Human Cloning From The Clone Factory

So remember a few days back I wrote a post about That’s My Face? Well while searching the web today I came across The Clone Factory. I’d read about it before on Danny Choo’s blog, but completely forgot about it until I came across the topic again today. I was searching for custom made dolls and a picture came up of a clone doll made by the Clone Factory. Looking at the picture, the company seems very similar to That’s My Face, the only difference being is you have to go in person to get pictures taken at The Clone Factory, but with That’s My Face you can send your pictures in. If you look at the picture above you can see Danny’s Dollfie Dream sitting next to some dolls that have been cloned from actual ladies. Take a look at the video below to see Danny’s visit to the company to have his own doll created in his likeness.

It seems both are mostly in the business of making miniature heads and busts, but The Clone Factory seems to take it a step further by making actual figures as well as making 3D plaques of your furry little friends. It’s amazing what 3D printing can do. Just like with That’s My Face, the color is 3D printed onto the item, so they may also have the issues of water being able to wash the item clean of it’s paint. Also, it seems that The Clone Factory deals mostly with bodies made in Japan rather than use brand name doll and figure bodies like That’s My Face. So this gives you a variety of bodies to choose from. It seems that since The Clone Factory deals with mostly a Japanese market that the bodies they use have mostly an Asian complexion, so the bodies and heads seem to fit well together, but since I can’t find any other complexion to compare them to That’s My Face I can’t say if The Clone Factory impresses me more or if they have it easier only working in Japan were customers are less diverse. I can’t seem to find any figures with darker skin tones than just a peachy tone. I believe their figures use either action figure bodies or they use bodies like Obitsu or Volks bodies. So I still wouldn’t find a proper clone for myself through this service. But it’s still a super interesting service. Also, it looks like the heads of their figures fit well on the bodies, that right there is super impressive to me. Another thing I love is that the dolls can be made where they can wear wigs. That just ads to the lifelikeness for me.

I guess I will stick to the idea of designing and printing original characters in different colored filaments. If I like the way my designs look, I’ll hopefully be able to sell my creations or at least the design for it. But first, I’ve got to decide on an OC. However, I do wonder if one day I will be able to have a 3D creation of myself. I could still go through That’s My Face and find a body and try to kitbash a body to work for it, but like I said, at the price and how fragile that face paint is, I just want something that is perfect right out of the box. The search continues!!!

And on that last chaotic note, I am off lovelies. I will talk to you all tomorrow. I'm getting older and better like fine wine tomorrow. My mom says she is making me a special cake. I'll be sure to share that fun with you all. Until then. Take care. Bye for now.

ThatsMyFace.com Confusion and 3D Printed Dolls

Hey guys. So the other day I was catching up on some Youtube people I watch and came across a review that Barnacules Nerdgasm was going for "That's My Face". Now this website has been around for a while. I remember that when they first started up a lot of people in the 1/6th doll community was excited for potentially unique characters for their photostories. I hadn't seen anyone actually purchase one, but was always curious about it. Well when I saw Jerry had one, I had to watch the review. That review sent me in search of other reviews, and well, I have to admit, I was very underwhelmed by what I saw. I'm going to post the three video reviews so you can see what they look like, and then I will post my full thoughts on the site.

I've got to admit, when he pulled the heads off without heating them up, I winced a little. Heat the heads up Jerry!!!

I love how here you can see the detail in the face and see the grit lines. It looks just like a 3D printer printed item. I wonder, the ink is water soluble, but I wonder if a acetone fume finish would ruin the face? Probably since it would make the resin or plastic melt. Nevermind, don't try that folks.

This video shows you the different techniques to apply the head to the body. And to be fair, below is a demo video for That's My Face.

Ok, so after watching all this, I had some issues with the faces. Now if you are just getting faces done for a craft or to mount on a wall, then I see this concept as amazingly awesome. You can't deny they print some very detailed items. That isn't what bothers me. Maybe the few things that bother me are silly, but as a doll collector, I'm sure many of you will understand.

First issue I have is with the bodies the heads come with. If you noticed in the videos, most of the heads didn't match the bodies they were put on. Now I am sure a lot of us have done body swaps with a variety of bodies and have either gotten the skin tone spot on or so close you'd have to be out in direct sunlight with a magnifying glass to catch the difference. So I don't understand why this company doesn't offer more skin tone options. I looked at the order form and you don't really have much to pick from. I think it is more of a one-fits-all kind of deal when it comes to skin tones. You get a pale Caucasian tone, a deep tan I assume is for Asian and Hispanic, and I believe a dark/medium brown for African American/Black tone. So while them purchasing a few more bodies to use would cover the tone spectrum more, it's just 3 you have to play with. Maybe I am snob, but that's just not enough variety for me.

This leads me to my second issue, after snooping through their site, it's not very clear what bodies come with the heads. You can pick from clothing you want your doll to be dressed in, and some of the female clothing were on action figures and some were on Barbie dolls. You can only see that in the thumbnails, however, because in full view they blur the head. So I don't think you actually get to choose the body, which I am sure is included in the price, and it kind of sucks that you can't. Perhaps the skin tone would be more spot on if we could choose. Now this is just with my searching the site to see what it was about. To me, the site is a bit confusing when it comes to ordering, but from what I can tell, they give you several brand name dolls and figures to choose from that you want the head put on and then send it to you with the original head, your 3D head, and some super glue and putty to adhere it.

Which leads me into my final issue with the figures. If you want to put the head on the doll you have two choices. You get a white putty so you can put it on but it won't be permanently on the body of your choice. Then you get super glue for if you want it permanently on the body, never moving position. Here's my issue. They design these heads. They know about how it's going to look. The neck hole should be about the same for all the dolls, with a bit of adjusting if needed. Since they know what heads they will be putting the dolls on, why didn't they design the neck hole to fit the necks of the bodies? That way it's a firm fit, but it's both temporary or permanent. I mean they would just need to take measurement of the necks and make the holes where they will fit snug. Sure it would be some trial and error in their program and then printing it, but I feel it would be a big boost for the company to have heads that fit snugly instead of just using putty or glue. Sure I want the option of if I want the head to be temporary or permanent, but I also don't want to accidentally lose my 50-130 dollar doll head in the trash accidentally because my cat jumped on a shelf and knocked it over.

ETA: Ok, so I've since done some research on these figures and now see that if you use epoxy or super glue, it will adhere the head to the body in a similar state is if you'd bought them like that, at least with the males. Still hunting down a female to look at, but I after looking at the site it seems they do actually have the neck holes where they fit several dolls they have listed in the order form. But for a head that could easily be washed away with single drop of water, the price is shocking. I've read you could seal it with a matte varnish and that not only keeps the head safe but also cuts down on the grain of it, but don't just take my word for it, do your research first. Anyway, here is a video showing how you can adhere the head. Keep in mind this is for the 12 inch figures. I think with smaller figures you still have the issue of if you glue it then there will be no movement in the head. That part still irks me. It just seems to take away from the originality of the figure. It's either a case of mild OCD or my doll snobbery. Take your pick. :-) Anyway, video time.

Like I said, these are just my issues that have me confused about the company. I honestly would LOVE to use it some day, but I have this issue where I like skin tones to match as closely as possible. I want a doll to look like me if I have my head printed, and those one-fits-all skin tones will not work for me. Sure I guess I could get the head printed and put it on another body that fits the tone, but there is still the attachment problem that I know could be fixed with some epoxy or something of that sort. But at 130 dollars, I want a doll to be spot-on. I don't want to have to do extra work for something I spent so much on. At the price I could go get another doll that is perfect straight out of the box. Like I said, it could be just my doll snobbery coming out, but I just feel these aren't complete figures. That doesn't mean I'll never use the service, maybe they will better perfect their figures and make them more appealing to me. However, until then, I'll pocket the 130 and put it towards my 3D printer fund so I can go to 3DKitBash and get the downloads for Quinn, the 3D printable fashion doll. Granted, if I wait a bit, I can just buy her printed for I believe around 245 dollars, but still, I'd loved the excitement of printing her on my own, but I digress. She's just so cool, and they have since made an upgrade where she is able to be posed with added joints. Take a look.

 With a 3D printer you can print her in any color, and her new upgrade has it where you can use doll eyes in her. And she's tall too.

See? We are talking male torso tall here, or msd size in the bjd world. Ok, in all fairness, she can be various sizes, it all depends on the size you make her and what your printer can handle. It looks like she may have been made bigger here, I believe she's closer to the 11.5 inch fashion doll size. She's so amazing and I'd love to print her out some day. Kind of wish her he wrists were jointed as well, but that may come in a future upgrade or maybe someone might design it and put it up for download. And now that I did some looking around, I see someone has already made the wrist upgrade. What? I told you I was a doll snob. I would just love to have a 3D printed doll, especially Quinn. I'd love to make one myself one day. I've been obsessed with this thought for a while now. It will happen. I am determined to have my own 3D printed doll out one day that can be customized with updates, colors, etc. Dream big people. Dream big.

And as many filament options as there are out there, you could have her in any color, material, and she could even glow in the dark if you wanted. I know there is a wood filament out there, I wonder if you could make her out of that too. I'd like to look into seeing if i could get her printed out at some place like Shapeways, of course not to sell, just to have her. I think it will be a while before I can afford a 3D printer, and I want her now. LOL! I must look into that. Hummm, after reading their licensing agreement for purchasing the kit, it seems you have to print it off yourself in one location and one location only. Guess I will just have to buy the kit one day and save it for when I finally get a printer. *sigh* A girl will have to wait...or make friends with someone who owns a 3D printer. :-D

And on that last silly note, I am off my lovelies. I've wasted yet another day sleeping late and feeling sick. I need to call about my pills tomorrow. It's almost been a week. I NEED them, especially for next week. I am barely going to sleep next week and my stomach will be in knots, but it will be better to know in the end. Just sucks it all happens within days of my birthday. I had plans!!! I may not be able to walk properly on my birthday and if I can, I may still have a hickie mark on me that I am not sure I want to walk around with. No, I don't have make-up to cover it up. *sad face* Oh well, I'll still figure out a way to have fun on my birthday and then plan to share a friend's birthday. He could use a fun day as he is tended to be forgotten on his birthday, it's September 11th. So either way I will celebrate another year down and many more to go. :-) Ok guys, talk to you tomorrow. Take care until then. Bye for now. :-)

3D Crafting?

So late last year I started contemplating making my own doll.  I have been looking at resin dolls ever since I took on the task of making my sister’s doll a wardrobe, and no it’s not done and yes I feel horrible about it.  Well I started looking at the mechanics of her doll and decided to research it some, my favorite online hobby.  Through my searching about how to make toys in general I came across 3D imaging and machines that can make 3D items right before your eyes.  It’s pretty damn amazing.  Here, have a look.

Now this machine is more of a personal one you can have at home, for a hefty price, and you can design and make your own toys.  But they have other machines that will design your items whole without splitting them up.  There are also services that you can have your item made in 3D, but that can also be pricey.

Further looking into these machines I began to wonder if it was possible to make a ball joint doll with these machines. I mean sure the material was strong enough to handle elastic going through it and being moved and rubbed against itself.  So I went to trusty old YouTube and searched for someone who may have done it.  My first several searches came up empty-handed.  It wasn’t until this month that I started looking at videos of people customizing dolls and making their own ball joint dolls that I finally found the video I’d been looking for.

Isn’t that neat?!?  I don’t know if she’s super delicate, but she is very nicely done.  I think I still prefer resin or abs or something a little more norm in the ball joint doll world, but this is a cool concept.  But then again if it is strong material, which I really do think it is, then this is just another cool option for making ball joint dolls.  I wonder how the material stands up over the years?  I wonder if you’d use the same customizing techniques on the dolls made from it as we do on resin or abs ball joint dolls?  Would we have to change the chemicals and items we use?  Does it absorb color like crazy?  How small of a doll could we crate without losing detail?  Could you imagine a 1/6th world we could completely create from just our own mind, some software, and a 3D printer?  Pretty cool huh?  I wonder where technology will take us next.    Speaking of technology, if you want to really create your perfect ideal 1/6th world, you could also look into this as well.

Technology, making it fun to be a doll collector.    And on that note I am off.  This was another old post I had waiting around.  Glad I finally got to it.  Really wanted to share it.  It’s amazing what computer issues can make you do.  I’ve been more active offline, I started exercise again, started reading again, and I’m going to try to do some writing before I pop off.  I’m feeling happily productive.  Oh and totally off topic, did you all know this year was a leap year?  I had no idea until I saw someone mention it on a weight loss board I am a member of.  Doing a February weight loss challenge, and WOOT, I’ve got one extra day next month to work it out.    Ok, I’m off.  Talk to you all soon.  Be good until then.  Bye for now. 

Feeling productive,
Michelle