[Galemp]

OK, so get this. Our college (New Jersey School of Architecture) has just installed a CAM rapid prototyping machine for our use. What this means is that you can design a part or model on your computer, and then export it to the printer, to create a real, physical, three-dimensional model of anything you can imagine, for an operating cost of about $10 and 90 minutes.

It works by using a 10"x8"x8" tray filled with a special plaster powder. A roller distributes binder into the powder in layers .03mm thick slowly building up the model. Then when it's done you simply lift out the finished model and dust it off. You can make functional moving parts, use them as molds for casting metal parts, even print your parts in full 24-bit color.

The architecture school is redesigning their entire curriculum around this technology, with focus on design projects being the use and manipulation of a kit of parts in construction. Use is limite at the moment but by the end of the year we should be able to use the machine ourselves.

Get a demo video here:
Warning, 120mb AVI
Manufacturer's Website

So. What do you think? And should I go for Karma's hi-poly Fenris first, or a high-relief displacement-mapped Ravana?

[Bobboau]

I will pay $30 for for a hi-poly fenris.
be sure not to profit from this.

[Corsair]

I'd totally buy a Fenris.
And when I first read the subject of the thread, I thought it said "Computer Aided Malfunction."

[Nuke]

i got to play with a laser etching machine in my electronics class. youd load a 2d image into the computer and print to the laser and it would etch the pattern into whatever material you put into the machine. it was rather cool.

[aldo_14]

Yah bastard.  If I had access to a 3d printer I'd have a room full of strange models........

[Tiara]

I WANT THAT!

*randomly chops some people*

[Singh]

oooh! Do an Orion!

Or better yet, make a Sathanas and scare the **** out of some people!

[kasperl]

I'd buy some ships, yeah. Mind, the painting would be bloody near impossible for me, but I'd still like some nice models.

[Black Wolf]

Originally posted by Galemp
even print your parts in full 24-bit color.

Now that is impressive. Meself, I'd be more inclined to do a Perseus, or perhaps a Rakshasa, but the fenris would indeed kick arse .

[Ghostavo]

A scorpion would rule!!

[kasperl]

Err, thanks BW.

Now I completely want a few things.

[Black Wolf]

Did a bit of reading on the website... wow. Given that your entry level monochrome printer costs $25,900, and you say this one is full colour, you've probably got the Z406, which I'd imagine would be considerably more expensive, and the fact that, while quicker than most 3d printers, these things still take hours to make anything, are students even going to be allowed to use it? I know I probably wouldn't let students use something this expensive without supervision, especially since you run into the issue of Joe sudent desperately trying to get his half year assignment printed off but is blocked by some guy printing out his 3d dildo for a practical joke (or some guy printing out space ships to hang around his room ).

Still, it could potentially be majorly kick arse.

EDIT: Out of curiosity, do you also have a 3d scanner? Because with that combination you have the potential for a lot of cool stuff. When I first heard about these printers, my first thought was that you could, theoretically, apply them to palaeontology, by putting up an online database of index fossils for various time periods, or, theoretically, of every small fossil species ever described (You'd need ridiculous amounts of webspace of course, but, well, theoretically), meaning museums around the world could have small animal skeletons and other small fossils potentially within weeks, similar to what they did in JP3. I hated the film, but at least they came up with one good idea.

[Tiara]

I'd seriously pay if you'd send me a model on request lol

[Nuke]

id love to be able to get a small 3d scanner, i could make ships out of modeling clay and scan em in, then all id need to do is add texturing.

i could probibly rig together a 3d scanner. all i need is a digital camera and a precission turntable (like a level turret that you mount survey equipment to). place a model on the turn table and rotate it in incriments and snap a picture (be sure your camera is in a fixed location and dont move it/change settings), load it into adobe ilustrator and outline it with a 2d shape, which you export to 3d studio max. repeat to create cross-sections of the object at every angle (say 5 degree increments). then you load the shapes into max and rotate them to the angle at whit you made them. it would give you enough vertices to create a moidel, but youd still have to put of work into it.

[Taristin]

Oh... Wow. What I'd give to have a 3d, full color Smoothened Anuket... *droolz*

[MatthewPapa]

Thats tight. I would love to have an Apollo fighter for decoration in my room.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Raa
Oh... Wow. What I'd give to have a 3d, full color Smoothened Anuket... *droolz*

you and your Anukets......

[demon442]

Count me in for a ravana, aries, and horus.