Fabbaloo Blog

FabFabbers Opens

General Fabb — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:40 +0000

Yet another 3D model sharing site has opened: FabFabbers. Like many such repositories, FabFabbers permits members to upload models, showcase them in listings for download by visitors. But what differentiates this repository from the rest?

There are two features we found particularly interesting: uploaded models can actually be stored on GitHub, which is a very popular software repository with sophisticated versioning services. You can, for example, update your model to a new version and it would automatically be reflected at FabFabbers.

The other interesting feature is live OpenSCAD in a browser window. You can code in OpenSCAD on the left side of the screen, while your adjustments appear in a 3D rotatable window on the right.

At this point there are well over 100 items in the FabFabbers repository, but we suspect more will be arriving soon.

Via FabFabbers

Platige Image's Astonishing 3D Printed Sculpture: Biostagog

General Fabb — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:00:29 +0000

A collaboration of artists and technicians has created one of the most amazing 3D printed sculptures ever attempted. Polish company Platige Image required a "statement" for their headquarters in Warsaw and we believe this massive sculpture delivers. They say:

The installation was supposed to be an interactive, “living” element in the building, a phenomenon existing within the lobby space that would create new situations that engage people, visitors and employees alike.

It's a wall composed of over 800 individually designed 3D printed pieces and creatively lit to develop unique optical experiences for those fortunate to stand nearby. As a static sculpture it is seamlessly beautiful, but its real magic occurs when the complex lighting is applied to the 3D surfaces. This is best seen in their video below:

BIOSTAGOG from Platige Image on Vimeo.

The design was created by collaborator Bridge using Grasshopper to mathematically generate each of the 800 shapes. An overview of the Grasshopper generation tree is shown above (click for larger view).

These individual pieces were then 3D printed on an array of RepRap 3D printers provided by ZMorph. Apparently, "5 machines where used 24 hours, 7 days a week for 3 months to print it."

Platige Image is a company focusing on creative endeavors. As for this endeavor, we think they nailed it.

Via Platige

3D Printed Bullets?

General Fabb — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:01:08 +0000

A new video has surfaced of experiments with 3D printed bullets. The video, produced by popular gun video enthusiasts Taofledermaus, shows three actual firings of said bullets.

One firing involves 1/10 of an ounce (3g) of powder, another is 1/2 an ounce (14g) and the third shows a very unusual shape, which fails miserably. The first two appear to work very well, to the surprise of the experimenters, who seem to have not seen 3D printed items previously.

The "bullet" is mounted on the a shotgun shell and fired from a shotgun. It does contain a small bit of lead because the bullet would not otherwise contain enough mass to work properly. The experimenters also suggest that firing in a rifled barrel (spirally carved) would dramatically increase the accuracy of the bullet.

While this development is not totally unexpected, such ammunition would be easily detectable as gunpowder residue would be significant. Another issue is the production time for these would be hours per bullet; no one is going to mass produce ammunition using this technique.

Via YouTube

Voronoization

General Fabb — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:40 +0000

You may have seen those fascinating 3D models that seem to have replaced the normal shape with a strange, smooth skeletal networked form. The complex structures seem impossibly difficult to design with conventional 3D modeling tools, and indeed they are. Perhaps they've been made with mathematical 3D model generation tools operated by a PhD? Sometimes this is the case.

But did you know there's an easy way to do this yourself with almost any 3D model?

We found tutorials describing how to create "Voronoi" shapes. But what is a "Voronoi"? According to Wikipedia:

A Voronoi diagram is a way of dividing space into a number of regions. A set of points (called seeds, sites, or generators) is specified beforehand and for each seed there will be a corresponding region consisting of all points closer to that seed than to any other. The regions are called Voronoi cells.

That's exactly what many of these strange 3D models are doing: a regular 3D model has been "Voronoized". It's actually quite a simple process to do yourself using the free open source tool MeshLab. The process involves these basic steps, which you can see in more detail in the tutorials linked below:

Ensure your 3D model's mesh is composed of many faces
Randomly add points throughout the mesh
Apply a Voronoi filter on those random points to create regions
Cut out the Voronoi regions, leaving just the connectors between cells
Fatten up the connectors as required
Smooth and refine the result

We tested this approach several times and found it to be relatively straightforward and providing decent results, as you can see above.

One caution: the Voronoi version of your 3D model will follow the outside surface, meaning that the top of your Voronoi model may require support to successfully 3D print. Solid objects become hollow, with just the voronoized surface and nothing inside.

We used these tutorials to learn how to execute this process. Be warned, however, that some refer to older versions of Meshlab that were slightly different from current versions - but it's easy to relate their instructions to newer versions.

And of course, you'll need Meshlab, too.

3D Printing The Enterprise

General Fabb — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:37 +0000

There's more 3D printed Star Trek with a view of this video by PC Magazine, who took on the task of 3D printing the Starship Enterprise on their 3D Systems Cube personal 3D printer.

It's a time lapse video, obviously, as 3D printers simply are not fast. This shows one of the main challenges that consumer 3D printing must overcome: wait time. It can take many hours to print anything substantial, particularly if printing in a higher resolution. For now, early adopters will accept such delays, but a larger mass of consumers won't.

Which company will invent a speedier way of 3D printing?

Via PCMAG

CGTrader's Massive 3D Print Competition

General Fabb — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:11 +0000

There's a lot of 3D print competitions lately, but this one seems to involve more prizes than we've seen before. CGTrader's "3D Printing Competition" seeks fully 3D printable models to be uploaded before June 30th, when they will be judged by CGTrader staff.

What makes this competition different is the quantity and quality of prizes. Winners receive: an Ultimaker 3D printer, multiple 3D print services, filament coupons, retail shelf space for sales, publicity and CGTrader credits.

Prizes are awarded for the "Best 3D Printable Portfolio", based on submissions from a designer's uploads during the competition as well as for the individual "Best 3D Printable Model". Two runners-up in each category will also be selected and will receive smaller, but still substantial prizes.

Who will win? The judges will decide based on quality, innovation, uniqueness, presentation and of course, printability.

If you're a designer with cool ideas, you should check out this competition.

Via CGTrader

Now You Can Go Where No One Has Gone Before

General Fabb — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:28 +0000

Cubify launched a new dynamic 3D model service specifically for Trekkies: Personalized 3D Printed Star Trek Figurines. If you never had a chance to appear on the show (and who could have?) you now can put yourself in a Star Fleet uniform.

The USD$69.99 offer requires a bit of input from you, as do all dynamic model generators. You'll need to provide images of your face as well as a choice of gender, pose (including "tricorder", vulcan salute, phaser, at attention, etc), shirt color (Don't Pick Red whatever you do!) rank, weight, height and a message.

The new Cubify service will take those parameters and automatically create your own figurine with their color 3D printers. After a short trip in the mail, you'll have it in your hand.

At this stage the service only offers uniforms from the original Star Trek series - but they may be offering more in the future as there is a poll on the site asking which uniforms visitors prefer: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.

No word on "Enterprise", for some reason. Hm.

Via Cubify

3D Systems to Acquire Arcam?

General Fabb — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:11 +0000

Last week 3D Systems did something unusual: they sold off 7,500,000 shares of their stock at a price of USD$40 each. Around 17.5% of these shares were held by "certain selling stockholders", while the rest were owned by 3D Systems itself. This raised company coffers by a massive USD$300M.

Companies just don't do this for fun. They do it to raise money to spend on something.

What costs USD$300M?

We suspect they're shopping for another company, as does a report in Seeking Alpha. The report by contributor Mikko Dahlbom suggests 3D Systems could benefit by picking up Swedish Arcam AB, currently with a market capitalization at over USD$1B according to Google. The USD$300M would go a long way to purchasing a big chunk of Arcam, especially when combined with stock swaps or other arrangements.

But why Arcam? Arcam's technology portfolio includes "Electron Beam Melting" for 3D printing metal, a technology (and material) not currently available to 3D Systems. 3D Systems is well known for their strategy of holding patents for as many 3D printing processes as possible, and this theoretical acquisition would support that strategy. Arcam's slogan, "From CAD to Metal", could belong to 3D Systems soon.

Why now? A glance at Arcam's stock price may tell the story. Their price continues to rise strongly and buying now would likely be less expensive than doing it in the future.

Via 3D Systems, Seeking Alpha and Google Finance

Design of the Week: Memorial Bust of a Woman

General Fabb — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:55 +0000

This week's selection is Memorial Bust of a Woman by artist Sophie Kahn. What appears to be a relic-like representation of a woman is actually much more. It's a self-portrait, obtained using 3D laser scanning to obtain a rough 3D model.

But it's an inaccurate capture, as the artist moves very slightly during the scanning process to introduce a kind of 3D motion blur. The model is then "fragmented" into pieces and 3D printed. Finally, they are assembled into the completed piece.

We've seen (and performed) many human scan-to-prints, but this one is very different. It's a unique 3D style that continues to explore the capabilities of 3D printing technology.

Khan is currently exhibiting this work and several other similar works at the Art Institute of Chicago until June 7th.

Via Sophie Khan and SUGS Galleries

Tinkercad Lives!

General Fabb — Sun, 19 May 2013 16:00:40 +0000

Our beloved Tinkercad lives again. The very popular web-based 3D modeling service was used by many due to its ease of use, web availability and inexpensive pricing. But in a move shocking everyone, the owners of Tinkercad announced it was closing as their business moved off into other ventures.

But now, in a rather sudden move, they've announced they've sold off the assets of Tinkercad to Autodesk, makers of much fine 3D software. According to their press release:

The shutdown plan has been rolled back and effective immediately new users are again able to sign up for the site. Even better, at the request of Autodesk, we have supercharged the free plan. You can now create unlimited designs, all import and export functionality is enabled and ShapeScripts are turned on for free accounts. We have automatically upgraded all existing free accounts to this new powerful plan. This account will be offered for a limited time only so make sure you sign up as soon as possible.

And it gets better. Apparently: "Autodesk has some very exciting plans for Tinkercad." We obviously don't know what they might be, but saving Tinkercad alone is certainly good. You'd best resurrect your Tinkercad account or sign up as soon as you can.

We have one slight concern: it appears that Autodesk is intent on cornering the market on low-cost 3D modeling services, as they've already provided a number of free tools such as 123D Design. Will there be any competition?

Via Tinkercad