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WOW!!! Very nice link. Thank you Shawn. It reminds me of a thread I started in the old forums that was titled "Nice Legs". It was a group shot of most of I.H.P's kits together unpainted with the monster standing in the middle. You could see all of the other kits in the shot (about a half dozen of them... maybe more) and the monster was cut off at the waist... thus the name of the thread. Did anyone here save that pic? I don't have it any more and I'd love to post it here. Its another great shot that shows the scale of this monster. Shawn... do you think you could dig into the old forums and find it? Thanks again, Carl

This is a test of the flashing spokes and the fixed white lines. Still haven't played with the camera positioning. What do you think?

I can help with that when mine gets here. Carl

Noel... Did you pick up any of these? What scale is it? It looks very nice. Carl

WOW!!! That was fast. Boy... you sure make it hard. I've run into this sort of type before. Most Japanese collectors like to be as secretive as possible. However there is one big difference here. Most Japanese collectors I've come across that wish to remain secretive can't even be persuaded to let photos of their items out. Let alone willing to loan the kit out for re-casting. Hmmm... I guess I don't have a clue who this might be. Believe me I wish I did. Can you relay these questions for me... and the rest of us? (1) Is this one of the kits sold at the Wonder Fest where Noel's photo came from? (2) Did he (or she) get it at that Wonder Fest or in a second market? (3) If a second market are they willing to tell us where exactly? (4) Do they think they might be able to get a second original they'd be willing to sell? (5) Can you give them my email address hoff@wt.net? (6) Can we see a photo of this kit? If they are willing to contact me I promise to behave and not beg they sell. But I'd be happy to exchange information. They might have some rare kits I'm not yet aware of and vice versa. I do like to know what's out there so I know what to look for. The two names that seem best suited for this kind of work are Valkyrie and someone both Noel and I know. The other person I'm thinking of has recasted a very rough variable kit before... the Megazone Prototype by KIP and he did a very good job. I don't know if he'd want to do this though but if he did he might be able to lower the cost even more as he's got places he could sell the recasts outside of just us here at Macross World. Valkyrie sure gets my enthusiasm vote. I could go either way on the screws. Are the types and number of screws needed detailed well in the instructions? Cool. Did I.H.P originaly give out the instruction on CD-Rom or did someone along the line scan the original directions and put then on CD-Rom? None of my other I.H.P kits have directions on CD-Rom. I want one. I'm in provided the cost comes in under $1000 and the recaster is allowed to do this kit correctly. Based on the condition of this kit I agree with Valkryie. If the ower lets the kit be cleaned up that's a way to go. I don't think he will... I wouldn't. That then means the original parts will need to be molded and new parts cast and it will be those parts that get cleaned up. (Valkrie has done this for me in the past.) And the cleaned up parts will need to be molded again. As Valkyrie has ponted out the original kit will get back into the owners hands just as fast this way. If this project is going to go farward I'd really want to see it done right. Since I've really wanted to help with the project I'll step up and offer to cover the cost of making the second set of molds in exchange for the right to buy the first recast. Thank you. The lime light really isn't as bad as you might think though. Personally its helped me find rare kits by getting my name out there. This way rare kits can find me and I don't always have to go looking for them. That said I respect your wishes... even more so as you ARE willing to share. So thank you. Melissa any chance you can get someone to contact you that owns a D'Stance YF-21? You must know something I don't. You did good... so thank you too... Carl

I do. It would take some digging to find it but I have one. Just a word of warning... I.H.P had done both a 1/100 VF-4 and a 1/72 VF-4. The 1/72 kit is much nicer as the pics above show but the 1/100 kit is much more common relatively speaking. It too is still quite rare. I've got both. I'd just ask you to make SURE which kit he (or she) has. If you look at I.H.P's web page all you see is the 1/72 kit and if you have an I.H.P VF-4 one MIGHT just assume he has that one. I don't know who this is or what he (or she) does or doesn't have. I'm just pointing out I.H.P has two different variable VF-4 kits out there. Carl

I'm not sure who Liquid Stone is but the variable monder was built by I.H.P. I.H.P is a one man show as far as I know and that man is Mr. Sakuragawa. His homepage is listed in the links section here at Macross World. Here you go: I.H.P's home page And come to think of it... THERE is his email addess as well. Someone want to email him in Japanese and see what he's willing to say. If he still has the painted one and he's willing to sell it could it be recasted? Or is it better to start with a non painted kit. Here is the VB-6's home page: VB-6's page But as you can see it hasn't been updated since before he finished the kit. Does anyone know who Liquid Stone is? Mr. Sakuragawa hasn't renamed I.H.P has he? Carl

I'm sure he does. This one (I assume) is still in the hands of Mr. Sakuragawa. I've got a contact that has his email address. I had it at one time but I'm sure I lost it along with most of my old emails. I've bought kits directly from him in the past. However when the Macross World deal feel apart I tried at that time to contact him directly again and he wasn't returning his emails. Come to think of it Shawn should still have his email address. I'll email him and check. I'm sure the one you see it that pic was just picked up and sat down by someone that wasn't too careful. I don't think he sold the painted one at Wonder Fest or I'd have expected it to be gone by the time Noel got to it and took the above picture. Noel has meet Mr. Sakuragawa face to face. I believe there is even a picture of them together in one of Noel's reports. Carl

Can you post a pic please? I'm curious if its something I've seen before or not. Thanks, Carl

Thanks... and to answer you question... No. Or atleast I don't think so. However the way I have it set up at the moment the grid lines are only drawn every 5 grid units. So I can still stick to whole numbers and get off the white lines. In fact the code is general enough I don't even have to limit myself to whole numbers but its simplier for me to keep things strait if I limit myself some. Carl

One piece of POV-Ray code generated that whole animation. I didn't touch anything at the indivual frame level. And thanks... I agree. This was just a test of the effect used at the head of the light trail. The camera is fixed in space and just pointed at the rear tire of the bike. When I get serious the camera will move along a smooth spine and look at a point on another smooth spine. That will fix all those problems. I can also put the camera on the bike so you see a raider's POV but the 90 degree turns will make that jarring again. Actually the 90 degree turning bike is harder. The camera stuff is easy to fix. I just need two splines. Carl

Its still a work in progress as I need to add the fixed white lines to the trail and the flasking spokes to the wheels. After I have that in place I'll have all I need to add several different colored cycles and sit back and watch them run around on the game grid. If anyone wants to work on some interesting non-intersecting paths for me to animate feel free. This one is: <0,10> <20,10> <20,40> <10,40> Lets fix the game grid to <0,0> to <1000,1000>. I still have no effect for bikes blowing up, thus the need these be non-interesting paths. At the moment if you give me more then one path the speed of each bike is just determined by the total length of the path that it must cover during the course of the animation. One other 'feature' that I'm working around at the moment is the effect at the head of the trail is determined solely by distance from the center of the rear tire. This means that if a bike comes close enough to its own trail it will effect the color of parts of its own trail that it shouldn't. The effect extends out 7 game grid units in all directions. 1 game grid unit on each side of a bike gives it enough clearance to navigate a maze however as the windows extend out .77 game grid units on each side so two bikes must be atleast 2 game grid units apart to pass each other or travel side-by-side. Also the bike itself extends 4.4 game grid units ahead of the center of the rear tire. Since the bike pivots on the center of the rear tire at turns there must be 5 game grid units clear ahead of the bike's planed turning points (atleast at the time the turn takes place). A bike could travel though that space later for example after the first bike has already made its turn. Enjoy... Carl

I was thinking about asking you how many total you picked up. I know its *ATLEAST* 3. Considering I think he probably only had 10 to sell at the event you did GOOD!!! How many did you see on the table for sale while you were there? Have they relaxed the licencing a little to allow more then 10 kits per event or 20 per year yet? I don't know how the kit makers make any money with those restrictions. Noel, I bet you are this guys biggest customer. LOL!!! Do you know if this maker has a web page? He's the only one out there making new Mospeada kits at the moment that I'm aware of and it'd be nice to see if there are any hints as to what he'll be offering next. Did he have any works-in-progress on display at the event. I know he has at past events. Carl

Min... if Noel is correct and you saw the one he photographed you were at the one and only event I'm aware of where these WERE sold. If you saw one someplace else you MUST tell us where you saw it. Them the rules... Carl

I couldn't agree more. Simply Gorgious. And I also believe its worth every penny. Noel works hard to get his hands on these rare event only kits. And I can assure you they just go up in value. My Tread Battloid kit that came out at an event years ago and sold for less then $100 (I think much less but I'd have to do some digging to get the exact number for you) now sells for over $500 when ever it makes a rare appearance on Yahoo Japan. Don't forget these kit makers put alot of time and effort into making these kits themselves and they are only allowed to sell something like 10 kits at any one event and no more then 20 per year as I recall. I also believe the price of their licence comes to a fair percentage of the kit cost. So please keep all that in mind... Noel's prices are more then fair. Carl

I didn't like the light trail work I had done before so I'm redoing it. This time I'm coding it so it will be much easier to animate. With luck I might me able to have a light cycle driving around on the game grid soon.

Very cool. Noel this is the same kit I bought from you about a year ago isn't it? Its nice to finally have pictures of a completed kit this time. Were you able to get any of his missle kits this time? What else did this maker have to offer? Come to think of it what's his name? Thanks, Carl

Excellent idea. See my post dated August 26, 2003 in this thread: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=381 for all the info I have on the first auction. If someone can trace this back to the winners Yahoo ID we should be able to contact them. The info on the last one I saw is also posted in the thread by Valkyrie and Shawn I have contacted Rinkya asking them to pass my email address onto the winner. They told me they have however I never heard back from the winner. If anyone has some inside information with Rinkya I'd love to have the winners email address or phone number but I don't think they'd just give it to me. I *thought* I saw one between these two but I've now lost all the email I had on this subject at TI and I see in the other thread where I say "So that means two have made their way to Yahoo Japan." I may be misremembering the third auction. If there was a third I don't think I still have any information on it. You can also look here to see something else I tried at the time: http://www.rinkya.com/cgi-bin/forum/ikonbo...act=ST;f=2;t=84 Good luck, Carl

That doesn't have to be as big a problem as it sounds. There is more then one original out there... its just that only one person will get the *FIRST* one that shows up. If all 3 of us want originals I'm willing to keep at it till everyone is happy. Just be aware this project could last a while... I haven't seen one anywhere in 7 or 8 months I believe. Carl

Lets don't get the cart ahead of the horse. Before we start throwing money into a pot we must find the kit available someplace first. As for the cost to recast it I suspect a recaster would have to see the kit before he could give a good estimate how much that would cost. The number, size, and shape of the parts is a factor as well as the ability to find the screws and joints that will be needed to complete the kit. Another big factor is the number or orders. One recast will be alot more expensive to make then 10 or 20. Valkyrie would you care to venture a guess at what you'd expect it to cost based on the above pictures? Carl

Let's take this one point at a time: Thank you. I'm not too hopeful we'll get much help from the original manufacturer. I just say that because I've already been in contact with I.H.P and D'Stance in the past and despite the fact that I have been able to get kits direct from I.H.P in the past I to date haven't been able to get either his VB-6 or D'Stance's YF-19. I am very hopeful these kits will turn up in other ways though. Be that Yahoo Japan or someone that owns one coming forward. No... I'm not asking anyone to stop looking. In fact I've offered a free recast to the first person that finds either of these kits for sale anywhere. If I find it first and there are over 10 orders for recasts I'll see to it that one of those 10+ get their's free. How does that sound? Again just to be clear I'm NOT asking anyone to sit this one out. I'm just saying these kits are at the top of my must have list and if one turns up on Yahoo Japan for example they will most likely be bidding against me. I'd much rather work with them to keep the cost of a recast project low and offer my help should they also feel they must have an original. All I'm after is one. I'll be able to access email I'm sure. Shawn and others do a good job of keeping me posted as to what's on Yahoo Japan. In short anyone with email that knows what I'm after is free to email me at any time. I too am ready to start right away and would bid today if one popped up. What I'll be slow at is finding the time to update my "Most Wanted" list and getting my web page up and going. As for finding this kit the seach starts today and my offer for a free recast is limited only to my ability to find a recaster that can recast it and Valkyrie's already said he would do it. I've been with MacrossWorld since day one. I think my word means something here. Just for the record my Tread Battloid kit was recasted and made available by Valkyrie in the past here at Macross World. I've also mailed my kits to a few recasters in the past (my armored gerwalk to *YOU* for example) for people that were willing to make a recast on their own provied they paid for insurance for the item to them and back to me. I never did it for the money. So far I've keep it low key as I don't want to have to keep track of my kits if they are being shipped all over the country. Plus doing these one offs takes alot of time. I've been holding off on doing this on any bigger scale till I had a wabpage up an going and recasters that were willing to jump on board. *THAT* is what will still take some time. Valkyrie is already on board for these two kits though so this project doesn't need to wait on my web page getting set up. True... I want an original. I'll get one eventually. And I'm actually hoping everyone will keep looking on their own. Many here I'm sure want one but won't have the $1000 or so an original will cost. This way if they are the first to find it and tell me about it they'll get a free recast. If the worry is that I might be in Germany or out of touch for a while and miss being able to bid on the auction myself there are others here that I'd be willing to let bid for me. Shawn has done it in the past. Then again if you have the contacts to be able to get the kit and want to bid on it yourself so that you could ship it to Valkyrie yourself to be sure the recasts would get made I'm open to that idea as well. I'd be more then willing to cover any costs you incured and still see to it that you got your free recast. I'm just letting you know I've been after these kits for years now and I will go after anyone that I see. I really want to be able to do that without fear of stepping on the toes of fellow MacrossWorld members. I think I've got a better track record of sharing information and the like then many collectors so I'd like to think most here would like to help me get one of these in my hands. How many collectors were willing to post pictures of their Gakken Tread before me? I spend a great deal of my own money to be able to change that... not just for me... but all of you as well. I really hope I'm not coming across like I've got my noise up in the air but macross kits are a passion of mine. Carl

Thanks... I'm doing GREAT. I'm on the top of the world after the call I got this morning. It took a while to get mine up too. The 2 or 3 posts there before mine weren't there when I started typing. I'm be moving to Starkville, MS very soon. Anyone from here in that area already? Trust me I haven't forgotten. I've got a very nice job lined up. I consider that problem solved. I know several that would be more then happy to recast it. My first choice would be Valkyrie as he's done very well for me in the past. The hard part will be finding the kit. Anyone here work for Rinkya that could get me contact information on the winner of the last one? Carl

I'M BACK!!!! I just got the call. I've got the job in Mississippi. I should start the week of the 15th. Now back to the I.H.P VB-6. All the above proposal is now official and I'll do my best to get the pieces in place ASAP. However the next few weeks will be VERY busy for me and I've already learned I'll be in Germany the week of April 19th. Anyways when the kit is found I can front the cost. If you know what I paid for the Gakken Tread you shouldn't doubt that. If someone finds the kit before me I'll see to it that their recast is free. Or if someone here already has the kit I'll make a standing off of $1000 for it plus a free recast. I've seen 3 of these sell on Yahoo Japan myself and the last one sold to a Rinkya member. As I suspect that most of the people outside of Japan that know of this kit learned about it from Macross World I think the chances are good that someone here already has one. I'll also tell my contacts that I'm back in the game and re-establish contact with Mr Sakuragawa. I'm not too hopefull that route will work though or the original plan of Shawn's and Seiichi's would still be in the works. I've been hunting down and finding rare Macross kits for 5 plus years now. If anyone can find this kit... I should be able to. Lets not forget the D'Stance kit... I'll put the same offer on the table for that kit. Carl

Hello Guys, The next I.H.P VB-6 and D-Stance YF-21 are MINE!!! And believe me I also want to be able to help. I had a job interview last week that I didn't tell anyone about as last time I did everything fell apart but I've got a very good feeling about this one. So I'm hoping to be able to anounce my return with a vengence. I've got contacts that should be able to get in touch with D'Stance and I.H.P themselves but I'm not sure I'll be able to get either to make any more kits. I've had contact with one D'Stance YF-21 owner that I might be able to work with as well but his kit doesn't have the fast packs. I'm not sure if D'Stance has ever offered his fast packs for sale. I've also now got my own web page www.wwwmwww.com and I hope to update my wanted list soon. At the top of that list will be the I.H.P VB-6 and the D'Stance YF-21. Valkyrie has recasted a few of my kits before so I know he does good work. My plan at the moment was to offer a recast free to the finder of either of these kits. I don't have the time to spend hours digging on Yahoo Japan any more. If the finder wants a recast of any of my other kits instead and Valkyrie or someone else is willing to recast it I'll cover the cost of that too. The long term plan is to catalog my collection on my webpage and overtime find people that are willing to recast my kits. I might be able to have a poll once a quarter asking which kit you guys want recasted next. Orders could be taken so we'd know how many kits to make and cost would be based on materials and what ever the recaster was asking for his time. I'd hope it'd be a good place to showcase the talents of several recasters and it also serve as a place to market their skills. If someone out there had a rare kit he wanted a recast of, it could be add the a poll and if elected the owner of the kit would get a free recast and copies sold. That's the plan anyways and the direction I want to move toward. I'm sure it will take some time to get everything in place and I don't want to turn this into a full time job. In fact I wouldn't even be doing it to make money. I just love this hobby and want to be able to share. If I did make any money at this I'd just use it to buy more rare kits to add to the collection. All I ask is please lets not step on each other's toes. I know how I feel when I see a collector out bid me and then never return my emails and the kit disapears into obscurity. That's not how I want to be seen. To me these kits are works or art and should be shared. That said if there are those that want original kits I'm more then willing to help them too. If they help me find a kit and are looking for one for themselves I'll leave the kit on the wanted list and I'll share all new leads on that kit with them. By the way... Shawn's given me the web space and is hosting my website at the moment. My html is rather rusty so if any web designers out there want to donate their time to the cause I'm certainly open to that idea. So what do you guys think of my idea? Is this doable? I don't want this idea to become just a big money pit for myself and any recaster that wants to recast my kits so we'd be relying on you guys for support. In turn we'd do our best to keep costs down but keep in mind the cost to make 3 recasts of a Studio HalfEye kit for example I'd expect to cost more then the original cost of 3 genuine SHE kits. I won't sacrifice quality in the name of cost. That would defeat the purpose of what I'm trying to do. Oh and one other thing I'd like to add to my site is a location for people to share pictures of the completed kits they got from me. Comments, suggestions, input... Carl

Finially got back to finishing up this series. Anatomy of a Light Cycle 3 of 3