Step 3: Setting up and printing
Ok, now that you've installed Pepakura Designer and downloaded your .pdo files, it's time to open Pepakura Designer. So open it up, go to file, and click Open. Point the file browser to the folder you stashed those .PDO files in. For this step I'll be using the Right-Bicep file. Open up Right-Bicep.pdo and you will see two sub-windows. On the left, you have a 3D model of what you will be making. On the right you'll notice a grid with odd-looking pieces in each cell. What you see is the magic of Pepakura Designer 2. It takes 3D models, and through user-manipulation, creates 2D pieces that can be printed on paper, then cut apart, folded, and glued together to create 3D pieces. I'll get to that in the next step so for now let's focus on getting this to paper.
Once you've opened the .pdo file, you'll want to click on the "BothWindows" tab and uncheck "use materials for faces". this will make the printed pieces while as opposed to gray, saving you ink. Don't mention it.
Now you'll need to specify your paper size. if you're using A4 size paper, then skip to the next step. Otherwise, listen up. Click on "Configuration" in the toolbar, then click on "Print and Paper Configuration". In this example, I will be using Letter size(8.5x11 inches) paper. Select "Letter" from the Size drop-down menu, and adjust both margins to 5 mm. Hit OK and notice that those pieces on the right side of the screen are now jumbled up out of their page boundaries. While you might be compelled to re-arrange them, it is not that time yet.
To make the completed Pepakura piece scaled to fit your body type, you'll need to do a little math. I learned the following formula from the 405th.com forums. Measure your height in inches (I'm 6 foot even, so that's 72 inches). Then add 3 inches to that measurement.(for me, 75 inches). Divide that by 86(75/86=0.872093). Then multiply that number by the scale of the current piece you are working on (Right Bicep's scale is 30.342, so 30.342x0.872093=26.461045). Take that last number(26.461045), go to 2DPatternWindow, then click "scale up/down development by specifying value...". Highlight that current scale and replace it with the one you just calculated.
Now all the pieces have moved again. Aren't you glad you held back from moving pieces the first time? So to finish up, you'll need to get all the pieces into their page squares. To aid this, click "Configuration" and click "Show Only 2DPatternWindow". Now you have a larger screen area to move these pieces in. By scrolling the scroll wheel, you can zoom in and out. Right clicking and dragging the mouse moves the camera view, and left clicking on a piece and dragging moves the piece.
Now, pretend you're 6 years old again. Remember those lines between the sidewalk? You know, the ones that you couldn't touch for some unspecified -yet given- reason? It's the same deal here. You don't want the individual pieces touching the grid lines. So get all the pieces off those lines, and keep them from touching each other. If they do touch the lines, they will be cut into pieces between sheets, meaning you'll have to rejoin em later. It's up to you how many sheets of paper you want these pieces to print out on. If you want one piece per sheet, that's fine, but it takes up extra paper. If you can manage to get two on a sheet, saving one sheet, Greenpeace will love you.
So once you have all your pieces arranged, it's time for one last detail. Click "File", got to "Printer Setup" and change orientation to landscape. Just to make sure you've got this right, check "Print Preview" out. as long as all the pieces look whole, you've done good. Time to print! (If PD2 says "A part of development may not fit into printable area" and asks to scale, click "No")
Once you've opened the .pdo file, you'll want to click on the "BothWindows" tab and uncheck "use materials for faces". this will make the printed pieces while as opposed to gray, saving you ink. Don't mention it.
Now you'll need to specify your paper size. if you're using A4 size paper, then skip to the next step. Otherwise, listen up. Click on "Configuration" in the toolbar, then click on "Print and Paper Configuration". In this example, I will be using Letter size(8.5x11 inches) paper. Select "Letter" from the Size drop-down menu, and adjust both margins to 5 mm. Hit OK and notice that those pieces on the right side of the screen are now jumbled up out of their page boundaries. While you might be compelled to re-arrange them, it is not that time yet.
To make the completed Pepakura piece scaled to fit your body type, you'll need to do a little math. I learned the following formula from the 405th.com forums. Measure your height in inches (I'm 6 foot even, so that's 72 inches). Then add 3 inches to that measurement.(for me, 75 inches). Divide that by 86(75/86=0.872093). Then multiply that number by the scale of the current piece you are working on (Right Bicep's scale is 30.342, so 30.342x0.872093=26.461045). Take that last number(26.461045), go to 2DPatternWindow, then click "scale up/down development by specifying value...". Highlight that current scale and replace it with the one you just calculated.
Now all the pieces have moved again. Aren't you glad you held back from moving pieces the first time? So to finish up, you'll need to get all the pieces into their page squares. To aid this, click "Configuration" and click "Show Only 2DPatternWindow". Now you have a larger screen area to move these pieces in. By scrolling the scroll wheel, you can zoom in and out. Right clicking and dragging the mouse moves the camera view, and left clicking on a piece and dragging moves the piece.
Now, pretend you're 6 years old again. Remember those lines between the sidewalk? You know, the ones that you couldn't touch for some unspecified -yet given- reason? It's the same deal here. You don't want the individual pieces touching the grid lines. So get all the pieces off those lines, and keep them from touching each other. If they do touch the lines, they will be cut into pieces between sheets, meaning you'll have to rejoin em later. It's up to you how many sheets of paper you want these pieces to print out on. If you want one piece per sheet, that's fine, but it takes up extra paper. If you can manage to get two on a sheet, saving one sheet, Greenpeace will love you.
So once you have all your pieces arranged, it's time for one last detail. Click "File", got to "Printer Setup" and change orientation to landscape. Just to make sure you've got this right, check "Print Preview" out. as long as all the pieces look whole, you've done good. Time to print! (If PD2 says "A part of development may not fit into printable area" and asks to scale, click "No")
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for scaling, you take your average height, which, for you, I would say would be 66", plus at least 2 inches, to give room for the bulk of the armor, which would result to 68". next, divide your number, 68, by 86. take the result, and multiply it by the number that the automatic scaling thing gives you. replace that number with the new number, then shift your armor pieces around, then print. if it still doesn't work, I would suggest that you go for the armor pieces by Robogenesis on this site:
http://halocostuming.wikia.com/wiki/Pepakura_File_Index
it should give you better stuff, with slightly more details. good luck.