Digital Sculpting and Shapeways

[Puuka]

Just wondering if anyone here is a "digital sculptor" using 3D software to make their models?

I got to thinking on this when looking at a site related to another of my hobbies (building and putting textures on items for a 3D chat community)

It's called Shapeways and allows you to "Print out" 3D models in plastics and even sell them to others through their site. I noticed there were some figures available, but was wondering if there was anyone here who has used this site either as a creator or as a customer. (I found the search for "Wargame" brought up the most hits)

If you're a creator, have you thought of using it to make multiple scales? Wouldn't it just be a matter of shrinking (or increasing) the computer model?

[Svennn]

I have very little knowledge of this but I have seen some wonderful creations on other forums. Unfortunately the limitations of the printers always seems to be the stumbling block when it comes to wargames figures.

I would have thought your theory with regard scale is sound though. Kit manufacturers have been known to pantagraph in different ratios from the same master so why not.

[Puuka]

oh, I also found that 25mm/28mm pulled up a few too.

and the Miniatures section
http://www.shapeways.com/gallery?page=1&category=Miniatures

[myincubliss]

Bizarrely was having a pint t'other day with my cousin who's an engineer when he mentioned they'd just got one of these machines at their work. Naturally, my immediate reaction was to ask if it could be used to make miniatures and if he could sneak me in, but apparently it's no good at doing perfectly smooth surfaces, instead giving a 'stepped' effect to a slope. Now, this is an industrial machine, owned by a company that make everything from bits of cars to medical supplies, imported from Switzerland (iirc), so I'm guessing it can't be that old - if it can't produce smooth curves, I'm guessing anything we (as non-industrial chaps) have access to is going to be even worse 

Then again, technology is constantly changing and improving, som maybe one day we'll be able to print out miniatures...

[Puuka]

Being a plastic, it would be pretty easy to sand/file down I would imagine

[myincubliss]

From the sounds of it you'd literally be scultping a miniature out of plastic using your file.

Are there any finished product pictures on that site? Had a flick through some of the renders, and there's some awfully nice looking stuff...

[YPU]

Some of the renders on there have pictures of the finished product, look at the spoke like castle and the space ships, I think those had actual pictures of the stuff.

[myincubliss]

Looking at some of them they look pretty sweet... maybe the industrial one is just too big for detail work? Either way, this looks pretty cool (although admittedly, for the equivalent price I'm more likely to buy lead than plastic...)

[Puuka]

From the sounds of it you'd literally be scultping a miniature out of plastic using your file.

Are there any finished product pictures on that site? Had a flick through some of the renders, and there's some awfully nice looking stuff...

Here's one in a 54mm
http://www.shapeways.com/model/76451/minah_54mm.html

And I know Ben Misenar has done some through Shapeways (His Machine Man was on there for a bit as a non-purchasable piece). He has done work for WK, Monpoc and Hordes
http://www.freelancesculptor.com/index.php?p=1_1&p2=1

An example of Ben's stuff can be seen here
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Computer model

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Finished production

[gamer Mac]

Have you seen this thread.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=15073.msg178950#msg178950
Edges don't look very square on the last model.

[Puuka]

And the pricing is quite different from Shapeways. The 25-28mm figures seem to go for about $4-$10, depending on mass.

[former user]

arent't the 28mm Hät not digitally sculpted?

[Puuka]

arent't the 28mm Hät not digitally sculpted?

Not sure what "Hät" is. Here is a discussion that Ben is participating in on HCRealms (Hero Clix forum) about some of his pieces.
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268128

[Christian]

They make historical figures as far as I know.

We have similar services here in Oz, and I've been thinking about it... but I'm not very good at computer graphics. I think I'll just stick to making things with my hands!

[OSHIROmodels]

We use RP (rapid prototyping, stereolithography to name a few) at work. I'm an architectural modelmaker and architects are designing shit that we are finding difficult to make the proper way anymore, but the quality is poor and not really suitable for figures yet (it won't take long though). One of the processes that we use involves very fine layers of resin power that are laid on top of one another and each layer has sectioal plan fused into it and at the end you take out the model and shake away the excess. The other one utilises a bath of liquid resin and laser beams sinter across using XYZ axis and where they cross the resin solidifies creating the shape.

It's still not as good as when you make it by hand  It always seems like cheating  There's no school like the old school 

cheers

Jaems