We have been putting the new FLUX Delta 3D Printer through the paces printing various props. We made a video to show some of the action. The FLUX is capable of being more than a 3D Printer. It's got 3D Scanner abilities and laser cutter/engraver abilities. We'll add more video's in the future.

Over the weekend the DioWarriors R&D received some orange 3D Printer filament -- a different plastic than the two standards we use, called PPLA. The first print was some typical construction cones. But as the cones printed we noticed the quality of the plastic was quite good, resulting in a very clean print. So the decision was made whenever we find a color in PPLA we will use that instead.

The orange color, however, proved interesting in other ways. Ideas started shooting back and forth: we can print construction cones, yes, but how about a new "cone", something like a traffic barrier post. So R&D designed a simple post and printed it. Other ideas developed: orange is kinda like a hazmat color, so how about some of the DioWarriors canisters made in orange? It would be compatible with props like the orange case that the Cobra Hazard Viper (GI Joe) comes with to store Compound Z. Certainly then other hazmat props could be made and printed with this orange.

Orange can also be used for an industrial look. Home Depot uses orange as a theme in their stores: shopping carts, even the heavy shelving they use are orange. In the past DioWarriors had used orange for some truss's as part of the 2014 Zombie Lab dio. The color certainly gave an industrial look -- it wasn't the typical gray or white commonly seen in dioramas. The color did bring attention to certain areas of the dio, and served to break up the dio in a subtle way. The color function as a visual barrier which meant we didn't have to make an actual barrier. Just place an object outlined in orange and the mind's eye will compartmentalize it.

Using the orange as an alert/safety color for a workshop environment also has benefits: many dioramas in the 1:18 scale tend to be drab in color (unless it's an urban scene.) Typically the diorama is a warehouse setting -- some place resembling a hangar -- an enclosed space with the walls the same color as the floor. As a result the only real items that break up the monotony is the occasional splash of color, and 1:18 scale dios being mostly military, the splash of color are usually from the figures or vehicles themselves. So platforms and catwalks with a bit of orange can benefit the dio with color that draws attention. Used strategically the orange prop can draw the eye of the viewer to areas of the dio where the artist wishes the attention to be.  

So we are doing some experiments with orange colored props this week. The items will be available in the store, but keep in mind this is a new filament plastic and there may be some unforeseen aspects that might appear as we use it, and that might change our plans. So far everything looks good. We will post pictures here in this site and also at the DioWarriors Store page in Facebook. If you have questions about the orange, please ask. And especially if you have ideas for something that would look good in orange, let us know.
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This week Kickstarter backers have begun receiving the "Vitruvian Hacks" action figure line from Boss Fight Studio (BFS). The main action figure collector sites have begun posting photos and video reviews. Everyone is talking about the Spartans and the Gorgons, the sculpting, the colors, the pose-ability, and above all, the interchangeable parts for customization. If you don't know, the first theme of the BFS line is Greek mythology. It is a bold theme because most collectors buy what they are familiar with, and that means military (GI Joe, Marauder Task Force, historical WWII,) sci-fi (Star Wars,) and superhero (D.C. and Marvel, anime/manga.) A Greek mythology line is quite unique.

And it is brilliant.

The Greek mythology of Vitruvian Hacks has strong potential for the imagination. It's a little sci-fi with fantasy -- Greek warriors locked in an age-less struggle against Gorgons. There is a magical element of the Spartan soldiers turning to stone, semi-transparent figures, and figures with celestial constellations. There's also glow-in-the-dark versions and skeletons. The wording of the packaging contains data about the figures, but the interesting thing is a "temporal" data section usually posing a "what if" scenario -- if a Gorgon, for example, might be present in the modern day.

The temporal section is a great way to stir the imagination of crossing-over the Vitruvian Hacks mythology theme with any other action figure line, and that affects DioWarriors specifically. Since DioWarriors attempts to be toy-line neutral, the potential for props that bridge toy-lines across dimensions is perfect. Already we are engaged in designs for magical portal pools and technological transdimensional tunnels. Yes, we want to see Gorgons lose in the wastelands of Acid Rain World, or Jinx of the GI Joe line confronting Medusa and her sisters, avenging the Joes that have been turned to stone.

A line like Vitruvian Hacks simply begs for props that bridge the universes. But it doesn't stop there. Toy lines going the other way -- entering the world of the ancient Greeks -- also presents a vast potential. The props might be harder to find, but fortunately we have some offerings there too.

Combining the Spartans into a storyline that spans universes has really unlimited potential. It's very sci-fi and very fantasy. It might sound like an unlikely mix, but it works. At DioWarriors we're excited about the potential. Although we don't have any BFS figures to show yet, we are working quickly to fill the prop vacuum for this line.

If you are looking for ideas, try these out:

• Cobra has activated another super weapon bridging the modern world to the past: a temporal rift has opened and we soon find Snake Eyes and the Joe team confronting sinister Gorgons in the sewers of New York City.
• Jinx, trained by the Blind Master, confronts Medusa herself.
• Cobra releases an updated version of Compound Z which animates skeletons. Now the Joe team must fight both Cobra Zombie Vipers and the undead skeletons.
• The Soil Ghosts are fleeing an area of the wastes bordering Omanga. Bob and the Bucks Team are sent in to investigate, as it might be Omangan military operations preparing an invasion. Gorgons have entered one of the portal pools that surround one of the Oracles and found their way to the Acid Rain World.
• An artifact from a crashed UFO has transported ancient Greeks and their enemies, the Gorgons, to the Marvel Universe.
• Batman must rid Gotham from a medusa creature turning citizens into stone.

What would you do with your Vitruvian Hacks?