New way of customizing

[Legend of Link]

http://i1172.photobucket.com/albums/...34a92cd103.mp4 alright that should fix it

[Legend of Link]

Good to go....scanned a Mego Hulk head with a HD 3D scanner

[sprytel]

Awesome. I am fascinated with the 3d printing and scanning, although I have had no hands-on experience with it of any sort. What's the story behind this?

[HumanWolfman]

Come on guys, that isnt customizing. That completely removes any and all art from the process.

[sprytel]

Come on guys, that isnt customizing. That completely removes any and all art from the process.

Depends on how you look at it.

If you create a custom sculpt, and then can scan it in a 3d scanner that perfectly reproduces your sculpt and without a mold ever wearing out, that still seems artistic to me. It is just an improvement in the "casting" process.

If you "sculpt" a custom head using 3d modeling software, and print it on a 3d printer, that seems pretty artistic to me too. It is just working in a different (digital) medium.

I agree that printing an exact replica of an existing Mego part is not so artistic. But it is still a big boon for customizers. I think most customizers make extensive use of Doc Mego, CTVT, etc. for custom parts, which they often end up using in creative and artistic ways.

[Confessional]

3D printing is the most exciting thing happening in the makerworld and will likely transform manufacturing in the coming years. Out here in Norcal, it's already becoming prevalent and affordable in the Bay Area with numerous practical uses. Shapeways and Makerbot Industries are leaders in the field with on-demand printing and DYI kits, there are even pop-up shops and a ton of open source projects. There are labs and kitchens across the land cookin' up recipes for resins, rubbers, and plastics. Even, the last toy show I went to included a 3D printing demo for parts, accessories and widgets... welcome to the now.

While I wouldn't use it to recreate existing designs (although that can be a good/valuable tutorial), it's going to be a great tool for developing, prototyping and editioning original character designs. Once the resolution vs. materials issues are solved, you can bet there's going to be a slew of toys coming both from individual artists/designers as well as collectives and companies. The ability to control production outside of plastics plants or even a custom fab shop is entirely empowering. As a new wing of my company is considering the most cost effective way (while maintaining a high level of quality) to edition a line of art toys, you can bet 3D printing is in the future-mix.

3D mapping/modeling doesn't remove anything from the creative process, it only provides us artists with more production tools and in some cases streamlines the R&D.

[noelani72]

Come on guys, that isnt customizing. That completely removes any and all art from the process.

Lol, yea yea yea...you KNOW I can't sculpt, right? ;-)
Honestly, this is a huge experiment and I have a 3d printer on order too.

Not exactly sure where this equipment will take us, but it certainly has interesting possibilities.
For example, instead of making a mold of two Mego heads, pour resin copies, then cut them apart to merge them as a new head...well, I can do it digitally first.
Th days of shrinking/enlarging heads ought to be gone. Scan them, then change scale.

It's not a quick solution. That hulk head was hours of learning the machine, experimenting with lighting....come to find out, we (I) was doing it all wrong....talc power is your friend in this application so the lasers can return measurements.

I've tried scanning stuff and flat out cannot get good results, but smaller stuff like the head or a vintage Star Wars figure work really well.

The software to do some of the things I want didn't come with the machine...that's extra cost and more learning...but this 3d scanner is pretty neat and an out of the box solution once you figure it out - which we are still doing.
Not to mention, you really gotta have a heckuva pc...quad core, 4gb ram, 512mb video card and its still a bit much on the system.

[BlackKnight]

"The Day and Age of Shrinking and Enlarging is Gone" .

A show of Hands, Here on the Museum ..., That can Acually Successfully Do Either Please. Now, a Show of Hand Who can Do it , with Absolutely No Sculpting Envolved . How About Every Time, 2 outta 3 ?.

Point is,
This 3-D Printer is No Different.
a Handful of People are gonna be able to do it , and afford it, and be a source for something possibly in the Future of Making Custom Figures. Sure it Might Advance aspects of Custom Figures, if somebody Who Knows Something can Actually Pull Something Off.

I agree with Aspects of Farley's Post ...
Customizing has definately Changed, but it changed along time ago. It's not really "Artistic Talent" Anymore, as Much as it's Everyone's Trying to Be Somebody, and a Buyer can Get Something for 5 Bucks. It Hasn't been about Talent for Years. What I can't believe is ...., Is the Fact that Nobody really Takes Advantage of the Already Fantastic Achievements and Abilities you can Have in this Scale . The "Want" Level in this Community isn't really there, Outside of Buying a Re-Mego Figure. Thats Dying along with Mego Every Year We get Older.

This New "Future" of "Customizing" ... Will be no Different.

[thunderbolt]

this is a lot like the stop motion vs. CGI arguement. No side is right and eventually one will work with the other ro reach the goal. All that the 3D thing will do is possibly eliminate the need to cast custom sculpts. You will still need sculpting talents to use this.

[BlackKnight]

I can't wait for that Food Replicator on Star Trek Comes Out .....
OutBack Steak House Every Night at BK's House.

[Confessional]

Well actually, you won't/don't necessarily need sculpting [sic] talents. The mapping software already exists to take concept drawings and scan them into 3D mapping environments, thus entirely eliminating a prototyping step in production. Whether or not you have the drawing skills is an entirely different matter.

I know there are concurrent conversations in this thread, one regarding 3D printing in *customizing* applications and one referencing the larger scope of utilization. BK's point in referencing the hobbyist is certainly true in illustrating the few that will procure and be able to effectively use the printers. However, it shouldn't be understated how big the maker community already is and how rapidly they are propelling the technology forward. The toy community is a latecomer to something that's already been developing for years.

[thunderbolt]

sculpting in the sense of having the ability to see proportion, scale, etc. not neccessarily hands on sculpting, but the ability to know how to do it.

[HumanWolfman]

Look, I dont want to ruffle feathers. I just view designing and building a custom figure as an art. It is also an art that anyone can learn if they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes. Sculpting can be learned by watching, trial and error. Molding and casting products all come with insructions, all you need to do is know how to read. The same goes for a sewing machine. With a machine like this, you may as well take an original Picaso painting, run off a print and call yourself an artist.

[PNGwynne]

BK--many of us are willing to pay more that $5 for custom work, and we are aware of the effort (& yes, talent) required to produce it.

But getting hobbyists to produce work, and "in scale" when opinions vary on what scale that is, can be a challenge.


As far as 3-D scans go, don't they have a texture due to incremental fabrication?

[BlackKnight]

BK--many of us are willing to pay more that $5 for custom work, and we are aware of the effort (& yes, talent) required to produce it.

That is not really a Majority Statement in Today's World Bro.
You Always got a Ton of people that love something ...
You Always have Quite a Few People that say they Would Buy Something...
Then you Got the "Do'ers" The People that Actually Buy Something . It's a Serious Difference in Volume There Bud. However this is a Completely Different Topic.

But I was being a JackAss when I wrote 5 Bucks..., But my Opinion is still there.

But getting hobbyists to produce work, and "in scale" when opinions vary on what scale is

lol ...., I think it's gotten better compaired to Hobbyists of Years Past.