So does anyone wonder if we'll ever see not just 3D Printing but 3D scanning?

[FramFramson]

Frustrations of scale drive me bananas. It's tough enough for me to find figures for my projects and the times when I've seen an absolutely perfect figure only for it to look like a damned midget compared to everything else I've got have come close to driving me batty. I mean, for a 1mm difference I'm not going to bother, but when a supposedly "tall" character winds up being a full head shorter (and much skinnier) than the other figures I've got, well that's right out. Or those wonderful cases when a figure maker decides they want to do things in 40+mm scale because they hate money or something.

This had me thinking. Does anyone think we'll ever see not just 3D printing, but scanning as well? Send in a figure, get it scaled correctly, and have a printout sent back?

I'm sure there are many other applications that we can all think of there too. Some less honest than others. I'm honestly curious if anyone thinks it's something we'll see, or if the technology for that is workable at all.

Alternatively, is there anyone who knows how to and/or does re-cast figures slightly larger?  

[Sir Dryden]

3D scanning is happenning right now. Check this out:

http://www.creaform3d.com/en/metrology-solutions/portable-3d-scanner-handyscan-3d

I saw it in action, pretty impressive. I think the "resolution" of the scan isn't yet capable of scanning minis, but it shouldn't be too far away. Now, there's the whole question of IP...

Sir Dryden

[beefcake]

I have an app on my iPad that is basically a 3d scanner. Not for printing but you can get a 3d representation. I caught my daughter sleeping and could then see her in 3d, of course I could just look at her anyway but you get the idea. I just had to take a series of photos.
Also a course I went to (I'm a teacher and I teach in a BYOD classroom) they had a salesman selling 3d printers for schools and he demonstrated with an xbox kinect device (the one where you just wave your arms about and you control the game). He used it to scan a person into the computer and then printed her off. Pretty cool.

[nic-e]

you can build a rudimentary 3d scanner with an xbox kinnect device.

There is (was) an indegogo campaign for an all in 1 3d scanner/printer/lathe/rapid prototyping machine .
If i can find the link i'll post it for you.

[Conquistador]

Frustrations of scale drive me bananas. It's tough enough for me to find figures for my projects and the times when I've seen an absolutely perfect figure only for it to look like a damned midget compared to everything else I've got have come close to driving me batty. I mean, for a 1mm difference I'm not going to bother, but when a supposedly "tall" character winds up being a full head shorter (and much skinnier) than the other figures I've got, well that's right out. Or those wonderful cases when a figure maker decides they want to do things in 40+mm scale because they hate money or something.

This had me thinking. Does anyone think we'll ever see not just 3D printing, but scanning as well? Send in a figure, get it scaled correctly, and have a printout sent back?

I'm sure there are many other applications that we can all think of there too. Some less honest than others. I'm honestly curious if anyone thinks it's something we'll see, or if the technology for that is workable at all.

Alternatively, is there anyone who knows how to and/or does re-cast figures slightly larger?  

To answer your last question first, yes there are several that have clearly done recasts (IMO) or taken two figures (Alpini and skater to make VSF Alpini) and I have spoken to one of the latter victims of stolen IP and have the remaining duplicate figures sitting on a shelf - won't paint them, won't sell, won't use them, have no means to melt them.  Will I tell you who they are?  No.  

I have several armies that are made up of recasts before identified them by comparison to known originals and finding the original sculptors/sellers to confirm they clearly were not the ones they sold.  Those armies remain "frozen in time" and while I don't destroy the recasts (see above) I avoid the known sources and pay more (in some cases waaaay more) for figures I can see are not clearly recasts.  Not angelic by any means but I do have an ethical standard higher than some of my co-workers in my business - which probably isn't saying much.

I think we will eventually see 3D scanning but they will include more protections in the process/software and will initially drive up the unit price IMO.

Gracias,

Glenn

[FramFramson]

To be straight - I don't mean to steal someone's livelihood. I have already purchased the various figures in question but I cannot use them due to severe scale issues. If I got someone to recast one such figure in a larger size (I mean, is that even possible? How does that work exactly? I've never even heard of it being done.), receiving a single copy of the larger figure back, how does that constitute harm? To me that is like buying a DVD legitimately and then copying it to another format so I can watch it on say, my computer.

NOW, if that person then uses the molds to produce extra figures and sells them as straight recasts, then I would agree that is clear profiteering/piracy/whatever you want to call it. But people like that don't me to send them a figure - they'll do that on their own, with the most valuable figures they can get their hands on.

More importantly, that is not what I want and not what I would ask anyone to do.

EDIT: I don't mean to start a piracy argument, though this does touch on that subject. I'm mainly interested in the technical possibilities. What will be possible in the future. Is it possible now? I mean, Are we able to re-scale items using our current "analog" technology (i.e. recasts)? To what quality? If so, how might scanning compare in the future to what exists now? Could this solve problems people have with different scales of minis?

This is also a separate issue from people who make digital masters and who can re-scale those on the computer, printing different size masters from the same master file.

[beefcake]

you can build a rudimentary 3d scanner with an xbox kinnect device.

Nice to see you read my post 

[nic-e]

Nice to see you read my post 

Sorry about that ,i must have missed it.

[beefcake]

  sorry couldn't resist, were all guilty of that on here though. 

[Conquistador]

FramFramson,

Okay, now I understand where you are going...

Gracias,

Glenn

[Pendrake]

Frustrations of scale drive me bananas.

...character winds up being...

...a full head shorter...

[FramFramson]

Especially if the character in question is supposed to be bigger than similar ones, yes.

[Pendrake]

recast [a] figure in a larger size (I mean, is that even possible? How does that work exactly? I've never even heard of it being done.)

It is possible. Aerospace engineers have been scaling parts up or down in 3D CAD for decades.

Reaper minis did exactly this with Kaladrax the undead dragon when they had him re-created in their new plastic material.

The original metal design was scanned; the digital master was scaled up; the resulting new Kaladrax may no longer qualify as a mini...


Kaladrax the Dragon, cast in Bones-ium, at Reaper Con 2013.

If I got someone to recast one such figure, receiving a single copy of the larger figure back, how does that constitute harm?

You have a Foundry figure. You want a bigger version. The someone you paid to cast it larger receives money for doing so; Foundry does not. Thus Foundry is harmed.

To me that is like buying a DVD legitimately and then copying it to another format so I can watch it on say, my computer.

If you need another copy in a different format of a DVD owned by Sony Entertainment the legit way to get that is request one in the alternate format from Sony. Anything else is not legit.

Sony is in the business of selling copies of music/movies they own each copy created needs to be created by Sony and sold by Sony. Only those are legit.

The Future

The good news is that the technology exists, it is spreading slowly, in future a minis maker like Foundry or Reaper might have 3D scanners and Printers and might consider doing one-offs. Technically it is feasible right now; economically I don't think it is quite here yet.

[Pendrake]

Frustrations of scale drive me bananas. ...

...  I have already purchased the various figures in question but I cannot use them due to severe scale issues.

Lucky you were not there  when this photo was taken...


...or the caption would read differently, e.g:

Jack Mitchell conducts the Rt. Hon. Fram Framson on an inspection of some of the 7th Anti-Tank after the Cassino battle. Unfortunately, Framson was driven mad by the experience and had to be led away to hospital. He was overheard mumbling, "That bloke is a head taller than number four..."
 

You could just accept a little reality amongst your little lead men ... Just a thought.

[former user]

without wanting to mix up discussion about
- scale in 28mm: I made various remarks on this topic often enough, don't need to repeat them here (yes the weapons too...)
- it is technically possible and the technology is available, 3D Print in full colour and 3D scan with proper resolution (Yes Creaform can scan scratches on bones...) - it is too expensive to be marketable for the hobby still IMHO
up- and downscaling is not a problem either whatever can be done with pictures, is possible with 3D digital models too - however , the eye is forgiving, not the digital printer, so resolution and quality issues will still need some tweaking, whether by hand or automated software
- the IP issue of 3D scans is still a Black Hole of jurisdiction, from what I was advised recently (the context was museum pieces), the 3D scan of an object belongs to the person who made it who can do with it as person likes - print it, etc. (in the same way I can use a picture I take of something, provided the owner of the object does not claim property rights) If this legislation does not change, it will have serious implications not only for our hobby but for other "hobbies" too....
expect huge legal battles...