In comparison to the slim neck Poster helmet I tried the program on a picture of my previously owned TM face mask.

One of the aspects I love about Darth Vader's helmet, is the lazy horizontal s-curve of the (camera's) right cheek (wearer's left) that ends with an slightly upward point. To me it's one of the defining features of Vaders faceplate. If that s-curve doesn't look or feel right, I notice it immediately.

The unique thing about that point, when you think about the design of the helmet, the little swoop ending in an upward point leads you right back into the upward line of the eyebrow under the dome. This little design feature, whether intended or not, just keeps my eye moving up, around and all over the faceplate.

When the image is inverted (reversed), that downward draw of the cheek kills it - creates too much visual tension. The awkwardness doesn't work (for me).

Strangely enough, as much as I love the asymmetrical nature of the original organic sculpt of Vader, the symmetrical version still works for me on some level. Even though I'd like to see more of that little lazy s-curve on the cheeks, it still feels organic enough to work. Must be the natural balance.

...I haven't read through this entire thread yet, and I'm sure it's already been asked - but why the heck didn't Lucas just do this for the ROTS if he wanted a balanced/symmetrical helmet. Sometimes he just overthinks too much, and out thinks what's probably best for continuity across the entire story and design arc.

Interesting thread,
I tried to make one about 8 years ago after being very dissapointed with the epIII one.

It's a meddled with cast of a rubies mask

Fantastic work SpaceBob! The EpIII helmet makes me sick. I'd like to take your helmet and smack Ivo Coveny with it!

https://www.reddit.com/r/StarWars/comme ... lpted_and/

Interesting reading some of the Hayden C discussion in this thread. ...kinda feel bad for the guy - Lucas basically wrecked both his character in the movie, and couldn't direct him out of a paper bag.

And from the DVD documentary he regarded the asymmetry in the reference ILM cast as flaws to be fixed. Uhhhhgggg!



Great job! I have a Rubies. Can you fix mine too?

This kind of asymmetry makes sense, as others have noted. Take one half of the original and mirror it. It would even support the storyline from III to IV that the asymmetry, nicks, dents, and scars were battle damage from his years of being a Sith lord badass.

Actually, that kind of symmetrization is what created the epIII helmet. What you need is to take the full helmet, mirror it onto itself and have a computer calculate the exact symmetrical average of both sides. That's what I've been trying to accomplish all this time. The latest effort got really close to a perfect symmetrically averaged helmet, but I didn't place the markers perfectly. I'll probably run a new attempt eventually.

If Spacebob's meddled Rubies cast would've been featured in ep3 it would have made a huge improvement over the actual prop. I know it's opinion vs opinion on these things, but I saw it in NY at the SW costumes display and I had to turn away. My wife was like, "look hon, they have the actual DV costume from the movie!".....I couldn't even respond except with a smirk and a small utterance of "cool".

Thanks guys, I took some away here, added some there and lowered his right cheek tube.



I just kept averaging things out until I was (at the time) happy.

That looks fantastic! While no ANH wonkiness, it does have a Vader beauty to it....

Thanks, it still is very ANH even with the symmetry but the eyes and the bridge between the eyes I got all wrong, and of course I know now the neck flare on a rubies is way too wide.



The helmet is a reworked glass cast from fleabay
I hate to say it but as I worked on it it got "better" with the more symmetry.

I'm over that now and have joined with the express desire to make a very near screen looking ANH

Great work SB, I really love how the lines are razor sharp, and it really looks like it's made of steel.

Just received this model yesterday and had to make a comparison.

Original on the left and averaged symmetrical on the right:


This has been a dream of mine for a long, long time and to finally see it being realized is pretty awesome.

Looks great Carsten.

So what're your plans with this?

Nice work Carsten. I definitely holds onto the vintage Vaderessence without becoming some modernized abomination.

As I mentioned in a post above, one of the defining characteristics of a good Vader helmet is the lazy S-curve of the left cheek. One of the other defining characteristics of a good Vader helmet (for me) is the tapered side walls of the mouth. This is one of the features that kills the Anovos Vader helmet, IMO. The mouth sidewalls of the Anovos seem like they're concave and collapsing into the mouth a bit.