In this article we will talk about something possibly quite controversial - the historical accuracy of the models. 

The goal of Model Creator is to offer historically accurate scale models. Our project is based off history and not make-belief. We consider that most of you out there like and appreciate historical accuracy (please share your thoughts in the comments on our Facebook page). 

Model Creator aims to cover all major conflicts and armies across human history, with initial focus on the 20th & 21st century. Only with your support will we be able to complete this big task in front of us.

Creating historically accurate models for different time periods and armies around the World is not an easy task. If we weren’t living in the era of the internet this project would not be possible. The process itself is complex and arduous, as it includes:
1) finding historical material – photographs and drawings from the right period with relevant explanations
2) choosing the right level of detail for the model – on smaller sizes like 1/35 some details are lost
3) working closely with 3D designers to get the right look of the model.

Another way to approach historically accurate designs, apart from pictures or drawings, is direct scanning of historical items. We explored this approach as well, but were sadly not successful due to some technical issues with the scanning equipment and setup. In one of our future articles we will take you through the entire process, and explain why it failed.

At this stage of development we are not overly burdened with historical accuracy, as our priority is to make sure that the models are technically viable for 3D printing. However, when we go live with the platform, we expect the designs to be as historically accurate as possible. We plan to expand our little team with a dedicated researcher (feel free to suggest the right person for this position!) and we also plan to cooperate with museums, collectors and reenactors in order to get the historical material right. 

The other side of the coin is technical capability of 3D print technology. If you have read our previous posts you saw that thin walls are a challenge for 3D printing. This could mean that especially on smaller size models some items on the model need to be strengthened / thickened in order to print them. This might slightly reduce the accuracy but we believe that the effect is negligible in comparison with the benefit of having a customized model. And further advancement of 3D print technology and materials used will only make this better. 

In the next article we will talk about the Union soldier we designed.  

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