JPCan AI become part of a practical model-making workflow even if you cannot draw concept art or sculpt a 3D figure from scratch? This page collects the three-part process used to turn the 1/24 “299 Shop Staff” character into a printable, paintable figure, from the source image through 3D generation, Blender repair, resin printing, and painting.
01 / OVERVIEW
The point of this series is not simply to showcase AI images or generated 3D data. The real test is whether the result survives at a small scale, can be painted, and still reads as a convincing person beside a car or motorcycle model.
02 / FINDINGS
Under these conditions, the anime-style source image worked better after being converted intoan image that looked like a photographed physical figurebefore 3D generation. That produced geometry closer to the intended form.
Apron strings, hair tips, and narrow gaps near the body may exist on screen but still disappear or break at small scale.Thickness, fine-feature, and gap checksare necessary.
In tests using the ELEGOO Mars 5 with this resin and these settings, wall thicknesses, holes, and grooves became more stable around 0.5 mm. This is not a universal machine limit; it isa working reference from this specific production environment.
The face, hair, back, and inside of the apron each preserved detail best at different angles. A 45-degree orientation with the head upward was the safest overall compromise, butthe angle should be chosen around the feature you most want to preserveis still necessary.
03 / ARTICLES
Choose the source character design, convert it into an image better suited to 3D generation, and create the base mesh in Tripo Studio.
Resize the figure to 1/24, establish practical print limits from printer test pieces, and inspect thin areas, narrow gaps, and mesh defects.
Compare four print orientations, confirm whether the repaired details survived, then paint the figure and add eye decals before displaying it beside a car model.
An original character figure suitable for display beside a scale model was completed without drawing the source art or sculpting the 3D base from scratch.
Painting small-scale faces and eyes convincingly, cleaning print surfaces, and choosing the best orientation for each form still require hands-on work.
Problems encountered during this build — including dimension checks and thin-part inspection — directly led to development of Blender add-ons for model making.