Creative Beasts Studios Gives an update on the Utahraptor and Achillobator figures and give some insight as to the challenges of digitally sculpting a figure, versus the first prototypes, and revisions to arrive at the figure that you’ll display on your shelves.
Anyways, I thought it was interesting and worth sharing.
UPDATE: We’ve been experiencing some challenges with the fine cut figure development of the Utahraptor and Achillobator figures in both replicating the detail of the original sculpt and with the range of motion on certain joints. Detail-wise, the initial fine cuts had many shallow, nearly flattened details on the legs and torso (mainly feathered areas). While it’s not usual to have the factory go in and deepen the existing details for scale textures, this is the first time we’re doing this for feathers and it’s proving to be more complicated than expected. As you can see in these updated photos, the textures on the current fine cut lack the depth and fluidity of the digital sculpt and 3D printed prototypes, and the hip section has notably different feather texture than the torso when the transition should be more subtle. In addition, there are some articulation issues with the jaws barely being able to open, limited elbow range, and a large gap with the primaries on the hands when extended. So unfortunately, I will need to fix these details and articulation myself by hand. However with all of the other figures in the works right now along with events such as Power-Con and the Cyberzoic Kickstarter coming up, I’ll need some time to complete these adjustments. So considering that, along with he factory’s usual time frame, I’m pushing the release of these two figures from late December to April of next year.
I know these delays seem to be commonplace and it’s never something that I take lightly, but as many of you are aware, quality must take priority over the intended release date and I’m afraid that pushing these fine cuts through as they are now is just is too much of a compromise compared the proposed prototypes.
