3D Print Steps

[leeper48]

Hi guys. I'm around if you have questions in the process. I moved to a new house this past year so hadn't done any exports recently but just fired up CoH with the steps above and it still worked for me. If you look in the gallery link in my signature you'll see I have been able to add bump map textures which adds a lot more details but that is a several hour process. The raw export without texture is 10-15 mins once you have everything setup.

 

Drop a DM if need anything answered and good luck.

[kanga]

1 hour ago, Felderburg said:

Well now I don't feel so bad helping necro this thread. Is the OP still the best way to get characters ready to print? Or have their been advancements in the last year and a half?

I cannot get blender to do a correct job, on a basic character with no aura's or cape, when i open the model in cura, big chunks of it are missing. edit , also, Cura reports "Your model is not manifold. The highlighted areas indicate either missing or extraneous surfaces1

Edited February 5 by kanga

[kanga]

1 hour ago, leeper48 said:

Hi guys. I'm around if you have questions in the process. I moved to a new house this past year so hadn't done any exports recently but just fired up CoH with the steps above and it still worked for me. If you look in the gallery link in my signature you'll see I have been able to add bump map textures which adds a lot more details but that is a several hour process. The raw export without texture is 10-15 mins once you have everything setup.

 

Drop a DM if need anything answered and good luck.

Don't suppose you can tell me whats wrong?

 

[leeper48]

Here is a video of me going through the process as well as some steps that might help with the results with the funky geometry. I hope this helps others with the same situation.

 

 

[kanga]

first attempt after that video! 😄

[leeper48]

Here is an updated video. Kanga pointed out that some of my shortcut keys in the last video didn't line up with the default Blender setup, so I installed Blender fresh on a different computer without any aftermarket addons so the UI and shortcuts should look like the default.
 

 

[kanga]

I did these a little while ago. I kinda stepped back from all this stuff and forgot to post my progress. This one even stands up on its own because of the tail. haha. I have got a hold of some more paints and have changed to a white filament, so I may try and paint one next, even though I'm shocking when it comes to anything artistic. 🙂

Thank you once again Leeper, you're help has been greatly appreciated 🙂 

[Crasical]

How are you getting the bump maps out?

[leeper48]

43 minutes ago, Crasical said:

How are you getting the bump maps out?

The bumpmap side of things is about 10 times more involved than the first phase which is the steps at the beginning of this post (15mins vs 2-3 hours). It took a ton of trial and error to get it as fast as that. I haven't written out or recorded a tutorial on it yet due to how complex it is but here are a couple things to help:

 

When you press Ctrl Shift L (step17 from my instructions) it not only makes ogle.obj mesh file at "C:\Games\Homecoming" it also extracts the images to "C:\Games\Homecoming\bin\win64\live\Frame_000858\Images\"

It makes a new folder at each capture and increments the name, in this case, Frame_000858. The image file names are funky and there are a bunch of icons and UI junk I toss out so I'm not tripping over them in Blender when looking for the right image. Also it is a good idea to rename the files to hands, feet, torso, etc to make finding the right one in Blender.

 

The steps to map the images involves UVMap texture wrapping and using a displacement modifier in Blender. Feel free to grab this sample .blend file and images folder to see how I did it for another player recently to reverse engineer the steps. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1KulUwrEtmm7ZUDgLJUvCtZcMvSk15G-5?usp=drive_link

 

If you grab the file, you'll want to hide the North49_merged group and unhide North49_working to see all the modifiers.

 

Good luck and let me know if you have more questions.

Edited March 6 by leeper48

[Crasical]

It's ten times more involved, but it adds so much detail that it might make figures ten times better looking, so, even tradeoff.

[leeper48]

Agreed. That’s why I exclusively do that process now and don’t settle for the first phase. If you want to give it a shot and see if you can follow along with what I’ve done based on the example I’ll be excited to see what you come up with. And again, if you have any questions along the way reach out

[kanga]

Been out of the loop for a while! Hello again 🙂 . I was unable to use my printer for a while (we's poor, couldn't buy filament). I am back but I have 2 projects I am currently working on and when they're done, I'll finally do a couple of final prints of my city of heroes characters. Many thanks again to Leeper48 for all their hard work and assistance, that has actually lead me using blender a little bit, something I never saw coming. Anyway, my current 2 models... Alastor, the radio demon from Hazbin Hotel and The Doom Slayer from Doom Eternal... Considering one is a demon and the other is a demon slayer... I hope they stay amicable 😛 . Both of them are roughly a foot tall. 

[Healix]

Kanga, those are really great!

[kanga]

Yeah, more bad luck for me.

Ignoring the PC shenanigans,  just yesterday we came off the highway in bad weather and damaged the car, and since I am no longer working, it is going to take a VERY long time to catch up. I already took out a loan to get the car repaired and now I need more, and I just cant.

Edited July 5 by kanga
error correct

[kanga]

 

That's how the Alastor turned out. I won't be painting anymore.

Edited August 22 by kanga

[kanga]

Empty

 

Edited August 22 by kanga
double image

[kanga]

empty

 

Edited August 22 by kanga
change

[Masheenz]

Following this thread. How much does a print usually end up costing? I've made it all the way to the game running like molasses but when I do the capture command cntrl shift L nothing happens. I just want a print of my main so I can paint it. 

[Masheenz]

These are a lot of fun. Most of the AI software can make 3D videos from screenshots of your characters as well! I've yet to get it to make a whole scene of characters interacting yet but I think it will be capable of rendering full scenes with characters flying, running, using powers etc. 

[kanga]

On 11/25/2025 at 12:57 AM, Masheenz said:

Following this thread. How much does a print usually end up costing? I've made it all the way to the game running like molasses but when I do the capture command cntrl shift L nothing happens. I just want a print of my main so I can paint it. 

 

Did you look for the created obj file? if none were made you may have missed a step. I took a miss step or two myself. As far as cost goes, printing a standard figurine up to maybe a foot tall like I did for Alastor, You would only be looking at maybe 2-3 dollars in raw material depending on cost and currency (I am in Aus). 

[Masheenz]

On 11/25/2025 at 9:11 PM, kanga said:

 

Did you look for the created obj file? if none were made you may have missed a step. I took a miss step or two myself. As far as cost goes, printing a standard figurine up to maybe a foot tall like I did for Alastor, You would only be looking at maybe 2-3 dollars in raw material depending on cost and currency (I am in Aus). 

Yeah I missed the .ini file copy step  you need from this thread because I was following along with the video instead of reading. I did however end up finally getting an .obj file from ingame and it turned out well, having some issues getting manifold geometry however and I forgot how to merge vertices in Blender so back to learning I go. I'll upload the .stl file if anyone wants to play with it in Cura themselves my character is pretty generic with imperial defense gaunlets boots belt etc. I'm saving up for a 3d printer but I might just send it to a print lab if I can fix the geometry to print properly for them. 

 

I've also run into an issue that I think is in the fist area. The model has the fists closed and I think the geometry is overlapping, and for some reason that will not print. I tried a couple different printing quote places but the automated process just hangs at 99% like it cannot complete.

stapler_printer_ready.obj

Edited November 27 by Masheenz
additions