Introduction: Designing Brawl Stars Characters in TinkerCAD
Supercell is a world-renowned mobile game development company known for its history of making great games that remain fun for years after release. Recently I discovered Brawl Stars, a game where you fight other players in real-time using brawlers that you can unlock and level up.
One of my favorite parts about Brawl Stars is the fantastic job Supercell did designing the characters, so I decided to model 3 of them in TinkerCAD and 3D print them as collectibles. While more organic models are normally designed in Blender or perhaps Fusion 360, I decided to challenge myself by using TinkerCAD to its fullest.
In addition, this guide will extend beyond what all of my other 3D printing Instructables have done. I will walk you through the full 3D printing process in this Instructable, from design to finished model. This means a walk-through of the basics; everything from designing the models in CAD to repairing them in Meshmixer.
Step 1: Supplies
Softwares needed for creating these models:
1. TinkerCAD - TinkerCAD is an easy-to-learn, online CAD software that you can find here.
2. Autodesk Meshmixer - I used this software to check for any issues with the stl files before I print them.
3. Cura - I use this software to slice my files for printing. I used the Dremel Digilab version of Cura so it would be compatible with my printer. There are other slicers out there, also, such as Simplify3D, but Cura is currently the best free slicer.
Tools needed for printing these models:
1. 3D Printer - I used a FDM 3D printer to make these models real. I own the Dremel Idea Builder, which can be found here. However, any FDM printer capable of printing at a reasonably high quality should be able to create these models.
2. Filament - 3D printers place melted plastic in layers in order to create 3D objects. This plastic comes in spools called filament. I used Hatchbox Wood PLA to make these look like expensive collectables.
3. Post-Processing Tools - After you have printed your models, you will need to remove all of the supports from the prints. For this, I used a small screwdriver, pliers, and tweezers. You can optionally also stain this model if you purchase wood filament.
Step 2: Finding Resources for Modelling
The above photos are unedited screenshots from Brawl Stars, a mobile game by Supercell.
The brawlers I chose to design were Rico, Poco, and Carl. They all have interesting designs that differ from 'the norm' and I thought it would be a fun challenge to replicate them in TinkerCAD.
However, first I had to gather photos of these brawlers to base my designs off of, which for me meant taking screenshots of all 3 characters in the Brawl Stars app.
Step 3: Design and Files
All 3 of these models were created using TinkerCAD. The following 3 steps will outline how to replicate them yourself. Keep in mind that the following steps are a compromise; I didn't want to exclude the design process entirely, or keep it too short and make it too hard to follow.
If you want to follow along and design these for yourself, great! However, if you want to skip straight to the printing, ignore the following 3 steps and instead download these files from MyMiniFactory:
https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-braw...
Step 4: Designing Poco
The first character we are going to design is Poco. We are going to design his legs, torso / arms, head, hat, and guitar separately so that they print easily, and they will be glued together in post-processing.
First, use a rectangle and a round roof to create a foot.
Next, we are going to create his lower leg by placing a paraboloid and cutting away the top.
Then, we can use the same technique to create his upper leg by cutting away the top of a cone.
We then add a paraboloid to the back of his legs - this is so he appears to be wearing pants.
Finally, we can duplicate his leg and add the lower part of his torso to complete this component.
We create his inner shirt by cutting away the bottom of an upside-down paraboloid.
We can then create his outer vest by making a slightly larger cut paraboloid and cutting away the front.
We create the lower part of his inner shirt by duplicating the inner shirt, turning it upside down, and compressing it as shown below.
Then, by duplicating it, making it slightly larger, and cutting away part of the front, we finish the bottom of his vest.
We can create the top part of his vest and shirt by duplicating the lower part (shown in blue) and raising it (shown in red).
We finish off his shirt by adding two elongated spheres to create a bow tie.
We then add his shoulders using spheres. We can then add his upper arms using cylinders.
We then add his elbows using more spheres and his lower arms using cut cones (similarly to the technique seen earlier).
Adding his hands gets a bit trickier. First, add a larger rectangle with a small radius so the corners are rounded for the palms of his hands. We then have to add five rounded rectangles to each hand. We then add five more rounded rectangles on each hand for the tips of his fingers.
We finish off his torso by adding a cylinder for the head to rest on.
First, add a half sphere for the main part of his head. Then add another, angled, half sphere for his jaw.
The jaw doesn't look quite right - it looks too rounded. To square it off, duplicate it twice and squish both of the new shapes (red). Then cut off the sides of the main jaw (blue) and the inner sides of the new pieces. Move them back together once you are done.
Add the features of his face using circles for his eyes, a triangle for his nose, and squares / rounded roofs for his mouth.
Cut away the space where his head will connect to his torso using a cylinder hole. Then add a cylinder on top of his head for his hat to slot onto.
We can make the main part of his hat by cutting off the bottom part of an upside-down cone.
We can then duplicate it, resize it, and use it to cut away part of the hat to form the brim.
We can finish his hat by adding another cut cone in the center. We then finish the hat by cutting a slot for it to fit on top of Poco's head.
Making Poco's guitar is fairly easy. We just use a squashed cylinder as the base and narrow into the neck using a rounded roof and a box piece.
Then, we add a skeleton head and a bone to the end of the neck using boxes and cylinders. Finally, we can cut away part of the guitar for the holes, add strings on top, and cut out the skeleton guitar's eye sockets.
Step 5: Designing Carl
The second character we are going to design is Carl. We are going to design his mine cart, second arm, jaw, and head separately so that they print easily, and they will be glued together in post-processing.
First, place down a box and put a rounded roof on top. This will the be underside of the mine cart.
Then, add two more boxes and rounded roofs to either side as shown below:
Join each box-rounded roof pair, then duplicate them, turn them into holes, and use them to cut out part of the mine cart on either side. Then add another box on top. These steps create the look of the iron frame.
Next, add axles and wheels to the underside of the mine cart.
The underside of the mine cart is finished; now flip it over.
Next, we add the front link to the mine cart using a rounded rectangle and a small cylinder. If this were a real mine cart, it would likely be used to link several together.
Extend the mine cart upwards using a box.
Use several small spheres to create bolts for mine cart.
We can then add the front lamp by using a rounded roof and two quarter spheres (which are half spheres cut in half).
We can then add the joysticks of the mine cart using cylinders. To complete the cart, we can cut away a spot for Carl to sit using a box.
Add a paraboloid for Carl's torso.
To square off the paraboloid, we are going to duplicate the torso, squash it, cut away the inner sides of the squashed paraboloids (red), cut away the outer sides of the main torso, and join them back together. Twice.
First cut (horizontal):
Second cut (vertical):
If you managed to figure that one out, good news; the hardest part of designing Carl is over! If not... feel free to ask questions in the comments.
We can create Carl's right arm by using a cut cone and putting a squashed cylinder on the end:
We then create the hand the same way we created Poco's:
We then attach the right arm to his torso:
We create Carl's bow tie using a squashed cylinder and two cut roofs:
Finally, we can cut away a space for Carl's head and his left arm to fit into:
We create Carl's left arm the same way as we created his right. We start off by cutting a cone:
We then add a squashed cylinder on the end:
We can then create his hand the same way as before:
We then create his pickaxe's handle:
Important note: make sure his pickaxe is pressed into his hand, or it won't be able to print properly.
Then we add the head of the pickaxe using a box and two more roofs:
Create Carl's jaw by cutting his teeth (boxes and rounded roofs) into a squashed half sphere:
Start creating Carl's head by cutting out a chunk slightly below the middle of an elongated sphere:
Then cut a chunk out of the middle of a squashed sphere for his headband:
Then add a half sphere to the top to complete the main body of the helmet.
Add more bolts to Carl's helmet:
Then use two half spheres and two rounded-edge cylinders to add his eyes:
Then cut out his eye sockets using cylinders. Make sure to use two cylinders per eye; the smaller, deeper cut on both eyes will represent his pupils.
Finally, flip over the helmet, cut out a cylinder for his jaw to slot into, and flip it back over.
Step 6: Designing Rico
The last character we are going to design is Rico. We are going to design his legs, lower torso, main body, arms, and hands separately so that they print easily, and they will be glued together in post-processing.
First, create a cylinder. This will be the main part of the boot.
Next, make a slightly larger cylinder and cut away the front of it. This is the edge of the boot.
Then add 3 more cylinders inside the boot.
After that, we can add a half sphere for the foot of the boot. Then, add two bolts on either side of the boot.
We can then cut away the top of the boot at an angle using a box.
Next, we make Rico's leg using a cylinder and 3 more cylinders around it.
We can create the top of Rico's legs using two half spheres.
Now group and duplicate his leg. Then angle the two legs differently so he doesn't look overly robotic. (though I suppose he is one...)
In order for Rico to be able to stand upright, we have to cut away anything going through the workplane so his boots are level.
To create Rico's lower torso, use a squashed half sphere and cut into it using spheres (this is where his legs will slot into).
Start off with a paraboloid. Cut off the top and bottom - these will eventually be his sides, and they need to be flat so his arms can attach.
We are going to square off his torso using the same technique as earlier. 'Simply' duplicate the torso twice, cut away their inner sides, cut away the outer sides of the torso, and align them together again.
Turn the torso on its side.
Let's square off his torso again using the same technique.
Cut away part of Rico's torso. This is where his bouncy ball storage unit will go.
Add a box and a rounded roof to form the bouncy ball storage unit.
Initially, I was hoping to make the bouncy ball storage unit transparent so it could hold actual multicolor bouncy balls inside. However, I instead decided to opt for a more 'carved from wood' look, and a glass pane simply wouldn't mesh well with the rest of the design.
Cut away a chunk of a sphere slightly above the middle and center it on the torso.
Repeat the above step.
To make Rico's collar, add a cylinder slightly more forwards than the last step and group them together.
Add a cylinder and a half sphere for the main part of the head.
Add a bolt at the top of his head and cut away the sides of the cylinder and half sphere.
Cut into both sides of his head using small cylinders. Then use smaller cylinders to extrude back outward.
Add a cylinder and cut away using another cylinder to create a tube for his eye. Then add a half sphere for his eye.
To complete Rico's torso, cut away on either side using cylinders to make holes for his arms.
To make Rico's arms, first alternate between a smaller and larger cylinder as shown below:
Then angle each cylinder slightly:
We can then stand it up and duplicate it to make both of his arms:
To create the proper angle between Rico's body and his arms, cut away using an angled box.
Create Rico's hands by using a rounded-corner rectangle for the palms and smaller rounded-corner rectangles for the fingers.
Add the base of the blaster. Make sure it is pressed into his hand. Then add the barrel of the blaster.
Add the bouncy ball container and the tube bridging it to the main blaster. You can do this using cylinders, half spheres, and regular spheres.
Finally, add a hole in Rico's blaster as shown below:
Step 7: Repairing Models
CAD softwares have an annoying habit of not creating 3D-print friendly STL files. Especially since all of these models are so complex, I opened them up in Autodesk Meshmixer to repair them just in case.
If Autodesk Meshmixer tries to smooth your model, go to Edit -> Generate Face Groups and specify the settings shown in the image to the right:
Then, go to Analyze -> Inspector and use the default settings:
To export your files, go to File -> Export and save as an STL in Binary Format.
Your STL files should now be fully 3D printable!
Step 8: Slicing Models
First, open up Cura and import each model one at a time. Then, adjust the settings until your model is ready to print.
These models are fairly detailed, so it is recommended to print them at 0.1mm layer height; however, 0.2mm layer height will still work. Wall, top, and bottom thickness should be around 0.8mm for maximum strength. And infill density should be somewhere from 15% - 30%.
All of these models definitely need support. I set my support density to 15% so they are easy to pull off, and the support interface density to 50% so overhangs have really high quality without the supports being near impossible to take off (which they could be at 100%). I also set the build adhesion type to skirt, so the printer starts getting in the flow of things before starting on the actual model.
Once you have adjusted your settings, simply export the file to your 3D printer and start printing!
Step 9: Printing and Post-Processing Models
When I print, I always put masking tape on top of the build plate. This helps with any over-adhesion issues I might have while still allowing the print to stick to the bed while printing.
I chose to use wood filament for this print, since it results in prints that look very clean and doesn't have the 'plastic look' most other filaments give.
Each model will take around 4-8 hours to print, depending on the layer height and speeds you chose while slicing. Once your print is done, remove it from the print bed using a scraper tool. Then remove all of the supports carefully using pliers and tweezers. If the supports aren't coming off, you can always use a small screwdriver or an Xacto knife to remove them; however, be careful. I accidentally scratched my prints in a few places because I rushed this process.
Once you have removed all of the supports, glue each model's pieces together by referencing the photos included at the top of this Instructable.
If you so choose, you could also stain your print if you used wood filament.
Step 10: Finish!
If you followed along with this Instructable, you should have successfully designed and printed your very own Brawl Stars characters. Following this design process, you could create many other brawlers; if you do, please share below in the "I Made It!" section!
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