With Halloween just around the corner, our next 3D model was an easy choice: a unicorn Halloween mask created in Vectary as the finishing touch to your magical costume!

To create the unicorn mask, open this Vectary template and click the Customize button to enter the 3D editor.

Note: Before you start transforming a geometry in Vectary, it is better to turn Smoothing off so you can see the object in its low poly shape. Seeing the way it is constructed will make it easier for you to see and work with it clearly.

Start by clicking Select Points in the top panel and then click the point located in the middle of the forehead portion of the mask to select it.

Click Bevel in the left toolbar and drag the blue handler to create a polygon as the base of the horn.

With the selection active, click Select Faces so that the face of the polygon is automatically highlighted.

Next, we’re going to use the Extrude tool in the left toolbar to create the horn. To do so, drag the blue arrow to set the size of the horn. Then scale the tip of the horn using the proportional scale on the Gizmo — it’s the grey cube on the top. (In Vectary, the Gizmo is a universal tool used for transformations.)

Click Select Lines, then click on all of the four lines of the horn’s base.

Now we want to add some lines on the horn, so click the Slide tool. In the Slide tool’s jog, set the number of copies to 6 and then set the Offset value to -1 to make the lines evenly distributed along the horn.

Click on the lines at the horn’s base with right click to deselect them. Next, deselect the lines on the tip of the horn using the Marquee Subtract in the top panel.

Bevel the selected lines a bit and then, while the selection is active, click Select Faces.

Extrude the faces inwardly, into the geometry. Use the Extrude tool and drag the blue arrow inside the horn.

You can now deselect all and click Smoothing to see the high poly shape of your mask.

To create holes on the mask for a string or stripe, you can use one of our pre-modeled objects.

Click +Add plugin to enter My Plugins and then select the Boolean plugin.

First, select a layer to be subtracted, in our case, the Mask Template.

Next, choose the layer to subtract with. You can find our pre-modelled objects in the layer named String Bools Template.

Click the Subtract icon and then Boolean.

When the Boolean process is completed, click Bake in the dropdown menu to create the final 3D object with holes.

Now your 3D model is ready to be sent to Shapeways. To do so, click +Add plugin and select the Shapeways plugin from the list. Check the geometry, select the material (we chose White Strong and Flexible for this one), and send your 3D model to Shapeways.

Check your email for a confirmation message from Shapeways, which may take a few minutes to arrive. Once you receive the email, click the Proceed to Shapeways button, and it will take you to a Shapeways page where you can order your 3D print.

Of course, the customizing doesn’t stop there… feel free to go ahead and paint your 3D printed mask in a base color and add some glitter for a sparkling effect.

Have you tried customizing this mask in Vectary? What would you design differently? Perhaps adding some devil’s horns? Let us know how you decked out your mask in the comments below!

inspired? design your own

The post Vectary Tutorial 4: Create a Unicorn Mask appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Initial Details

NYCC runs from October 5th to the 8th at the Javits Center in the heart of New York City. When it comes to ensuring you’re going to have a good time, planning is the name of the game here. Finding a hotel right now will cost you up to $400 a night for even a basic motel room. Also, several of the more treasured keepsakes you can obtain from NYCC, like photo ops with your favorite actors of stage and screen, as well as autographs from over 200 different famous people and organizations — they all recommend you pay in advance and have specific time slots that can (and will) fill up. Don’t let the one thing holding you back from a photo op with all three of the voice actors from Animaniacs be your procrastination. Speaking of guests…

EVERYONE Is Going to Be There

We’re not kidding. From TV mainstays like Andrew Lincoln (Rick from The Walking Dead) to Jim Cummings (the current voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger), to master of kid-horror R.L. Stine, there is someone for everyone to fanboy/fangirl into a babbling mass of hero worship over. They’re sprinkled all over the convention like little Easter eggs. Catch them at panels, at signings, at photo ops, or maybe even around town between con events. You’re going to need to figure out when and where you can see them, which leads to our next point.

So, You’re Going to Need the App

NYCC is happening primarily at the Javits Center this year, but some panels and screenings are also being held at three other theaters around New York: the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and the Hudson Mercantile. To keep track of the time lines of these panels, as well as keeping a general tab on what’s going on, you need to get the official New York Comic Con app! It’s like this guide, but on your phone and interactive. Keep track of timelines, exhibitors on the show floor, and even autograph sessions. It’s all there, and it’s all instantaneous.

Activate Your Badge, Activate Perks

Along with the app, your badge (your ticket to accessing all of this geeky goodness), can also be activated to protect it in case it’s stolen. As long as it’s activated, you’ve got a way to get another badge made for you (at a small cost, of course). While that would be cool in the first place, activating your badge is also required to unlock NYCC’s extra experience known as NYCC XP. It allows you to access the NYCC app mentioned above, as well virtually scrapbooking your experience at the show, while entering you into contests to win cool swag and access to specialized photo kiosks all over the convention area. It also helps you monitor line lengths, which is always a good thing.

Did We Mention EVERYONE Is Going to Be There?

So, we mentioned in a very passing manner that there are dozens of incredibly famous people going to NYCC, but there are literally hundreds of other talented artists and creators that will be there on the exhibition floor and the Artist Alley. From comic books, to literature, to anime and manga, every single nerdy interest is being represented and thrust into the spotlight. You’re going to need every hour of those four days to try to see everything, but don’t worry if you don’t. There’s always next year!

And of Course, There’s An Afterparty…

And it has a name: NYCC Presents. They’re a fleet of 25 after-con-hours events happening across the city. If there isn’t a cover charge, your con badge gets you in for free. See amazing acts like YouTube sensations Epic Rap Battles of History do their things live, or just hang out real chill-like at events like An Evening with Mark Hamill.

If you’re lucky enough to nab a spot, don’t miss io9 and Kotaku’s Cosplay Ball, a Thursday night blow-out with free food and drinks, arcade games, and an opportunity to get a 3D selfie, courtesy Shapeways. We’ll be there, 3D scanning cosplayers throughout the night. Frankly, we can’t wait.

There’s something for everyone, just like the main event.

So, What Do I Need to Bring? 

Other than your smiling face, your badge, and your expertly-crafted cosplay? A few things. NYCC’s own page recommends a backpack, water bottle, first aid kit, cash (for quirky cash-only situations like signings, photo ops, and cash-only exhibitors), a camera, and portable batteries, among other things.

Visitors should also remember to bring their manners. Comic Con’s organizers have been kind enough to remind us all of the golden rule: “Cosplay is not consent.” It’s about respecting the bodies of cosplayers that are willing to put themselves and their meticulously crafted costumes out there, trusting that others will keep their hands to themselves and not, say, grab a sword, a mask, an armored breastplate… or anything else.

Shifting gears, the city of New York is also bringing their food trucks to bear on the hordes of hungry con-goers everywhere. From Korean BBQ to Cheesesteaks to Fried Chicken, there’s going to be something delicious for all palates to enjoy.

In Conclusion…

There you have it! There’s so much to do at this con, we’re only scratching the surface. There are literally thousands of things to see, and that’s just from the people explicitly selling things there. If you’re going this year, it will be amazing, and we at Shapeways wish you short waits and a lot of luck in seeing what you aim to see this time around.

Hopefully we’ll see you there!

All images via NYCC’s Facebook Page

The post The New York Comic Con Survival Guide, 2017 Edition appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

As the time until we walk through the doors of the Javits Center gets shorter and shorter, months of planning, modeling, printing, painting, and sewing turn into a fractured mound of last minute bits and pieces. “Fire up the desktop machine! Turns out I DO need that other part! This is not attaching to this other thing as I had hoped, and now it fell off and cracked! Where did all our 3000 bobby pins suddenly disappear to?! Wait, what shoes am I wearing for this?!”

The calm only comes after this storm, when we finally run out of time, put it all on, and face the public as someone else, weapons in hand. It is in those moments of conversing with other fans, posing for photographs, and drinking in the rush of the day that we can truly savor and appreciate our 3D printing journey, and look back on how far we’ve come from the very, very beginning.

Sarah (left) and Dhemerae (right) in our 3D printed costumes at NYCC 2015

We would have never made the work we do now, let alone cosplay, had we not had 3D printing. Living and working in the New York metropolitan area, fantasy spaces where you can get down and dirty as makers are few, far between, and expensive! 3D printing has allowed us to create larger-than life-work in the smallest of NYC spaces, and has given us access to a horde of new materials to work in, via companies like Shapeways. The process has allowed us to create work we would have never been able to make with the skill set we previously possessed. It also allows us to truly bring those fantasies alive as cosplayers, but more detailed and dramatic than we ever thought possible.    

Dhemerae (left) and Sarah (right) in our 3D printed costumes at NYCC 2016

And that element of surprise never goes away, even with experience. It comes in many forms, from the shock of success in making an amazing printed prop, to the realization, after many dollars and hours, that your idea failed miserably and it’s back to the drawing board.  

Nonetheless, in every case, the surprises turn out to be fantastic learning experiences. 3D modeling and printing have changed the way our brains work in regards to making. We have truly married both our artistic muscles and engineering skills into unique point of views that are continuously learning and growing. It’s exciting to make a piece, realize how many ways it could be better, and then tweak it and reimagine it. Daunting tasks like iteration are interesting and engaging again, for it is now an opportunity, and challenge, to surprise ourselves.  

All of this riding on the emotional roller coaster is worth it though, because it brings us to our final surprise: the “Christmas Moment” of seeing our finished printed parts, and holding them in our hands. Afterwards, we’re reinvigorated and ready for more.

Beyond the feelings of the process though, we have found more through 3D Printing, for it has given us an medium through which we can support and (we hope) inspire other women of all ages to pursue their ideas and develop their minds through technological explorations.

As women working in tech, and as adults who actively participate in play using it, this is what truly inspired us to start TheLaserGirlsStudio; Through doing what we love, and sharing our knowledge of 3D printing, we hope that we can provide a valuable resource to those looking to start a new journey. We feel inspired by the talented makers around us, and we try to do what we can to inspire others in the same way. This is something we hope to much more of in the coming year (so stay tuned!)  

So, while we slave away these last hours before game day, supergluing seams, trying to pin a braid to a wig, and printing some last-minute parts, we may not be at our best, but we anxiously await the rush of that first day on the Comic Con floor, another chapter of our 3D printing journey completed.

Check out the evolution of Sarah’s 3D printed Final Fantasy XV-inspired trident, below, and look for TheLaserGirls on the floor at New York Comic Con this Thursday and Friday. Can’t make it to the con? Follow Shapeways and TheLaserGirls on Instagram for live action from the floor.

The post The Drama and Beauty of Comic Con, Cosplay, and 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Alicia Davis from Franklin, Indiana handmade her cosplay while also being a stay-at-home mom. I was absolutely blown away by the incredible detail incorporated in every part of her outfit, literally from the steampunk gears and feather headdress to her Victorian-inspired footwear.

Zoe created a cape and wrote her own name, “Mom”, and “Dad” in Norse. The design was of her own creation and featured puffy paint, feathers, and pipe cleaners.  

We ran into two sisters who were impeccably dressed like pilots, even pulling in some very authentic accessories for the looks. Beth Sanders is wearing ski goggles from the 1930s and proudly announced she was 65 years old (damn girl, what’s your secret?). Her sister Merry Sanders Mayer was wearing 1920s mountaineering goggles.

Morgan Marble is from Beaverton, Michigan and is wearing a badger pelt. Her accessories are an eclectic mix of handmade and carefully curated bits and bobs.

The post Stylespotting at Gen Con 50 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Here, Steven tells us about his own podcast and maker channel, and his impressive career in the 3D printing industry.

Where is your hometown?
My hometown is New York — born and raised in Brooklyn!

How long have you been with Shapeways?
I have been with Shapeways almost two years now. Time flies!

How long have you been 3D printing?
3D printing has been a part of my life for a long time now, maybe six or seven years, non-stop. I started working in this field by chance; I was right out of school, working in a supermarket with my brother, and was really unhappy with the way my life was turning out. I was doing back-breaking work until a friend working at a desktop 3D printing company encouraged me to apply for a job there. I had no idea this would spark a career and a passion for making things. When I eventually came across a job 3D printing with Shapeways, I was very excited because I had purchased from them before and couldn’t wait to dive into a bigger pond of challenges.

What is your favorite 3D printed object ever?
Favorite 3D printed object ever? No way I can just pick one! I have printed so many things in my time in the field. I have done collaborations with some of the biggest names in pop culture. After building my first machine and seeing a small part printed, my goal was always to answer the question how big can we print? I always said I wanted to print things over 6 feet! When I first got into 3D printing, it was not a thing to print that massive. One of my most recent print jobs was a 3-foot mace prop weapon from World of Warcraft. I definitely love making props for display or other people’s cosplay.

If you could 3D print something in any material, currently possible or not, what would you pick and why?
I have seen a bunch of materials I would not mind tackling, as well as some giant printers I would like to try! Recently, I’ve really wanted to go in a different direction than what I was used to. I am used to materials that print quickly and require post-processing to look amazing, but I was not used to materials that come out of the machine amazing. So, when I came to Shapeways, I really wanted to work with High Definition materials, and that is where I currently am. 

How do you spend your time when you’re not bringing our community’s 3D printed vision to life?
This makes me chuckle because when I’m not bringing the community’s 3D printed vision to life, I am probably bringing my own visions to life. I am very fortunate to be able to do a ton of creative things that I love to do, with the people I love. I podcast with my brother and best friend every week and its truly one of my favorite parts of the week. I also work on YouTube with my brother where we show people how to make some of these expensive props or replicas on the cheap. I spend most of my time with the love of my life, Jamie, and I am blessed to have a group of friends I grew up with that I admire and who believe in the dreams I have, no matter how crazy they seem to most. Oh yeah, and I watch a ton of Batman — the 1966 TV show. Holy lame hobbies Batman!

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve learned about 3D printing in your time at Shapeways?
The most exciting thing I’ve learned about 3D printing at Shapeways is more of an evolution; I’ve developed a real passion for quality in a product. Shapeways has so many materials, the knowledge and possibilities are endless. Working on one of the best teams of any 3D printing company is a bonus. Shapeways taught me a world beyond the materials and machines I was used too. Learning new programs,machines and materials is AWESOME! Being able to speak directly to the community is great as well.

What’s on your work playlist?
My work playlist is very eclectic, to say the least! Normally I am listening to podcasts like The Knuckleheads or The Brilliant Idiots on iTunes. Audiobooks are a must as well; I am either listening to biographies or something motivational. When it comes to music, my playlists are all over the place, from Black Sabbath to The Beatles, Symphony NO.5 to Kayne, Kendrick, Post Malone, Big Sean — anything ’90s or ’00s hip hop…. I can go on and on for days! As I write this I am listening to Sinatra and Cardi B. I told you my playlists are all over the place!

If you started your own Shapeways shop, what would you sell?
My Shapeways shop would probably sell things my brother and I have made on our Super Maker Brothers channel so people can order the parts and follow along with the video. Chances are I would probably sell some obscure random items or desk toys.

In a perfect world, what is the trajectory of 3D printing?
In a perfect world I would love to see 3D printers in every classroom. I think schools should have innovation centers with printers, woodworking, metalworking, casting, and all types of making with your hands. Any time I explain 3D printing to people who aren’t super familiar with it, I try my best to get them out of the mindset of cheap plastic toys. 3D printing is much more than just toys. Besides mold-making, prototyping some of your everyday household items, or even parts for transportation, 3D printing is huge in the medical field! Anytime I go to the doctor or surgeon I try and push them to look into 3D printing. After training for Strongman and injuring my spine, I think it could have been cool if the doctor had had a printout of my spine to show me the problem areas.

Give us some words to live by!
Do they have to be mine? Can I say “To infinity and beyond!” or “This crest is a symbol of hope” or “Wubba lub dub dub!”?  OK, I’ll give some words I live by:

Why let go of the branches to reach another branch when you can just own the tree?

Let me explain. Let’s say all the branches are my dreams. I want to podcast or do radio so I grab that branch but there is a another branch where I can make props on YouTube, so I let go of the podcast one to reach that one. But now I see a bunch of branches that say different things like voice acting, filmmaking, clothing designer, twitch gamer, entrepreneur, etc. Never let go of any one branch because if you can own the tree, then all the branches are yours. Do it all! They each can cross-promote, and one hand washes the other. Crazy doesn’t mean impossible.

Any questions for Steven or the other 3D printing engineers? Ask in the comments and we will deliver!

The post Meet the Shapies: Steven Gonzalez appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

PODCAST: We are back with a new cosplay announcement, and the successes and tragic failures encountered so far! We are ready, 2017! Check it out on soundcloud.com/thelasergirls #icon32 #3dprinting #cosplay #scififemales #golaser

A post shared by Sarah C Awad and Dhemerae Ford (@thelasergirls) on Feb 6, 2017 at 9:17am PST

Following our Lightning as Cloud 3D Printed Cosplay Project, we were exhausted but itching to jump back on the making train. We decided to take on an ambitious new costume project only three months before I-CON, in March. We chose two of our favorite characters from science fiction media: Ripley from the first Alien movie and Re-L Mayer from the anime Ergo Proxy.

Sarah Makes Re-L Mayer’s Choker, Pendant, and Shotgun

Re-L’s look may be minimal, but I always found it striking and iconic. The main challenge was not the complexity of the accessories, but realizing them in a clean and nearly perfect way that embodies Re-L’s streamlined aesthetic.

The bezel that held the lapis stone in Re-L’s choker was made in SolidWorks, with the final printed on our desktop 3D printer in black ABS. From modeling to prototyping, I completed the entire piece in one productive day with no additional outlays.

For Re-L’s pendant, I imported a vector drawing into SolidWorks, where I gave it thickness and added in details. I 3D printed several prototypes in the same ABS as the bezel before ordering a brass print from Shapeways.

The final print was a pleasant surprise, as it beautifully captured minute details I thought would be easily lost, especially the XII carved into the back.

I had very little reference material for Re-L’s shotgun, so it took about a month of trial and error. After two failed attempts at modeling the gun, I went back to the drawing board and created a to-scale blueprint using vector drawings I made in Illustrator. Then I played with the overall shape and style of its profile.

Once I was happy with the blueprint, I then imported my vector drawings into SolidWorks, made them 3D, and figured out how all the parts would fit together. The power of 3D printing lies in being able to create unique items, so 3D printing barrels would be redundant and costly and I decided to use 1″ diameter wooden dowels for the barrels. Then I built the other pieces around the dimensions of the dowels.

The body, handle, grips, and cap were printed on an SLA printer at the LaGuardia Studio at my alma mater, NYU. I love this material for props due to its high resolution and durable, smooth finish that makes post-production sanding, painting, and weathering a breeze. SLA prints also have a nice heft to them, which I find gives my pieces more lifelike appeal. If you don’t have access to an SLA printer, Shapeways Frosted Ultra Detail 3D prints use a similar material and are likewise great for cosplay.

At that point, the shotgun looked flat. To give it more contrast and drama, I painted it with both black and purple spray paint, then finished it with a high-gloss topcoat for extra protection. I used sewing notions and rubber plumbing rings left over from other projects to complete the shotgun.

Dhemerae Makes a Flamethrower and a Watch for Ripley

Ripley’s costume posed a surprising challenge because of the strong community around Alien and its depth of knowledge. I had a hard time trying to incorporate all of the nuances that Alien fans had painstakingly outlined. Contributors to the Replica Prop Forum had already done all the hard work in collecting amazing reference images, and I got a good picture of how the original film pieces had been made. This helped me figure out how to adapt those techniques for my workflow at a lower budget.

The Flamethrower, fresh off the printer!

I developed 90 percent of Ripley’s flamethrower in SolidWorks and printed it in ABS plastic on a Fortus 450 MC (also at LaGuardia Studio), a large FDM printer that can produce stellar high-resolution prints. And the support material is dissolvable, so there was no sanding needed prior to priming. The ABS pieces looked fantastic fresh out the printer and all the parts fit together perfectly, making for an easy build. As an alternative to ABS, we recommend Shapeways PLA!

For the back cylinder and the hoses, I altered, primed, and painted plumbing supplies. I had a really hard time finding canisters with rounded bottoms in the right size. Then I found two vintage Super Soaker refill canisters, and those worked out wonderfully for the gas canisters.

The most difficult part of this project was also the smallest: the watch. In Alien, Ripley’s watch was made from 2 Casio F-100 watches fused together. Since F-100s are a rare collectors’ item, I got two Casio F-91W watches and used SolidWorks to design a case that could fit the guts.

I printed the watchcase with all its buttons, the orange backing, and the clear display cover in color on a Stratasys J750, which prints in full-color plastic. It took about five iterations before I arrived at a design that captured the look of Ripley’s watch and could fit the parts from the Casio F-91Ws. Though a bit rushed and imperfect, I was nonetheless thrilled. I’d like to go back to the watch, flesh it out, and share my 3D models so anyone could print them and build one.

Ready for Action as Ripley and Re-L

When you finally put on the complete look for the first time, you feel like you can take over the world! We met several artists and cosplayers at I-CON who were really into 3D printing and the lore of our characters.

Building costumes in three months was a great trial for TheLaserGirls, and it really tested our abilities to design pieces outside our wheelhouses. We love choosing projects that will challenge us in a new way, for it not only tests us but encourages and inspires us to push the boundaries of 3D printing.

Have you used 3D printing for costume design? We’d love to hear your story. Leave a comment below for a chance to be featured in Shapeways Magazine.

The post Ripley and Re-L Mayer: The Making of a Sci-Fi Cosplay Project appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

We ran into Shapeways shop owner Michael Pennock of Arctic Skunk and interviewed him on Facebook live. Check out some of his beautifully painted 3D printed wargaming products below:

We also met Shapeways shop owner Brandon Horsch of Horschpower Concepts and checked out his unbelievable conversions of his Tau Empire army.

In the tournament area, we found this truly incredible, massive knight with a cathedral on its back. Next time we hope to see some of our community members take on this kind of challenge!

Matthew Sweitzer of Pop Goes the Monkey joined Shapeways at our booth, and we got to show off his awesome 3D printed bits. Below are the painted and unpainted versions to prove how incredibly detailed our Frosted Ultra Detail is. No one could tell the difference between the the grey resin cast originals and the custom-printed FUD after painting!

As Lise noted, we got to hang out with the Long War Network and we were totally blown away by their huge display.

Walking the floor, we also found this super funny, 3D printed golden robot. Love the grape-colored teeth and eyes.

We also met Michelle and her hand-painted, five-headed dragon. We were shocked it even fit in the Crystal Brush competition case.

In addition, I got to chat with the cool guys at BeerThralls team, Forge the Narrative, and Combat Phase. You should subscribe to their podcasts and listen to our interviews, of course.

Have an event you think Shapeways should be at? Let us know in the comments below!

The post The Coolest Miniatures at Adepticon appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

As you may have noticed via all our social posts, the team and I spent last weekend in Schaumburg, Illinois for AdeptiCon, one of the leading wargaming conventions in North America. It was my first time going, so I didn’t know quite what to expect, but the weekend turned out to be chock-full of adventures and friends.

Our trip kicked off with an evening Games Workshop studio preview where we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at what the team has planned for the upcoming year. We’re not big on #spoilers but they announced the rollout of a new game called Shadespire and discussed ways in which they were going to become more community-focused, even adding tools created by fans to their site. All of the updates were received with hearty cheers, so they’re all things fans seem to be particularly excited about.

The next day the convention opened, where Andrew, community member Matt from Pop Goes the Monkey, and I manned the Shapeways booth. It was exciting to see all of the prep we’d done for the convention ready and in use. The terrain displays looked incredible (more on that in a future post!) and it was great being able to speak with everyone from existing Shapeways customers to people who hadn’t yet heard about us. Giving people the opportunity to see the bits Matt had designed in real life was exciting because it’s the ultimate “ah-ha” moment that you don’t necessary have when looking at something online. Seeing people astounded at the quality of the prints was definitely one of my favorite parts of the convention.

As for the second part of our crafting day, my cosplay also fit right in —  I even found some cosplay twins at the Eagle Ordinary booth! It’s always inspiring to see the ways in which other people create their cosplay. It was a good reminder that there’s always so much room for improvement!

#AdeptiCon was #Cosplay

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 26, 2017 at 4:40pm PDT

We also had a great time interviewing some of the cosplayers around the convention  including Christine Yoo Millar who was dressed as a Sister of Battle to match her army. Her armor was comprised of foam and 3D printed PLA embellishments — from symbols like the Fleur-de-Lis to her intricate high heels! While Christine has made 34 costumes, she’d never won a contest (which is BANANAS) so we were beyond thrilled to witness her winning Best In Show at Adepticon 2017’s cosplay contest.

Also of note were the orc rock band called Da Gof Rockerz who were kind enough to enquire if I “wanted to be killed” when I requested a photo with them. Apparently they actually play gigs, so keeping my fingers crossed that I’m able to catch one of their shows soon.

Your girl’s at #AdeptiCon, in #cosplay, hanging with orcs.

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 25, 2017 at 2:40pm PDT

Throughout the convention, Andrew and Matt also had the opportunity to sit down for some podcast recordings with the BeerThralls team, Forge the Narrative, and Combat Phase. We also had a chance to hang out with some other great folks like Uncle Atom of Tabletop Minions, Teri from ThatTeriGirl and Mark Z of Dice Tower.

For more in-depth coverage of AdeptiCon, we’d suggest reading the recaps written by our new friends over at SpikeyBits!

Have I mentioned how excited I am for next year?

The post #Winning at AdeptiCon appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Having visited Comic Con in Dublin last year, I kind of knew what to expect. However, I wasn’t sure if the Dutch audience would be ready for the cosplay. The photo below tells a different story:

Dutch Comic Con organized a costume contest in which visitors could participate in various categories.

Amongst the exhibitors I ran into was Wayne from Wayne’s Workshop. He makes huge costumes from foam and finishes them with effects such as CO2 jets. I’d recommend checking out the tutorials on his Facebook page. While Wayne still makes all his parts by hand, I can’t wait to find out what he will unleash with 3D printing.

Former Shapeways intern Florent (owner of Proptimum.nl) and Wayne next to his self-built Iron Man Starboost suit.

Many other known characters were portrayed. Here’s a roundup of what seemed to be the most-cosplayed characters last weekend:

• Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad (spotted 6 times)
• Link from The Legend of Zelda (spotted 5 times)
• Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones (spotted 4 times)
• Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of The Carribean (spotted 4 times)
• The Joker (based on Jared Leto’s impersonation) from Suicide Squad (spotted 4 times)
• Lexa from The 100 (spotted 3 times)

I really enjoyed walking through the Lord of The Rings landscape filled with elves, the people of Gondor, and the Ringwraiths. Crawling over the exhibit floor and even creepier than the Nazgûl, was this girl dressed up as Samara from The Ring.

Nope, nope, NOPE.

Are you a cosplayer and planning to use or already using Shapeways for your costume? Drop a note below for a chance to be featured.

The post Exploring Dutch Comic Con appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

We’ve been busy crafting and getting ready all weekend. Check out the terrain and cosplay armor we made, below:

Can you guess what our cosplay is? Leave your guesses below, and keep up with our Instagram this weekend to find out!

The post Going to AdeptiCon this week? Come say Hi! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.