Teh PW
Self Impossed Exile (This Space for rent)
Member # 1203
posted
Yeah, the gimme's used/availible for model kit diorama are surprisingly limited. i dont know if they care or simply are unaware of the differnet pieces of SE we use. of course, if you're savy with molds or plastic injection and have some knowledge of equipment sizes and function *cough, cough*...
well, im not knowledgeable with using molds or injection plastic, anywho...
posted
3D prototyping is the way ahead. Make the model in 3D, upload it to Shapeways or similar website and a few days later the finished part arrives. Piece of cake to make anything now. Should be ordering my first home-built Trek model tomorrow.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Teh PW
Self Impossed Exile (This Space for rent)
Member # 1203
posted
can you make a 3d object from 2d scans of a item? say if you have front, side and top views?
Just a simple kitbash I made for a friend, but he wants a model of it himself so I used it as my first test.
The thing is, 3D printing needs models that fit a very strict set of criteria in how they're built. Not only must the model be physically able to support its own weight, but the mesh itself can have NO errors and must be 'watertight'. I had to build the model again completely from scratch using different techniques, and spend ages debugging the mesh so it was perfectly sealed. I also made the saucer and secondary hull hollow inside, as you are charged by volume and material selection, so the less volume the smaller the price. Lastly I simplified some of the detail and exaggerated some things like the depth of the windows so they'll show up on the physical model.
PW, you need a 3D mesh rather than just plans. Just ask Reverend about how much is missing from 2D plans when you try to turn them into 3D. There are experimental programs out there that will make a textured 3D mesh from photos, but none released yet that I know of. This means you need to learn a 3D package or get someone to make your model for you. There are a ton of models on the site anyway made by others, one might fit the bill for you.
I'm going to upload my Kili mesh today and order a model of it. It's worldwide delivery within 10 days, so when it arrives I'll post pictures of the thing.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
The man's right. It takes a lot of work to get even a relatively simple design like a shuttle from a set of plans to a decent 3D mesh with lots of back and forth, cutaway diagrams and a bunch of things that just don't show up in an orthographic plan...and that's on the very rare occasion when the plans are drawn accurately with no errors or creative enhancements (aka cheating.)
I think out of all the designs Axeman and myself collaborated on, the only one that went reasonably smoothly was the Korolev's yacht, much to our mutual shock. You'd think all those compound curves would bugger us up, but it actually worked out surprisingly well.
Not very Original, Axe *grins* A TMP Kelvin... but honestly, the Kelvin herself isn't original, herself, i think when you look at some of the fan/Fasa/SFB designed in the past based on the Hermes/Saladin design...
still, it's a pretty ship, Ax. you actually gonna get a injection mold of that frame? o.O
posted
Nope. Not my design anyway, it was by a guy called Robert Freedman who asked nicely so I made it for him. I despise kitbashes with a passion, all those fuckin cut & paste horrors on Starship Schematics website make me gag, but this was easy so it got made. It grew on me, so I made my own design based on it but never worked it up beyond a basic test model...
Finished the mesh this morning and uploaded it in 3 sizes to Shapeways. Go to www.shapeways.com and do a quick search for kilimanjaro and you'll find them. The prices go by material and size, which you can select on the right hand side menu, and it will give you an idea of how much this nonsense costs. The secondary hull and saucer are actually mainly hollow, so solid versions would be even more expensive. have to watch wall thickness though, or it caves in.
Great for making game pieces (shit hot Monopoly charachters or micromachines) but expensive for large models. If I wanted to crank out lots of large models I'd make it in pieces like a resin kit, then make moulds from that. Not sure what to do next, might convert a shuttle and see how that looks. Anyway, I've ordered a mid-sized Kilimanjaro model to see how it turns out in Alumide. Cant wait!
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
Wow, Axe. Great stuff. Never heard of Shapeways. *Bookmarked for prop making* Would love to see how this comes out. Frankly, I'm a bit afraid it's not going to balance on that one nacelle...
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
There's a load of companies out there that let you upload a model and get a quote for a '3d print', but Shapeways seem to be the biggest aimed at allowing anyone to upload anything. Most of the rest are still touting primarily to business and design studios, not tapping into the home and small business market at all. I plan to set up a shop on Shapeways so people can order stuff online, I'll start making stuff that's somewhat more commercial or saleable to put there. So far it's just the Kili in 3 sizes and the C57-D saucer from Forbidden Planet.
-------------------- www.kennyscrap.com - where I download crap I make.
Registered: Jun 2003
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