- Why call your site "momirfarooq.com"?
Uh... my name is Momir Farooq. Get it?
- OK, but why call it *".com"? Are you a company?
No, I'm not a company. Everything on this site is free. Since a lot of this stuff is based off other people's copyrighted works, I couldn't charge people even if I wanted to. Now, that being said, if you wanted to give me a donation, I wouldn't be too proud to accept it! There's a Paypal button on the home page. I get about 500 or so hits per week, and if 3 of those people each donate 50 cents (and this continues each week), then that'll cover the cost of registering the domain name and hosting the site. ;)
- What exactly is the purpose of this site, anyway?
There really isn't one. It's just a place where I can post whatever I feel like posting. Mostly resources for Role Playing Games, since I'm such a geek. ;)
- Can you make a model of...
Maybe, but I won't promise anything. This isn't my job, it's a hobby. Creating a model can be a very tedious, time-consuming process, and I have other things to do. Having said that, it is a hobby I enjoy, so if the project is interesting enough, I may pick it up... just don't give me a deadline to meet, and don't get offended if I decline to help out.
- What are you working on now?
At any given time, I'll probably have 3-6 models in the pipeline, at various stages of development. Here's a quick preview of what's coming up:
- May I distribute / print / play with / host your models on my site?
All files on this site may be downloaded for personal use. That means you can view them, print them, and play with them... with just 2 exceptions...
You may NOT distribute the NinjaBurger cartoon or the Lightsaber Duel video. It's not that I
don't want people seeing them, it's just that I don't have exclusive rights for them. I may have drawn the Ninjaburger cartoon, but it is owned by Aethereal Forge. I may have filmed & put together the lightsaber duel, but I couldn't have done it without my friends Diego and James.
All other files (Models, Tokens, Paper Miniatures, GM Tools, etc) may be distributed, or even hosted on your own website... provided that you do not claim they are your work, and provided that you do not alter the file.
- May I link to the files (cartoons, models, etc) on your site?
I would really, really prefer it if you didn't. Don't get me wrong- I'ld love to have more people linking to me,
but it would be much better to link to the front page ("www.momirfarooq.com" or "www.momirfarooq.com/index.htm"). The
index page is guaranteed to be there. The other pages and files may be moved to different directories, or I might
rename them. Also, this site uses frames, and if you link directly to a page that is supposed to be displayed
within a frame, it's just not going to look right.
- Can you link to my site?
Probably. Drop me a line (you can use the Feedback form), and give me the URL.
- Can I send you something to put on your site?
Sure. But don't send me an attached file right away. Either send me a hyperlink, or else send me
your e-mail address and a description of what you had in mind. If you send me the file first, it might fill up
my mail spool. Or I might not know what to make of it. In any event, I won't post anything without your permission,
and I'll naturally give you credit. If you don't want your work to be on the same page as my work, then that can probably
be arranged, too.
Photos of games using my models would be greatly appreciated! ;)
- How long does it take to make a model / cartoon?
If you're asking how long it takes to construct the model, most can be done within 2 hours (though I would highly advise you to take longer and wait for the glue to dry before attaching each piece).
If you're asking how long it takes to design a model, it really varies. There are some models that I was able to complete within a single day. And there are some that I've been working with off and on for over a year. I would say most take a couple of months. It really depends on how complicated the shape is and what kind of material I can find to start with (images, 3-D models from games, etc).
- I'm trying to put together one of your models, and I'm having a really hard time with it. How do you put together something so small?
A lot of this just comes with experience - you start to learn little tricks that help you out. Being near-sighted can help! The best advice I can give you would be:
- Print the model on cardstock (available at any office supply store) using an inkjet printer. Laserjet printings have a tendency to rub off while you work with them.
- Make sure the area you're working in is clean and well lit. A lot of these pieces are very, very small, and it's all too easy to loose a piece if you drop it in shag carpeting (I speak from experience).
- Cut out pieces only as you need them - don't cut all the pieces at once. Some paper modelers are very adamant about using a hobby knife on a cutting board and never using scissors because scissors usually don't cut a straight line. I never really bought that arguement, however. Most of my model pieces are so small that it generally doesn't matter, and I think scissors are a lot easier to use.
- Use a hobby knife to score all fold lines, and then crease all the folds to weaken the cardstock so that it naturally starts to bend where you want it to. THIS IS CRITICAL - if you don't do this, you will have problems with the model not looking right.
- (optional) If a piece is a dark color, use a marker of the same color to darken the edges. This will minimize the number of stark white lines that will detract from the finished model's appearance.
- Before you glue two pieces together, hold them together and make sure they fit. Understand how they fit together, and how you will need to hold them when you are gluing.
- Glue pieces together with standard white craft glue (like Elmer's glue). Do not use Superglue or other types of glue unless you know what you're doing. If it's too hard to hold the pieces together, use a pair of tweesers, or squeeze them against the back of your hobby knife and your thumb nail. If you're having difficulty controling how much glue comes out when you squeeze the bottle, or if you're having a hard time dabbing a drop of glue into a tight location, then use a "glue probe" - just take a small strip of discarded cardstock, place a drop of glue on one end, and then use that strip to smear glue over the desired location.
- Wait for pieces to dry before moving on to the next one.
- Be patient, and don't give up. You may ruin your first few attempts at a particular model, but just keep at it, and you'll get it.
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