Regular People STL Miniature Collection VOL3 brings everyday life to 3D-printed dioramas - Interview
- Michael G.
- 15 minutes ago
- 5 min read
We spoke with Greg Gonzalez, creator of Regular People STL Miniature Collection VOL3, about how two decades of hands-on diorama building shaped one of the most ambitious everyday miniature collections released on Kickstarter. With over 700 highly detailed STL models designed for resin printing and scalable across multiple formats, Volume 3 reflects a creator responding directly to real-world builder needs, community feedback, and the demand for believable human stories in miniature form.
Designing Figures from a Diorama Builder’s Perspective
You started as a diorama builder before moving into 3D modeling. How did your hands-on experience with physical dioramas shape the way you design your 3D model STL miniatures today?
It shaped everything, because I started designing the figures I spent 20 years looking for but could never find. As a builder, I knew the frustration of creating realistic street scenes only to have them feel like a ghost town because the only figures available were soldiers or fantasy stuff. My background taught me that context is king. A figure isn’t just a statue; it’s a prop that tells a story. That’s why I focus so heavily on 'mundane' natural poses—people checking their phones, carrying groceries, or just leaning against a wall. Those are the details that make a diorama feel alive rather than staged. Practically speaking, my builder background also dictates how I engineer the files. I know how annoying it is to glue tiny, fragile wrists and ankles together, so I design my figures as single, solid pieces that are ready to print and paint. I also know that we builders work in all sorts of weird scales—from 1:64 Hot Wheels size to large 1:24 scales—so providing high-fidelity STLs that hold up when resized was a non-negotiable for me. I design these not just as a 3D modeler, but as the guy who is going to have to print, paint, and place them on a shelf.
Why Everyday Street People Matter More Than Fantasy Figures
Many miniature ranges focus on fantasy or sci-fi characters. What inspired you to focus on everyday street people, and why do you think these figures resonate so strongly with builders and gamers?
The inspiration came from realizing that in the world of miniatures, the 'extra' is actually the star. In a movie, the background actors are what convince you that the world is real. If you have a beautifully weathered 1970s muscle car model or a gritty alleyway diorama, but the only figures available to you are wizards or soldiers, the illusion breaks immediately. I wanted to capture the beauty of the mundane—a mechanic wiping his brow, a kid on a bike, or someone just waiting for a bus. These are the textures of real life. I think they resonate so strongly because they are the 'connective tissue' of a scene. For builders, a regular person gives a vehicle scale and context. For gamers—especially those playing modern RPGs or survival horror—these figures are the perfect NPCs (non-player characters) or bystanders that raise the stakes. We have enough heroes with swords; what we were missing were the people those heroes are supposed to be saving. My figures let hobbyists finally tell those grounded, human stories.
Expanding to Over 700 Models with Volume 3
This new campaign introduces your largest collection to date, with over 700 models. What was your main goal with Volume 3 in terms of diversity, poses, and real-world scenarios?
My main goal was to finally say 'Yes' to the questions I get every day. After Volume 2, my inbox was full of people asking, 'Do you have a 1940s train engineer?' 'Do you have modern hikers?' 'What about 1990s gangsters?' I realized that 'Regular People' isn't just one category; it's a thousand different subcultures and eras. So, the goal with Volume 3 was universality through specificity. I didn't want to just make generic 'men in suits.' I wanted to cover the specific niches that are impossible to find elsewhere—from modern Japanese Yakuza to 1980s BMX riders. In terms of poses, I moved away from the standard 'standing around' pose. Real life is dynamic. I wanted mechanics who are actually under the hood, paramedics in the middle of a rescue, and hikers climbing terrain. The goal was to create a library so vast that no matter what scene a builder is dreaming up—whether it's a 1920s train station or a modern street accident—they don't have to compromise. They can find the exact actor they need for their stage.
How Backer Feedback Reshaped the Collection
You mentioned that feedback from previous campaigns played a big role in shaping this release. What kind of suggestions from backers most influenced the direction of this new STL miniature collection
The biggest takeaway was that builders were desperate for 'occupational' figures to interact with their machinery. In previous campaigns, I focused a lot on pedestrians—people walking or sitting. But the feedback I got constantly was, 'I have this fire truck, but no firefighters,' or 'I have a 1940s locomotive, but no engineer to drive it.' That feedback completely shifted my focus for Volume 3. It’s why you see such a heavy emphasis on Emergency Services—from 1950s paramedics to modern-day first responders—and specific specialized roles like 1940s train crews or auto mechanics. The second biggest influence was the demand for specific subcultures. Backers didn't just want 'bad guys'; they wanted specific distinct groups to tell a story. They asked for 1990s-style gangsters in tracksuits, modern bikers for bar scenes, and even 1980s BMX riders. Listening to those specific requests helped me realize that people aren't just building generic towns; they are building specific moments in time, and they needed the fashion and attitude to match.
Why Kickstarter Fits the Long-Term Vision for Regular People STL Miniature Collection VOL3
Why does Kickstarter remain the right platform for launching new 3D model STL miniatures, and how do you see this project fitting into your long-term vision?
Kickstarter remains the best platform because it transforms a product launch into a community event. If I simply uploaded these 700 files to my online store doublegdiecast.com one by one, it would just be a transaction. On Kickstarter, it’s a collaboration. The comment section becomes a think-tank where backers suggest ideas that often end up in the final stretch goals. It allows me to secure the funding needed to dedicate hundreds of hours to modeling, while simultaneously validating exactly what the community wants next. My long-term vision is to make Double G Diecast the definitive 'encyclopedia' for realistic miniatures. I want to reach a point where a builder never has to settle for a generic figure again. Whether they are building a 1920s railway, a 1980s arcade, or a modern crime scene, I want to have the exact historical and cultural archetype they need. Volume 3 is a massive leap toward that goal—it’s about moving from being a 'collection' of figures to becoming the essential resource for the entire hobby.
As we wrap up our conversation with Greg Gonzalez, Regular People STL Miniature Collection VOL3 comes across as more than a large STL release—it feels like the product of long-term observation from inside the hobby. Built by someone who knows exactly where miniature scenes break immersion, the project focuses on context, realism, and specificity rather than spectacle. By listening closely to builders and treating everyday figures as storytelling tools rather than filler, this third volume marks a clear step toward a broader ambition: creating a reference library of human life in miniature form.
About the creator of Regular People STL Miniature Collection VOL3
Greg Gonzalez is a diorama builder with 20 years of experience who started creating his own miniature people after struggling to find realistic figures for his scenes. He began with casting molds, then moved into 3D printing as the technology became accessible, steadily improving and expanding his catalog over time. Today, he sells his models through his Etsy shop (doublegdiecast) and his own store at DoubleGdiecast.com, while also collaborating with and licensing models from other creators.
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