Wasn't able to get online last night to do update. Planning to do one tonight thought, thanks for your patience.

We've got several things to cover this week, so let's get started...


Well...it has been a busy weekend...for the site anyway. I have spent a good portion of both yesterday and today working on it. The first thing I have done is move all of the printables to a new website so that they are all together.

Now, when you open the Home page, you will see this banner. When you click on it, you will be taken to a new website, which amazingly enough, looks just like this one. It just seemed like an easier way to keep the printables organized and together. At the bottom of the page is a link back to the SSCC, the average Joe won't even know they left our site. As we add new printables, they will be added to the new site.

Next, a new photo essay feature has been added to the home page - BATTLE OF FRANCE. This is a teaser for the spring shoot.

The teaser includes pictures that Hammer Six, Panzer Commander and I shot a couple of weeks back as well as pictures of the new Panzer II tanks that were taken at the meeting. They have all been clipped and new backgrounds added to make them a little more interesting in typical Point Man fashion, so I hope you will enjoy them.

What do I mean by "Clipping". Clipping is a process that involves tracing around the edges of the image that you want to keep with a pen tool to create what is called a "Clipping Path". There are some excellent technical reasons for doing this, rather than erasing the background, one of which is file size. Anyway, once a picture has been clipped, the image looks something like this;

What you are looking at here is just the clipped portion of the photograph. Actually, I save the image in such a way that the original background information is still there in case I should need it for some reason. In Photoshop I can utilize the picture either way. Clipping a picture like this usually takes 45 minutes to about an hour to do, but it is much easier than trying to erase the image of the background.

This is one of the backgrounds that I used for the shoot. It is actually two different photographs with a portion of one duplicated to create a transition point. Some of the backgrounds in the shoots have as many as 10 layers in them. The trick is to make them look like they don't. This is kind of a simplified explanation of the process, but hopefully it makes it a little clearer about why putting out these sort of images takes so much time.

Next on the billet for tonight is a look at Okimbored's sd.kfz 222 armored car project. He probably can shed a lot more light on what we are looking at here, but I just want to say that this vehicle is looking nothing short of amazing. I really can't wait to see the final product, but even at this stage of assembly, it looks great. In the pictures you will get to see the interior details that he is working on, including the main gun (flak) and all the other interior components. Plus you get a little peak at the outside of the hull.

As is the nature of any armored vehicle, the amount of interior detail that can actually be seen is usually pretty slim, but as you can see, Okimbored has done a beautiful job of making sure that there is detail to be seen none- the-less. It looks really slick buddy. I am telling you what, if Dragon is going to make another armored vehicle next year...this is the one that I would vote for. This baby is a beauty.

Finally, I mentioned to several folks that I was trying to upgrade some 21st Century Afrika Korps figures that I had. I have five of them. I have basically kept the uniforms and scrapped everything else. So far I have 3 of the 5 figures "done", so I took a few quick pictures. I am sure that there is a lot more that could be done to them, but already they look better than they did. Would like to hear what you think.

Actually, now that I see the pictures, they really aren't very good. I think I made them too small and killed what little detail I had. The pants, tunic, hats and boots are all 21st Century. The rest of the gear is pretty much all Dragon except for the gas mask canisters, which are also 21st Century. The figures are all Dragon. Not that you can really tell too much about it from these pictures, but the Eagle, collar tabs and cuff titles are all done in Indesign and printed on fabric paper. The straps on the canisters were replace with strapping material from GOOD STUFF TO GO.






Well, that is about all for this time around. A lot of changes here, hopefully I gave you all plenty of stuff to chew on for the new week. Check out the new page for the Printables, the new feature "Battle of France on the home page and take the time to let Okimbored how cool you think is 222 looks. There will be more changes coming to the website as I have time to get in and get them done, so until next time,
...have a good one!
            Point Man

Good Morning Campers,
     Wasn't able to get on last night and blog, so I am doing it this morning. Unfortunately, doing it from work, I can't upload pictures to the website because of the firewall here. So... in place of a picture, you will just have to get a thousand words (well, maybe not that many).
     For me it was a pretty good weekend as I started on a new project, working on some DAK troops. I don't have but five, so it should be a pretty quick project. Essentially, I just want to take some old 21st DAK uniforms, make some improvements to them, add better equipment and put them on better figures. They won't be state of the art when they are finished, but they will be better than they were. Projects like this always get me thinking about other projects and goals that I have for the year, so I have a couple of questions for you;

In 2011, what 1/6th projects do you have planned? If you don't have any now, try to come up with a figure project, a vehicle project and a "prop" project.

Second question, In 2011, what are the 1/6th purchases that you are planning to make and do they create any additional projects?

For me, working up these DAK figures is my figure project. I haven't really thought beyond that with figure projects. I have two vehicle projects; Hammer Six's Panther and my 250 kit (probably an early war 250). As far as props go, I would really like to build a kitchen wagon at some point.

Well, as they say, inquiring minds want to know, so let me know what you are working on, or planning to work on in 2011. I won't hold you to them, I just want to see what everyone is thinking about.

Well, I think by now that most people who ordered a Panzer II probably have them. Pictures are starting to turn up on various sites and those who didn't order one, are probably kicking themselves. Dragon certainly outdid themselves on this baby. I haven't done much more than put mine together and put it in the middle of the floor, but I am sure glad that I got it.

The detailing and finishing on the Panzer II are extremely well done. The only thing I wish is that all the hatches had been functional. I see that there is a real opportunity for the first person that creates an engine for this thing. It really doesn't look like it would be too hard to make the engine hatches functional (though I believe that I will let someone else show us how it is done first).

Here you are seeing my Panzer II with my Early War Germans. I am afraid that I don't have all that many. I have two Pak 37s with crews and non com. I have a 5 man infantry unit and an officer and I have my tank commander. Hardly a huge force, but I am pretty pleased with them. When added to what Panzercommander and Hammer Six have put together, we have a fairly sizable force. Hopefully everyone will get to see all three tanks at the meeting Wednesday night.

I have been working on pictures taken when PC and HS were here last weekend. It is sort of slow going because the backgrounds have to be completely removed. Once that is done. I am going to shoot an additional couple of scenes, add some new backgrounds and have a nice little teaser for a larger photo shoot that we want to do in the spring - working title, Battle of France.

The photo on top has had the background removed by adding what is called a "Clipping Path". The background is actually still there, but I can now choose not to show it, adding another background instead. The original background was this dark mottled green color that you see in the lower photo. This, by the way, is one of my favorite figures that PC put together for the shoot. What a great sculpt!

I am also working on my next VIETNAM STORY Episode. All of the pictures are completed and I am currently laying the story out in comic book form. I have two segments completed so far. I think it is going to be a good one because you will get to see the base for the first time. The Rat Patrol will show up for the first time and there will be a lot of new characters added into the storyline. I stopped to put together a handy reference sheet for myself and there are now 30 characters that are part of the story.

I needed a sheet like this just so I could keep all the names straight without having to constantly look them up in my background files.  I am pretty pleased with the images that I have put together for this story and I think folks will like it. I am pretty anxious to shoot the next one, once I have this one done.

But, I don't want to give too much away, so that is all I will say about it for now. I will let everyone know when it is online though.

Looking forward to seeing everyone Wednesday night at the meeting. Hope the weather will be okay and that everyone can make it (including me). Until then, have a good one!

Well...here it is, the first post of the new year. I meant to post last night, but didn't have the energy to get it done. Hammer Six and Panzercommander came up to Columbus yesterday and we all spent the day shooting the breeze, eating and taking a few pictures. Great day, lot of fun! Anyway, I was too pooped to post last night, so I am doing it this morning. My group had the day off today, but I worked a few hours this morning to get caught up and now I am going to play the rest of the day. Haven't really had time to work on the pictures that we took yesterday, but here are a few raw images so that you can see what we were up to. Hammer Six has this great looking vignette piece that we wanted to use for a prop - a European style telephone pole. First of all we decided to do a scene with a command group, stopped in front of the pole, checking their map and considering their next move. The Kuble, Motorcycle and sidecar and troops are all Panzercommander's. I particularly liked that sculpt on the Motorcyclist as you can tell from the one closeup. Lot of personality in that sculpt.

That Panzer officer on the righthand side of the shot is part of Panzercommander's Panzer II crew. He is all ready for his Dragon tank to arrive and he has got a great looking crew outfitted for it. Look forward to more pictures soon.

Next were a couple of figures brought to feature his great looking telephone pole vignette. That wire reel setup from Dragon is a beautiful piece and it looks really sharp in a setting like this.

Hammer Six bought the vignette from Bobbie at the Ft. Thomas show, one of many great items that Bobbie had for sale. I think I took about 50 pictures total of the two setups and I am looking forward to taking a portion of them and working some Photoshop magic on them this next week as I have time. Panzercommander's scene will be used as part of a teaser for a 1940 Invasion of France dio that we are planning. Can't wait until spring. We were hoping for at least one Panzer II to be here by the weekend so that it could be included, but it didn't happen. Oh well, hopefully we will have a trio of them to share with everyone at the meeting on the 12th of January.

Starting this week, I am planning to do just one blog update each week. Normally, I will plan to do that Sunday night, though if there are conflicts it could happen on Monday evening. I am just finding it too hard to come up with material for three days a week (much less five). It was CK2's suggestion to go to once a week and I think it is a great one. It will allow me to work on some other things besides just the website. I will try to make the once a week update cover 2 or 3 subjects so that there is plenty to talk about the rest of week in comments. I would really like to see more of you participate in the blog. It's real easy to do. All you have to do is use your screen name, make a comment and hit submit. Would love to see more of you participate. So...until next time, have a good one!