Do you remember "diostories"?

It began over 20 years ago. I can't recall the exact date when I first sat down to use Google Docs for writing a dio-story. I had seen what other people had written and taken photos of: amazing stories using custom diorama settings and action figures. The whole genre of a "diostory" was new to me.  At that time, dio-stories were quite popular on the inter-webs. Various Joe websites and even some related to Star Wars were bustling with activity as their members shared images of dioramas under construction and custom action figures being crafted and painted. Eventually they posted photos of their completed works, typically one chapter at a time, arranged in a photo-journal illustrating a progression of an ongoing story. These were dio-stories -- also known as a photo-novel. They were entire stories made using toys, uploaded and shared among fans. I had not seen anything like it before and I was hooked, and I wanted to do my own.

DioWarriors has always been about creating an idea and using available tech to make that idea real. To make something from our imagination tangible. DioWarriors itself did not exist back then when I became hooked with the photo-novel concept. However, it was the dio-stories that inspired the creation of DioWarriors -- "diorama warriors" a tribute and link to our photo-novel fandom. But to make our dio-stories we needed a way to easily make the props and sets. Thus, DioWarriors embraced the modern trend of home-manufacturing through 3D printing. Since those times we have grown to incorporate various technologies for creating our props -- 3D software, laser cutting, etc.

Now, fast forward to the present: as we prepare the new office I began to think about trying to revive the old dio-story from years ago -- the same story and plot that I wrote in Google Docs. And I was thinking "why not share the old story with everyone." Make the effort of sharing into a shared experience too, where I would post revisions of the story, express thoughts and ideas of new props and even new characters, and share the thought process of pulling it all together into a complex story. The original Google Docs story was meticulous and I wrote it in story-board form so that each scene would be easy to take photos of. But now that I am building the VSS 002 and the original story is already in story-board form, I'm going to start a series of blog posts of this photo-novel.

Please keep in mind this series of blog posts is going to be an active project. I will be posting the original idea, making changes, and re-posting the idea. Eventually the story will take shape -- first as text in this blog, but in time as the new office becomes available, it will become into photos. New props will be made (so you'll see designs of those) and some will become available in the DioWarriors Store. This project will be the revised photo-novel that ignited the dream that eventually led to the formation of DioWarriors. 

It's not much to see... yet. The new office is coming along well, just slow progress. Moving DioWarriors from the US to Thailand has so far been an interesting experience. There is much to do, at the US side of things and here in Thailand. The big plans still include the US as we are looking at Texas for maintaining our production with the larger machines and 3D Printers we can't take with us abroad. More on the Texas location later. For now let's talk about Thailand.

We've been silent since last year when we closed the DioWarriors Store. This was mostly due to the fact we just had so much to do in such a short time. An American can stay in Thailand without a formal visa for 60 days. This means an I -- an American -- can get off the airline and enter Thailand with just a passport for about two months, but then I would have to exit the country -- the all-important exit stamp in the passport. Then I can enter the country again for another 60 days. It's a cycle of repetition, but doable. There are other types of visa's that one can apply for to extend the length of stay. Each has their own list of requirements from having a local bank account to other requirements. So there are lots of options.

​Concerning DioWarriors, we have to look into a larger place. The current condo is too small. So we bought an office that will double as our residence. It's a modern version of a "shop house." It's got enough space to live in as a residence, and also enough space for manufacturing. It's a new construction too, so there's a list of checkboxes we had to go through to purchase it. It didn't come with any air conditioning, for example, so we had to get those installed. The place just went through it's first building inspection and now there are items revealed in the inspection that needs to be addressed. There will be more inspections.. a cycle of inspections and repair until everything is ready for us to move in. So this will take time.

​We'll have to talk to an architectural firm to alter the interior into a style we like. There's no cabinets, no appliances in the kitchen, there's no place for the washer and dryer. So we have to hire a firm to get this done. Then there's also the business side of things. Since DioWarriors is both design and manufacturing, the office needs higher power requirements. And there's also the issue of using American devices in Thailand... 110 to 220 volts power conversion. Again, this will take some time.

The office is four floors. The photos just shows the nicer views as the rear offices show the adjacent building. I'll post more photos when we get some blinds installed. There is an elevator we decided to install as you can imagine walking up and down four flights of stairs will do wonders for our health, and that is a plus, it will not be pleasant, however, when having to carry something heavy. The elevator goes all the way down to the factory floor.

The place might look a bit small in these photos, but it really isn't. It should be large enough for our needs at this time, and I can't wait to start filling it with the figure collection and model props and diorama displays. The VSS was also directly on our minds when purchasing this place, so it will be big enough to have that too.

​​So this is the current state of DioWarriors abroad in Thailand. It is also the reason why there hasn't been much in terms of showing new 3D designs or pretty much anything. Honestly I also didn't want to sidetrack and post new prop designs without printing them. The condo I'm at in Bangkok is simply too small to start filling it with 3D prints while at the same time using this place to store a large action figure collection, vehicles, props from the US, etc. I felt it would be wiser to just wait until the new office became ready. So expect more news to come. Folks have been asking if there's any tariff issue we're concerned about or if tariffs will impact DioWarriors. The simple answer is no, especially since we do have a presence in the US. The move of DioWarriors from Florida to Bangkok is one thing, but there's also another move from Florida to Texas. There's a lot more going on with DioWarriors than meets the eye. Until next time.... 

Barrels serve as significant background props, enhancing the passive aesthetic of a diorama. They also function well as space fillers. Besides old style "metal" drum barrels, DioWarriors had decided to do a series of modern plastic barrels -- something that would be appropriate for a modern laboratory or a sci-fi scene -- and make them available in various colors: blue, white, yellow, and orange. These barrels could be polished to a glossy finish for those customers who a require a pronounced plastic appearance.

But why plastic barrels? Plastic barrels are utilized across various industries for storage, shipping, and other industrial purposes. DioWarriors' blue barrels serve as a versatile, all-purpose container, often seen in diorama backgrounds or being loaded onto trucks. These blue barrels can also be transformed into rain barrels for outdoor dioramas. The  yellow barrels are appropriate for storing hazardous or chemical waste and can be labeled with decals indicating biological or radioactive hazards. Additionally, orange barrels are ideal for construction site dioramas or areas requiring traffic or pedestrian control, alerting a passersby to proceed with caution.

DioWarriors also provides white-colored barrels for laboratory dioramas. The white color is commonly used for food-grade, chemical, or medical applications. In some of our own diorama photos, you can see a white barrel in the background usually.

Like most DioWarriors items, these barrels are 3D printed and undergo post-processing to minimize the layer lines that are usually visible in 3D prints. After treatment, the barrels can be finished with a matte spray-paint clear coat to lessen the shine. The barrels come in 1:18 and 1:12 scale.

Toy photography is a hobby that captivates me. It can range from being incredibly straightforward to highly intricate, based on the photographer's personal preferences. It can easily be as simple as a figure or two on a coffee table in a pose of fighting hand-to-hand, or with an elaborate diorama of a space station, or a throne room of a castle. There is no end to the possibilities to what can become toy photography. There are some essentials, though: a wide range of action figures is helpful, and a wide range of props.

Props are an often overlooked hero of toy photography. A good prop adds interest and depth to a scene. Boss Fight Studio (BFS) has a fantasy line that includes knights and orcs. A merry gathering of orcs celebrating a raid against human settlements around a campfire could be highlighted with strong drink sloshing around in goblets. But there is a challenge, the fantasy segment of action figure collecting is quite specialized, and likewise there is a notable scarcity of suitable props. That's where DioWarriors enters into the spotlight. As an action figure collector who's also involved with toy photography, I find that I'm often having to design and make the props in my fantasy collection. Skull goblets are one of them.

Concerning the Boss Fight Studio orcs, I always thought something more was needed for them. Something that was not a weapon that could be used with the orcs or found by knights. In other words, something neutral. The DioWarriors skull goblets are high-resolution 3D printed props made of resin, tailored specifically for BFS figures at 1:18 scale. It's essentially a goblet adorned with a skull. Simple to paint, robust, and intricately detailed, it's a "hero" prop highly detailed for close-up camera shots. Use them for celebration: a toast among orcs or humans -- a vessel to "drink the blood of thy enemies" -- or as an item in a treasure chest, or even a cursed magical item being held by a sorcerer. A skull goblet is a useful prop that can become the heart of a story and even the centerpiece of a photo. 

The DioWarriors barrel is a 3D printed prop designed to be customizable with a hairdryer. These barrels are simple to modify, accept paint readily, and are affordable. They are also straightforward to manufacture, featuring a removable lid and base. Dimensions are provided, enabling enthusiasts to create custom attachments and enhancements for incorporating the model into their distinctive diorama displays. A collection of DioWarriors barrels can serve as an intriguing backdrop or even as a prominent prop when placed close to the camera.