My dad worked on plaster models for Doom in Texas during the early 3D-scan days — think we found one of the original molds! – From /r/Doom

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share something interesting that my dad and I recently found — a plaster torso bust that he worked on back when Doom was first experimenting with 3D scanning of physical models in the early-to-mid ’90s.

He told me that around that time, his team was creating plaster and clay sculpts that were used as references for scanning and lighting tests as id Software was transitioning from photographed sprites to 3D workflows. He said this particular piece might’ve been a broken or unused mold, and it ended up being kept afterward.

The bust itself is solid plaster, around 8–9 inches tall, showing a detailed muscular torso (no head or arms). It’s got that heavy, chalky texture typical of studio plaster from that period.

From my research, I know Gregor Punchatz’s TXFX studio in Texas helped make Doom’s physical monster models, so it seems like it may have come from that same general workflow — but we’re not claiming anything definitive.

I mostly just want to learn more about this kind of piece:

Were plaster maquettes like this commonly used in Doom’s development or early 3D scans?

Has anyone ever seen something similar connected to id Software or TXFX?

Any advice on how to preserve or document it properly?

I’m not trying to oversell it or make it sound like something it’s not — it’s just a really cool part of my dad’s story and I’d love to confirm more about its background.

Thanks for taking a look and for any info you can share!