Best Of
Re: Software Engineer of 20 years want to know... Where should I start?
Pathways are great as the team at Stan Winston put them in logical order. From here click on the Stan Winston logo at the top, then the pancakes on the left... three stacked lines. Then click pathways and on the next screen, scroll to what you want to start in.
Re: What's On Your Workbench? (Summer 2022)
Not quite done, but it's a 1:1 endoskull build (printed, aluminum, and steel components, plus LED's) with articulated neck, semi-functional mouth and neck pistons (including ball and socket joints at the top of the neck pistons). Should be done by the weekend- going to touch up the teeth a smidge, and adding the final LED's into the eyes. Figure this is the first project I've done that I thought was close enough to the quality of things I've seen on these forums :-) 
Re: How should an absolute beginner learn mechanics?
Hi Morgan,
It can all be a bit overwhelming, so I find it helps to focus on small goals first. I would start by picking a single simpler project to make, figure out what skills and materials are needed to complete it, and work towards that goal.
For animatronics, I would start by looking into microcontrollers like the Arduino. There are a lot of resources and documentation for them to help get you up and running. Then you can start learning about servos, linkages, joints, etc. Make something simple first, then start adding more complexity over time.
There are also build systems out there to help make prototyping a lot easier. I'm a big fan of actobotics. https://www.servocity.com/actobotics/
For stop-motion you would want to look into basic machining, wire-based armatures, ball and socket joints, etc. You can do a lot with hand tools since the scale is so small.
I would also recommend our learning pathways, which help guide you through a series of courses focused on a subject like animatronics. Here is a good starting point: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/pathways/mechanical-effects-basics-online-courses-for-beginner-animatronic-fx-mechanics
That should help get you started!
/Chris
It can all be a bit overwhelming, so I find it helps to focus on small goals first. I would start by picking a single simpler project to make, figure out what skills and materials are needed to complete it, and work towards that goal.
For animatronics, I would start by looking into microcontrollers like the Arduino. There are a lot of resources and documentation for them to help get you up and running. Then you can start learning about servos, linkages, joints, etc. Make something simple first, then start adding more complexity over time.
There are also build systems out there to help make prototyping a lot easier. I'm a big fan of actobotics. https://www.servocity.com/actobotics/
For stop-motion you would want to look into basic machining, wire-based armatures, ball and socket joints, etc. You can do a lot with hand tools since the scale is so small.
I would also recommend our learning pathways, which help guide you through a series of courses focused on a subject like animatronics. Here is a good starting point: https://www.stanwinstonschool.com/pathways/mechanical-effects-basics-online-courses-for-beginner-animatronic-fx-mechanics
That should help get you started!
/Chris
Re: Jurassic Park 1 Velociraptor Suit Spiral Neck Mechanism
Thanks for the tip! funny enough I made the decision last night to use velcro tabs and it's going well, I'll probably post my progress tonight.
Re: Software Engineer of 20 years want to know... Where should I start?
Hi Christopher,
The pathways are a great place to start if you know which area you want to focus on first. There's really no wrong place to start, as many skills depend on others or are part of a linear progression. For example: Character design > sculpting > mold making > casting > painting. Each is its own unique subject but combined they form the workflow of creating a character.
If you have a project you would like to build, that is also a good starting point. That way you can evaluate your skills and progress while working, and focus on courses for the areas you need to grow to complete the project.
Otherwise, you can pick any individual course you are interested in as a starting point, and continue to move through the course library as you build inspiration or find areas you wish to focus on.
I hope that helps!
/Chris
The pathways are a great place to start if you know which area you want to focus on first. There's really no wrong place to start, as many skills depend on others or are part of a linear progression. For example: Character design > sculpting > mold making > casting > painting. Each is its own unique subject but combined they form the workflow of creating a character.
If you have a project you would like to build, that is also a good starting point. That way you can evaluate your skills and progress while working, and focus on courses for the areas you need to grow to complete the project.
Otherwise, you can pick any individual course you are interested in as a starting point, and continue to move through the course library as you build inspiration or find areas you wish to focus on.
I hope that helps!
/Chris
Re: Making stop motion/'little by little motion' rigs?
The precision required for stop-motion makes working with servos difficult unless you are controlling simpler movements. There are digital servos like dynamixel servo that have feedback for their absolute position, which can give you more precise control if paired with a microcontroller, but that is a bit more advanced.
With a microcontroller and a potentiometer you can control a regular servo to move small amounts, and if you use gears, belts, etc. you can reduce the motion further for more precision.
I would only use a servo in stop-motion if there was absolutely no other way to get that movement.
/Chris
With a microcontroller and a potentiometer you can control a regular servo to move small amounts, and if you use gears, belts, etc. you can reduce the motion further for more precision.
I would only use a servo in stop-motion if there was absolutely no other way to get that movement.
/Chris
Re: Jurassic Park 1 Velociraptor Suit Spiral Neck Mechanism
Hi Neev,
If you want temporary connections (which are always best so you can easily replace or maintain things) you could glue fabric tabs along the rim of the neck and then use a temporary connection like velcro, snaps, etc. to attach the tabs to the skull.
/Chris
If you want temporary connections (which are always best so you can easily replace or maintain things) you could glue fabric tabs along the rim of the neck and then use a temporary connection like velcro, snaps, etc. to attach the tabs to the skull.
/Chris
Re: What's On Your Workbench? (Spring 2022)
After I signed on stan winston school I tryed to sculp different things from orc mask to high relief and figurtive art. Often I feel me without any talent in sculpting and i have a lot to learn. But Im happy there are so many teachers to catch and learn. Thx for that.
