3D Printed Typography

This is an interesting design: designer Luca Ionescu used typography as the foundation for this piece, which is not surprising, since Ionescu is also a typographer. 

 

The complex design incorporates type as a main feature; this approach is something we see often when people are preparing custom 3D prints. Typography is one of the key means of providing highly customized and personalized dimensions to a 3D model. Placing a name is about as personalized as one can get. 

 

Prior to 3D printing (and laser cutting), use of typography in 3D objects was difficult, but with today's 3D modeling software and 3D printing, it's almost as easy to produce a 3D typography object as it is to produce a 2D typography object. 

 

Via Ferret

3D Printing a Pulsar

A pulsar is a very strange astronomical object that is the result of a collapsing star. The conservation of angular momentum means the small collapsed star spins very rapidly, causing it to "pulse" its radio signals on a very reliable frequency, hence the name "Pulsar". 

 

Peter Walters and Katie Davies of England's University of the West decided to 3D print a pulsar. Well, not actual size, of course. We don't have a 3D printer available of that size yet. 

 

The print represents the strength of the radio signals received from the Vela Pulsar (PSR B0833-45) as it rotates. The bizarre astronomical object emits radio, optical, X-ray and gamma rays. Very nasty stuff if you happen to be nearby. We'd rather just admire the beautiful 3D print of its signals. 

  

Via Wired

Scream A 3D Print, Literally

A truly amazing installation of what's called "Production Art" is now open for viewing - and screaming - at Rabobank HQ in Utrecht, Netherlands. Screaming, you ask? That's exactly what visitors must do when the visit Alicia Framis' "Screaming Room" exhibition. You scream, the waveform is recorded and translated instantly into a 3D model (a customized cup-like shape) and finally, through the use of a conveniently attached Ultimaker 3D printer, your shape is produced in real life right before your eyes. 

 

The best part: you get to take your piece home at no charge. 

 

We think the Screaming Room is a wonderful combination of art, 3D modeling, 3D printing, digital data capture and audience participation. As always, results are usually greater than the sum of the parts. If you're in Utrecht, the exhibition is open until September of this year. 

 

What other 3D printing collisions with art are possible? 

 

Via Ultimaker (Hat tip to Bart Bakker)

Hilldrup's Fragments in Time

We caught news of an interesting artistic application of 3D printing, on display this past week in Munich at the 84Ghz exhibition. Artist Daniel Hilldrup created two works from his series Fragments in Time using 3D printing tech from Objet. 

 

One item is imaged here, showing a candle holder with the wax seemingly melting inside! The candle holder was printed in a single print operation using Objet's multi-material capability, allowing the black "wax" to appear embedded within the otherwise clear candle holder. Very cool!  

 

Via Objet

3D Printing For Graphic Artists

Graphics.com, a publication dedicated to the 3D arts recently posted "Fundamentals: 3D Printing of Digital Models". In this piece they take the reader through a basic explanation of 3D printing concepts and a walk through the lifecycle of a print: design, print and finishing of a trophy award (see image). 

 

No big surprises, but we thought it interesting that a publication dedicated to the visual 3D arts would introduce their readers to the notion of bringing their 3D models into reality through 3D printing. We think this is an immensely powerful idea, since the huge number of 3D designers across the world have little exposure to 3D printing. They don't yet (in general) realize that practically anything they design can be produced in real life, sometimes at the touch of a button. 

 

When the majority of 3D designers catch on, we'll see a rather dramatic upturn demand for 3D printers and 3D print services. 

 

Via Graphics.com

Create Your Own Museum With 3D Printing

There was quite a bit of media buzz the other week when it was revealed that the venerable Smithsonian of Washington DC has been digitizing and 3D printing some of their famous works. Imaged is the famous statue of second US president Thomas Jefferson that was scanned & modeled by Studio EIS and 3D printed using 3D print service RedEye on Demand. 

 

Why are they doing this? Perhaps it's because the museum has bazillions of items and can only display a fraction of them in their limited (yet still gigantic) physical galleries. By cloning some of their holdings they'll be able to more easily "loan" the items to other galleries, enabling far more people to enjoy the pieces. 

 

It appears that they're doing only institutional lending at this time, although we sense some interest in scanning more of their holdings.  

 

But what if they broadened this approach, beyond institutional lending? What if you were able to purchase and/or print such 3D models at home? We think this is is like have a kind of "distributed gift shop", where people could reproduce those works that most please them in their own home. Obviously some attention needs to be spent on the intellectual property aspects of this idea, but we think simply stamping the reproductions with watermarks, dumbing down the resolution somewhat and pricing them reasonably could be effective. 

 

Maybe someday you'll be able to print your own museum!

 

Via CNET 

The 3D Printed Art of Robert Geshlider

Artists have begun leveraging 3D printing technology to produce wondrous creations. This week we encountered an artist who is pushing the technology to its limit by creating perhaps the most amazing 3D printed pieces we've ever seen. 

 

We contacted California-based Robert Geshlider and asked him a few questions about his work, some of which you can see here. (Click for larger views)

  

Fabbaloo: How did you start using 3D printing for your art? What led you to the technology? 

 

Robert Geshlider: I was making sculptures using traditional methods of mold-making and casting (in bronze and plaster) up until about 1999.  I got a job then at a startup called Eoplex, helping  develop a type of 3d printer.  At Eoplex I learned Solidworks and was introduced to the various companies that made 3d printing machines.  The possibilities of using 3D CAD to develop meaningful shapes became apparent.

 

Fabbaloo: Some of your works seem quite complex, involving many components. How difficult is it to produce one of these sculptures? What is your design to build process?

 

Robert Geshlider: Well, there's two steps, the design first, and then the printing.

  

The designing of the pieces in Solidworks usually takes months.  This is when most of the struggle occurs. There's a lot of back and forth, deciding which shapes go where, what colors to apply, etc.  

 

The printing on the 3D printers is comparatively simple; it takes hours.  

 

Many things I've worked on are complex, as you've said.  I'm interested in a kind of sculptural collage, where different shapes exist side-by-side or sometimes within other shapes.  To do this with molds and casting is a technical nightmare. To do this virtually, with 3D CAD, is ideal. There's an immediate freedom to place things exactly where you want which was never quite possible working in clay or wax.  

 

Fabbaloo: What advice could you offer other artists who are considering use of 3D printing technology? 

 

Robert Geshlider: First learn a 3D CAD program and then figure out how to gain access to a machine. 

 

Solidworks, as you may know, was designed for making mechanical equipment, not sculptures, but it has suited me well.

 

There are other programs out there more appropriate for organic, curvilinear shapes, such as ZBrush or Rhino.

 

On the printer side, a lot of schools have the machines these days, or you can access them using service bureaus.  

 

Plus, the prices to own a 3d printer keep coming down.

 

Fabbaloo: The works are truly amazing - are they for sale? How can one purchase them? 

 

Robert Geshlider: Thank you for the compliment.  Yes, most of the pieces are available for sale and are produced in editions of 5. There's a contact link on my website for inquiries.

 

Via AllTheLives

Video: Using Haptic Tech for 3D Design

Artist Farah Bandookwala describes her experience using a haptic input device to design wonderful 3D sculptures. Haptic technology is the ability to "touch" a model using physical feedback mechanisms. This changes the design process significantly from conventional 3D design methods to something perhaps more akin to traditional art approaches. She's been using the Cloud9 software/hardware input combination to create some very unusual artwork. 

 

In the video, Bandookwala says: 

 

Using your hands as an artist and craftsperson, and using a haptic interface allow for being able to understand the form of an object through touch. I didn't really get immersed in using 3D software until I used Cloud 9 because it let me think in a way I was used to thinking about materials in a physical sense. 

 

We think this is a very important point. Some (well, perhaps many) popular 3D modelling software packages are designed for engineers, not artists. Even those that have an artistic bent are hampered by the differences in the interface as Bandookwala describes. This could be a factor in limiting the future use of 3D printers to produce artistic works. 

 

Today few have haptic interface hardware and software ready for use on their machines. But you can have both if you visit A1 Technologies and check out their Chameleon 3D package, which includes both the required hardware and software for £495.00 (USD$810). 

 

Via Vimeo and A1 Technologies (Hat tip to Rachel)