MAKE FULLY Modular Sci-fi Terrain for Warhammer & Infinity based on MASS EFFECT!

[@biddybaxter]

These are as nice if not nicer than any of the MDF terrain I've seen for sale. It's genuinely making wonder if I'd be better off saving for a laser cutter rather than a 3d printer. Excellent work!

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’m with you on this. 3D printers, for me, are still not fast enough, plug and play enough, not toxic, no clean up and just print without issues. Printing one building like these would take about 9 hours.

[@drawbyyourselve]

Yeah, for me its 3dprint miniatures and laser cut or foam cut Terrain. Unless its super detailed terrain, e.g. plants, murals, or other, that is still 3d. Printed.

[@thestateofplay2023]

I still have found a 3D printer I really want yet. 😢

[@OldManRogers]

@@thestateofplay2023 Resin printers are great for miniatures but not for terrain or more functional objects

[@wurzella1]

Seeing you flicking through the middle earth book really took me back, good days!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Ah! The good times!!

[@redrooster7371]

Brilliant design. With lots of vegetation and water I can imagine this too for The Drowned Earth.

[@thestateofplay2023]

I never thought of that. Good shout!

[@ragozzinehq]

This is fairly amazing! I love the "snowball rolling down hill, gathering size and speed" progression of the video as more and more options are added.

[@thestateofplay2023]

That’s a pretty neat way of looking at it. It’s weirdly the exact progression I used to make the stuff. Without the snowball of course! 🤣

[@paulwingrove7105]

Incredible work! Frankly, a much more thoughtful design than most of the commercial products available. A nice accessory for these might be a sheet of greyboard accessories: vents, ports, keypads, shuttered windows, etc to dress up plainer parts of the mdf. One suggestion I would make would be to scribe a line across each tab to continue the join line of the mdf.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yes, although I was thinking of adding 3D printed parts. Love the scribe tab idea. 👍🏼

[@MrJHDK]

What I especially love about this is that with a few superficial changes, and maybe an additional roof option, you have modular fantasy style village too.

[@thestateofplay2023]

This is very true. Hmm, thoughts….

[@fistfulofcolours]

This is more Infinity than Necromunda in my book. But great job designing those! They look awesome

[@thestateofplay2023]

I guess it Depends how you paint it. The Ash Wastes terrain was a massive departure for Necromunda. Looking at the Ironhead and Votaan vehicles, this terrain is a match. A few pipes and vents and it sits well with the Ash Waste stuff.

[@mooseoperator7288]

Came here to say this as well. Would love to play Infinity on this set.

[@thestateofplay2023]

@@mooseoperator7288 I guess I’ll have to buy Infinity now….

[@mooseoperator7288]

@@thestateofplay2023 Its absolutely worth a try! In my opinion the best skirmish game out there. Code One rule set is a great place to start.

[@austinbecker9024]

As an infinity player I love this so much!!!

[@millercommamatt]

I would love to see a painted example.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yes, was thinking of that as a follow up video. 👍🏼

[@manuelkarlinger1272]

Best terrain I have seen so far.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you man!

[@WilhelmScreamer]

This is the first application of mdf to terrain that actually uses a style that benefits from what mdf looks like

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah I never did understand that. Turns out it’s not hard to plan but few do. 😳

[@caseyrogers7538]

These would be awesome for Infinity. Just needs a building that can work as objective room.

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’m not familiar with infinity. I know it but never played. Can you describe the objective room? I might be able to solve that.

[@DannyEastes]

Everytime you think he's shown you all there is to show, he pulls out some other piece and combination and it just keep going and going, hundreds of thousands of combinations! This is utterly fantastic stuff, I wish I could buy them physically!

[@thestateofplay2023]

I wish I could sell them. But with home lasers there’s no profit in it anymore. 😩

[@MikaelBCN]

Got my own laser cutter last week and knew from the get go that i wanted to do terrain with it. Here i come stumbling upon your channel and finding this awesome set. This is way better than anything I've seen anywhere for modular sci-fi terrain. You got yourself a costumer! It's going to be awesome for my Stargrave and Space Station Zero games. Now I'm only lacking some industrial/junkyard stuff for my Gaslands games!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Oh man! Those games are what I use it for! It’s great for that. I really hope you enjoy it! Shame you had to stumble here and YT didn’t do its job properly. 🤣🤣

[@dariusthunder]

There is only one way foward now: you gotta do a medieval set 😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’d love to. Time is the killer though and I do t play many medieval games so worry about getting it wrong. ☺️

[@AlbisFotos]

I'm not sure you quite realize the level of your achievement here. As someone else said, this system is far more sophisticated - and yet less fiddly - than commercial kits made by the pros, and better looking on top of that. I hope you will consider and investigate options to produce and sell these - either in your own basement or with a partner. Great job.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah I guess I wanted to prove that these kinds of kits can be modular. I don’t have any plans to make them physically but will make the files available. Too many laser cut businesses go bust. Knights of Dice, 4Ground, Plastcraft etc etc.

[@G_Threepwood]

This is absolutely fantastic. You usurped the major MDF manufacturers by making something better than them in 2 weeks!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Shh, don’t tell them but I was actually sick in bed for 4 days in that time too. 🤪

[@theminiatureunderground]

Here is an idea.... how about a few inserts for the joiners. One would facilitate a large doorway that is easily lifted out much like the rest of the doors. The other would incorporate doors that swing down, doubling as a ramp if a riser is used, or a set of double doors that both swing open left and right. These sets when used with both the end joiner and side joiner wont just only allow you to add larger doors to all the smaller building options but also expand upon the modularity by adding large full hallway bulkhead doors to your cooridors should you use these to play SpaceHulk.. That and by adding the ramp door and double swinging doors you essentially can turn your smaller building into shipping containers. What was a small portable lab with a doorway and a few windows in a game of StarGrave can easily be turned into shipping container for Killteam. This was a great video and your execution and ideas are topshelf. well done :)

[@thestateofplay2023]

Now THOSE, are some great ideas. Man, you’re just creating extra work for me. 🤣🤣

[@theminiatureunderground]

@thestateofplay2023 Haha I figured you had done enough already so I kept it light 🤣 Thank you though. You've done some seriously fantastic work already. 👏

[@hyosworld109]

I usually have to add tons of greebles and extra materials to make mdf buildings look good enough, but this style actually looks great as just mdf! Also, I love the jokes you add throughout your videos

[@thestateofplay2023]

I know what you mean. I wanted to avoid that by just making something I could use. Thanks!!

[@ecMonify]

wow! this is genuinely the best mdf-terrain i've seen! i own some mdf-terrain, both for sci-fi and fantasy, and they don't even look close to your quality. you're doing something wonderful for the hobby mate - and if i ever get a laser-cutter, i know where to go for terrain (and this made me extremely tempted)! :D

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks. Love the compliment!

[@markstanton2840]

Absolutely brilliant. Really enjoyed watching this! The professional MDF producers could learn a lot from you here

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man!

[@ecMonify]

my thoughts exactly! this terrain looks incredible

[@garethbattell9989]

This is my dream! I've wanted a ME miniatures set!!

[@thestateofplay2023]

I think we all do. Time for a protest!

[@mintymoore6054]

This has to be the best sci fi terrain I have seen, so I bought the bundle. I dont have a laser yet but I am tempted to get the Delta algolaser just for this alone. Amazing, now for fantasy 😁

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’m looking into fantasy. Any recommendations?

[@mintymoore6054]

I dont think you could go wrong with a Mordheim esq town medieval looking, plaster walls with with a wooden beam overlay?. Lots of small to medium sized buildings, some ruined maybe? Walkways between them.@@thestateofplay2023

[@wolf-xf6hf]

Some nice montana white spray cans and some black oil washing in sub assemblies and that would be unbelievably sick

[@thestateofplay2023]

Very close indeed to what I was doing!! Good shout!

[@briangilbert3884]

I purchased the whole set of files, and I can report that they work great! I have a Sculpfun S9, and though it takes a looooong time to cut, I can make this terrain out of brown hardboard. I've been spending a LOT of time modifying the files to make the surface detailing out of layers of greyboard, rather than etching the surface of the MDF, and I really like the result. It adds a ton of visual interest- it also takes a ton more work. But these files are an absolute bargain! Thanks for making them available.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Not a problem! I’m glad your having fun. I’ll be sorting out a load more designs in 2024!

[@michaelballinger6419]

If using card you could use a laser printer on thinner stock and spray glue it on for all the design etching elements

[@thestateofplay2023]

You’d still need to make everything 3mm thick so it connects but yeah, you are correct!

[@sethhavens1574]

Awesome kit, well done and thanks for sharing 🙏

[@thestateofplay2023]

You’re welcome!

[@jamesb.7859]

Cut the big building out yesterday at the local University Maker’s Lab. The staff loved your .AI files.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Now I’m imagining people in tweed suits with pipes standing around a wooden building arguing about Pythagoras. And I don’t know why. I went to Uni - there were no staff remotely tweedy. 🤣

[@jamesb.7859]

@@thestateofplay2023 HaHaHa! the staff were: the shop foreman - had more of a hippie vibe; the shop technical expert - kinda like an assistant manager on a football team; and the student assistant - a medical student with a heavy artsy, crafty vibe

[@spacecentergames]

"Just cut the damn door out!" Subbed.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Not just me with that gripe then….🤣

[@k3rmitPL]

Wow! Such an elegant design. I love it!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you!!

[@tightning]

I adore this video, the amazing walkthrough of the design process and the consideration for true modularity!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks!!

[@JeffsDioramas]

Brilliant, so grateful I found your channel. Keep it up dude your a legend.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks Jeff!

[@PeachyPixel28]

OMG these are increadible. I now need a cutter... or a friend with a cutter.... Nice job!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Club together and get one as a group. 👍🏼

[@ebc1f7]

Ok. This is amazing. Makes sense for real world building too

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah, I like a bit of Modular stuff!

[@byebyebuy]

Id be curious about also cutting trim pieces to glue down and cover where the tabs are visible - thats the one giveaway that I think puts a lot of people off mdf terrain. If you covered corners with glue on trim that cover them I think it would go a very long way!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Easy enough to do with 3mm strips of card or paper. On these I tried to integrate them so they’d look a bit more like part of how the building itself was assembled.

[@Jeffs_Effects]

This project is amazing! I just discovered this video and I am in awe! Mass Effect is my favorite sci-fi universe and you did right by it. I need a laser cutter now...🤣 Anyway, I created a line of "geth" miniatures last year that would love to call Eden Prime home. Scatter around a few dragon's teeth and it would be perfect.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Nice!!

[@thedax4974]

Love your design.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks! I’m also looking at getting it done commercially so watch this space.

[@ferdinandblack319]

This is fantastic. I've traditionally done this kind of thing with plaster casting, but you're tempting me to get a cutter.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah, plaster equals messy fingers. But hey, plaster doesn’t potential burn out your eyeballs like a laser so it has its benefits! 🤣🤣

[@MRaadesign]

Such a great design! Well done. Should sell good for you too.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you for saying! 👍🏼

[@eclectipunk]

Dude this is amazing, the risers and joiners are just inspired. NASA et al need to consult you for their moon bases!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Man, I’ll be long dead before NASA builds on the moon. I’ll talk to Elon about Mars instead and I’ll mention that stupid X name while I’m on. 🤣👍🏼

[@Dark0Storm]

If the Patreon commerce thingy doesn't work out I've found Payhip to be very good, and they deal with EU online sales taxes too which is really handy.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah that’s the bit I need to figure out. Sales taxes as an non sales tax registered individual are confusing.

[@Dark0Storm]

@@thestateofplay2023 the EU laws around digital sales are an absolute headache for those of us not living in the Single Market. You've got to register your business in a member state &visit quarterly returns... not to mention keep track of where you are selling stuff too & provide evidence of that. That's why I went out of my way to find a platform that handles it themselves (essentially all sales go though their business, so they take care of it).

[@justinmacrae7430]

This is the best terrain I've ever seen

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks Justin. Not sure it’s the best ever, but I thought it was good. 🤣

[@justinmacrae7430]

@@thestateofplay2023 I need it in my life. And now I want to get a laser cutter/engraver. Seems like the possibilities are endless.

[@christianaagaardhjris1994]

This is amazing. I am speechless

[@thestateofplay2023]

An old girlfriend I had once said that. No, I’m lying. She said, “is that all”… So I made her two more slices of bacon. 🤣

[@blacksnapper74]

Great job! You are inching my finger closer to clicking “buy” on a laser cutter. I’m curious if you’ve tried painting any of the etched MDF? Does it just clog up the detail? Your design work is beautiful stuff, but play would be even more immersive with painting and weathering. I’ve never tried doing that to MDF.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah I’ll be painting up. It paints just as well as all other terrain. Nice even coats and no detail gets clogged. Oil washes run nicely into the panel lines.

[@RobJedi]

As someone that has done way too much laser cutting in the past thought I’d mention you have very black edges to your cuts which tells me you can probably dial back the power a little or increase the speed and should still be able to cut through the MDF. Worth some tweaking since you mentioned it takes an hour to cut out a sheet. Of course I don’t 14:41 know the power of your machine compared to the one I was using. Great modular designs btw and I too look forward to seeing them painted.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Your probably right I cut cut faster with less power. Although the edges aren’t black. I just whacked up the contrast on the video when editing to make everything stand out more. In real life they’re a mid brown.

[@Nosferatuklown]

This video is now saved as one of my favorites; you did a wonderful job on these. I've been wanting to pick up a laser for some projects, a few things I've been wanting to try is to take actual fan art of a derailed image - let's same fan art of one of the primarchs and turn it into Grey scale in Illustrator, then vectorize it to make it scaleable and more friendly to the laser and do detailed propaganda murals on buildings or a plinth. Also you should check out how some of the "relief kerf cuts" can be used with Lasers that will essentially allow you to create a bendable object out of wood-in theory you could make tube shape towers and cylinders. Thank you for the time spent on making this...plus I'd pay good movie to watch a coked out version of Iron Man called Line Man starring young Robert Downey JR

[@thestateofplay2023]

Cool! Thanks man. I’m off to write a script for Line Man…

[@ebc1f7]

Well. I didn’t. You convinced me I should get the laser cutter. I was debating the circut but seeing what that could do I figure it will have increased capabilities that I will eventually want anyways. Thanks for the decent, no fluff, review

[@thestateofplay2023]

You’re going to hate me when I review the new laser cutter….🤣

[@ebc1f7]

@@thestateofplay2023 ofcourse you are ….can’t keep up with tech I guess.

[@jonnil1997]

These look great, along with a Spacehulk they could be assembled as a decent Fallout vault interior

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man. Funny you say that. I just used them for exactly that for the new Modiphius factions game! 😀

[@markburton5292]

if you wanted to speed the laser cutting you could swap from mdf to the card. since the card is less dense you can cut and etch faster. granted mdf is more durable. for me i would probably 3d print as I have multiple printers. and I hate cutting manually. I do have a laser cutter but I have not had good luck with it. maybe i just didn't get a good one... also i can trust my 3d printers to run unattended

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah that’s the one thing. You have to monitor a laser cutter. But I can’t be on waiting hours for a 3D print. 🤣

[@markburton5292]

@@thestateofplay2023 i just set up jobs for stuff to do later. i can set a 9 hour print to start before i go to work. verify the first layer. then go to work and come home to a piece ready to be worked on. I can also print overnight. (granted that has to be in a area it wont bother others) printing is just automated to run while you do other stuff that way you aren't waiting for it.

[@SmokeScript]

Subscribed to your channel after watching a previous vid. Your humor is infectious. Just thought I'd give you a small tip (if you weren't aware already..). Do a search for "laser kerf". You can adjust the kerf settings of your machine there so that your tabs fit a little tighter and therefore make it even easier to dry fit before glue up. Especially when you have pieces underneath buildings like those @ 8:04 I bought a laser myself, albeit something a little larger than the Creality machine, a few months ago. Plan was/is to make signs, but I am also looking at creating wargame terrain and railway terrain/buildings etc. I have sub'd to your channel to more get into the other aspects of terrain building and painting.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man! I was aware of kerf settings but never found they were needed. I probably accidentally got the settings just right. My new laser however may need an adjust so thanks!!

[@SmokeScript]

@@thestateofplay2023 So just a little update on this. I purchased your "All In" building pack and dowloaded it yesterday. First off it is pretty easy to see what goes where just from the pieces in front of me once laser cut. However . . . . As you created this in Adobe Illustrator it seems that it is NOT compatible with the software that I use with my laser, called Lightburn. Whilst the file opens and does look compatible I found to my surprise that some of the "cut-out" files were nested inside pieces that should NOT have a cut-out in them. As such, after full laser completion I have many pieces that now have gaping holes where they should only be scored. This means that I now must go through every file piece by piece and try and work out what way it should look and rearrange pieces off the top of pieces that don't need cut-outs. All a little annoying and time consuming after expecting the file to simply be an open and laser cut/laser score operation. You may not use Lightburn, but a message regarding file compatability would be an idea so people who are not laser experts and could recognise these anomalies would be a suggestion. And although 4mm mdf is not extremely costly, it now means that I must use a new sheet to cut out the pieces after editing them to the way they should be. Don't take it as a slight because it's not! I will spend the time editing the files to how they should look for my own reference but for other potential customers of yours, I would suggest making them aware of these program compatability faults.

[@spesterwecial]

Someone didn’t watch from 18:04? Perhaps you missed setting the color coding for cut vs. etch.

[@slice1208]

Well, I'm impressed !!!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you. And I thought this video was dead! 🤣🤣

[@mikesmith-jv6fs]

Love this! My wife has a Cricut machine that I'm now wondering if I can commandeer for a little bit :)

[@thestateofplay2023]

Hopefully 3mm thick material goes through. I’ve never tried. My wife is all about spreadsheets, not craft. 😀

[@---we1ok]

Apparently some of those machines can handle 3mm foam. You should report back if works!

[@marcolai9735]

This set reminds me of some of Antenociti’s Worshop terrain for infinity. It’s outstanding what you have achieved here - absolutely fantastic!!! I love the look of those Mdf Kits. Have you considered a commercial license to give to MDF cutters so we could get the actual final product?

[@thestateofplay2023]

I didn’t know that was a thing. They’ll probably steal it anyway and I’ll just make something else to keep them on their toes! 🤣

[@byebyebuy]

To potentially cut down the number of the unique pieces it could be worth having baby risers match up when pushed up to another - then normal buildings can just use two baby riser side by side! Also, perhaps some way of the raised risers being able to switch between the two heights of with riser and without? This would avoid needing to have two sets of each height just in case you felt like using them - one set and you can use it for everything! Could go even further and have the legs optional - the riser is able to sit on them? ( then you can do other things and have a set of legs support other things like a wide walkway) This project is so cool though - I want to buy some of this! edit - you could also potentially condense your building joiner by adding the right angle flange to both sides and just making it the only connector

[@thestateofplay2023]

Good shout. Although it’s only the end pieces you need to swap. As they slot together all the long and short supports can just be moved between the end pieces.

[@byebyebuy]

@@thestateofplay2023 Ahh ok, sounds great! I also loved the clever idea of designing the ladders to just flip round and fit any height!

[@Grimm.Wraven]

Amazing once again, well done sir. Even though I don’t have the need to build terrain, I can totally see how this is a fantastic way to customize. Your videos are highly anticipated for your unique solutions and out of the box thinking. Be well my friend. 😊

[@thestateofplay2023]

Always a pleasure man!! Thanks!

[@---we1ok]

You're making it damn hard to not want buy a laser cutter. :)

[@thestateofplay2023]

That’s how I felt. I was like, “what the hell am I going to do with a laser cutter!”. 🤣🤣

[@westwoodsidestudios7551]

Very nicely done! Bravo, Sir!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you my dear man! 👍🏼

[@JRMcDowell]

Very Nice! I love this, well thought out. I guess I have a new Patreon to join.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Well thank you! ☺️

[@AlastairPaterson]

Looks proper mint 👍

[@thestateofplay2023]

That’s a northern phrase if ever I heard one!! 😀

[@Hakan-mz6pd]

first ones that you did not use, look like the Cosmica Colony range from Warsenal

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yes, I think you’re right. That might have been where I saw them. Good shout! There’s look plastic kits but that’s probably where I half remember them.

[@gordoncole6989]

Excellent video! Very informative and instructional! A lot if good ideas there!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Well thank you dear sir. 😀🤪

[@notreallydavid]

10:24 Toaster! Gwarn, put bread in and take a pic. These are unbelievably good. Do you have a background in design or engineering? All best

[@thestateofplay2023]

🤣🤣 both. 33 years as a creative director and a degree in engineering.👍🏼

[@notreallydavid]

@@thestateofplay2023 It really shows!

[@tacotots_132]

Wow. Just wow that’s amazing!! I don’t have a laser cutter and definitely don’t have enough patience to cut this from child board lol. But if you ever get around to selling kits or partnering with a laser cut terrain company I’d love to buy a kit!!! Good work!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Cool thanks!!

[@scottturner3831]

Ive done dnd for years and have too much 3d printed terrain. Lately we have been doing a star wars rpg and soon a traveller campaign. So I have recently started using scifi paper terrain. Dont have to paint it like my 3d printed stuff, doesnt cost a lot, and honestly, I can throw it away after this campaign. Dave Graffam has some great stuff you can easily customize in Adobe. Crooked Staff, also a great channel, does awesome stuff (though mostly fantasy). There are also a number of places to find free things.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yeah I started with paper terrain many years ago. I’m also lucky enough to be very good with Adobe (I usually make movie posters and console game ads) so use my 2D printer for terrain - a lot!

[@paulburrow5178]

Amazing job mate

[@thestateofplay2023]

Cheers Paul!

[@goforitpainting]

Very cool terrains.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man! Just got some great tips from your channel too. A painting ring. Amazing! Love it.

[@Jimalcoatl]

God damn it. Now I'm shopping for a laser cutter that I have no space for....

[@thestateofplay2023]

*cough, they pack away nicely. Ahem…I never said that. 🤪

[@HacksawsHobbyBunker]

Cracking design and execution. Cheers!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man!

[@SootyWebster]

Have you ever thought about leveraging the kitbash3d digital files to convert into physical terrain?

[@thestateofplay2023]

I don’t know those but they sound intriguing. Do point me in the right direction….

[@HuntersOA]

Just a comment. I've been into designing stuff for my laser cutter and I find it extremely hard to make complex geometry just by "designing on sheets". I use Fusion 360 and parameters to create changeable design. This was the model is there in 3D, and I can always update for example, the material thickness. I am not sure it is easy in 2D software but Fusion has the in built parameter handler and you can drive dimensions with formulas. I have a few designs where some geometry is key to be properly sized but this way I can use whatever material I want and the design will not brake :) I'd suggest moving to 3D for the terrain projects as well :)

[@thestateofplay2023]

It’s a good shout. I have a degree in product design and engineering so learnt most 3D software years ago. Ultimately I find it ten times quicker to think in 3D but design in 2D. That way there’s no extra steps as the final file just works. 👍🏼 If any of these 3D software were free I may consider it. But as I’m much quicker in 2D to 3D. 😜

[@HuntersOA]

@@thestateofplay2023 Fusion 360 is free for "non commercial use". You can read up on the terms and they are pretty friendly for small businesses as well. If you have not used it, have a look! There are also addons that can be used to generate all the SVG files from the 3D design, and some can also auto arrange them on given sizes. In my case I cut A4 sheets so it is really handy. It can also merge lines so they are not cut twice and save material. I did also design in 2D for a while, and for some designs (like a light box) I still do it that way. But I make small shelves, storage solutions for tools, etc and they need to be driven. By the way - based on what you wrote - can the 2D vector graphics be also parameter driven? Because if I let's say change the thickness, in the past I had to update the whole geometry so peg sizes, positions are all correct. With fusion, I just change the parameter, export, done :D

[@thestateofplay2023]

Ok now I’m seeing the benefit. I used fusion when it first came but at the time didn’t have a laser cutter so may be worth a second look. 2d can be parameter driven to a certain extent but more based on maths then parameters. So if I change material thickness from say 3mm to 4mm I can scale the designs up by 125% and the tabs and slots will still fit. Thanks for this btw. I’m going to look into it!

[@HuntersOA]

@@thestateofplay2023Huh. And I will have to look into the math solutions in 2D as well. I am really bad with vector graphics though :D

[@romeo.3472]

Mate, that's a game changer. You might have just forced me down the rabbit hole into a new hobby. For someone who loves building games my brains is throwing all kinds of things at me for the modularity aspect of this. I really want an underhive now ... presuming you have already designed a square room with open walls to use a junction for connecting up to four together? or a roof tile with a gap for a stair case? Hmm, im off to research laser cutters. Though I noticed in one clip there is obviously some smoke coming off the machine, does this interfere with smoke alarms and require ventilation or is just a small amount from the little burn?

[@thestateofplay2023]

I have managed to build a door into the end panels, effectively allowing you to have a door on all 4 walls. Roof with gap. 🤔 nice! It’s a lot of smoke so yes, smoke alarms would go off. If you’re doing this indoors I’d put it in a ventilated unit.

[@romeo.3472]

@@thestateofplay2023 cheers, missed your last video when you got the cutter, blaming YT for that, but just watched it also. It is pricey to get into, but as I always tell the wife, it'll pay for itself in 6 months. By then shes forgotten about it.

[@thestateofplay2023]

@@romeo.3472Most things are pricey at the outset. Except wives, they’re pricey forever. 😂

[@JohnxInfinity]

*Jumps on amazon and begins looking for 3mm cardstock and scouring the house for greeble bits* God damn it.

[@thestateofplay2023]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JonathanBigonnesse]

Pretty cool stuff!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks Jonathan!

[@thestateofplay2023]

That makes sense.

[@gripnir196]

Awesome job m8!💯

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks man!

[@TrickySoB]

Shut up and take my money! This would be perfect for Infinity!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Agreed. I’ll take a cheque. Oh no, those died years ago. 🤣

[@FarawayPictures]

I watched this with some degree of amazement, and had 2 thoughts: 1- you definitely have a skill in this, I consider myself quite capable, but this would take me quite a while to figure out. 2- how often do you actually get to play with all this busyness?

[@thestateofplay2023]

Hmm, 1 - I have an engineering degree and 30 years of software knowledge so I can design in 2D while thinking in 3D. 2 - I hardly get to play at all. Work, KZbin, kids, family I have little time at all.

[@Psychichazard]

So...if i was wanting to scale these down for use in 15mm games, I'd use thinner (2mm) mdf, and scale the plans down by 66% right? Or something like that? Any suggestions are welcome!

[@thestateofplay2023]

Yes, that would probably work. You need to make sure the scaling down was very accurate so the tabs (which are now 3mm) become 2mm. Best to take two pieces that join. Scale those down and do a test.

[@Psychichazard]

@@thestateofplay2023 Great, thank you for the quick response!

[@rayshouse4933]

Super cool sir

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks you!

[@frankodonnell5247]

I think you’re going to need a bigger house or be committed 🤣🤣🤣 Great video 👍

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’ve come to that same conclusion myself. Oh to live in a country that have massive basements!!

[@haydnc]

That is an INSANE amount of work for two weeks (including filming and editing a video, ffs). That little lot would have taken me 17 years. Incredible work. Buuuut, when I looked at the cost of a laser cutter I discovered I'd have to sell one of my children. I know you joked about paying others to do the cutting but in all seriousness, is there an actual cutting service that you've discovered who will cut this sort of stuff? In your previous video about floor tiles you mentioned getting card laser cut, so I wondered if you'd previously used a service before you were given a TOTALLY FREE laser cutter (jealously seethes).

[@thestateofplay2023]

There’s quite a few places that’ll cut for you. You send prepared files and they cut. But…. It’s expensive, you have to prepare files exactly and there’s delivery charges and wait time. It’s cheaper to buy a laser cutter believe it or not. You can buy lower wattage lasers which are cheaper but it’ll take multiple passes to cut MDF. These things are shiny new at the moment. Like 3D printers used to be. They’ll drop. They always do. And as more competition heats up they’ll drop faster.

[@haydnc]

@@thestateofplay2023 Thank you. Appreciate the reply. And keep making awesome videos!

[@Ranzarok]

I realize this video is almost a year old but I am hoping that you still check comments. I recently got into doing terrain and I haven't decided on a FDM printer or a laser cutter. The more of these videos I watch, the more I lean towards a laser cutter. My questions are what is the best size of MDF to use 2mm, 3mm or 5mm? What size power laser unit do I need to do it. Without breaking the bank (not willing to spend 2 weeks of wages for a cutter) what should I realistically expect to pay for it. I've looked at 10000mW..is that powerful enough? 5W, 20W? Right now, I'm kind of lost with the stuff I might need. Thanks!

[@thestateofplay2023]

I always check comments! Never worry. So 3mm MDF is standard so most kits you cut will work with that. 20w works best for single pass cuts. 10w you’ll need to cut through twice and 40w is great but unless you’re cutting skirting board with its too much. Cutting I always use 100% power and just speed up or down for the MDF type. Just play until you get a nice quick cut.

[@Ranzarok]

@@thestateofplay2023 Thanks for the reply

[@stephenrenwick8781]

Very nice.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Cheers!

[@Finding_Arcadia]

Ooh, i like it, been looking for a good necromunda inspired hab design, and i dislike the whole factory and shanty town look most sci fi apocs have, will def be buying these files when they're out!

[@thestateofplay2023]

I know what you mean. Loads of sci-fi stuff is always battered and Bladerunner style, rather than clean Star Trek style. Like we all regress in architectural intelligence in the future! 🤣

[@Finding_Arcadia]

@@thestateofplay2023 and the kicker is that sci fi apocs have the chance to have a really unique visual story telling with their terrain too, like if it's a desperate group without any building experts then sure shanty towns make sense, or if it's a corp/gov sponsored town then "3D printed" boxes also make sense, they wouldn't care about personal identity, and if the homes are adobe and tents then it can be told that they're a tech-independent group, maybe semi-nomadic or from a long lineage of native dwellers. But when all scifi building are pretty much "we found a Walmart and turned it into our headquarters" it just feels... poorly thought out. What I love about your design is that while it fits into the corp/gov sponsored (most of the buildings "look the same" as if built by the same architect program), they also have a variety that it could then become something more fairly easily with only a few additions, like build a shanty style watchtower and fence and implying a new group moved in and expanded on an existing outpost with whatever they had available, or plaster some graffiti and bullet holes and its now the abandoned district where squatters go when they have no other option, or like you already did take the roofs off and now it's a spaceship. I *love* this design. I promised the wife I'd reduce on my patreon spending, but.... think I'm gunna have to break that promise, you just got too much quality content my guy lol

[@thestateofplay2023]

I promise the wife lots of things. If she doesn’t write them down - they never happened. 🤣🤣

[@edali131]

Infinity models would really goes well with these terrains

[@thestateofplay2023]

I’ve never played Infinity but I think you’re right.

[@OldManRogers]

How do you deal with the fumes?

[@thestateofplay2023]

With my first laser cutter the fumes just blew away by opening both doors to my garage and the side door - which created suction. The xtool S1 that I use now has a built in ventilation system.

[@OldManRogers]

@@thestateofplay2023 Ah cool! I got a cover with an extraction fan on the way along with the TT 20W-pro after your video and bought the patreon files to help on my laser cut hobby journey. I totally blame your videos for the 'mistakes were made' to my bank balance :-)

[@SlotCarHaus]

What thickness mdf are you using?

[@thestateofplay2023]

Always 3mm

[@SlotCarHaus]

@@thestateofplay2023 thank you.

[@philgee486]

This is so beautifully conceived and so fully realised it blows my mind. This is exactly what I'd do if I wasn't lazy and scared of the openended scope of a project like this. You m8 are a legend. I love you, but I can never give you children and I suspect your wife doesn't have the scratchy beard. Honestly, you're not a legend, you're a F legend Two weeks and we get this???? You take as long as you like and go for whatever catches your imagination, the results speak for themselves and I want them. A wreathe of gold stars, oak leaves, sparkles, you're going to look like the mayor of Trumpton at this rate You made me very happy indeed, even having to cut it out and paste cereal packet panels on the outside to stand in for etched lines. I'll make a unit and the accessories each week until I've got half a table. Might scale up the plans a bit to have more umph quicker, 25 - 50%?. 32mm is a very flexible scale

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thanks Phil. Shhh, it was less than two weeks, I was sick for 4 days. 🤣 Yeah, I get a bit OCD when my brain thrusts an idea at me. 👍🏼 I told my wife what you said. She said she’ll sell me. 🤣🤣

[@philgee486]

🤣🤣🤣@@thestateofplay2023

[@mikesmith2905]

Lego for wargamers. Splendid effort.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Oh I love Lego!! Bought some for the kids. Played with it myself!

[@mikesmith2905]

​ @thestateofplay2023 Back in the 70s Peco (a model railway company) produced embossed cardboard (chipboard in the US?) pre-coloured wagon models. Basically you cut them out, folded where required and glued them onto a Peco wagon chassis. Cheap and dead easy with pretty good results. Taking your templates they could be used to produce a cookie-cutter to cut the parts from pre-printed 2mm thick cardboard (graphics chipboard in the US I believe). That is done with some model railway card kits today, notably those from Metcalf Models in the UK. You could then sell the result as a modular kit that can be assembled in various ways. Variations could be included in the printing but I don't know of anyone offering the embossing these days. You could approach Metcalf for a quote re production but sales would probably have to be on-line as chain-store shops rely on algorithms to tell them what 10% well sell best with the highest markup and there are not so many ma-and-pa stores out there who might take a punt in order to offer something different (Corporate Socialism is killing commerce and doesn't like catering to those with shallower pockets). I make up sets of toy soldiers to give away to less well off folks, I use 1:32 for 3-7's and 1:72 for 7 and older as those are the cheapest figures, the rest I make and I could probably use your buildings for 20mm sci fi sets (it would save me a lot of work).

[@neilandrews2995]

Still wanna see that movie tho

[@fischziege]

Fantastic! Now paint 'em 😂

[@thestateofplay2023]

On it!

[@rjwoodwork4128]

Hello Your work is amazing. If the company that is going to commercialised you're amazing work. Falls through, I would be honoured to work with you. I am a small laser cut MDF terrain company from the UK. That specialises in modular terrain.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Thank you for the offer. Very kind. I shall certainly keep you front of mind. 👍🏼

[@rjwoodwork4128]

@@thestateofplay2023 thank you

[@garyjenson1326]

Cheeky dad joke 5:30. Nice.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Oh I’m full of them. 🤣

[@kainoctis7724]

line man

[@thestateofplay2023]

👍🏼 I’d have watched that

[@billdefranza4927]

But wait, there's more!

[@thestateofplay2023]

There’s always more. I get…a bit carried away. 🤣

[@bora773]

The only downside of MDF is that it does not look nice when painted, unles you spend tons of time sanding and touching up those joints. Otherwise it is super genius. I know most people probably do nt even paint terrian, but for me that is a nogo, if oyu spend so much time creatig nice looking terrian

[@thestateofplay2023]

Oh it’s got to be painted. Its not terrain if not. It’s just plastic, wood and card junk on a table otherwise!

[@WulvenKraft]

You're an interesting fella!

[@thestateofplay2023]

And yet, no women said that to me when I was growing up. 🤔🤔🤣

[@WulvenKraft]

@@thestateofplay2023 🤣 different mindset 🤣

[@thestateofplay2023]

Too true!!

[@WulvenKraft]

@@thestateofplay2023 Your brain seems to go where mine does & I think I need a laser cutter 🤣

[@thestateofplay2023]

@@WulvenKraft 🤣🤣

[@cooro1313]

I have a mighty need to build these, like seriously i have loved the Mass Effect games for years and fairly recently ( start of Covid ) got into warhammer i want to build these so bad and i am probably gonna buy the store version mainly because i don't like the idea of subscriptions that i go in for one thing and forget to unsub, no offense

[@thestateofplay2023]

It’s now live on Patreon. And in the store. 👍🏼

[@hobbyjobbers]

Can I get an amen for hating the 40K architecture? Literally my biggest turnoff from buying those sets. Gothic archways and skulls made me get a Proxxon. It’s fully GW’s fault.

[@thestateofplay2023]

Amen! I do wish GW would do a like of sci di terrain for the human species that had no skulls and archways. But I guess they won’t. Because branding.

[@hobbyjobbers]

@@thestateofplay2023 Thankfully the Necromunda sets aren't AS bad, but still... you have to think in those branding meetings, some rookie designer is like, "Check out what I drafted up!" and the senior team members are like, "Cool cool... but know what it needs? More skulls and archways. You'll get there, kid. Also, chainswords are badass."

[@thestateofplay2023]

@@hobbyjobbersI think you’ve nailed it. I’m also certain they copy and paste the 3D way more than they should

[@kristoff7049]

I love that you (twice) had to tell us you didn’t go up in flames! The state of todays society 😂

[@thestateofplay2023]

Well, I got ranted at on my last video about safety. I had to make a joke about it. 🤣 It’s surprising that society immediately goes for worst case and doesn’t give people credit for any intelligence