As a new era in the Star Wars universe is coming into existence, popular producer of the tech-based Youtube show Nerdgasm, Jerry Berg (better known by his Barnacules personality), has collaborated with MyMiniFactory to 3D print their own Imperial Army. Equipped with full body armor and a Stormtrooper VII TFA blaster, Barnacules had the entire costume modeled around his body, creating the ultimate 3D printed cosplay costume.
MyMiniFactory, the industry’s largest curated 3D printables platform, connected Barnacules with 3D designers based in London, where the costume was first designed in parts by project leader Lloyd Roberts, along with the assistance of Ricardo Salomao and Kirby Downey. After the team completed the design of the costume, the file was downloaded and 3D printed by Barnacules inside of his US-based workspace.
The Episode VII Stormtrooper costume was designed by Roberts and his friend Salomao, while the task of creating the TFA blaster weapon was taken on by Downey. After Barancules had his body characteristics digitized into 3D and cleaned up in ZBrush, Roberts utilized Rhino to shape the pieces of the Stormtrooper costume to fit the model. The team was able to design the, technically unreleased, Episode VII armor thanks to multiple photos taken of the movie-accurate costumes worn at the latest Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California.
Much like he has done with most of his design work, Roberts had been live-streaming the design process of the costume on MyMiniFactory’s site. Since the project was created to be 3D printed on desktop printers, the armor was sliced into smaller files so that each segment could be successfully printed and snapped together with ease. The material Barnacules used to print the costume in his lab is ColorFabb XT, ColorFabb’s rigid PLA-like filament that is both much stronger and has a higher melting point than traditional PLA, which allowed the costume to be worn comfortably and risk-free in outdoor environments.
With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens eagerly approaching, Barnacules was certainly excited to have the first 3D printed Stormtrooper uniform modeled and tailored for his body, showing off the creation this past weekend at Pax Prime in Seattle, Washington. The event is one of the largest gaming showcases in the country, taking place in four cities across the United States and one in Melbourne, Australia, as well.
If you happened to miss the live-streamed process of the creation of the Episode VII Stormtrooper costume, Barnacules has detailed the entire adventure in two parts on his Youtube channel embedded above and below. If you’re hoping to to make your own, the helmet and blaster are available for download at MMF. MyMiniFactory and Barnacules have accomplished a big feat in the intertwined universe of technology and science fiction, showing diehard Star Wars fans that 3D printing is truly a force to be reckoned with!
