is making me dizzy

pictures will come when I get my hands on a camera again...

here's the original file: http://rapidshare.de/files/31115206/CloudModels.rar.html
>> Anonymous
wow way to go squeenix for their first 3D haha...
and thanks a lot for posting the model. Is there texture or did squeenix not even bother? it wont be fun trying to match the color of the original via old screenshots
>> jamis
Yea I'm not sure how to do the textures yet. At this point I'm just worrying about the model. The template can always be loaded into photoshop and colored so it matches the original colors. If anyone has any close up shots of cloud (specifically from the game...) then load em up here so the colors can be used.

I just finnished the hip joint and that works great as well. So, the legs and feet are done. Arms and torso are next to be tested.

And this bloody neck...
>> jamis
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so far so good... heads next... that's gonna be a pain...
>> @n0ny-m0us3
If you pull this off, I will give you three dollars and sixty-eight cents.

Keep up the good work, Cloud is one of my favorite characters of Final Fantasy (Sepiroph too).
>> Anonymous
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>>22151I just noticed that all of the folds are backwards

That's because the faces are inverted: the outside of the model is on the inside...

There are several cures for this:
-invert the faces in your 3D model program.
-invert the faces in Pepakura (3DModelWindow -> Reverse Surface Direction), but this can only be done prior to creating the "development", so you'll lose all the work you did on the development (adding tabs, erasing edges...)
-changing the line types in Pepakura: Configuration -> line type configuration: make Convex Fold Line dot 2, and Concave Fold Line dot 1
-don't bother and just "lie": make a note on the template that dot-dash lines are convex (mountain) fold lines and dashed lines are concave (valley) folds.

Also, you're still making cuts on a flat surface (the top of the ankle). I would've made the top of the ankles just a square (without a hole) where you could just glue the legs on top (maybe with a white face like>>22126).

And I think by keeping the whole legs and the whole arms connected, they end up being more difficult than they need to be. But if you think they're easy enough as they are now, than that's your decision of course.
>> Anonymous
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>>22155
found this picture, but I guess you'll already have it...
>> Nonymous
*Peeks head in from few days break of 4chan* Great work guys! Wish I pwned this hard. :) *Cheers ya on*
>> PLEASE Anonymous
create a new tread when the final cloud are completed.
\oo/
>> jamis
arr! The glue gave me some weird dreams last night and I'm sorry about all the posting. I'm excited. There I said it.

I'm more posting in this thread not to say that the things completed but to get a bit of help and or suggestions on this project. Again this is the first template I've ever made and the help is greatly needed.

I shall post another thread titled som'thin noticeable when it's done so stay alert in here

-Thanks for the image of cloud! That'll help a bunch though I think I'm gonna do all the texturing in photoshop... it's just easier then UV coordinates and all that bullshit...
-I flipped the faces in the 3d program and that worked... but I noticed some other things I forgot (the hip and torso didn't have tabs so I'm gonna "whiteface" it and then have to cut it up again...
-The arms and legs aren't really hard... but for the sake of not ripping things on accident I think I will separate them (since I'm re-cutting the thing anyways
-The head is a bitch. I'm not gonna lie. I have a few ideas to make it a bit easer. I'm really trying to keep all the pieces of hair and the cool ears there...

So yea! More progress tomorrow morning when I DON'T have classes...
>> jamis
>>22187
err I forgot a few replies to ya sorry...
-by not flipping it before building it mirrored cloud down his middle - his big spike of hair is now on his left...
-I'll try not to cut up the faces anymore as well :D My reasoning there was to make it seem a bit cleaner. Whiteface to Whiteface seems a bit sloppy to me - but I'm odd. I haven't done any texturing yet either and making the whiteface actually white to be able to line it up is gonna have to be texturing (i think??) I'll try the whiteface way though and see how it goes.

Thanks again everyone for all of your help! This is the most fun I've had in a while! (although that real life thing is tempting...)
>> Anonymous
wow
great guy
>> Anonymous
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you're doing great! keep up the work.
maybe you are interestedin doing some more ff7 models?
>> jamis
>>22458
If I can get the meshes, sure!
>> Anonymous
>>22458

a model of this would be great
>> jamis
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Sorry about another bump for this thread, but after trying to build clouds head, it just wasn't happening.

So I went back to Maya and made all of clouds hair and ears seperate with whitefaces where they should connect to his head. This may seem more complex then it has to be but no one is going to want to mess with the tiny little tabs the ears had in the last rendition. I'll try it as soon as I can to see if it will be smooth enough. I may have to think of something different but for now, here's another template. This one should be completly buildable with no hassles at all.

http://rapidshare.de/files/31886371/a_working_cloud_4.pdo.html
>> jamis
poo i just noticed the face joint in the middle is messed up... separate em in papekura if ya wanna try building it yerself
>> Anonymous
>>22629

/r/ something you could just easily print out and start making
>> jamis
sir, that will be the next model. I'm sick of updating this thread with useless stuff. I hope you like it complex though...

I'm also going to have to texture it so it's going to take a bit more time