I agree. Although Makerbot has a desktop printer at the $3,000(ish) price point. They are already working on a desktop 3D scanner. You can pretty much replicate any toy. This will do to toys what the MP3 did to music.

MakerBot TV Launch Episode! - YouTube

MakerBot Digitizer

I have little experience with 3D scanning but from what I understand you still have quite a bit of cleaning up to do before the scanned 3D model can be used for printing. Also you would have to scan in each joint and each limb of an action figure as a separate piece if you want to replicate the functionality. And then there is the whole issue of coloring the printed model as well. All things considered I think toy companies have not to worry about 3D scanners anytime soon. With mp3s and DVDs you already have a digital file to start with and all you have to do is transfer it to a new format. While with an action figure you have a physical object that needs to be turned into a digital file and then back again into a physical object. That process is a lot more complicated.

I have updated my 3D printed action figure. I thought the design of the first version was a little bit plain. Now the figure wears a more interesting armor and also has a second helmeted head. This also makes him look more futuristic then the previous version. Since the first figure was never able to hold his rifle too well I gave the new version two small guns instead. Those fit pretty well and allow a lot of poses. They also fit into the new backpack.

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...00-d681dmq.jpg

Here is the updated construction rendering of the 3D printed action figure. It can now move the head up and down as well as to the sides. The abs can move right and left now in addition to being able to tilt to the side. The feet can also tilt to the sides now allowing for some nicer poses. The new joints bring the total points of articulation to 34. I did not do any sanding on the joints this time. Therefore this figure has much tighter joints. It can even balance on one leg.

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...00-d681dxb.jpg

I did not want the parts of the old figure go to waste. So I made a new head for the old body to make a new character. Now Dan Generiko has somebody to fight with. :-) I made one new accessory for this figure: A hand holding the ripped off head of a cyborg drone. This adds a sci-fi element to the character and also shows that he is an evil guy.

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...00-d681e1f.jpg

Here are the two 3D printed action figures in action. Once they were brothers in arms but when Spike-Head turned evil and started enslaving helpless dwellers of the wasteland Dan Generiko had to stop him. They still wear partial outfits of the unit they served in together. At least that is my cheap explanation why the use a lot of the same parts. :-)

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...00-d681ef1.jpg

- Hauke

Since many people wanted to see what a painted figure looks like. So I went ahead and painted one. Unfortunately once painted the build lines are much more visible on the figure. I had to put on quite a thick layer of paint to get rid of them. I may print the figure on a better printer one day and give it another paint job. The joints all still work as does the storage of the weapons. Although there is some paint scrapping once you remove the weapons a couple of times.

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...00-d69zn9m.jpg

Looking good brother... those details are fantastic! i wish hasbro does something like that.

Thank you!

Holy Cow!

This is simply amazing and agree, this could be the beginning of the end of action figures from the BIG names or at the very least a huge increase in "garage" figure companies turning up.

Now as for 4" figures, I could see these 3D today being perfect to make the basics and the customiser adding Revoltech joints or Double joints to the figure. Head sculpts still being sculpted and casted for now.

One question though, how Durable are 3D printed pieces, this figure or anything else made? Seen someone selling 3D printed weapons, durable or fragile?

As long as the parts are not too tiny the durability should be fine. Even printed ABS is still quite strong though not as strong as injected ABS. Small weapons would not leave room for a lot of detail though. A simple object like 4" lightsaber should be o.k. A very detailed G.I. Joe machine gun might not be fit for printing.

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...e0-d6ewq6l.jpg

This is my latest attempt at a female action figure body.This female android was actually my first idea for a super articulated figure. But after some thinking I decided to start with a more muscular male character first since it would be easier to put the joints into a body that would not be so thin. I turned out to be right. The female figure works nice as well but is a lot less sturdy then the male figure. I actually had to glue some parts together to ensure stability while the male buck simply snaps together without any gluing. I also gave her less articulation in the hands since the joints would have turned out too small and fragile. However I gave her enhanced neck articulation and an additional joint in the ABS. She can now tilt her head to the side and can tilt the torso to the side even more. I since then made those additional joints for the male buck as well.

http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...ff-d6gavw2.jpg

This is the painted version of the 3D printed female android figure. As with the previous action hero, the rough surface does not allow a super smooth paintjob. Still she looks kinda cool. I actually prefer the creepy human head with the painted version since it adds a little bit of bright colors to the figure.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...a7-d6osj3f.jpg
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...00-d6oslc1.jpg

This is a project I did for a client. He wanted a proof of concept for an articulated male action figure body type that can be used for customizing.
The figure is 8 inch tall and it is the first figure I did that uses ball joints for the head, ankles and wrists.
The pins to hold the elbows and knees together are also a first. Because of them I do not need to separate the forearms and lower legs which left very visible seams on my previous figures. It is also the first time I did articulated toes.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...00-d6qsbap.jpg

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...00-d6qsbxu.jpg

Here is my latest 3D print. With my previous figures I wanted to see how far I could go with articulation. With this one I wanted to try out adding some functionality to a figure. So I made a figure that works both as a two-legged and a four-legged character. It can also open two panels on the back to reveal additional missile launchers and thrusters.

http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...00-d6ucjn6.jpg

Here is another concept figure. It has fever joints then the others but is actually the most fun to pose. It is the first time I used a double jointed knee. I always thought double jointed knees and elbows looked weird but it does allow for a nice range of movement. I also gave this figure a split torso so the head, shoulder and pelvis joints are actually held in place by the two torso halfes rather then just plugged into the torso. A split torso with seams was another thing I thought might not look good but the seams can be hidden quite nicely. All in all I think this figure has the best ratio of articulation and sturdiness.

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...00-d6ul23p.jpg

Here is a painted version of the alien cyborg. I am really happy how he turned out. The roughness of the print works quite well for the worn down bionics and the alien skin. The paintjob also does not get in the way of posing him. I hope to make more figures like him in the future.

I also set up a website for my 3D printed action figures you can see here: Hauke Scheer: 3D Character Design and 3D Printing

Can objects be scanned and uploaded? Say I wanted to convert a 6inch scale figure to 4inch? Is this possible?

As far as I know toy companies already do that to produce figures in different scales. I am not a scanning expert but I would believe for individuals you would have to:

- have access to professional scanning and printing equipment as well as professional 3D software and the knowledge how to use it.
- break the figure apart and scan in each part individually so functionality is preserved.
- clean up the scanned parts so they are good for printing.

Again I am not an expert at scanning but I think at this point it is still very impractical for home use. Maybe in a couple of years the technology will be cheaper and better but I think it is still a long way.

This is seriously the coolest fucking thread on here. These are awesome.

Thanks a lot. I hope to show more cool stuff next year.

My first figure based on the Alien Cyborg template. He is called Alien Enforcer. He is a combination of all new parts like the head and redecorated parts like for example the legs. All in all I am quite happy with him.
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...a4-d6zhvog.jpg

This is the Alien Assassin, my second figure based on the Alien Cyborg template. As with the Alien Enforcer he is a combination of new parts and redecorated parts.
http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...1f-d6zhvhg.jpg

I always loved human-tank-cyborgs like the Mandroid from the movie Eliminators or the Beast Machines from Power Lords. This is my own version of the human-tank concept. He also uses the Alien Cyborg body as a template but in this case a lot of new parts had to be made.
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...40-d6zhvcc.jpg

Since all the figures based on the Alien Cyborg body use the same joints as template it is possible to swap parts. For example you can use an alien body on the tank part of the Human Tank character.
http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...27-d6zhuvy.jpg

I painted the figures over the weekend and put them into a diorama. You can see the surface of the figures is still rough due to the printing but I think the look nice once printed.

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/...00-d6zwxb8.jpg

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...00-d700cpi.jpg

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...00-d700ce8.jpg

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...00-d700ct7.jpg

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...00-d700cj2.jpg

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...00-d73yj6q.jpg

This is a figure I did for a client. He wanted a cartoon version of a military bomb suit soldier. The figure has 7 points of articulation and two heads. I created everything except for the mortar shell which was provided by the client as a 3D file. The figure is 6 inches tall.

This guy is called Steracorilla because well he is a mix of a styracosaurus, a stegosaurus and a gorilla. He was basically an experiment to see how I could give my box modeled action figures a little bit more texture using Zbrush. Therefore I made the base model in Softimage using traditional modeling tools. I then exported the files to Zbrush and masked off the parts that would have to stay smooth in order to make the joints work. The other parts got a rough surface using Zbrush brushes. The figure was then exported as STL file and finalized in Netfabb. The textures showed up fine after the print even on my Mojo printer that does not have a super high resolution. Especially once I painted the model the skin textures looked quite nice. I will continue to use Zbrush in the future to add fine detail like skin textures or scratches.

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/20...00-d79sr75.jpg

Here is the painted 3D printed Steracorilla figure in action.

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/20...00-d79sr19.jpg

wow............

Thank you!

This is so epic craftsmanship and art! I'm mind blown!

And sir, you shouldn't put down yourself that much!

You say the figures are rough etc... But I do t think so! Those are awesome! Reminds me to "small soldiers" super epic!

Would you be able to do sixth scale figures and parts as well?

I ask cause I am really interested to Comission a 1/6 scale iron man prop (just a forearm, but way bigger than normal)

If you're open for Comission, please let me know, I'll contact you then!

Thanks!

Regarding the roughness I just mean that the printer leaves build lines on the figures. You can cover it pretty well with paint but it is still more visible then with "normal" action figures. It is just the way most 3D home printers work.
I replied to your mail regarding the comission. Unfortunately I do not do comissions based on existing properties but I will gladly make design of your own.

Hauke