Visibility out of a Stormtrooper helmet

Hi

I have been unable to find this information anywere.

I am making a stormtrooper helmet. Ive decided the best way to accuratly get the shape of a ST helmet was to first model the helmet in Maya. This would allow me to solve all the size, shape etc problems on the computer. Then flatten it out into sections. Print off these sections then reform the helment in cardboard. Once reformed I can then use that to make the moulds for vaccum forming.

Anyway here is my current model in Maya:

http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/storm2.jpg

Now I have made this from photo reference etc. I have had great difficulty getting the shape correct.

My only problem so far is the visibility out of the helmet itself. I have made a very crude 'My head' in Maya aswell as to get the proportions correct.

http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/storm3.jpg

It seems to all be ok except if I made this helmet i wouldnt be able to see much when i wear it.

As you can see from this image, my eyes are situated right on the inner area of the eye socket in the helmet.

http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/storm1.jpg

Basically I want to know if this is normal. How much visibility do people have when wearing ST helments. I can not figure out how someones eyes can be central in the eye socket whilst wearing one. The design just doesnt allow for it.

Id greatly appreicate any information on were the eyes should be.

Thanks alot

Sevv

 

Your Maya designs are correct. Visibility in the stormtrooper helmet is very poor. Because the stormtrooper was made to LOOK COOL, not Function cool, it is a wearers nightmare.

Your eye placement and head sizing is pretty acurate, you are basically breathing out of the upside-down V area of the stormtrooper mouth, and your face is pressed as far forward as possible so you can see as much as possible out of the small lenses of the helmet.

I love how Maya can unwrap 3d objects like it does. If you ever want to collaborate on building HALO armor, send me an email.

-SC
DH2 - Costume and Prop Building Tutorials
http://www.studiocreations.com/howto/

 

Thanks for the reply studio. Im both glad im correct and not, because its going to be interesting to wear once im finished

 

Impressive, most impresive...

 

oddly... I have excellent vision when it's not steamed up... (need better fan placement)... I have quite decent perepheral vision... my problem is not being able to look down... or up really...

 

That's the main complaint I hear. Whenever my buddy troops I hae to go along as a Jedi just to make sure he doesn't run into any little kids or curbs or anything. Too bad I'm assembling my own armor as I type this

 

I'm curious...have you ever actually worn one of the helmets? I think you'll see when you try one on, it is much different than the way it appears in that model...

 

No I actually have never worn a helmet, thats why im finding it really hard to get the proportions, shape correct.

Im currently printing off my 'blueprints' and seeing if it fits, etc etc. Hopefully if all goes well ill have my mockup in cardboard tomorrow night.

 

After wearing my FX helmet for a while, I start to look out of my left lens, because it offers me the most visibility. It's just the way my head fits inside of the helmet. The lenses are spaced too far apart for my small head.

Then when I take the helmet off, it takes 10 minutes or so to begin seeing normally thorugh my right eye again.

Most people I know see only through the inner corners of the lenses.

-Karma

 

I must have a big head...

 

I can see fairly well from the trooper helmet since I have a big noggin.

Vision from the guard is worse since I cannot tilt my head down. I have run over more than a couple of kids.

 

Welll... after another 4 hours of trooping today ast Toronto Trek... I have damn near full vision... just can't look down... but that may change once I mod the chest a bit - New shoulder straps.......

 

In my trooper Helmet, I actually end up looking out of the inner corners of the eyes, most of the lense is just wasted sapce, and there to look cool.

If you ever want to collaborate on building HALO armor, send me an email.

My brother, a friend of ours, and me are hard at work on SPARTAN Armor right now, we're getting ready to make the negative mold in the next few days, hope to have it ready by D*C

 

I must have a big head...

Remember the part about being short for a trooper?Troopers are not supposed to be tiny, from what i have seen the "big" troops look best. I myself being a big guy have worn a helmet that made others look like an imperial bobble head figure , when i put it on i was told i looked right.

 

Troopers should be 5'10-6' and about 180lbs.

 

Skinny runt boys in armour?... I be 6' and 230 in armour... squish them like bugs... 180 *laughs*... I was 180 in grade 9... and I was called skinny...

 

Yeah, a big head would result in better visability in the stormtrooper helmet. Of course it depends on the helmet too. The AFX helmets are about 15% larger than the RotJ armor that is available out there these days.

As for lenses, I opted away form the bubble style lens and went with a flatter lens that curved with the profile of the helmet for a nice fit. Made visibility 3times better. I went with green color too, which shows up better in photos.

On a scale of 1-to-10 (10 being best visibility) I would give a stormtrooper helemt a 6. Tusken Raider mask gets a 2.

-sc

 

Hey,

An update.. ive mostly been trying to get a stormtrooper helmet into flat objects that I can print off, cut from cardboard and reform. Its going really well. My last few attempts have been abit large and ive had some problems with the front section. Stupid shape

Anyway one last size check before I do a final version. The helmet in these images looks odd because its in its 'printoutable form' But you can still see its shape.

Front view
http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/helmet1.jpg

Front view with head
http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/helmet4.jpg

Side view
http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/helmet2.jpg

Side view with head
http://www.foxwelldrive.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/helmet3.jpg

This is probably the best I can get it. Im still abit concerned from the front its to big, but as I said, im getting to the point when i really cant see much improvements.

So id lov just one more thumbs up from people (or thumbs down) about its shape and size.

Now ive got to figure out how to get from a carboard and paper masha shell, into a mould for vac forming

Cheers

 

You know, if you do a good job at mache and smooth it out real well, you could probably use it the way it is for the vaccuum forming. They can be pretty sturdy if you do it right.

 

Yeah, im now thinking i could do. My only concern is the heated plastic might melt or bend the masha.

So I thought if I spray paint the helmet with radiator paint or something similar, that would protect it. The plastic isnt going to get really hot, just enough to bend and I think paint like that, a smooth clean layer would protect it enough to be vaccum formed.

 

So I assume its pretty accurate then

Good good

Sevv