Interstellar TARS & CASE Papercraft Robots - by Shunichi Makino

At first glance, TARS and CASE might be among the least impressive-looking robots in movie history. They are basically large, dark rectangular blocks, with no apparent head, face, arms or legs. But anyone who has watched Interstellar knows that this simplicity hides two of the most interesting and charismatic machines in recent science fiction.

Japanese designer Shunichi Makino, from Design Office PASTA, transformed the two robots from Interstellar into papercrafts that preserve exactly this minimalist appearance.

Makino himself describes TARS and CASE in a rather curious way: to him, it is as if the mysterious monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey had been given functions similar to those of R2-D2 from Star Wars. It is an amusing comparison, but a surprisingly appropriate one.

In Christopher Nolan's 2014 movie, TARS and CASE are extremely advanced robots. Despite their almost primitive appearance, their bodies are formed by segments capable of separating, rotating and assuming different configurations, allowing them to walk, run, manipulate objects and perform tasks that seem impossible for such simple metallic boxes.

Another memorable feature is that some parameters of their personalities can be adjusted, including their levels of humor and honesty. This creates some of the lighter moments in the movie, especially during the conversations between Cooper and TARS.

Naturally, reproducing in paper all the complex movements seen in the movie would be another story. Makino chose to preserve the characteristic shapes of the robots in relatively simple models, and he points out that their straightforward forms also make them easy to assemble.

The papercraft comes in a three-page PDF and the templates are available for free at the original Design Office PASTA website. For fans of Interstellar, science fiction or simply robots with unconventional designs, TARS and CASE make a very unusual pair to display on a shelf.

À primeira vista, TARS e CASE talvez estejam entre os robôs menos impressionantes da história do cinema. São basicamente grandes blocos retangulares escuros, sem cabeça, rosto, braços ou pernas aparentes. Mas quem assistiu a Interstellar sabe que essa simplicidade esconde duas das máquinas mais interessantes e carismáticas da ficção científica recente.

O designer japonês Shunichi Makino, do Design Office PASTA, transformou os dois robôs de Interstellar em papercrafts que preservam exatamente essa aparência minimalista.

O próprio Makino descreve TARS e CASE de uma maneira bastante curiosa: para ele, é como se o misterioso monólito de 2001: Uma Odisseia no Espaço tivesse recebido funcionalidades semelhantes às de R2-D2, de Star Wars. É uma comparação divertida, mas bastante apropriada.

No filme de Christopher Nolan, lançado em 2014, TARS e CASE são robôs extremamente avançados. Apesar da aparência quase primitiva, seus corpos são formados por segmentos capazes de se separar, girar e assumir diferentes configurações, permitindo que caminhem, corram, manipulem objetos e realizem tarefas que parecem impossíveis para aquelas simples caixas metálicas.

Outra característica memorável é que alguns parâmetros de suas personalidades podem ser ajustados, incluindo níveis de humor e honestidade. Isso acaba criando alguns dos momentos mais leves do filme, especialmente nas conversas entre Cooper e TARS.

Naturalmente, reproduzir em papel toda a complexa movimentação vista no filme seria outra história. Makino optou por preservar as formas características dos robôs em modelos relativamente simples, e ele próprio destaca que suas formas diretas também tornam a montagem fácil.

O papercraft ocupa três páginas em PDF e os templates estão disponíveis gratuitamente no site original do Design Office PASTA. Para quem gosta de Interstellar, ficção científica ou simplesmente de robôs com designs pouco convencionais, TARS e CASE formam uma dupla bastante diferente para colocar na estante.

Build TARS and CASE and bring two of Interstellar's most unusual robots to your shelf using the link below:

Interstellar TARS & CASE Papercraft Robots - by Shunichi Makino

If you enjoyed TARS and CASE, take a look below at four more sci-fi papercrafts featuring iconic spacecraft and robots from the movies:

01: Interstellar - Endurance Interplanetary Spacecraft Paper Model - by UHU 02

02: WALL-E - The Compactor Robot Paper Model - by Paper Replika

03: Star Wars - R2D2 Paper Model - by Disney Family - Rescaled To 1/6 And Custom Textures by Papermau

04: Robocop - Enforcement Droid Series 209 Robot Paper Model - by Paper Replika

Two Historic Japanese Architectural Papercrafts - Nagayamon Gate And Storehouse - by Kokubunji City

Two beautiful architectural papercrafts are available on the official website of Kokubunji City in Tokyo, Japan. They reproduce the Nagayamon Gate and Storehouse of the Former Honda Family Residence, two preserved historic buildings located at the Otaka-no-Michi Spring Garden and recognized as important cultural properties of the city.

The larger model represents the Nagayamon Gate of the Former Honda Family Residence. A nagayamon is a traditional Japanese gate incorporated into a long building, with rooms on either side of its central passage. This explains why this fascinating structure looks much more like a house than a simple gate.

It was built during the late Edo period for the Honda family, whose members served for generations as nanushi, or village administrators, in old Kokubunji. A document preserved by the family and dated 1848 contains specifications for its construction. Besides being the main entrance to the property, part of the building also contained residential rooms.

The second papercraft represents the Storehouse of the Former Honda Family Residence. Much smaller, the real building is a two-story wooden structure measuring approximately 4.5 by 3.6 meters. An inscription found in the building mentions an original construction date of 1708 and a complete reconstruction in 1900.

Both papercrafts are part of the Home Museum section of Kokubunji City's official website and are associated with the Musashi Kokubunji Temple Remains Museum. The project offers educational activities related to the history, archaeology and cultural heritage of the area.

The Nagayamon Gate is the more elaborate model, featuring many delicate parts and separate files for the building, roof, base and assembly instructions. The small storehouse is considerably simpler and fits on a single sheet. Both models are available in color and black-and-white versions, allowing builders to add their own colors.

I could not find a stated scale or the name of an individual designer, so the safest credit is to the Musashi Kokubunji Temple Remains Museum and Kokubunji City. The creators even suggest building both papercrafts together, recreating in miniature part of this historic site that can still be visited today.

Dois belos papercrafts arquitetônicos estão disponíveis no site oficial da cidade de Kokubunji, em Tóquio, Japão. Os modelos reproduzem o Portão Nagayamon e o Armazém da Antiga Residência da Família Honda, dois edifícios históricos preservados no Jardim das Nascentes de Otaka-no-Michi e reconhecidos como importantes bens culturais da cidade.

O modelo maior representa o Portão Nagayamon da Antiga Residência da Família Honda. Um nagayamon é um tipo tradicional de portão japonês integrado a uma construção alongada, com cômodos dos dois lados da passagem central. Por isso, à primeira vista, este edifício se parece muito mais com uma casa do que com um simples portão.

Ele foi construído no final do período Edo para a família Honda, que durante gerações exerceu a função de nanushi, uma espécie de chefe ou administrador da antiga vila de Kokubunji. Um documento preservado pela família, datado de 1848, contém especificações para sua construção. Além de servir como entrada principal da propriedade, parte do edifício possuía cômodos residenciais, uma característica bastante interessante e incomum.

O segundo papercraft representa o Armazém da Antiga Residência da Família Honda. Bem menor, o edifício real é uma construção de madeira de dois andares, com aproximadamente 4,5 por 3,6 metros. Uma inscrição encontrada em sua estrutura menciona uma construção original em 1708 e uma reconstrução completa em 1900.

Os dois modelos fazem parte da seção Museu em Casa, mantida no site oficial da cidade de Kokubunji e ligada ao Museu das Ruínas do Templo Musashi Kokubunji. A iniciativa oferece atividades educativas relacionadas à história, arqueologia e ao patrimônio cultural da região.

O Portão Nagayamon é o modelo mais elaborado, com várias peças delicadas e arquivos separados para o edifício, telhado, base e instruções. O pequeno armazém é bem mais simples e cabe em uma única folha. Ambos são oferecidos em versões coloridas e em preto e branco, permitindo também uma pintura personalizada.

Não encontrei indicação de escala nem o nome de um designer individual, portanto o crédito mais seguro é para o Museu das Ruínas do Templo Musashi Kokubunji e a cidade de Kokubunji. Uma sugestão especialmente interessante dos próprios responsáveis pelo projeto é montar os dois modelos juntos, recriando em miniatura parte do conjunto histórico que ainda pode ser visitado atualmente.

If you would like to build these two little pieces of Japanese history yourself, the templates in color and black-and-white versions are available at the link below.

Two Historic Japanese Miniature Architectural Papercrafts - by Kokubunji City

And if you enjoy recreating old Japan in miniature, here are four more architectural papercrafts that deserve a place in your collection.

01: A Japanese Family House Papercraft In 1/150 Scale - by Pokara

02: Hand-Drawn Papercraft Models Of Cultural Heritage - by Suita City

03: Ancient Japanese Pit Dwellings In Paper - by Suita City Museum

04: A Lot Of Japanese Architectural Paper Models In 1/150 Scale - by Brother Japan

A Buck Rogers Papercraft Secret Hidden in Plain Sight Online Crichton Poseable Robot Figure 1/6 Scale - by Revell-Fan

Sometimes the best finds are hidden right before our eyes.

On the German website Paper Aviation there is a page dedicated to the Earth Directorate Thunderfighter, the famous spacecraft from the fictional universe of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

The Thunderfighter alone is already a good reason to visit the page, but there is a little secret hidden there.

Anyone who visits the page, downloads the Thunderfighter and leaves will probably never notice that, by simply scrolling further down, a whole collection of additional Buck Rogers papercrafts appears.

There are thirteen additional models and projects related to this universe, including different spacecraft and vehicles, accessories and other interesting creations. Some are presented as beta or experimental versions, but from what I could see, the available models appear to be perfectly buildable.

Among all these hidden treasures, I chose to highlight just one in this post: the Crichton Poseable Robot Figure, created by Marcell "Revell-Fan" von dem Berge.

Crichton is the sophisticated and rather arrogant robot that appeared during the second season of the classic TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Created by Dr. Goodfellow, Crichton has a very peculiar personality and considers himself so advanced that he has difficulty accepting the idea that humans could have created a machine like him.

Marcell's papercraft reproduces Crichton in a large 1/6 scale and, best of all, it is a poseable model. The arms, elbows, wrists and other parts use small joints made from paper and laminated cardboard, allowing the finished robot to be displayed in different poses.

There are also two neck configurations, short and extended, and several interchangeable front visor displays representing different modes such as standby, talking and angry.

The standard version uses eleven parts sheets. There is also a special version designed for printing on silver or metallic paper/card, with twelve parts sheets. This second version takes advantage of the real shine of the material instead of trying to reproduce a metallic surface only with printed textures.

The download also includes a very detailed illustrated assembly guide. Marcell even created a separate five-page tutorial about working with coated silver card, using his own Crichton build to demonstrate the techniques.

An interesting detail is that Marcell credits Julius Perdana, from Paper-Replika, and his poseable Iron Man papercraft as an important source of inspiration for developing practical and stable joints for Crichton.

So, if you visit the Thunderfighter page at Paper Aviation, don't be in a hurry. Download the main model, but then keep scrolling down.

There is a small Buck Rogers papercraft universe hidden at the bottom of the page.

Às vezes, os melhores achados estão escondidos bem diante dos nossos olhos.

No site alemão Paper Aviation existe uma página dedicada ao Earth Directorate Thunderfighter, a famosa nave do universo ficcional de Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

O Thunderfighter por si só já seria um bom motivo para visitar a página, mas existe um pequeno segredo escondido ali.

Quem entra na página, baixa o Thunderfighter e vai embora provavelmente nunca perceberá que, simplesmente continuando a rolar a página para baixo, aparece toda uma coleção de papercrafts adicionais de Buck Rogers.

São outros treze modelos e projetos relacionados a esse universo, incluindo diferentes naves e veículos, acessórios e outras criações interessantes. Alguns são apresentados como versões beta ou experimentais, mas, pelo que pude ver, os modelos disponíveis parecem perfeitamente montáveis.

Entre todos esses tesouros escondidos, escolhi destacar apenas um neste post: o Crichton Poseable Figure, criado por Marcell "Revell-Fan" von dem Berge.

Crichton é o sofisticado e bastante arrogante robô que apareceu durante a segunda temporada da clássica série de TV Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Criado pelo Dr. Goodfellow, Crichton possui uma personalidade muito peculiar e se considera tão avançado que tem dificuldade em aceitar a ideia de que seres humanos poderiam ter criado uma máquina como ele.

O papercraft de Marcell reproduz Crichton na grande escala 1/6 e, melhor ainda, é um modelo articulado. Os braços, cotovelos, pulsos e outras partes utilizam pequenas articulações construídas com papel e cartão laminado, permitindo colocar o robô pronto em diferentes poses.

Há também duas configurações para o pescoço, curto e estendido, além de vários displays intercambiáveis para o visor frontal, representando diferentes modos, como espera, falando e irritado.

A versão convencional utiliza onze folhas de peças. Existe também uma versão especial preparada para impressão em papel ou cartão metálico prateado, com doze folhas de peças. Essa segunda versão aproveita o brilho real do material em vez de tentar reproduzir uma superfície metálica apenas através de texturas impressas.

O download também inclui um manual de montagem ilustrado muito detalhado. Marcell chegou a preparar um tutorial separado de cinco páginas sobre como trabalhar com cartão prateado revestido, usando sua própria montagem de Crichton para demonstrar as técnicas.

Um detalhe interessante é que Marcell dá crédito a Julius Perdana, do Paper-Replika, e ao seu papercraft articulado do Iron Man como uma importante fonte de inspiração para desenvolver articulações práticas e estáveis para Crichton.

Portanto, se você visitar a página do Thunderfighter no Paper Aviation, não tenha pressa. Baixe o modelo principal, mas depois continue rolando a página para baixo.

Há um pequeno universo de papercrafts de Buck Rogers escondido no final da página.

Discover the hidden Buck Rogers papercraft collection and download the Crichton Poseable Robot Figure at the link below:

Buck Rogers Crichton Poseable Robot Figure 1/6 Scale - by Revell-Fan

If you enjoy classic robots from movies and TV series, take a look at these four paper models below:

01: Lost In Space - Robot B9 Miniature Paper Model - by Jonathan Leslie

02: WALL-E - The Compactor Robot Paper Model - by Paper Replika

03: Star Wars - R2-D2 Detailed Paper Model In 1/6 Scale - by Paper Replika

04: Ultraman - King Joe - The Alien Robot Paper Model - by Chin Pun

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited Test Build Almost Finished

The test build of the new version of the Ammu-Nation Gun Shop is almost complete and, this time, I gathered several photos showing a little more of the whole process, from the separate walls to the finished building standing on its base.

In some of the photos I placed a few 1/64 scale die-cast cars next to the model, including in the first image of this post. This is the classic scale used by many miniatures from Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Majorette, GreenLight, Johnny Lightning, Tomica and many others, and since the first version of this Ammu-Nation, back in 2015, one of my ideas was to create a small setting that could be used with this kind of miniature.

This test build had a very important purpose: to find out if everything I had redesigned on the computer would actually work when transferred to paper. After printing, cutting, folding, gluing and assembling each part, I can say that it does. All the pieces fit together perfectly, the proportions turned out as I expected and I found no structural problems that would require any major changes to the project.

It is particularly fun to see this model finished again because my relationship with GTA V goes back a long way. I have been playing the game practically since its release and have spent many, many hours exploring Los Santos and Blaine County, especially in GTA Online. After so much time, some places on the map become strangely familiar, almost like places in a city we actually know.

Curiously, it has been about a year since I last played GTA Online, but I think that break is coming to an end. October is almost here and anyone who has played GTA Online at this time of year knows that Halloween is one of the best times to return to Los Santos.

For a few weeks, the whole atmosphere of the game changes. UFOs begin appearing in the skies, driverless cars chase players along the roads, killers appear during the night and we can even run into a clone of our own character trying to kill us. There are also ghosts to find, pumpkins scattered around the map, special game modes, strange storms and several other surprises. Los Santos, which is not exactly a peaceful city to begin with, becomes even crazier.

I have always enjoyed the way Rockstar uses Halloween to play with the supernatural side of GTA Online. So, after almost a year away from the game, maybe this is a good excuse to bring my character out of retirement and take another drive around Los Santos. Who knows, perhaps this return will also provide some inspiration for a future papercraft?

Perhaps it is precisely because I am so familiar with the game world that I have always enjoyed turning some of its buildings into paper models. Rather than the big events of GTA V, it is often these ordinary places that catch my attention: a workshop, a garage, a warehouse, a neighborhood store or an Ammu-Nation discovered while driving around the map.

The first version of this Ammu-Nation was created in exactly this way, using images and textures that I captured directly inside GTA V. Eleven years later, it has been very interesting to return to the same building with different resources and rebuild practically all of the graphics, trying to improve the textures and add details without losing the simplicity of the original model.

Now that I know the construction works as it should and, most importantly, that all the pieces fit together perfectly, I can dedicate myself to the next stage: preparing the final templates. I will organize the parts, make the last graphic adjustments and try to make everything as clear and simple as possible for assembly.

I still have a few ideas for small things that I might add to the model before the final version, but for now nothing has been decided. As often happens with my projects, some ideas appear just when I think everything is already finished.

As soon as everything is ready, I will publish the model here on the blog for everyone who wants to build their own Ammu-Nation Gun Shop.

Aos amigos de língua portuguesa: Para não deixar este post excessivamente longo e manter as fotos da montagem intercaladas com o texto, desta vez publiquei aqui a versão completa em inglês. O texto integral em português, acompanhado de todas as fotos, está disponível no meu blog secundário no link abaixo:

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisitada - Montagem de Teste Quase Concluída

If you would like to see how this project started and follow the Ammu-Nation rebuild from the beginning, take a look at the first two posts below.

GTA V - Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Remastered - Work In Progress

GTA V Ammu-Nation Gun Shop Papercraft Revisited - First Test Build

A Beautiful Five-Story Pagoda Architectural Papercraft by Mandee Thomas

This beautiful papercraft of a pagoda was created by American graphic designer Mandee Thomas, from the website Designs by Miss Mandee.

If you have been following Papermau for some time, you may already be familiar with Mandee's work, as several of her models have appeared here on the blog, including her beautiful Victorian Doll House and the detailed Christmas Village Town Hall.

This time, Mandee found inspiration in traditional Asian architecture to create this elegant five-story pagoda, with its characteristic overlapping roofs, curved eaves and a silhouette that immediately evokes the ancient architecture of the East.

Despite the detailed appearance of the finished model, the construction is relatively simple. As with many of Mandee's projects, the shapes are very well planned and the pieces are assembled in layers, creating a very convincing three-dimensional result without requiring complicated papercraft techniques.

Mandee usually designs her projects so they can be made either by hand, using scissors and a craft knife, or with electronic cutting machines such as Cricut, Silhouette and similar equipment. So, even if you don't own one of these machines, you can still build the pagoda using the templates as patterns for traditional hand cutting.

The download is easy and safe. Right at the beginning of Mandee's post, immediately below the first image, you will find the link to download the templates for free, hosted directly on Google Drive.

On the same page there is also a very useful step-by-step tutorial with photos showing the different stages of construction. The pictures make it much easier to understand how the walls, the different levels and especially the overlapping roofs should be folded, positioned and assembled.

Since the templates were designed to be cut from papers in different colors, you can completely change the appearance of the pagoda by choosing your own color combination. You can also use textured, printed or patterned papers to create a completely personalized version. Another possibility is to print the templates on plain white paper and color the pieces any way you like before assembling them.

This is a beautiful project for anyone who enjoys papercraft and miniature architecture, and once finished, it can be used as a decorative piece or as the centerpiece of a small Asian-inspired diorama.

Este belo papercraft de um pagode foi criado pela designer gráfica norte-americana Mandee Thomas, autora do site Designs by Miss Mandee.

Quem acompanha o Papermau há algum tempo provavelmente já conhece o trabalho de Mandee, pois vários de seus modelos já apareceram aqui no blog, incluindo sua bela Casa de Bonecas Vitoriana e a detalhada Prefeitura de Vila Natalina.

Desta vez, Mandee buscou inspiração na arquitetura tradicional asiática para criar este elegante pagode de cinco andares, com seus característicos telhados sobrepostos, beirais curvados e uma silhueta que imediatamente remete às antigas construções orientais.

Apesar da aparência detalhada do modelo pronto, a construção é relativamente simples. Como acontece com muitos dos projetos de Mandee, as formas são muito bem planejadas e as peças são montadas em camadas, criando um resultado tridimensional bastante convincente sem exigir técnicas complicadas de modelismo em papel.

Mandee costuma preparar seus projetos de maneira que possam ser feitos tanto com corte manual, usando tesoura e estilete, quanto com máquinas de corte eletrônico, como Cricut, Silhouette e equipamentos semelhantes. Assim, mesmo quem não possui uma dessas máquinas pode montar o pagode utilizando os templates como moldes para o corte tradicional.

O download é fácil e seguro. Logo no começo do post de Mandee, imediatamente abaixo da primeira imagem, você encontrará o link para baixar gratuitamente os templates, hospedados diretamente no Google Drive.

Na mesma página há também um ótimo tutorial passo a passo com fotos mostrando as diferentes etapas da construção. As imagens ajudam bastante a entender como as paredes, os vários níveis e principalmente os telhados sobrepostos devem ser dobrados, posicionados e montados.

Como os templates foram pensados para serem recortados em papéis de diferentes cores, você pode mudar completamente a aparência do pagode escolhendo sua própria combinação de cores. Também é possível usar papéis texturizados, estampados ou com diferentes padrões, criando uma versão totalmente personalizada. Outra possibilidade é imprimir os templates em folhas de papel branco e colorir as peças do jeito que quiser antes da montagem.

É um belo projeto para quem gosta de papercraft e arquitetura em miniatura e, depois de pronto, pode servir como peça decorativa ou como elemento central de um pequeno diorama de inspiração oriental.

Visit Designs by Miss Mandee to download the free templates and follow the complete step-by-step photo instructions:

A Beautiful Five-Story Pagoda Architectural Papercraft - by Mandee Thomas

If you enjoyed building this beautiful pagoda, below you will find four more architectural papercrafts inspired by Japan and the Far East:

01: A Little Papercraft Collection Of Japanese Temples And Shrines

02: New Traditional Japanese Architectural Paper Models In 1/150 And 1/87 Scales - by Brother Japan

03: Kishibe Shrine Main Hall Paper Model - by Suita City Museum

04: The Shrine - A Simple Paper Stage For Figure Shooting & Exhibition - by Japan System Art