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**Hotfoot** · Jul 12, '08, 6:01 AM

Interesting technology.

Early version of the Trek Replicator!

**ddgaff1132** · Jul 12, '08, 8:50 AM

Its just another step on the road that started with the Sears Robuck catalog and ends with the replicator.

**SUP-Ronin** · Jul 12, '08, 10:01 AM

I agree with Type3. Pretty interesting machine, I immediately thought it looked like a cross between a replicator and a CNC machine. I don't think it would be fun to have a machine just spit out a custom for me. Maybe if it can make gold coins or jems or something.

**jessica** · Jul 12, '08, 11:33 AM

It's cool but it takes the fun out of it for me. I like the challenge and the moment of triumph when a figment of the imagination becomes a reality through ingenuity.

**Cadmus Customs** · Jul 12, '08, 12:08 PM

Originally posted by jessica

It's cool but it takes the fun out of it for me. I like the challenge and the moment of triumph when a figment of the imagination becomes a reality through ingenuity.

Perhaps. But the vast majority of people aren't as skilled as the people who post here. Able-bodied customizers can still do their thing (of course) but they'll have to step it up a notch (and that's not a bad thing).

Look at all the head shrink/enlarging requests & customs. That's a pretty time-intensive process (I know, I've tried it!). Someday all that legwork won't have to be done by so very few. Very cool in my book...

And it's still ingenuity...just not necessarily all your own!

Joel

**GreenLantern9999** · Jul 12, '08, 1:06 PM

Also you would still have to design the 3D mesh model if you want something new right?

**Cosmicman** · Jul 12, '08, 1:26 PM

Oh..I thought by reading the title it was a thread about Jason (Blacknight).

**jemboy2004** · Jul 12, '08, 2:31 PM

I don't believe it. I'd have to see this in person before I'd believe a printer can do that. I'd love to re-do some 12" mego female bodies if it could do that. It would same them all from melting!

**CrimsonGhost** · Jul 12, '08, 2:33 PM

I've been researching this technology for work since last year and the application to custom figures was not wasted on me!

The possibilities of this are seemingly endless. Using a 3D printer along with a 3D scanner could really create some cool stuff. Scan a head from any other toy (or real person) and size it in your 3D software and print it out Mego scale or 1:6 or 3 3/4 and print it out! Build a head in 3D from photos and create any celebrity head you can think of. Need slightly longer limbs for a taller figure? Stretch them out in 3D and print. It's really some amazing stuff.

I won't comment as to weather or not it takes the "art" out of it. Is an oil painting more "art" than a digital painting? I don't know, but as far as I'm concerned, you still need to be artistic to create no matter if it's in clay or 3D or oils or pixels. This won't make a non-artist into an artist.

I love it, it just needs to be more affordable to the average consumer.

**darklord1967** · Jul 12, '08, 6:08 PM

At the risk of sounding like George Lucas: I see 3D printing as just another tool that frees up the creativity of the artist and reduces his limitations.

The artist must still make aesthetic decisions when creating something that are above and beyond the machine's ability to simply 3D print a part.

What body part goes best with another body part to depict a desired character?

Who's facial features (actor, real-person, cartoon character, or otherwise) should be combined with whoever else's facial features to create a desired character?

Have you ever looked at a sculpted facial likeness and thought "with a shorter nose and longer hair, this would look EXACTLY like such-and-such"?

Well, now with 3D printing, it is totally possible to make that aesthetic artistic desision, and have it come out PERFECT.

But you are no less of an artist. The creative decision still lies in the hands of the artist. The artist is simply using a much more sophisticated chisel and file.

**misterdroid** · Jul 13, '08, 1:47 AM

Originally posted by CrimsonGhost

I won't comment as to weather or not it takes the "art" out of it. Is an oil painting more "art" than a digital painting? I don't know, but as far as I'm concerned, you still need to be artistic to create no matter if it's in clay or 3D or oils or pixels. This won't make a non-artist into an artist.

In short*, oil v. digital is not an accurate comparison. Is an oil painting more art than a digital photograph is much more appropriate. And the answer is a resounding yes. A GOOD sculptor is better than a computer built likeness every single time. Look at gentle giant scale likenesses. REALLY look at them. It is 3d imaging at it's best. and somehow, the likeness is lost. Why? It ignores how the human brain recognizes and files the image of a face. When you see a group photo of people you know, you scan for a likeness. You think (unconsciously or not) "Looking for Joe, where's Joe's huge nose?". You scan for features, not composites. Your brain then matches nose vs. Joe and composites the image and voila!, there's Joe.
This works in photos due to subtle visual miscues due to perspective, paralax, etc. A photograph is a marginally distorted version of what the eye sees. When a three a dimensional human likeness is simply made into a "small" 3d image, those cues are lost. Compare the slightly exaggerated sculpt of Han Solo for the SW Saga figs to the Indy figs. The Indy figs fail in a comparison, although they are much more proportionately accurate.
This argument obviously only applies to the likeness of an individual. I can stick a cowl and pointy ears on almost any face and you will see Batman, not Joe.
That being said, I can't see the 3d printer as the future of customizing. I guess you could scan, for instance, a batman bust and print it. But a good customizer could shrink it, or ape the style in a new sculpt. With probably less work than the lines of code to build a wire frame from a 3d scan.

*Ok, so "In short" was a dirty lie.
Thanks for reading my 2 cents of hatred for computer scanning and building of 3d objects. It seriously sucks, and is the equivalent of a robotic sweatshop turning out mediocrity in sculpture.
I will give you either a hug, or a manly embrace (your choice)next time I see you.

**misterdroid** · Jul 13, '08, 1:58 AM

Originally posted by darklord1967

At the risk of sounding like George Lucas: I see 3D printing as just another tool that frees up the creativity of the artist and reduces his limitations.

The artist must still make aesthetic decisions when creating something that are above and beyond the machine's ability to simply 3D print a part.

What body part goes best with another body part to depict a desired character?

Who's facial features (actor, real-person, cartoon character, or otherwise) should be combined with whoever else's facial features to create a desired character?

BHave you ever looked at a sculpted facial likeness and thought "with a shorter nose and longer hair, this would look EXACTLY like such-and-such"?

Well, now with 3D printing, it is totally possible to make that aesthetic artistic desision, and have it come out PERFECT.

But you are no less of an artist. The creative decision still lies in the hands of the artist. The artist is simply using a much more sophisticated chisel and file.

Again, I disagree. If I need to match a knick-knack to my living room, I am making an aesthetic decision. Does it make me an artist? NO. It makes me a dude with a couch, a vase and (probably) a woman I want to please.
Would I have the skills to reupholster the couch? No. Would I have the skills to refire the vase? No. I would merely have the skills to match the objects. And Garanimals taught us that at an early age.
It's not art, it's not craft, it's not skill.
Do you really want chinese sweatshops cranking out copies of nice customs bought off ebay? Seriously, think about it. Who is going use this? Is average Joe customizer gonna pay the money for one to make a Green Lantern custom? No. Is Big Wang manufacturing gonna buy a custom Green Lantern custom and scan and copy masters for thousands of bootlegs? YES
Boycott 3d printing.

**Cadmus Customs** · Jul 13, '08, 8:14 AM

Originally posted by Type3Toys

This is such a cool thread. I really like what misterdroid has said so far. A 3-D sacanner may be great from a money making stand point, but to call what it turns out art is somehow untrue. When just speaking in terms of a painting, an exact copy or print is not worth near as much as the original if for no other reason than the designing artist never laid a hand on it. Some of the cost of art is the personal touch of the artist. I would guess the say could be said for a custom figure. Why would a prototype of a figure sell for many times as much as the exact duplicate production version of that figure?
Because the original artist had his hands all over it.

I trademark "Big Wang Manufacturing"

So if a Charlee Flatt type "known artist" made one (or thousands) using this process (humor me) it's still not artistic? I dunno...

Is it irony, we're on a Mego board talking about good likenesses, lol. Jakks Pacific uses this for their wrestling line (and Rocky, and upcoming UFC, etc.) and I think 9 out of 10 times, they totally nail the likeness of the individual they're making. Compare a Hulk Hogan head (using this process) to the sculpted Hogan heads of Toybiz, Hasbro and LJN. Receding hairlines and fumanchus aside, the latter companies didn't capture much of the Hulkster in their 'artistic' sculpts.

Gentle Giant (mentioned before) uses it on their Harry Potter busts which almost look like a photograph! (In fact Jakks used to hire GG to do their scanning, not sure if they still do) I wholeheartedly disagree that they lose likenesses, I think they are very good. (and the early Indy figure sucked due to paint application, not necessarily the sculpts)

Having said, that, I know companies like McFarlane can sculpt a real likeness like nobodies business (I collect the Lost line- they are all pretty much perfect replicates, except Kate) but they are the exception, not the rule. When holding a Lost figure and a Jakks figure- I never have thought one was better because a 'real' artist worked on one of them and Big Wang Manufacturing made the other. (It's troubling to think someone would!) They're toys (collectibles at best).

You'd think a guy with the handle "misterdroid" would be all about robotic sweatshops and computer technology, lol. No hugs or manly embraces necessary.

Joel

**megoscott** · Jul 13, '08, 8:34 AM

I agree it's a tool and the skill of the artist will shine through it. It's an aesthetic choice to make a head from a scanned human--I personally don't like the hyper real look of some of those modern figures--it's creepy and overdone to me. Artists edit and make choices--that's why I love original Mego sculpts--and James Brady's sculpts--they are refined down to a particular essence, less is more. It's just like the difference between a photograph and a painting---the photo captures details, the painting may capture the essence and spirit much better, or lend the perfect interpretation to the character.

If I had the ability to take a model that I made myself on the computer with a 3D program and run off a copy, that would be awesome. I guess I do have that already, it'll just me nice when it's less expensive.

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