Monster Scenery™: Container Shipyard

Hab Unit and Container Samples
10 months ago – Fri, Mar 01, 2024 at 04:18:35 PM

Ahoy Shipmates!

We can’t believe how fast time has been sailing and that February is over already. 2024 is definitely kicking off with a bang! The cranes are done, and we're onto the exhilarating phase of ship production. Over in China, the team is putting in some serious work on our containers, bridges, and Hab Units. And speaking of those game-changing Hab Units, we've just received some sneak peek production images! Plus, the digital files have been available for a bit now, and we have seen people showing off their prints in Discord. It’s an incredible feeling to see a project brought to life and shared by others.

Currently, the Ship has been released in the completed BETA Ship v11r6 file so people can get started printing and building. While this version of the ship has been successfully printed a few times now without issue, there are still a few optimizations John has been testing out to do more part orientations while production is underway to see if he can get the support structures even easier to print and remove. I also know he just printed out what he now calls "the final HDF deck plates" (we'll see). That said, he is in the studio next to me, putting them in place on yet another ship as we speak!

One file that needs correcting was brought to our attention, and that is the hab unit files. They will need a notch added to the tops so they seamlessly fit together with their tops and bottoms. John has been notified and will correct that ASAP.

We are headed off to GAMA Exo from March 3-7th, but should you need us for anything, please reach out to us at [email protected] as we will have a small support staff staying behind.

Now for Sample Photos!!

These photos showcase various angles, giving you a tantalizing glimpse into what is coming.

 Enjoy!!

Digital Ship Files are ready to download. Complete Your Kickstarter Survey Today!
11 months ago – Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 06:18:03 PM

Ahoy Shipmates!

We hope that your start to 2024 has been a good one. We want to inform you that the late pledges are now closed. If you haven't done so yet, please take a few minutes to fill out your Kickstarter survey. This step is essential to ensure accurate information for fulfilling your pledge. We wouldn't want anyone to miss out on any of the awesomeness you've selected! 

If you have pending surveys to complete and, for whatever reason, you have having any issues logging back in or something seems wonky, please contact us at [email protected] and we are happy to fix anything manually on our side.

Deadline for Surveys:19th of January, 5 pm EST. 

We kindly request all backers to submit their surveys by the 19th of January at 5 pm EST. This allows us to streamline the fulfillment process in the future. Don't wait until the last minute, as we want to make sure everyone gets exactly what they pledged for.

Again, If you need help accessing the survey, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Digital Ship Files are updated and now available

Here is a summary of the digital files from the Kickstarter and their status:

WIP - SHIP CAPTAIN STRECH GOALS SET (Prototyped, being revised, 90% Complete)

READY - CONTAINERSHIP MASTER FILE(S) SET (BETA, being v11 rev 6, 100% Complete)
READY - Container and Hab Unit Set (FINAL, Current Project - Ready)
READY - Dock Crane Set (FINAL, Current Project - Ready)
READY - METROPOLIS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)
READY - ICE WILDS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)
READY - TREES and HILLS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)

To get everyone their files as quickly as possible (and give people the opportunity to start printing with the ship itself), I've decided to release the completed BETA Ship v11r6 files now so people can get started. While this version of the ship has been successfully printed a few times now without issue, there are still a few optimizations I want to make as we do more testing of part orientations while production is underway to see if I can get the support structures even easier to print and remove.

If you have already downloaded the digital files, you should be able to go back and access them again where your new download would have the updated versions in the zip folders.

Some people may have heard that our fearless leader took a shillelagh to the head during the holiday. He keeps reminding us that we are a Fight Club but we just remind him to slap a raw steak on it. MFC_John is fine and looks much better since this image was taken but it did interrupt some of the work he was hoping to do during the holiday break.

Even with a smacked head, MFC_John managed to get a few things done over the past few weeks.

A Big thanks to everyone for their continued support. Again, please make sure to check the pledge manager to make sure you have completed the surveys and all your info is up to date. We want to ensure a smooth and swift delivery of your rewards. 

Thanks a shipload for being a part of our journey!

-Team Monster

'Tis the Season!
about 1 year ago – Wed, Dec 20, 2023 at 02:51:32 PM

Season's Greetings!

I hope everyone is in good spirits and excited for the holidays. 

Before we shut down for our Christmas Break (the office will be closed Dec 25 - Jan 2), I wanted to get everyone an update on our Containship Project.

DIGITAL FILES

Today I have been preparing all of the digital files for distribution to our backers. For this project, we offered many different sets of digital files from both our Containership Kickstarter carte blanche, as well as other previous project files as an "all-in" bundle. As such, all of the older file sets have been ready for distribution while the newer sets are (were) being finalized for backers.

As of now, all of the file sets are ready for distribution EXCEPT for the final Containship files themselves.
 

Here is a summary of the digital files and their status:

WIP - SHIP CAPTAIN STRETCH GOALS SET (Prototyped, being revised, 60% Complete)

BETA - CONTAINERSHIP MASTER FILE(S) SET (BETA, being revised, 80% Complete)

READY - Container and Hab Unit Set (FINAL, Current Project - Ready)

READY - Dock Crane Set (FINAL, Current Project - Ready)
READY - METROPOLIS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)
READY - ICE WILDS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)
READY - TREES and HILLS Set (FINAL, Archive Project - Ready)

To get everyone their files as quickly as possible (and give people the opportunity to print things out over the Holidays), I've decided to release the files now so people can get started. While not everything is ready yet (like the final ship files and the stretch goals), there should be more than enough here to keep everyone's 3d printers happily printing during the Holidays. 

If you were a digital backer, expect to see an email shortly (if not already) with instructions and your download codes. (This assumes you have completed your Backer Kit Pledge Manager)

 
When you do download your files and start printing, be sure to join our Discord Server. We have an active 3d printing section where there are many community members (both MFC Staff and Beta Testers) who will be happy to answer questions and help with assembly questions while you are working on your ship, containers, and/or cranes.

PLEDGE MANAGER / LATE PLEDGES - Closes Jan 5, 2024!

The pledge manager seems to have been a very busy place the past couple of weeks. As mentioned before, we planned on keeping the pledge manager open through the holidays for all backers to complete their pledges and all those holiday stragglers a chance to jump in on the action with late pledges. That said, we talked with our factory and promised them the final numbers for production by January 8th. To do this, we need to close out the pledge manager by January 5th. (The Friday after New Years)

If you know anyone who missed out during the campaign, we have opened it up for late pledges as well, so if your buddies missed out before, let them know that they can now join the crew!
 

PRODUCTION

In the last update, we showed off some production samples of the new colors and logos on the 20' containers. We have been told that we should start seeing T1 test mold samples of the Hab Units and connectors by 3rd Week of January. Once we get those and sign off, they will be able to start production on their return after CNY at which time we will get a finish time estimate. Currently, we are crushing our timeline but I don't want to jinx anything. The factory is doing all of the hab unit and new container production but as discussed during the campaign, we are going to make all of the ships and cranes at our location in Earlysville, Virginia.

IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION

Our in-house production has already started for the cranes and many of the components for the ships. Starting on Jan 8 (after we close the pledge manager) we will start reaching out to physical backers of the ship/crane physical pledges, based on the order number, to confirm your vessel's name and let you know when we expect to ship it out to you. Anything we have for your pledge will be shipped out at the same time from our location as a wave one shipment. Anything being produced overseas will be shipped out in our wave two shipments when everything arrives in our warehouse. 

This means there is a real possibility that early backers of physical ships and cranes will start seeing action by February! If you look closely at the discord image earlier on, all of those pictures of printers with parts are just some of our fleet of printers, and they are producing some very good-looking parts.

From all of us here at Monster Fight Club, we hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season with joy, and we will see you all after the New Year.
 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

John

Monster-in-Charge

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As a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, Class of '91, a US Navy Veteran, and USCG Master Mariner, Unlimited. I will leave this here for my friends and classmates deployed and out at sea this holiday season. It was something that a friend once sent to me.

"The Sailor's Christmas"

Twas the night before Christmas, the ship was out steaming,
Sailors stood watch while others were dreaming.
They lived in a crowd with racks tight and small,
In a 80-man berthing, cramped one and all.
I had come down the stack with presents to give,
And to see inside just who might perhaps live.
I looked all about, a strange sight did I see,
No tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stockings were hung, shined boots close at hand,
On the bulkhead hung pictures of a far distant land.
They had medals and badges and awards of all kind,
And a sober thought came into my mind.
For this place was different, so dark and so dreary,
I had found the house of a Sailor, once I saw clearly.
A Sailor lay sleeping, silent and alone,
Curled up in a rack and dreaming of home.
The face was so gentle, the room squared away,
This was the United States Sailor today.
This was the hero I saw on TV,
Defending our country so we could be free.
I realized the families that I would visit this night,
Owed their lives to these Sailors lay willing to fight.
Soon round the world, the children would play,
And grownups would celebrate on Christmas Day.
They all enjoyed freedom each day of the year,
Because of the Sailor, like the one lying here.
I couldn't help wonder how many lay alone,
On a cold Christmas Eve on a sea, far from home.
The very thought brought a tear to my eye,
I dropped to my knees and started to cry.
The Sailor awakened and I heard a calm voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice."
"Defending the seas all days of the year,
So others may live and be free with no fear."
I thought for a moment, what a difficult road,
To live a life guided by honor and code.
After all it's Christmas Eve and the ship's underway!
But freedom isn't free and it's sailors who pay.
The Sailor says to our country "be free and sleep tight,
No harm will come, not on my watch and not on this night.
The Sailor rolled over and drifted to sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.
I kept watch for hours, so silent, so still,
I watched as the Sailor shivered from the night's cold chill.
I didn't want to leave on that cold dark night,
This guardian of honor so willing to fight.
The Sailor rolled over and with a voice strong and sure,
Commanded, "Carry on Santa, It's Christmas, and All is Secure!"

Pledge Manager Now Open!
about 1 year ago – Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 04:22:21 PM

Ok, shipmates!

The pledge manager is now open for all backers. We have already seen a little weirdness on shipping for digital pledges only, and that is being worked on now. There is no great rush to close things just yet, as we plan on having it run just past New Year.

If you know anyone who missed out during the campaign, we have opened it up for late pledges as well, so if your buddies missed out before, let them know that they can now join the crew! 

For Digital Pledges - We are about 95% finished reviewing all the files and plan to make them live before the Thanksgiving holiday (this Thursday). As we mentioned in the comments area, we really want to make sure the files are in a good place before releasing them, as we'd hate to have anyone print something and have an issue because we missed something simple. MFC John has done a lot of work the past couple of weeks fine-tuning each and every file, and our Beta 3d Testers have been printing things out on multiple machines to make sure everyone has the best experience possible so we appreciate the little bit of patience while we double check everything. For the past campaign digital files, we wanted to point out that all of the digital files from the previous campaign were optimized for our Form3+ resin printed from FormLabs. i.e., they were designed for resin UV printers and NOT optimized for FDM 3d printing (Bambu Labs X1C, P1P, P1S) like all of the files for this current campaign. The older files are also NOT pre-supported, as every resin printer should be optimized for that particular file so you get the best surface quality possible. MFC John said once he is finished fine-tuning all of the files for this campaign, he is going to revisit the resin files and adjust as many as possible to work well with FDM. This process will take a while, but he is committed to updating things. As he does this, he will be posting things in the 3d printing channel on our Discord to keep people updated on his progress.

What's this? Photos of samples already?!

Thats right!! We have some production sample photos of the new 20’ containers. We are super stoked with how the colors and logos turned out and couldn’t wait to share them with you. The function is working as expected, so we have already pulled the trigger on getting these made quickly. We have also pulled the trigger on the tooling for the 10' Containers, Hab Units, and connections to get them made as quickly as possible.

Shipyard is Open for Business

We have already started production of the containerships and cranes. In fact, Containership, v12r0, Hull #007 is well underway for display and delivery to Mr. Mike Pondsmith himself (of Cyberpunk Fame) at the R Talsorian Booth at PAX Unglugged in two weeks. If you plan on attending the show, please stop by the booth and say hello! 

If anyone has any issues with the Pledge Manager, please drop comments below so we can troubleshoot. Things always seem to act a little strange when first launched.

We will keep making updates throughout the entire process, so stay tuned for more updates in the near term.

Happy Holidays,

Team Monster

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!
about 1 year ago – Wed, Nov 01, 2023 at 03:37:41 PM

We're thrilled to announce the winner of our dock crane and set of 20’ containers giveaway—congratulations to Mike D.! We want to express our gratitude to everyone who participated in this campaign.

This has already been an incredible journey but there is still so much more for us here at MFC to complete in order to start fulfillment as soon as possible. We will be making regular updates here on Kickstarter but If you would really want to keep watch on what we are doing, please row on over to our Discord community and get in on all the action.

Ship Captains

For our Ship Captains, remember when John asked about deck colors a few updates ago? Well, we have exciting news—John decided to go an extra league and offer BOTH red and green decks! These decks will be double-sided, allowing you to choose your preferred style.

Late Pledges

If you missed out on the Kickstarter campaign, but still want to get in on the excitement then keep an eye out on all our socials for the notice when we go live with the pledge manager. We have been asked by the community if we are going to offer Late Pledges for those who learned about the campaign after the fact. We do plan on offering late pledges for those looking for physical ships with the understanding that all physical ships and cranes will be made for actual backers who got in on time first. Once those are completed and shipped out, we will keep the line going. We hope to have the pledge manager / late pledge portal step up and open just before Thanksgiving. We plan on leaving it open at least until Christmas so everyone gets a chance to get everything updated.

Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm throughout this campaign.

- Team Monster