tirsdag 14. mai 2013

How to build Vi hands from League of Legends

I have gotten many request to make a tutorial for how I built my Vi hands. As always my documentation skills are not sufficient, but I will try to cover this build as best I can with some simple hand drawings. There is also a part two where I upgrade the hands.

These are my hands (a little flat at this point in the build)
Photo: Pål Andresen

I made my hands based on the concept art and not the in game model, there are some differences and in the end I thought these looked better. 

To make the build easier I divided the hands into four parts as shown under. 

The core is the bottom base with the pistons and "the tube" where you put your hands. The core is attached to the knuckles, where all the electronics are hid. All the fingers are attached to the knuckle. And on the back there the pressure gauge is placed. 

I will also try to explain the mechanics of the fingers and electronics. 

Core
Foam mat and cardcoard for the base, and a cylinder for where your arms will go. 


 Details


The pistons are made of several sized cylinders inside each others (like toilet paper cores)

Knuckles
In one of the picture above you can see an early stage of the knuckles. These are made out of Styrofoam and cardboard. In principle I used this shape to build it. 


The red circles are "those small white dishes you get at a cafeteria". Gotta love recycling. 



Fingers
I wanted the fingers to be able to move. To make it easier for me the thumb is static. My idea was very simple, a finger with three hinges and a fishline attached to the first joint. The fishline ends in a metal ring so I can control it with my own fingers. 



So I made eight cardboard fingers as shown under. At every joint there is a spring on the underside and a elastic band on the over side (as to stretch the fingers out automatically) 

Above the hinges I glued on a bit of folded foam mat painted gold. 

The fingers are attached to the "knuckles" using contact glue and hot glue. 

I move the fingers by pulling the metal rings that are attached to the fishwire. I have tried to illustrate it better in the picture below. 

And here are the metal rings in the "hand cylinder." I also glued in a small plastic tube for a "handle", makes it easier to operate the hands.  

This video shows the principle of the mechanic of the finger movement

The back
The back of the hands are made with a cardboard base with foam mat pieces on top. 

The foam pieces were covered with filler, then painted. 

I was mening to cast the blue crystal in epoxy, but I didn't finish the mold on time. That will come in the next iteration. 

The pressure gauge is made with a paper needle and and a nail. The "glass" is simply a circle cut out from the lid of a take away sushi box. But any transparent plastic will do. Around it I have just used a strip of foam.


The electronics
In the hollow part of the knuckles I hid a battery and lined up four red and a blue LED in series with a switch on the front. Gives a little extra while standing on the stage in the dark. 



The result (after upgrading, more info under photo)
Photo Joacim Schwartz


There are several things I will upgrade in my second iteration since I'm wearing this at NCC. I will build up the back of the hand, it is a little too flat now. I will also improve the fingers and all edges. And finish the mold for the blue crystal. 

So Check out the upgrade tutorial

Also Ryan Brandt made a genderbender version of Vi and posted a youtube video of his experience and thoughts about the build process. Might be useful to get a few more pointers to ass even more details. 



And who knows, maybe I can get it to steam ;) 
Update: Yes, I got it to steam

45 kommentarer:

  1. Awesome Work @chrix,

    Its really take a hard work to build all this even i want to make all stuff of Lux can u guide me if possible :)

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. I can do you one better. My friend who is cosplaying Caitlyn on the photos have actually made a Spell Thief Lux with staff. Here is her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CosplayerTineMarieRiis

      If not I think you can use a similar method as I used on my Elvish Staff: http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/04/speed-cosplay-challange.html?showComment=1377628019076#c8613682016617663154

      Good Luck.

      Slett
  2. Hello, I would like to know the measurements of the parts of the arms, and armor and other, a kiss I love your costume saw, super accomplished! <3

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. I will bring out the measure tape next time I'm next to the gloves (they are currently put away for storage) :(

      Slett
  3. Beautiful cosplay! I have a small question about the fingers. What length and width are they? (No need for exact measurement, approximately).

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Each finger is ca 7-8 cm wide and each finger joint is ca 12 cm long, which makes each finger about 36 cm long. The thumb is a bit shorter, as it is only two joints, so 24 cm... All the fingers are ca 4-5 cm high. Hope this helps

      Slett
  4. Could you get more into detail with how you did the lights? Like if you did them seperately, and what kind of lights you used etc. etc

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. I used single LED lights (3 mm, round head) one for each red knucle and two blue for the crystal. I usually buy LED from dealextreme, dx.com

      The led were soldered in a serie (same as with christmas lights, one long strand of lights). Then to a resistor and then to the batteries. the circuit is pretty straight foreward, check out: http://www.instructables.com/id/LEDs-for-Beginners/step7/Wiring-up-multiple-LEDs-in-series/

      Hope you got anything out of this, I'm no good at explaining electronics :)

      Slett
  5. hehehhe hi again c:
    i was wondering how you weathered the hands as well as a bit of the leg armor?

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Hi again :) To weather you paint your prop first in a plain color, and then smudge a darker color over, as to make it loot "dirty" and to bring out details. In addition you should highlight, by addind a lighter colot on edges and other details that stand out.

      In this post you can see one hand without weathering and one hand with: http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/07/vi-hands-upgrade.html

      Also I have written a bit more about how to weather in this blog post: http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2012/06/skyrim-cosplay-helmet-second-round.html

      Good luck

      Slett
  6. OMG! Finally I found a easy way to do that!
    I was braking my brain thinking... "How can I to thaaat"

    Great Job, now I have a ideia and I'll put this on action! After I'll show you the result,

    Thanks Thanks -*---*

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Happy to help. And I would love to see the results :D

      Slett
  7. +For the knuckles, they're made of Styrofoam and cardboard right? O.o is it just cardboard over the foam?

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. The lower part id styrofoam, but you can make it just as well with only foam and cardboard.

      Slett
    2. And it is hollow. This is where the batteries for the red lights are hidden

      Slett
  8. Hello:)
    I would like to thank you, your amazing work encouradged me to do my own Vi cosplay (I hope I am going to be as skilful as you:)). I would like to ask you, if you don´t mind it, how did you do the shoulder armor? Is there some tutorial?
    Thank you a lot!:)

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. Hi, glad to hear you like my blog :D. Yes, there's a tutorial for the pauldrons (not sure if links here in the comment field work, but still) http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/07/vi-pauldrons-and-leg-armor-how-to-make.html

      Slett
    2. I am sorry that I overlooked the link, it is just great! I have never used such materials before, but the video links and photoes are very helpful! I am glad that there are still cosplayers like you, inventing new ways to create something (I think I will change some things during the progress too:)). How much did the gloves weight? (I will have to work out a lot!:D)
      And I am not sure if it is written somewhere here, but is there some tutorial for the "corset" and the "jacket" ? I am sewing beginner so it would save me...thank you for your time, I am looking foward to seeing all of your next cosplays^^ (Funny thing is, that I have Big Sister on my future cosplay list too!):)

      Slett
    3. Hey, no problem. I think the gloves weighed a couple of kilos each (a little more for the one with the smoke effect). But for a whole day wearing them you sure get tired.

      For all the parts of the Vi costume I have made a "hub page" http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/07/vi-cosplay-revisited.html

      For the corset (or corsets in general) check out this tutorial: http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/12/big-sister-corset-and-hot-pants.html

      The jacket I don't have tutorial for, but there are a few WIP photos on my facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/Chrixdesignandprops

      Slett
  9. I am confused about the fingers D: I don't know why I just dont get it.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. In this tutorial I have a video where I try to explain it better: http://chrixdesign.blogspot.no/2013/07/vi-hands-upgrade.html

      Slett
  10. I hope I have the time to build some too one day and your tutorial here will be a big step forward!

    SvarSlett
  11. Hi :3
    Sorry for bothering
    I've been dreaming of doing a Vi cosplay for a long time and not i can finally do it, thank you so much! >w<

    I read the comments and got the fingers dimentions, but is this model
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjZ0o7nxUvQ/UZJlbNJVOuI/AAAAAAAABlg/HoFYInRUWEE/s640/2013-02-04+20.42.23+-+Copy.jpg

    already on the original size of the hand? I'm quite confuse about the dimentions

    And last thing: i didn't get right if you was using the hinges to make the joints fold or if it was the own cardboard itself and the hinges were just a decoration.

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. The measures I wrote about the fingers were mostly guessimates from my head. My best tip there would be to use a reference photo and try to calculate the measure from that in regards to you body.

      The hinges are cardboard, and the foam just decoration :) Good luck

      Slett
  12. Where can i get the parts from? :) I really wonder because i live in Denmark.

    -Hugs from a giant Vi fan

    SvarSlett
  13. can you please make a tutorial for the glasses ?? :D

    SvarSlett
    Svar
    1. I already have ;) http://chrixdesign.blogspot.com/2013/06/build-vi-goggles-simple-walkthrough.html Good luck

      Slett
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