Introduction: Full Scale GLaDOS Papercraft Replica

By www.flickr.com/mattoons
About: "Almost Toast"
Hello again, and welcome to the ApertureScience's online outsourced user instructive manual.  Here you will find the archived step-by-step guide on learning how to construct one of their most popular and _intelligent of proDUCTS, the GeneticLifeform andDiskOperating System also known as GLaDOS.  Before we begin, ApertureScience would like to remind you that while FUN and learning are the primaryobjectives of this guide, serious injuries may occur.  Aperture SCIence is not responsiblepapercuts, scissor chafing, prolonged glue exposure or POentialdeath by rocket fire as a result of the creAtion of this build.  Should you succeed, cake and a party will be rewarded to you at the end.  GoodLuck and most  importantly, always remember to [=blank=]

Ok, so I'm not going to let GLaDOS write this entire instructable, sorry.*

Anyway Happy Video Game Month, Instructabrarians, and WOW, things things are really starting to shape up as we begin to enter our fourth week!  A lot of completely awesome builds and 'ibles being shown recently and I just wanted to show off my second build for VG Month.  It's papercraft GLaDOS from Portal! The design of this papercraft was done by billybob884, posted on deviantart where you get this awesome 8 inch figure of GLaDOS.  "Yeah, 8 inches is pretty cool.  But let's make it Life Size!"

 I actually had the idea for this build all the way back in October for Instructable's Halloween contest, but things got in the way and I ended up having to shelve it for future use.  BUT, I brought her back from the Matt Co. Archives specifically for Video Game month and I can't wait to show you!  So grab your Elmer's Glue-All, industrial strength Uhu glue stick and fun craftin' scissors, this is how to build a Full Sized Paperkraft GLaDOS!


GLaDOS's Addendum: You are not a good person. You know that, right?



IMPORTANT: If you are looking for the Portal Core Files, go directly to Step 3 for Download: HERE

Step 1: Abstract + Inspiration

Before I begin, I feel I am obligated to make two important points.  First, I did not design these papercraft models.  The design of the GLaDOS Papercraft Model goes to Billybob884 for his amazing 8 inch model through Pepakura and this 'ible was posted through his permission.  GLaDOS's papercraft cores were designed by an unknown user on Chamoo's Papercraft site, who unfortunately could not be contacted during the time of this build.  The page has also since been removed.  However I also ended up making a few minor modifications of my own, of course.  And don't think that because I'm using a pre-made model that I'm trying to get away with less work or something.  I will still be talking you through each of the individual part instructions.

Secondly, and perhaps more shockingly to many, is I have never played Portal before.  Sure I've seen the walkthroughs a dozen times over and I know the characters, physics, and mechanics of the game inside and out (which includes Portal Prelude) and I desperately want to play it, but unfortunately I've never been able to.  And surprisingly, it was actually  this flaw that served for the main inspiration for this build.  

See, as much as I absolutely love the different fan art that comes from this game (especially Chiok's realistic Portal Gun, special maker shout out), the one character I think was seriously missed out on creating was GLaDOS, the coolest character in the game.  I mean, for every fan art image or creation I can find of her, I can find 16 on the Companion Cube (a tool which, because I have yet to play the game, have yet to get attached to) and there's never been a great GLaDOS Full Replica before.  Well, until that day finally comes, I decided to satisfy myself by creating a unique 1:1 scale model of her.



Step 2: Build Overview

Basically what I ended up doing for this build was using the .PDO Billybob offered on his devianart and rescaling everything to 220%, turning what was basically a miniature 8 inch model to a roughly 6 foot realistic model, though pepakura.  I'd like to go into detail on how I decided this, but succinctly speaking it was the final calculated size in order to match the original size of the other GLaDOS personality cores I found.  I guess I could've made it smaller, but what I finally decided is that people have been wanting to see a full size GLaDOS ever since 2007, so I'm not going to cut any corners and make her any smaller than what she was like in the game.

GLaDOS' Addendum: Wow, you've managed to waste the entirety of three whole steps with completely useless personal anecdotes. Congratulations, you've just won the most boring person on Instructables award.  I mean, seriously.

Step 3: Parts and Materials

OK so before we begin, I must warn you that this papercraft is HUGE, and that's not metrying to be boastful or anything.  It took a total of 233 pages to build her, and that's not even counting the personality cores (5 pages each, so 253 total).  Be prepared to end up going through at least one color or black ink cartridge for this build.  Also, my Papercraft building tip 101 here, I always use Elmer's Glue All when putting together any paper model.  I know some people use Pritt gluesticks or Resin but I always liked using Elmer's since it is just as strong and durable and it's drying speed is moderate enough so I can make any final adjustments if necessary.

Materials:
- Pepakura (Don't have it?  Then go download it here. Like right now.)
- Elmer's Glue-All (Or for that matter, your preferred Papercraft adhesive)
- Straight Edge/ Ruler
- At least 6 Glue Sticks (I'm partial to UHU and Permanent Glue Stic by Avery)
- Comfortable Scissors (the lighter the better, the sharper the safer- should be able to glide against the paper when cutting).
- At least 255 pages Recycled Card Stock (I wanted GLaDOS not only to look great, but also be environmentally friendly).
- Color Ink Cartridge/ Black Ink Cartridge
- Hot Glue Gun
- Xacto Cutting Knife
- Black yarn (For Final Step)
-Clear Packaging Tape

and finally, the original GLaDOS papercraft model + personality cores.  I saved you the trouble of putting all of the pdf files compressed on a .rar, but the GLaDOS .pdo model was unfortunately too large and will still be needed to be downloaded through Billybob's deviantart: 


GLaDOS' Addendum: No one will blame you for giving up. In fact, quitting at this point is a perfectly reasonable response.

Attachments

Step 4: Resize & Print

Within Pepakura, go under 2D menu and select Change Scale Size and select Increase Scale by 10%, or hit CTRL+ J.  Just do this 22 times until what was essentially a six page build has now become around a 233 page scale.  

Next, move the pieces around, filling the gaps between the pieces with the smaller available parts.  This will save you a lot of time in step 5 for cutting out and gluing the pieces together, and it will also save you a lot of paper.  Make sure you isolate the provided GLaDOS personality cores away from the pieces, you will be using a much more detailed version of them for this build.

Then go to File> Print Preview and then verify which pages are needed to be printed.  Generally speaking, blank white pages or pages with isolated "papercraft" tabs can be omitted as well as any pertaining to the GLaDOS personality cores.  

Finally print out the pieces on Fast & Muted colors, going under Printer> Settings> and Select Speed.  Believe me, this will save you a lot of valuable and precious ink.  Print on your recycled Card Stock paper.

Step 5: Cut Out the Pieces

Yeah, easier said then done.  Seriously, there wasn't really anything extremely difficult about this build but this step is definitely the one that takes the longest to do.  A good 50% of this project was spent simply cutting out the different pieces from the pages, and then gluing them together.

Since you scaled everything in 220% in pepakura, all of the parts for the papercraft are now in separate parts, and it is this step to connect them together.  I spent around a total of 7+ hours of simply piecing together the different parts and then cutting them out.

Using a ruler, start by drawing the edge flaps of your pieces for each of the 233 pages and then piece together the different pages accordingly.  For this step, because I needed a fast and easy setting glue, I used a Uhu Glue Stick which proved very efficient and effective on paper.  Also, make sure you have a spare (cardboard) box available so you can throw away any excess remains while working.  This will save you a lot  of time having to search for lost pieces on the ground or table.  Just keep at it and eventually you will have all the pieces cut out.

GLaDOS' Addendum: The Enrichment Center regrets to inform you that this step is impossible. Make no attempt to solve it.

Step 6: Semi-Step: Emergency Sort and File!

Awesome!  Now that you've completed the longest and most annoying task in this project and all of your pieces have been cut out, it's almost time to start building!  Now while this step isn't completely required for the project, I arranged each of the pieces by their original specific page grouping for ease of construction.  This step shouldn't take long, just follow the way the parts are listed via original PDF file and sort them accordingly.  

When I was doing this step,  what made it fun and enjoyable for me was to simultaneously listen to Hermes' Bureaucrat Song from Futurama:





 

Step 7: Finished!

And now you are essentially done and ready to begin the project- just put the pieces together like you would with the smaller model! Just use Pepakura's Edit Mode> Check Corresponding 2D-3D for any additional help for putting it together! I hope you all enjoyed my Instructable and.......What? You mean that's not good enough for you? You want me to show you how to put it together too? Fine, I told you I would help explain how to put all the pieces together anyway. Since you have all been a great audience, in the remaining steps on this Instructable, I will demonstrating how to piece together GLaDOS' Papercraft Model.

GLaDOS' Addendum: MaybeBlack Mesa can help you, instead.  Ha-Ha.

Step 8: Page 1: Upper Body and Lower Wires

So the way I will be arranging these next five steps is based on the page-part arrangement that they appeared on billybob884's PDF file.  Just follow along using using the smaller printed out version of the file.

Just keep in mind that this is just how I built her.  You can probably use a variety of ways to put the parts together, this is just the way I found the easiest for me.
  
So basically what Page 1 entails is the upper abdomen of GLaDOS, which includes her lower wired section.  
  1. Start by connecting Part 11 and part 10 together, making sure the paper taps are folded inwards, so the bulge is inside, not outside.  
  2. Next, with part 2 and part 3, glue the inside half-hexagonal shape, so that part 2 sort of becomes the nose for the part.  
  3. Then with the thin strips of parts 4-8, connect them together so that you get a sort of canoe like structure (this will become the rounded Aperture Science part of GLaDOS' upper abdomen).
  4.  Afterwards, using that U curved piece in part 9, fold the outer most tabs inside, so the outer circumference can be glued right on top of the finished connecting pieces of parts 4-8/ GLaDOS' upper half.
  5. Now that you have the finished sections of her upper half, connect the now connected part 2 and 3 together, so that the upper Aperture Science abdomen fits nicely upon it. This part is a little difficult, so use Elmer's Glue sparingly on the tabs, and if possible, use a chopstick or fork to keep the tabs-parts together
  6. Next, using part 1, fold the paper tabs inside, so when glued together, the bulge faces outwards (much like for part 11 and 10)
  7. Connect the half hexagonal backing from step 5 to the now completed hexagonal underside of part 1.  Use Hot Glue to secure it. 
  8. Next, for part 12, cut out the long shape and glue the tabs to the polyhedron's corners, forming a sort of box.  VERY IMPORANT, once the Elmer's done drying, use the Clear Packaging Tape to reinforce the box.  This is the part that has the most pull when GLaDOS is hanging.
  9. Glue Step 8 to the polyhedron bottom of Step 9.  Use Hot Glue to secure the pieces together.
  10. Finally for parts 14,15, 16 and 17, cut out the pieces and then glue them accordingly to the different parts of GLaDOS.  Part 14 is glued to the right side of the abomen, nose down (wired black part facing frontwards), Part 15 is a small decorative piece that goes on the upper right part of the abdomen (back facing in), 16 is on her upper right side and finally 17 is the lower body connector, which is glued to the "nose" point of Step 4.


Whew, that was long.  Thankfully Page 2 is slightly simpler, with a lot more smaller manageable parts.

Step 9: Page 2: Lower Body and Head

Alright, so now that we've essentially finished GLaDOS' upper half, it's time to begin work on Page 2, we can now begin on her lower half which is mainly constructs her Lower Abdomen, Pipe Connectors, Arm, and head.
  1. Start with Part 13 and glue that to the black region on her upper abdomen. 
  2. Parts 18-22 are done the exact same way you put them together on the first page.  Glue the tabs together and make sure the "canoe" is facing with the design outwards.
  3. Part 23 is her, I guess, underbelly ridge section.  Build this part with the outer ridges facing outwards and then connect this part to the finished product on Step 2.
  4. Part 24 is the connector ridge that connects the Pipes Connectors to both the lower and upper mainframe.  Glue that onto  part 23.
  5. Part 25 is relatively straightforward.  Just glue the tabs together to form a sort of Z like piece, and then glue that directly onto the finished Part 24.
  6. Glue the finished products of step 5 with step 2,  so that the "canoe" structure is facing underneath, and the top of part 20 is glued to the thin back part of 23.
  7. Part 26 is simple.  Just create the box and then glue it onto the front of the completed Step 6.
  8. Part 27 goes on the left hand side of the lower abdomen (wired black part facing frontwards)
  9. Part 28 is also simple.  Glue that to isolated black region of the parts 19 and 20
  10. Part 29 is easy.  It goes on top of the ridge section of part 25.
  11. Part 30 is a turret and goes right next to the other turret from part 24.
  12. Parts 31-33 are the Pipe Connectors, that join the lower abdomen to the upper abdomen.  Start by gluing the lower body half to the upper body half, on top of Part 17 (body connector) using Elmer's and Hot Glue.  Then, after you're done folding out the different pipes, glue parts 31-33 so they can form a bridge between the two halves.
  13. Part 34 and 35, 36, 37 are the Neck and Head respectively.  Glue parts 36 and 37 together, so the two halves are connected and 36 rests nicely in between 37.  Then, glue 35 to the bottom (curved section) of the head, not directly in the middle, but sort of at a slant.  Finally, glue 34 to the flat part of the head, and then using Hot Glue, connect the head to the now completed body.
  14. Part 42 is the bottom section of GLaDOS' arm.  Glue that on her left hand side (wired black part facing frontwards), right behind Part 30.

GLaDOS' Addendum:   Well done.  The Enrichment Center once again reminds you that Android Hell is a real place where you will be sent at the first sign of defiance.

Step 10: Page 3: Arms and Wrist

Awesome, now that you're completely done with both the Lowered Body half and the Upper Body half, you've only got a few more pieces to go!  Page 3 basically consists of GLaDOS' arm, as well as the...giant right hand arm..thing.  
  1. Part 40 is a giant one.  Just glue it together for now and we will get back to it.
  2. Part 41 covers the back of part 40.
  3. Part 43 is the Wrist section, for lack of better words, that glues to the hand portion of Part 44 and back to arm of part 42.  It's made at a slant, so that the arm and hand faces behind, GLaDOS but you can always position it so that it faces frontwards in Attack Mode.  
  4. Once you are done with the hand and arms, go back to Part 40 and glue that to the top right half of the upper body using Hot Glue Only (Elmer's takes too long for this step).  Parts 38 and 39 are for connecting this piece all the way back to the lower abdomen.

Awesome only one more step to go from GLaDOS and then we can begin the personality cores!

Step 11: Page 4 or 5: Top Wired Section

Ah, FINALLY, we are now almost fully completed with GLaDOS!  Last step before the personality cores!  

So basically what pages 4 and 5 are in the model, are the top wired section that helps GLaDOS descend from the ceiling.  You are given two options- a straight edge one (part 49 a) or a curved hook piece (part 49 b).    Because I really wanted to be able to hang my GLaDOS from the ceiling of my room, I decided to go with part 49 b.  The construction isn't that difficult,  just if you are using this piece remember to reinforce it using Clear Packaging Tape, since this is essentially the part that holds everything upand once you are finished glue it to the top of the hexagonal box of GLaDOS using Elmer's and then Hot Glue when it has finished drying.  

And that's pretty much the main portion of GLaDOS!  Now onto the penultimate last part of GLaDOS- the Personality Cores!

GLaDOS' Addendum: Someday we'll remember this and laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Ooh boy.

Step 12: GLaDOS's Personality Cores

Or the "Aperture Science thing-we-don't-know-what-it-does"

Before we start on this last last part, I want to just say that before I began this project  I knew in order for this build to work, the Personality Cores had to look as awesome as they did in the game.  Unfortunately, as amazing as billybob884's Glados model is, it was really designed to be an 8 inch figure, so the personality cores were a bit more simplified  and didn't have the accurate handle parts like it did in the game.  Luckily, after scrounging up some finds online, I was able to find a perfect Papercraft representation of each of the Cores, so I designed my GLaDOS build all around them.


Now, for this final papercraft, the cores are thankfully really straightforward but be prepared to spend some time on each.  In essence, you are constructing a ball by taking long strips of paper and wrapping them around each other in order to form the sphere.  The last page of the PDF file is the handled parts, which are built by using small individual cubes glued together to colored pipes.  

The only difficult step of this build, possibly, is being able to cut out the individual sections on the third strip, so that the pipes can fit through the ball.  I used an Xacto knife, and it wasn't too hard.


Finally, because I wanted each of the cores to be detachable, I added small strips of velcro to the backing of each one.  


Oh and last step.  In order to truly make GLaDOS look like she's fully robotic, I added some hanging black yarn to make it look like wires.  You can also visit my E-Z Kirby Epic Yarn Instructable for a guide on how to wrap thick yarn together.



And that's how to make a Full Scale GLaDOS Papercraft Replica!  I hope you enjoyed this, and while I did lose several hours of sleep putting it together, I think the end product is totally worth it!  Anyway, got experiments to run and research to be done, so I hope you all enjoy the rest of Video Game Month!  And stay tuned, if I'm lucky I might be able to post my coolest video game 'ible next week!

GLaDOS Addendum: Don't mind me, I'm just about to warm up the neurotoxin emitters and then flood this dorm room with the deadly neurotoxins.  See you in the conclusion.

Step 13: FiNISHed

ConGRATUlations, you maDE it all the way THRough this ApertureScience outsourced insTRUCtive guide.  The guide is nowOver.  We are veryvery HAppy for your success.  We are throwing a party in honor of your tremendoussuccess with lot of cake and your best frienD, ComPANion Cube (except you MURdered him). ThanK you for participating in this APERture_Sciencecomputer-AIded enrichment activity.

The EnrichmentCenter would also like to mention that the undergraduate student who was originally writing this instruction guide, is no longer available for contact.  He had a sudden case of lung poisoning because  of the neurotoxin and is no reachable, because he is DEAD.   Furthermore, a partyassociate will arrive shortly to collect you for your party. Make no further attempt to leave, there is no EScape.

See youInstructAbrarians



Step 14: Want You Gone

And finally, here it is, your moment of Zen:


Editor's Note: One last thing- Don't forget to buy Portal 2 when it comes out April 17th!