3D printing basics: Supports
over 4 years ago – Sat, Aug 24, 2019 at 10:25:17 PM

Hello Dragonbonded!

In this update we cover status for STL files, fulfillment & survey status for all backers, and share some extremely useful 3D tutorials for supports. But first, we would like to start this update with a video summary of our Gen Con 2019 experience:

Thanks again for your support! Without it, none of this would be possible.

STL files

A couple of days ago we sent this month's batch of complimentary download links for the STL fulfillment.

• Make sure to check in your SPAM folder. If you still don't find an e-mail from DriveThruRPG, send us an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject "Missing Link".
• If you haven't answered your survey, please do so that we can include your e-mail and send your STL files.
• Remember to opt-in for updates of the files in your DriveThruRPG account. Bundle 1 currently has Aureus, Kuxcoatl, and Sivax (Split and not split files). We recently updated Aureus wing but we might have to update again. Bundle 2 has the Battle Scar Damaged parts for the 3 original dragons, in the coming days we will update the bundle to include the Busts.

Fulfillment Status

Please refer to the category your pledge falls in to know more about your survey status:

•  Backers with at least one physical Dragon miniature or bust: You will still have your survey unlocked until December so that you can see all the models (they are coming soon, starting on September) so you can make an informed decision when choosing which dragons and add-ons you want to get. You can answer your survey now and still modify it in the coming months. You will get several warnings before we lock surveys on December (your card will be charged after that happens) so feel free to answer now with tentative selections. If you have Dice or Art prints in your pledge, you will get them in December. So far, we have been producing Kuxcoatls; Aureus Master prints (split) are arriving to our workshop this week and we will have more pictures to show soon.
•  Backers with dice but without miniatures/busts: Last week, your survey was locked, your credit card charged for shipping fees, and your address locked. Fulfillment has started (4 MONTHS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED, HOORAY!). Some US backers have already received their dice and in the coming week we will have more info for backers outside the US with dice and no miniatures in their pledge. We expect to have tracking info soon. If you experience any issue, please let us know via e-mail: [email protected]
•  Backers without miniatures/busts/dice/artprints: Your pledge will be locked in 48-hours. If you wish to get a miniature or bust, update your survey now so that it can remain unlocked until December. STL fulfillment has already begun and in the coming months we will start sending the unlocked dragons and complements (Stretch Goals). 
•  Backer with art prints: We are still expecting the illustrations for 2 lairs. Manufacture might start in October and we are looking for a December (on-time) fulfillment. 
•  Backers with No-Reward/Dropped pledges and incomplete survey: This is the final notice to update to another pledge level and answer survey. In 48-hours we will mark these as completed/cancelled. If you have completed the survey, please refer to any of the previous categories according to the one you fall into.

We are no longer taking pre-orders for miniatures. The pre-order store for Backerkit has been closed. We will let you know in a future update how to get any available items (Dice, STL, PDFs).

Remember to tag us in social media with any pictures you may share. Join our Facebook ambassadors group or our community forums to discuss with fellow backers and ambassadors.

3D printing: Supports

Some backers have been asking us the best recommendations for orienting and placing supports. Given that this greatly depends on the print surface and other specifications from any 3D printer, we think it is best to share some videos that will help you to use supports better:

Support Settings

Supports Orientation

Removing Supports

All of these videos are from Danny Herrero, who has a lot of experience in 3D printing for tabletop components. We highly recommend you to check his channel 3D Printed Tabletop and subscribe. He actually has a live campaign now.

Stay tuned next week for another update. Thanks for all your support!

Gen Con pictures and general August update
almost 5 years ago – Tue, Aug 13, 2019 at 10:47:15 PM

Hello dragonbonded!

We are still amazed by the response from the dragons at Gen Con and from all the pictures from your 3D printed dragons – please keep sharing and tagging Draco Studios in your pictures! 

We had some art prints for attendees and it was very interesting to see the popularity order for the dragons at Gen Con (just the art with no titles or background description)

Kuxcoatl, Nixis, Baastherox, Sivax, Dehrilya, Aureus, Rawraxxa

For comparison, here's the popularity order for the Kickstarter miniatures:

Kuxcoatl, Baastherox, Dehrilya, Nixis, Aureus, Sivax, Rawraxxa

In addition to art prints, we brought the base 3 dragons to Gen Con for display and the dice arrived directly form the manufacturer to Indianapolis for Gen Con.

To see more pictures of Draco Studios at Gen Con 2019, click here.

Dice fulfillment wave 1

As we mentioned in the past update, fulfillment for backers with dice and no miniatures will start soon. If you are in this group, you will find your survey already locked and a charge (from either, Stripe, Backerkit or Draco Gaming Inc) to your credit card to cover shipping. If you get an e-mail about failed payment, please re-try with a different card, or make sure your card has enough funds. Ultimately, you may enter into your survey and fix the charge using PayPal.

STL fulfillment update

In the coming days we will upload the next version of the STL files including:

• Aureus wing fix
• Busts for the first 3 dragons in Bundle 2

In case you missed the e-mail from DriveThruRPG, a couple of weeks ago Sivax was uploaded along with the full-body STL files. Check into your DriveThruRPG account to download the updated files.

In addition, if you answered your survey after July 14th (when we sent the first batch of download codes) in the coming days you will get your download codes from DriveThruRPG. Make sure to check your SPAM folder.

Other rewards Development 

•  Dragon Miniatures and other parts: Kuxcoatls for shipping wave 1 have been produced in the past weeks. Aureus master print is currently in progress and will enter into mold & casting by the end of the week. While this campaign was live, we ordered another 3D printer for our master prints and to speed up manufacture for shipping waves 3, 4 and 5. The printer arrived before Gen Con but unfortunately, it had some damaged parts so we are in the middle of the return warranty process. 
•  Art prints and boxes: We have all the dragon art prints ready. Lairs are about to be finished (we are missing Sivax's and Rawraxxa's; we will share all of them in a future update). Stats have been edited and we are just missing graphic layout. Regarding the boxes, after getting Aureus master print pieces, we will get an idea of the width for the box. After prepress for the box, all of these will go to printing.
•  Epic Encounters: All encounters have been written and edited but we want to have a 2nd editing revision. Maps are pending. After Gen Con we found out that balance in the numbers was still needed so we are also making revision on that. 
•  Dragonbond Primer: Last weekend we had a 2-day session to discuss about the world building and the story for an upcoming graphic novel based in this setting (more news about the novel in the future; we are very very excited for it). We need 

Reminders

• Refer to the update with the 3D printing basics for more info about printing.
• Pledge manager will remain open and unlocked for backers with miniatures in their order so that you can make an informed decision. We expect to have more models to share in the coming months and all finished before December.
• If you are having trouble finding your personal download code for the STL files, send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject "Missing link".
• Remember to opt-in for updates on your DriveThruRPG files. 

Later today we will also share the results page from Backerkit with some interesting details regarding the project, surveys, items, regions and other data.

Thanks again for all your support! Exciting stuff is coming...

Dice Sets early fulfillment (for certain backers)
almost 5 years ago – Thu, Aug 08, 2019 at 09:50:32 PM

Hello dragonbonded!

Last week we were at Gen Con and had an amazing response. We got the chance to meet many of you in person; many miniatures enthusiasts came by and praised our dragons saying that our models are the most beautiful dragon models they have ever seen. We will post another update later with a video summarizing our Gen Con experience. 

If your pledge includes dice sets and no dragon miniatures, busts or parts, the next paragraph is for you.

We are extremely happy to announce that dice arrived just before Gen Con started and now they are with our fulfillment partner Gamerati at their warehouse. We will start fulfillment soon for this pledges locking surveys and charging credit cards (again, just for backers who have dice but no dragon miniatures, busts or other parts; prints are fine). You will get an e-mail with a final notice to update your shipping address and we expect to ship your rewards next week. Make sure to check your payment info in case you get an e-mail saying your card payment failed.

If your pledge includes dice sets along with miniatures, busts or parts, your dice sets will be sent along with your minis to save you additional shipping costs. Let us know if you prefer to pay split shipping for your dice and we will sort it out via PayPal.

We are doing our best to fulfill each reward as soon as possible and to avoid particular rewards obstructing with the fulfillment for other rewards :)

In case you are unsure whether you want to add a dragon miniature, bust or part to your pledge, we highly recommend you to go to your survey and switch your pledge level now; you don't need to select the dragon you want yet since we will not lock surveys for backers with dragon minis, busts or parts until when we have all models ready so you can make an informed decision. 

If you have any questions or petitions, feel free to reach to [email protected]

Reminder: Pre-orders for Dragons of the Red Moon miniatures and STL files have officially ended. STL bundles are only available at DriveThruRPG at full price.

Thanks for your patience and support! Remember to tag us in social media with the pictures of your rewards!

Rewards progress (End of July) + Gen Con announcements
almost 5 years ago – Tue, Jul 30, 2019 at 10:40:27 PM

Hello dragonbonded!

Many of you have already received your files and 3D printed your dragons which is amazing! Thanks for the pictures and for tagging us, it just fills our hearts with dragon fire. 

As you may have known, we did not get the log from DriveThruRPG correctly the first time but the support staff has finally sent us the full log. So, this week we will start sending the codes to backers who told us they couldn't find the e-mail the first time. Still, remember to look at your SPAM folder for an e-mail from DriveThruRPG.com or to look into your DriveThruRPG account with the same e-mail address as your Kickstarter account. 

If you have already told us about your missing code/link, don't worry, Itzel (our new community manager) will reply to you soon. If you haven't, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject "Missing link"

Please contact us over e-mail rather than Direct Messages on Kickstarters since visibility on those is limited.

Here are some pictures from other backer's printed dragons:

Or watch the following video from Jason Heuer in Draco Studios ambassadors Facebook group to see the proper use of magnets for being able to swap parts: 

You will be able to see this dragons in our booth at Gen Con (#1260)

And most of all, to see our first painted Kuxcoatlª

And we have excellent news: you can pickup your dice with us at Gen Con! You just need to come by and ask for them mentioning your Kickstarter name and e-mail address. We will mark this as delivered on our end :)

While we will have some art prints at the booth, these are not the art prints included with your dragons. All art prints (add-ons, reward tier or included in your dragon box) are A5 sized. 

The current artprints at Gen Con are just for the Dragons (no lairs, maps or stats) and if you hurry up, you may even pick some art prints signed by Tom Babbey... or you could visit Tom at his booth in the Art Show which is very close to Draco Studios' booth.

Make sure to check our Gen Con events so you can join into an Epic Encounter against Baastherox, mastered by the sculptor of these dragons himself. 

Pre-orders closing soon!

While surveys will stay open until when we have finished all models (dragons, bases, breath weapons, etc), the pre-order store in Backerkit will end right before Gen Con starts! So if you have a friend who didn't pledge while the campaign was live or joined at pre-orders, let them know about this. Once again, this won't affect backers from the campaign to still modify your survey and get the add-ons at the discounted price. 

Physical dragon miniatures might not be available again in the near future. And STL files will still be available in DriveThruRPG but no longer at the discounted price on which they were at Kickstarter (50% off).

Rewards status

First of all, we accomplished to release the STL files for the first 3 dragons prior to Gen Con. Make sure you subscribe to updates for those products in DriveThruRPG so you can get notifications whenever we update bundles with more content.

So far this is the status for each reward:

• Dice: Already manufactured and imported in USA. Local pickup at Gen Con will be available and after that, we will send those to a warehouse for fulfillment in shipping wave 1.
• Art Prints: Currently under design prior to prepress. In terms of artwork finished: 7/7 Dragons; 5/7 Lairs (update about them soon); GM screen artwork pending (we will have a fun activity for backers here in the near future)
• Gameplay content: Most content has been already written and edited, including 5e & 9th Age Stats, Epic Encounters. Maps are pending. World Primer is being revised.
• Dragon Models: Aureus, Kuxcoatl and Sivax models have been finished and distributed. Nixis and Baastherox will be released in October. Rawraxxa and Dehrilya will be released in December. If posible earlier, we will do so.
• Extra models: at this point, we are planning to sculpt the extra pieces for dragons at the same time as the full-body dragons.
• Physical miniatures and parts: Right now we are in schedule for wave 1 (December). The learning curve to produce this massive miniatures is over and we are able to produce 3 dragons per day, slowly gaining speed to 4 and then 5 dragons per day. We have just received another 3D printed for the Masters which will allow us to speed up printing masters for the Wave 2 and Wave 3 dragons (the ones unlocked with Stretch Goals).

New campaign... maybe?

As you may know, we have 2 major products: Dragonbond and Eldritch Century. Early in our 2019 planning we had another Eldritch Century release in late July (to be live at Gen Con). We decided not to launch another campaign until the following conditions happened: 

• Our first campaign (Eldritch Century resin miniatures wave 1) to be 100% fulfilled. To day, all parcels have been sent and there are only 7 parcels left in transit.
• Our second campaign (War for Chicken Island) to be under mass manufacture. We have been going back and forth with revisions but we are almost over. We expect to have this final corrections on the rulebook prepress files within 1-2 weeks.
• Our third campaign (Dragons of the Red Moon) to have all the basic Dragons stl files distributed, Dice manufactured, and miniatures production on track for wave 1. We are just missing to release the content in bundle 2 for the basic 3 dragons. 

Rather than launching our project as we planned, we think it is more important to ask our backers first if you would be fine with it. Our commitment is to keep communication flowing on all projects. Another important thing to mention is that we have different teams for each project with little overlap on some team members. For the new campaign (RPG campaign with STL files already finished - except for possible stretch goals) we have our writers and game designers available (Stats and Epic encounters are finished) and our sculptor for Dragons of the Red Moon is not the one modelling the Eldritch Century miniatures. And finally, the staff making the miniatures have zero involvement in the Eldritch Century campaign given that we are not going to offer miniatures, just the STL files for them.

Let us know in the comments your thoughts, we truly value your input.

Regardless of the launching date for the next campaign of Eldritch Century, we want to invite you to some fun activities prior to its release. Some of them can be done remotely, others will be done at Gen Con, just to have a little extra fun. 

We really hope to meet you at Gen Con!

3D printing 101 - For beginners
almost 5 years ago – Sun, Jul 21, 2019 at 05:17:16 PM

Hi Dragonbonded!

If you are in any pledge that has STL files, this update is for you! Even if you don't have a printer, when you eventually have one, or if you are planning on buying one, look for this update with info on 3D printing. Today we have a lot to share so here's the proper index:

• STL fulfillment has begun
• Troubleshooting and support
• Basics to 3D printing
• Rewards status

Let's get started:

STL Files

You may have noticed that digital distribution for the first batch of dragons (STL files) has started and an e-mail was sent via Drive Thru RPG to your email address linked to your Kickstarter profile. 

Please be aware that once you click on the link, it is redeemed. You will still have access to it with your Drive Thru RPG account (create one if you do not have one) but if you intend someone else to download the files, you should send that link to the person first, before clicking on it.

This bundle will be updated several times in the next few months as we finish the rest of the models. You will get an email notification each time this happens. 

For example, shortly after distributing bundle 1, some backers let us know that one of Aureus' wings was missing in the file. This was instantly corrected and the bundle was updated. Then we updated  again to include the full-body files per request of several backers.

An important thing to mention is that we are listening to your needs and while many petitions are not possible to satisfy (due to the large amount of different needs depending on Printer model) we are very interested to do the best we can, so popular requests will always have priority for us in order to satisfy as many backers as possible.

In the coming days, the bundle will be updated again to include split Sivax files.

For your convenience, here's what each STL Bundle includes:

We also send the first files of the STL Bundle 2. Right now it only includes the Battle Scar (Damaged) parts for Aureus and Kuxcoatl. We will be uploading this as well to include the rest of the components including the busts. 

FAQ & Troubleshooting

First of all, we want to thank you all for your patience. This Monday, Itzel will join our team for customer support in the comments, direct messages, social media and e-mails. This will allow us to reply faster to your questions. The past 2 weeks we have been short in staff with that position but we will catch up starting this week.

Below you will find answers to the most common inquiries:

•  I have not received / can't locate the e-mail - First, you need to have COMPLETED your survey. Remember you will still be able to make changes to your order but you need to place your order in order for our system to include your e-mail. If you didn't do so by past Sunday, you will get the files the next time we send e-mails to new placed orders. Second, check your SPAM or Promotions folder in the e-mail address linked to your Kickstarter account.  Third, in your account for DriveThruRPG, check under 'My library' tab and the files should be there, the codes will only work one time. However, the files will be stored forever under your "My files" tab. Make a DriveThruRPG account so that you always have access to the files. If you cannot find them, send us an e-mail to [email protected] with the subject "Missing link". Please note that if your pledge was not successful on Kickstarter, you will need to wait until September when we charge credit cards in Backerkit and you will get the files once the charge has been successful. 
•  Certain model has an inconvenience / is missing one or more parts - Most mishaps in the models have been fixed already. Thanks for letting us now. If you notice any other issues on the models, let us know.
•  Please upload the full body STL files so I can choose where to split - Done! We have uploaded the non-split files for the first 3 dragons. 
•  I just received one bundle - If you included both bundles in your pledge, your e-mails from DriveThruRPG.com might be grouped into a single thread.
•  I prefer the files in ZIP instead of RAR - RAR is the preferred method for our sculpt partner and it offers better compression. We encourage you to download one of the many free RAR de-compressor. In the future, we intend to send a survey to backers to better understand your needs and improve ourselves at delivering the files in the best and/or more popular settings.
•  My files are damaged/corrupted - While being logged in at DriveThruRPG, try refreshing your page and downloading again. The bundles will be constantly updated to include the rest of the models and fix any errors the models may have. This may cause you to download some previous file or have this kind of errors.

More info about missing e-mail or links: 

Due to massive comp copy mailing SPAM filters will likely be triggered, that's why you should check your SPAM folder first and look for an e-mail from DriveThruRPG.com 

If you still do not get the email, and you have a DriveThruRPG account (under the email you provided us with your backer pledge), then you can go to this page on DriveThruRPG:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/account_notification_inbox.php

And find the free download link in your DriveThruRPG inbox there.

If you don’t have the email and you do not have a DriveThruRPG account, then you contact us in the coming week. We should receive a log of everyone’s unique download code. However, the e-mail from DriveThruRPG we got had no list attached; we already contacted support at DriveThruRPG and are waiting for them to re-send us the log of e-mails and their corresponding links. We know you want to start printing your files already, so as soon as DriveThruRPG fixes this for us, we will start searching and sending you your personal links.

Just be assured that you will get your files; we will not leave you hanging and we will get you your rewards. That's our company's first priority and we really want to see your prints! 

3D Printing 101 by Axolote Gaming

In this update I share recommendations on settings, printers and filaments. I will also link some videos of people who have done in-depth guides for specific aspects of 3d printing. 

If you have a handle on printing or are not planning on printing them you can skip this update, however if you are planning on printing them and are new to this, please read ahead. 

First the Machines

FDM - this is the most common and cheapest option if you want to get into 3d printing. It uses melted plastic and prints in layers, meaning that the model gets "sliced" into sections of the resolution you decide to uses (regularly from 50 to 300 microns) and then does layer by layer, one on top of the next resulting in a solid piece. 

This process has some caveats, for example overhangs result in places where there is no material underneath, and that area will require supports; supports, like most settings, can be changed so you achieve the best result for you. Here is a small video explaining how supports work, and even gives you a preset that works pretty well in my experience.

Filaments - While there are two main options for FDM printers, I am going to save you a big while of testing, fails and ultimately not getting the right settings. Go for PLA , unlike ABS; it is quite forgiving, the room temp doesn't have to be ideal, you can have some drafts, and you do NOT need an enclosure which leads to a lot more problems than it actually solves, and the benefits of ABS are minimal in the long run.  So, lets just say that after a lot of research and tests, you have now decided that when printing miniatures and non-functional models, you will always use PLA.

Settings - Here is a video for printing Miniatures,  however some of those concepts are not really applicable for bigger models (like our awesome dragons) but you might want to get used to them, there are a lot of profiles in the web for printing things. Here are some profiles specific for the Ender 3 or 5. But they should work with most printers. I will say that sticking to 100-150 micron layers for the dragons should yield great results, most of the parts WILL require supports, so get acquainted with those too, temp varies greatly by different filaments make sure to search for the best temperature for your chosen brand of filament (Reddit has a whole section on filaments and print temps), also keep in mind that there is no golden profile for printing, especially not one that fits all printers so make sure you know your printer and are willing to fine tune it!

Want to buy an FDM 3d printer?

•  Ender 3 - $199
•  Ender 5 - $319
•  Prusa i3 mk3 - $749
•  Wanhao - $357

These are printers I know and have worked with and can vouch for their quality, depending on your budget you can get any of them, they are all great and have some differences. If you need more info there are a lot of reviews for ALL of these printers so search for them and decide what best fits your needs.

Resin - Printers that cure resin in layers to create a final solid model, the quality on resin will ALWAYS be better than FDM, however this comes at a cost:

• Reduced build plate size
• Lengthy setup and cleanup for every piece
• Smelly and toxic material

However if you are wiling to endure all of these, you could have a final piece that requires little to no sanding and which has a quality that can only be improved by professional printers. 

Resin printers use supports as well, they are a bit harder to set up correctly and you will probably need to learn to correctly arrange them for best print results. 

You will need to wash the pieces in an IPA bath, after that you will need to remove the supports with clippers and finally you will need to cure the piece in UV light so the material sets correctly. 

Here are some Resin printers i recommend:

•  Wanhao d7 plus - $585
•  Anycubic Photon - $375
•  Form 2 - $2850

Again these are printers that are tested in the community and have good results, as far as the dragons they will probably need to be scaled down to fit the reduced printing space, or split into more pieces so keep this in mind!

Conclusions

If you are new to 3d printing, there are a lot of resources, and when you buy your first 3d printer the community will guide you so you can have the best experience with printing. It is one of the most involved communities and you will feel right at home. 

As for the dragons, if you are going to get only one printer, I would recommend the FDM printer since it has an easier learning curve and will be able to print the dragons full size from the get-go. If you have both available then a hybrid printing would be the way to go, print smaller more detailed pieces (the head, arms and tail end) on the resin printer and the rest on  the FDM printer giving you better quality on the most detailed pieces and a faster and less expensive alternative for the bodies and wings. 

If you have any specific questions and can't find an answer comment in the campaign so we or any other experienced backers can help you out! There are not silly questions when learning something new, don't let that thought stop you from asking in the comments section.

Send your pictures!

We know you will find all the info provided by Axolote Gaming, our trusted 3D printing partner, to be very useful. Now that you have already set for a great start please, share your pictures and stories with us!! We want to see how you paint your miniatures, how they look at your table, and to read what adventures you have for them or your gaming group.

You can share with us in any of the following sites:

• Post in this thread from our community forums
• Tag @DracoStudios in Facebook or @Draco_Studios in Instagram
• Post directly in our Facebook fanpage, or ambassadors group 
• Tweet in our Twitter account 
• Commenting with the URL to your post in the campaign.

We will conclude this update with some amazing pictures from fellow backers 

In the next update we will talk more about the progress with the rewards and stretch goals. 

Just a few days for Gen Con 2019, remember to stop by at booth #1260 to see our prints for the first 3 dragons!