Ok - here's the question. I am struggling with my dio a bit. I have my sniper, who is going to be on a second story balcony. The dio can and will be viewed from 360 degreess. This means I've got to build an exterior AND and interior. Two floors (at least sections).
My question is "To battle damage the floor or NOT?" Battle damage makes for a more dramatic presentation vs. a straigh flush cut. But the reality is - how'd he get there if the floor is broken???
Any thoughts from the Armoramaholics?????

Well, he may have used a ladder... On the inside.
I saw this in a diorama once... worked well...

something like this Norseman??

this could help you on the way slodder

I'll buy that - the picture is very good. That definitely makes the case for 'How'd he get there'. Simple and effective.

Would you view the dio as incomplete without the ladder?

not if you give your sniper wings to get there
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOL #:-)

funny thing to talk about when having a beer

Or instead of a ladder, a rope and anchor type thingy that hooks onto something. Im thinking of how the guys got into the building in the dirty dozen. This could be used inside and outside! Just a thought.

Or give the ruin such shape that you can see possibilities for him to climb the walls (protrusions, window frame, lamp fixture,... ) so you can imagine how he got there.

Build the damaged floor.... and the stairs too.

In a bombed house the stairs are always the most safe place to be. Thanks to the construction and the place of those stairs in the house, it's the only thing that survives a serious bombing.... So it's safe to build the stairs too. That adds a bit of depth to the scene too.

just my 2c

Eagle - great 2c's worth. I like it, I don't know if my 4x6 will hold it. But I like it. Maybe on my next one. Or I'll build'em and see if I can work them in.

Scott, if your 4x6 can't hold a staircase, you can always scratchbuild a Spiderman suit for your sniper !

GF -

Slodder,

the staircase should be about 1.12" (width) x 3.3" (length) x 2.8" (height).

Maybe there's room. If not.....better luck next time ! #:-)

I wouldn't. I don't expect the diorama to show the entire building. I would just think that there was actually more to the top floor that the modeler simply hasn't included that would lead to stairs or a ladder, etc. In my opinion, since showing an entire building for one sniper would be a considerable waste of space, if you can get across the suggestion that there is more that the viewer isn't being directed to, you could get away without anything to get the sniper up there.

Nic

I have to agree with a Folgore, if the diorama is really representing what was there, would it really be a good spot to snipe from?? It looks pretty exposed. I think when most people look at it they realize it is a cut away representation of a whole building, but if u built the whole thing it would be too large and you would lose the spotlight on the sniper. If that is really all that's left of the building, put a coil of rope sitting beside his feet. Just like a treehouse!!

Not really. You can't fit a whole building on such small dio, so it may be possible your sniper went upstairs "out of the picture". Just make sure you don't place him in a position that cannot be accessed from somewhere outside the dio. To use the example picture you posted : it would NOT work without a ladder. If the first floor with the sniper would reach the edge of the dio, I don't see a problem.

If you don't like Spiderman, a superman, Zorro or Batman costume may make it believable too. Otherwise, leave traces of the UFO that dropped him.

And if all else fails... Would it be impossible for your sniper to be already in place BEFORE the rest of the building collapsed ?

How about collapsing part of the floor at an angle for him to climb up?

hey slodder

What about a rope behinde a wall so you cant see it form the outside???
Perhaps an old curtain???...a couple of bed srpeads tied together and looped throught a sticking out floor board???
eg.
....***
...''' '''...
each three sighs represents a floorboard. the * board could be the board that sticks out and the rope could be loooped on and put up against a wall so the sniper can get onto the second wall by "walking" up the wall with the help of the rope....

Just a thought

Good luck

Cris

General Failure - what a way to start the day - laughing
I love the UFO comment - Maybe that's why WWII played out the way it did. It got some extra-terrestrial help.

Everyone - thanks for all the input. It has given me a lot of good ideas. The way my dio is working out for the contest, the floors are running right to the edge of the base. The town its set in and the time it was set does not lend itself to a lot of distruction. So I think for my dio I am going to make one stair right at the edge of the corner to give the representation of a stair case and then let the viewers 'minds eye' complete the stairs.

Thanks all. Good stuff as always.

Another thing to try is a parachute that is old and tattered,caught on the side of the building. The sniper could have used it to climb up and use it as camoflage.Just an Idea.
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful,just stupid