How to Handle DD-f3

I don't think this has been linked here, but I came across a helpful page on Volks' site about how to handle DD-f3 bodies (DDP, and the bodies for new dolls coming out),

 

http://www.dollfiedream.tokyo/dd_en/support/ddf3/

 

It's surprisingly comprehensive.

So looking at all of that, it seems that the head can no longer go backwards or forwards for poses where your girl is standing or sitting and looking up at you. I mean poses like this:

 

DSC05303 by Billy Bennett, on Flickr

 

That's a DD2 body where I cut out a small section of the neck vinyl so she could look up at me more.

 

So if this is true, that sucks. Why lose that ability? I can see how it goes side to side with that first screw but there doesn't seem to be any way for the head peg to be moved forward or backward unless you move the whole neck part at the base. And that will be limited movement due to the vinyl of the necks blocking movement.

 

I hope I'm wrong on this because otherwise, we're now limited for head posing with this new setup.

 

 

 

Billy

So looking at all of that, it seems that the head can no longer go backwards or forwards for poses where your girl is standing or sitting and looking up at you.

 

Billy

 

Yes, forward / backward is limited, even compared to an unmodified DDS body. I didn't mess about with moving the neck as opposed to the head, but I'll try some things with Iori this evening. That ball joint at the base does seem a bit pointless, but maybe I am missing something.

What's funny about both of them is they're made to look like ball joints, but with the screws they're really just hinges.

What's funny about both of them is they're made to look like ball joints, but with the screws they're really just hinges.

 

Yup, that's my point exactly. I'm guessing the old spring loaded ball setup they used to use for the base of the neck pegs was too fragile and they wanted to upgrade it. But if they lose mobility and posing because of that, I'd rather have the old setup. Sure, they broke from time to time but not enough to be a huge issue.... like say the original DDS shoulder pipes cracking when you breathed on them.

 

 

Billy

It's just funny they made them look like ball joints. The lower one is really the exact same hinge it was before; it just looks different.

 

There's another thing--that page is of course showing DDP, and you can see the neck hole in the DDP bust is smaller to accomodate this design.

 

I don't know this for certain yet, but the parts listing in the magazine for DDS appears to me that the busts are the same parts as with the current bodies; otherwise having them, and no other part of the f3 bodies, available in white skin makes no sense.

 

If that is indeed the case, the old busts have that much larger neck hole so the whole thing is going to be kind of flimsy feeling, and harder to actually grip something to pull the head off.

 

Maybe Cool Cat will make a version of their metal neck joint that fits on f3 but also still includes the top ball joint like their current ones.

Wow, that's a nice break down. But if I find that I have to take her apart more then a couple times for the same joint, there will be locktight involved.

So if this is true, that sucks. Why lose that ability? I can see how it goes side to side with that first screw but there doesn't seem to be any way for the head peg to be moved forward or backward unless you move the whole neck part at the base.

 

The image here and in Volks News 80 is the same, which is for the DDP body. The DDP body is too small to look up/down, even if they were to modify the skeleton to allow it the vinyl would be too restrictive at that size (too stiff). Like the DD3 skeletons can articulate a lot more than the vinyl allows, for both looking up/down and bringing the shoulders forward back (like a human's shoulder blades).

 

What's funny about both of them is they're made to look like ball joints, but with the screws they're really just hinges.

I think it's so the screws have a larger chunk of plastic to screw into, to prevent cracking or getting snapped from stress. Unlike the original DD3 body's shoulder/thigh joints

What Foo is saying makes a lot of sense. The upper torso vinyl is very thick relative to its size. I don’t think it’s any thicker than a DD torso, but it’s smaller.

 

Still I much prefer it to Azone 50 torsos. They’re almost spongy in their squishiness. The firmness of the DDP body is a lot nicer to work with, and I just like that they feel substantial despite their small size.

The image here and in Volks News 80 is the same, which is for the DDP body. The DDP body is too small to look up/down, even if they were to modify the skeleton to allow it the vinyl would be too restrictive at that size (too stiff). Like the DD3 skeletons can articulate a lot more than the vinyl allows, for both looking up/down and bringing the shoulders forward back (like a human's shoulder blades).

This is a good point and I thought about it earlier myself. However, the page with the DDS body parts shows the common upper frame part for DD/DDS/DDdy:

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DmuxIheUUAA8hR7.jpg:large

 

It appears to be exactly like the DDP one. Unless they're for now showing the same frame part there as well, which could be the case I suppose.

It appears to be exactly like the DDP one. Unless they're for now showing the same frame part there as well, which could be the case I suppose.

You mean in the lower left corner? That looks completely different from the DDP one :/ The neck may move forward/back.

 

This is the DDS one,

 

This is the DDP one,

It might move that way, and we'll just have to wait to be sure; however, it looks like it still has the same screw going front-to-back in the upper joint which would mean it doesn't.

It might move that way, and we'll just have to wait to be sure; however, it looks like it still has the same screw going front-to-back in the upper joint which would mean it doesn't.

I was referring to the part where there's a screwdriver on the DDP frame. Actually... rather than guessing I thought I'd confirm how much the DDP's neck moves,

 

Head tilted back,

 

Back and leaning left,

 

Tilted forward,

 

Tilted forward and right,

 

It actually moves around a lot, it's not screwed tight. It's a small joint on the DDP so the range is limited.

Oh I get what you're saying now.

 

It's consistent with what Baldylox was asking in the beginning though, the forward-backward movement is now confined to the lower joint at the base of the neck rather than being able to tilt the head right at the top of the head/base of the neck. However, since the internal frame in the neck is so much smaller now it seems to have a similar adjustment range anyway, based on your pictures. In DD3 due to how the internal frame fit within the skin, that lower joint really just bends the neck at the bottom rather than how this is.

It's consistent with what Baldylox was asking in the beginning though, the forward-backward movement is now confined to the lower joint at the base of the neck rather than being able to tilt the head right at the top of the head/base of the neck.

No actually, with these photos I was showing the upper joint at the top, not the lower joint at the base of the neck. So there's two joints like before. Where the screwdriver is pointing in the DDP image, that's a joint that only moves forward/back. At the top of that image there's another joint, the top of which you can see in my photos. The screw doesn't go into a hole, it goes into a vertical slot which gives it movement forward & back.

The screw doesn't go into a hole, it goes into a vertical slot which gives it movement forward & back.

That's the bit of info that's been missing. From the pictures it's easy to assume that screw goes through just like the lower joint. As small as the top joint is, I had kind of wondered about that actually, and since there's no pic of the back of that in what Volks showed, I couldn't see if there was a nut like there is on the lower joint.

 

Thanks. I apologize for coming across like a dummy here.

Thanks. I apologize for coming across like a dummy here.

No worries, it's hard to understand how things move from small JPEGs (ｰｰ')

Since the slot exists in the neck frame it seems that it’s possible that Billy’s neck mod may work. Since the busts are compatible between the DDS / DD and the F3 versions it might be possible to just try any already modified bust on his new Saber. I expect that slot will offer a larger range of motion than the neck opening would allow, even on a DD, so a mod may still be worthwhile.

 

One thing I do wonder, if the term DD-F3 literally refers to a DD body with an F3 frame then really all they may be doing is selling the same option parts with new frame parts installed. On the other hand it’s possible that some redesign of the vinyl is necessary to allow for the new range of motion the frame is supposed to bring.