{"id":7147,"date":"2019-10-14T12:12:28","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T10:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gambody.com\/blog\/?p=7147"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:24:38","slug":"starcraft-2-terran-marine-figure-3d-printing-guide-by-david-emanuel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gambody.com\/blog\/starcraft-2-terran-marine-figure-3d-printing-guide-by-david-emanuel\/","title":{"rendered":"Show and Tell: StarCraft 2 Terran Marine Figure 3D Printing Guide by David Emanuel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A true artist always finds a way to complete a project of which he would be proud. Gambody 3D printing enthusiasts are real artists. They are willing not only to post impressive photos of their finished 3D prints to Gambody Facebook Group but also to share their tips and tricks with anyone interested. At the end of September, David Emanuel posted images of his finished StarCraft 2 Terran Marine figure<\/a>, which looks fantastic with real lights and the most exquisite details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

David spent more than 200 hours on crafting this beautiful Terran Marine 3D printing figure<\/a>. He was challenged with multiple tasks while working on this project. And he was kind enough to answer our questions, explain how to insert LEDs to make the 3D print stand out, how to paint Terran Marine, how to plan ahead, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"StarCraft<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The interview with David Emanuel about making a StarCraft 2 Terran Marine action figure is a useful guide. It can be handy for those who are planning to 3D print this fantastic model, designed by Jacob Smith<\/a> and available as STL files at Gambody \u2013 Premium 3D Printing Marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. David, your Terran Marine 3D\nprinted figure is stunning. Did it take you a year to complete this project\nfrom the moment of purchase to the final touches? Or how long did the overall\nwork last?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you! It took me a year to complete because I felt like taking a break from printing and painting for a while and focus on other things-health related. But then, of course, painting is something I have become to enjoy, which helps with mental well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Terran
Maker: David Emanuel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I estimate the number of hours actually spent on the figurine (the 121 printing hours not considered), was roughly 80 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have to consider cleaning the supports (combining the supports every layer was a mistake, don’t do it unless you want to despair while attempting to remove them), spraying primer onto the entire figurine, sanding, and repeating this process about 5 times, etc. And after I was almost happy with how it looked in grey, I started mixing the colors and painting the rough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Why did you choose to build a\nfigurine of Terran Marine? Are you a big fan of the StarCraft strategy game?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Funny you should ask: Even though I love strategy games, I have not played StarCraft once in my life. I grew up playing Warcraft, Dota, Red Alert 2, Heroes 3, C&C Generals, etc., but not StarCraft. My best friends from middle school (best friends even now, almost 20 years later) played and raged about it all the time, but honestly, I don’t know why I never got into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"StarCraft
Maker: David Emanuel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I suppose I decided to print it because the storyline\nof StarCraft 1 and 2 is pure badass and the characters were carefully created\nwith enough detail to make almost anyone love the creators’ genius, whether it\nis about the Terran Spacesuit looking badass, the Protoss looking\nout-of-this-world or the zerg; zerg sucks. I guess, “Hell, it’s about\ntime.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. How did the idea to add lights into a 3D printed Terran Marine figure come to your mind? Are you good at electronics, or did you find a great DIY guide online for connecting wires, lights, and batteries? Can you tell us more about this part of your project?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, I wanted to paint it as a blue Terran Marine, but while looking for ideas, I stumbled across the Sideshow Jim Raynor figurine, and I just loved the way they approached the whole concept, and I was sold. So, if you look at their figurine, the details are amazing, and yes, they used LEDs in their design, so I thought I would give it a go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"1:24
1:24 Maisto BMW E36 with lights added by David Emanuel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Using lights is nothing too hard. In the image above, you can see how I modified a 1:24 Maisto BMW E36, a friend of mine gifted me, to make it a replica of my personal car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a bit of a DIY-guy, and if I don’t know something, I usually try to find out how to do something and do it myself. YouTube is super-good for this, as most people already know. I am sure everyone here has basic knowledge in a lot of things, including electronics, but with the risk of annoying some, I will mention some of the hardware I buy for any projects I add lighting to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lights,
Image source: eBay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You mainly need 4 elements: lights, switch, battery,\nbattery holder. You might want to look into a cheap soldering iron and\nelectronic soldering wire (it is very fine, unlike plumbing soldering wire,\nwhich is much bigger) as it would help a lot with connecting everything\ntogether:<\/p>\n\n\n\n