Online services for designing your miniatures

Dalibor Čavić, 31nd August 2023

In my travels through the endless Internet, I came across several sites for creating miniatures. And some of them came across me as well (via Facebook ads). Considering that I am currently in the Star Wars phase, I tried two such sites where I successfully created several characters from this famous franchise.

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These are Eldritch Foundry and TitanCraft and they are primarily intended for creating D'n'D miniatures, but they have lightsaber options so they can be used for SW as well. Also worth mentioning is the Hero Forge, which I haven't tried because I haven't found the option to add a lightsaber.

I will not explain the character creation process in particular, because the matter is quite intuitive and clear. Each of these two sites has a handful of options such as body, head, clothing, items, base, pose, etc. Almost every one has sub-options, so the combinations are practically endless. I think the figure can be created and purchased without registration, but I definitely recommend registering - it's fast and free. Registration allows you to create a base of characters that do not have to be purchased, i.e. that can be saved for later and subsequently refined. Even after purchase. The problem is that if you want to move your character's little finger after purchase, it is a new figure that has to be paid for (Eldritch Foundry). For a 3d printed figure this is as clear as "good day", but it is also true for STLs. And now I have practically revealed to you that you can download your creations on both sites as STL or order as a 3d printed miniature.

In the rest of this article, I will list some good and bad sides of each site. I repeat, I am writing from the point of view of someone who is interested in Star Wars. Fans of D'n'D, fantasy, sci-fi, and even steampunk will find more for themselves. I also haven't spent much time trying out these two creators. This means that some of my criticisms may not be appropriate - maybe I just haven't learned how to do something.

Eldritch Foundry

There are definitely more options and sub-options. In addition to the humanoid, I also managed to create a character of the Zabrak type (Darth Maul). From the lightsaber, there is a regular, dual, t-hilt guard (Kylo Ren) and something I would call pulsating while they called it "unstable beam".

If you don't like it, you don't have to put together characters from scratch, there are ready-made ones divided into groups such as casters, fighters, cyberpunk, etc. If you still decide on your character, and you don't want to deal with every detail, there are outfits for scourers, warriors , monks, etc. There are also predefined poses (cast, defend, duel, mount) that you can modify yourself if you want.

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I'm not sure what scale they come in (by default these characters). However, there is a scaling option with a ruler, so you will easily adjust the scale of the figure according to your needs. And if you take STL, you will be able to additionally correct it in the slicer.

A bunch of options can be turned off. Don't want your character to have hair? No problem, turn off the currently active hair option and you get a character without hair. However, I have not found that the bases can be turned off. The issue has been resolved so that when you purchase the STL you will receive 3 files. One is a figure with a base, the other is the figure itself, and the third is the base itself. But this is not clear until you buy the first STL from this site. Even customer support confuses you. To my inquiry about the separation of the bases, I received the answer that it is impossible, even though the purchased STL refutes them.

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Eldritch Foundry is slightly more expensive than its competitor, which will be described below. The 3d printed figure costs a whopping $25 (I didn't check how much shipping is), while the STL price is $5. However, they recently started a promotional campaign, so many YouTube content creators give a code for a 15% discount. Another disadvantage is that their conversion of US dollars to euros is 1:1 (the conversion rate at the time of writing the article is $1 = €0.91). But not to end with the negative sides, there are monthly ($15/month) and annual options ($10/month) with the possibility of unlimited download of your creations, which is great for those who need a lot of characters and who print a lot.

TitanCraft

In principle, both described sites are very similar, but there are several differences. The TitanCraft service offers slightly fewer options and sub-options than its predecessor, but this number is still enough for a huge amount of creations. It seems slightly less inspected and the sculpts are of lower quality. However, these differences compared to Eldritch Foundry are measured in shades. Be sure to register to save your creations, but also for one detail that will be described in the finance section.

I personally like using this site because the lightsaber they offer is much more realistically proportioned (the one on EF seems too thick although the difference is not as obvious when the figures are printed). Unfortunately, I was only able to find one type of lightsaber (eg no double bladed).

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What's great about TitanCraft is about to be described. 3d prints are cheaper than EF ($15), while the STL download is free. What's the problem? Well, there is. Items cost (usually $0.75 per item). Of course, some items are also free, so you can put together a character that will be free to download. I managed to assemble characters for 2-3$. It's a great thing that once an item is purchased, it remains yours on your profile, i.e. you can use it for free for the next character. That's why I mentioned above that it's good to register (although I'm not sure if shopping can even go without registration). This is a great thing if, for example, you want to change the pose of the same character. Or, for example, you can use a breastplate purchased once on another character for free.

There is no subscription like EF, but for $360 you can buy a commercial license that includes free access to all items and permission to sell prints. If you subscribe to the newsletter during registration, you will also receive a one-time coupon for a 10% discount. Unfortunately, I didn't find an option to buy items without using them and put them in one of my libraries, but they are bought when downloading the STL of the character you created.

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I note once again that the article presents my views and my (modest) experience with these two sites. This means that some options may exist, but I have not been able to discover them.

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  • SFRJ 1986 v2 Diorama part 5
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    In this series of articles, we will follow my work on a new diorama, another in the 1986 series. This time I have again decided to use a former country. Another version of the SFRY 1986.

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    So far I have finished making the base, painting the base, painting the interior of the vehicle and painting the figures. Now it's time to add the vegetation

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    The pines/trees were already fixed to the base before painting, so the first vegetation I added was tall shrubs that filled the volume of the base.

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    Then I added lower vegetation like tall grass and lower bushes.

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    Finally, I added some short grass, making sure when I was making the parking lot and path that there was no vegetation in the places where the wheels pass.

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    The paint on the base has just dried up, so next time I'll add the vegetation.

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    When the diorama is turned to the back, the volume of the forest is visible.

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    Before placing the vehicles and miniatures on the base, the diorama looks like this.

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    U ovoj seriji članaka pratit ćemo moj rad na novoj diorami, još jednoj u nizu serijala 1986. Ovaj put sam se opet odlučio za bivšu državu. Druga verzija SFRJ 1986..

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    Do sada sam završio s izradom baze, bojanjem baze, bojanjem interijera vozila i bojanjem figura. Sada je došlo vrijeme za dodavanje vegetacije

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    Borovi/drveće je već bilo fiksirano na bazu prije bojanja pa je prva sljedeća vegetacija bila visoko žbunje kojim sam popunio volumen baze.

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    Potom sam dodao niže raslinje poput visoke trave i nižeg grmlja.

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    Na kraju sam dodao i nisku travu pri čemu sam pazio kad sam radio ugibalište i puteljak da vegetacije ne bude na mjestima gdje prolaze kotači.

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    Kada se dioramu okrene, vidi se volumen vegetacije u šumi. 

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    Prije postavljanja vozila i minijatura, diorama izgleda ovako:

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    Marko Paunović, 19th January 2026
  • SFRJ 1986 v2 Diorama part 4
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    In this series of articles, we will follow my work on a new diorama, another in the 1986 series. This time I have again decided to use a former country. Another version of the SFRY 1986.

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    After the base and the vehicles, I started painting the miniatures. Two policemen and a truck driver. The first step was the base color – black and then white..

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    After that, I started with the basic colors, concentrating a little more on the truck driver..

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    Considering the year and location of the action, I decided that his jacket should have the logo from the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics..

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    Then I threw myself at the policemen..

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    The paint on the base has just dried up, so next time I'll add the vegetation.

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    U ovoj seriji članaka pratit ćemo moj rad na novoj diorami, još jednoj u nizu serijala 1986. Ovaj put sam se opet odlučio za bivšu državu. Druga verzija SFRJ 1986..

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    Nakon baze i vozila, bacio sam se na bojanje minijatura. Dva milicajca i vozač kamiona. Prvi korak je bila temeljna boja – crna pa bijela.

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    Nakon toga, krenuo sam s osnovnim bojama, malo više se koncentrirajući na vozača kamiona.

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    S obzirom na godinu i mjesto radnje, odlučio sam se da mu jakna ima logo od ZOI Sarajevo 1984.

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    Zatim sam se bacio na milicajce.

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    Taman se tako nekako osušila i boja na bazi pa ću sljedeći puta obraditi i dodavanje vegetacije.

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    Marko Paunović, 19th January 2026
  • SFRJ 1986 v2 Diorama part 3
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    In this series of articles, we will follow my work on a new diorama, another in the 1986 series. This time I have again decided to use a former country. Another version of the SFRY 1986.

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    As I announced last time, it's time to get down to the vehicles. The first thing I did was disassemble the models and take out the interiors of all three vehicles.

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    As you can see in the picture, the interior of the vehicle is poorly or not at all painted, so a lot of attention and time was spent there. I painted the upholstery in shades of gray, or brown on the Tristač. I brought out the details on the dashboard and around the gearbox.

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    There was something missing from the start on the Fićo, but I couldn't figure out what it was until Kruno pointed out to me that the flashing lights were missing. I fixed that with a small 3mm clear LED that I painted in Tamiya Clear Blue with a silver edge.

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    This completes the painting of the vehicles’ interior.

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    The finishing touches are the decorations in the truck's cabin.

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    Next time we will continue with painting the figures.

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    U ovoj seriji članaka pratit ćemo moj rad na novoj diorami, još jednoj u nizu serijala 1986. Ovaj put sam se opet odlučio za bivšu državu. Druga verzija SFRJ 1986..

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    Kao što sam najavio prošli put, vrijeme je da se bacim na vozila. Prvo što sam napravio jest da sam rastavio modele i izvadio unutrašnjost sva tri vozila

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    Kako je vidljivo na slici, unutrašnjost vozila je slabo ili nikako obojana stoga je tu otišlo mnogo pažnje i vremena. Tapecirunge sam obojao u sive nijanse, odnosno u smeđe na tristaču. Izvukao sam detalje na komandnim pločama te oko mjenjača.

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    Na fićeku mi je otpočetka nešto falilo, ali nisam mogao skužiti što dok mi Kruno nije skrenuo pažnju da fali rotirka. Nju sam sredio pomoću jedne male 3mm prozirne LED koju sam obojao u Tamiya Clear Blue sa srebrnim rubom.

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    Time je završeno bojanje unutrašnjosti vozila.

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    Završni detalji su ukrasi u kabini kamiona.

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    Sljedeći put nastavljamo sa bojanjem figura.

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    Marko Paunović, 19th January 2026
  • SFRJ 1986 v2 Diorama part 2
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    In this series of articles, we will follow my work on a new diorama, another in the 1986 series. This time I have again decided to use a former country. Another version of the SFRY 1986.

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    Last time I explained how I created the terrain, and this time I'll be painting the terrain. The terrain itself consists of several parts: an asphalt road, a turnoff and path, and the terrain in the forest.

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    Since I wanted all the surfaces to have similar tones, I decided to paint without a base color, applying the main color immediately. The paint I applied was very thin so it stayed wet for a long time, which allowed me to mix the base colors and get a uniform tone.

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    After applying the basic tones, I started shading. I also used the same principle, using quite diluted tones to create unevenness in certain parts of the surface.

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    Then I added a layer that I could most simply call wash. A very diluted darker shade of color.

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    I applied the final shades using another technique, the simplest one – dry brush.

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    While these paints were drying, I was simultaneously disassembling and painting the interior of the car and truck, as well as the figures, which will be the subject of future articles.

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    U ovoj seriji članaka pratit ćemo moj rad na novoj diorami, još jednoj u nizu serijala 1986. Ovaj put sam se opet odlučio za bivšu državu. Druga verzija SFRJ 1986..

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    Prošli put sam objasnio kako sam izradio teren, a ovaj put ću se baviti bojanjem terena. Sami teren se sastoji od nekoliko dijelova: asfaltna cesta, ugibalište i puteljak te teren u šumi.

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    S obzirom da sam htio da sve površine imaju slične tonove, odlučio sam se bojati bez temeljne boje, nanoseći odmah glavni ton. Boju koju sam nanosio bila je jako razvodnjena tako da je dugo bila mokra i to mi je omogućavalo miješanje osnovnih tonova i dobivanje ujednačene tonove.

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    Nakon nanošenja osnovnih tonova, krenuo sam sa nijansiranjem. Također sam radio istim principom, dosta razvodnjene tonove kako bih dobio neujednačenost pojedinih dijelova površine.

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    Potom sam dodao sloj koji bih najjednostavnije mogao nazvati wash. Jako razvodnjenu tamniju nijansu boje.

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    Završne nijanse sam nanio drugom tehnikom, najjednostavnijom – dry brush.

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    Dok su se ove boje sušile, paralelno sam rastavio i bojao unutrašnjost automobila i kamiona te figura što će biti tema sljedećih članaka.

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    Marko Paunović, 19th January 2026
  • SFRJ 1986 v2 Diorama part 1
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    In this series of articles, we will follow my work on a new diorama, another in the 1986 series. This time I have again decided to use a former country. Another version of the SFRY 1986.

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    As always, everything starts with an idea. This time, the idea came from a model of an Agrokomerc truck that Bojan brought me from Serbia (where it was published as part of a magazine). The design itself changed a bit over time (the first few months of planning). Initially, it was supposed to be just a truck at a roadside stop. Then the idea came to include the Police. And then I got two police vehicles. Fić and Tristač. Basically, this is the first drawing that started it all.

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    The base for the diorama came from Moson, from Buco. A fantastic combination of MDF and Styrodur that allows you to remove the diorama itself, but also to lower the terrain below the base level. I removed the Styrodur base, modeled it a little to get different terrain height levels. I modeled the road from a cork board, and assembled the rest of the terrain from DAS clay and wooden bark.

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    Once everything was dry I added texture. Two or three sizes of sand and that was it.

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    And when that layer was dry, I used a drill to fix the trees to the back of the base. Since all the trees had tall trunks, I decided to leave them as is and not move them during the painting process.

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    That's it for this week. We already have a nice outline of the diorama, and next time we'll continue with painting the base.

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    U ovoj seriji članaka pratit ćemo moj rad na novoj diorami, još jednoj u nizu serijala 1986. Ovaj put sam se opet odlučio za bivšu državu. Druga verzija SFRJ 1986..

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    Kao i uvijek, sve počinje idejom. Ovoga puta, ideja se izrodila iz makete Agrokomercovog kamiona kojeg mi je Bojan dofurao iz Srbije (gdje je izašao u sklopu nekog časopisa). Sami dizajn se malo mijenjao tijekom vremena (prvih par mjeseci planiranja). Otpočetka, trebao je to biti samo kamion na nekom ugibalištu pored ceste. Onda se rodila ideja da stavim i Miliciju. A onda sam nabavio i dva milicijska vozila. Fiću i Tristača. Uglavnom, ovo je prvi crtež od kojeg je sve krenulo.

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    Baza za dioramu je došla s Mosona, od Buce. Fantastičan spoj MDFa i stirodura koji omogućava vađenje same diorame, ali i upuštanje terena ispod razine baze. Izvadio sam stirodurnu podlogu, malo je izmodelirao da dobijem razne razine visine terena. Cestu sam izmodelirao iz ploče pluta, a ostatak terena složio od DAS glinamola i drvenih kora.

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    Kada se sve osušilo dodao sam teksturu. Dvije ili tri veličine pijeska i to je to.

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    A kada se i taj sloj osušio, bušilicom sam fiksirao drveće na stražnji dio baze. S obzirom da su sva stable imala visoka debla, odlučio sam ih ostaviti tako i ne micati ih za process bojanja.

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    To je to za ovaj tjedan. Imamo već lijepe obrise diorame, a sljedeći puta nastavljamo sa bojanjem baze.

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    Marko Paunović, 19th January 2026

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