Low cost solid models for the 3D community

[leigh]

That link doesn't work.

[Wetterschneider]

It's working now. Hm, Leigh, wasn't there another recent posting where the link was working for some people and not for others? There seems to be some strangeness going on on the internet lately.

3dArtToPart , visited the site, I'm very interested - I've been in the toy industry and the game industry a long time. I'd like to see a few more questions answered in your FAQ.

What is the nature of the material used?

What techniques are applicable to finish a model? Sanding, priming and painting.

What adhesives work and how does one repair damage?

How can one sculpt additional fine detail?

Who are you guys? Why are you doing this? And what long term plans to you have? Just nosey on this one :)

thanks,
Scott

[quinox]

Hm, Leigh, wasn't there another recent posting where the link was working for some people and not for others? There seems to be some strangeness going on on the internet lately.

Yes there was, and I am experiencing this too... a page Carina gave me in the irc-channel didn't work... unless i used a proxy :/

Anyway it sure looks cool, but what I miss is a pic of the actual thing irl, that is on a desk or someone holding it

[xzevlin]

I think this is the most exciting thing in the known universe. Finally my shaky fingers won't get in the way of my desire to sculpt statues.

[MikeRhone]

VERY cool stuff. Next model I finish I may have to be the official CgTalk test run ;)

**Edit** How well does it handle wrinkles and overlaps in clothing, inside the mouth, and sharp lines like where gums meet teeth, fingernails etc?


Mike R

[Atwooki]

Says on the site FAQs link, that the RP process cannot handle details such as where skin joins fingernails etc. which is a real shame.

Also that the mesh must be 'watertight' (No holes in geometry.)

Also read thru for the max size deliverable; you might find you have to glue the seperate bits together for a 'model/maquette' over 8 inches in height: could get a little more painstaking than anticipated.....

Otherwise a wholly appealing concept - especially at these prices.

Atwooki

[FloydBishop]

I used to work at a place where we did a lot of this kind of modeling. We used to use Form Z to model perfume bottles that had to hold a fixed quantity of liquid as well as have a certain wall thickness and weigh under a certain amount.

There's nothing cooler than seeing something you made from nothing as a digital file come back as a physical object.

We used to use the STL file format.

[3dArtToPart]

Leigh: I hope you were able to view the site.

Wetterschneider: Thanks, we'll add to site faqs as we go along but briefly:

The material is like a plaster, we infuse it with a hardener that makes the surface very tough.

The same types of finishing techniques used for resin cast models can be used to finish our parts.

Cyanoacrylate (super glue) works well to repair the models, this coupled with a gap filler does a great job.

I would recommend a power carver like a Dremel tool, with miniature carving bits to carve in additional detail.

We're 3D enthusiats who have always thought this was a neat idea but were put off by the price.
We plan on utilizing current technology that offers the best price/performance trade-offs in order to make this affordable.


quinox : There is now a hand held part picture on the site, look under product info. Click on the pictures for a larger view.

Rhonedog and Atwooki : The amount of detail is also based on model size, a full sized hand will show fingernail detail and some wrinkes while a tiny model would not. Based on cost, we feel this is the best way to get a solid model.

The watertight mesh thing just means no missing polys or open meshes, the machine doesn't know what to do with them.

The max dimension can be 10 inches. The basic rule is that the model must fit in the 10x8x8 inch build volume.


We will be happy to work with people and let them know if there are any problems with their meshes. Just upload any files you would like us to quote on.

Thanks everyone for your interest and send in those models :)

[Garrick Quinone]

what type of rapid prototyping process is this?


Thanks

Garrick,
www.gqstudio.com

[red_oddity]

Wow, this is so cool...but...one question....

How about orders coming from europe?
What does that add to the price and how long does shipping take? (the Netherlands/Holland in my case.)

I'd love to give this a go once....

[3dArtToPart]

Garrick Quinone : It is a 3D process that builds parts using powder and binder.

red_oddity : We're trying to find the best way to ship internationally. Please contact us at info@3dArtToPart.com so that we can determine your specific shipping costs.

Thanks,
www.3dArtToPart.com

[protohype]

That's cool!
Great to see rapid prototyping going mainstream!

Also check out:
http://www.xpress3d.com/
and get an instant quote based on your .stl file!
They offer stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM) and Z Corp 3D printing.

By the way, I have nothing to do with this company.
I just like neat things like everyone else.

[Larry_g1s]

I don't have anything worth modeling yet :p , but man that's a sweet idea. I'd love to have something sitting on my desk that I did CG. Great price as well. :thumbsup:

[endseason]

anyone know about european company doing this?
i think the shipping cost from US o italy will be too much to worth it...so maybe will be nice to have one nearest:)

[3dArtToPart]

endseason: " i think the shipping cost from US to italy will be too much to worth it..."

The shipping cost to Italy should be about $30 U.S., but we think our pricing structure is such that the combined cost of the solid model and the shipping cost is still a bargain.

Please contact us at info@3dArtToPart.com if you are interested in shipping to a country outside the U.S. or Canada.

Thanks,

3dArtToPart.com

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