Newbie with what may be an idiotic question

[Garryferg]

Hi all, looking for some general info. 3D printing and scanning are "relatively" new fields to the general public. As a member of the general public I would like to increase my knowledge of the field. What I would really like to know is this. I have a much loved statuette of an old family pet. This combined with a young, very active family, presents problems relating to future of statuette. Now I am aware that many companies can do a 3D scan of my item and I could then have a duplicate 3D printed, but what I was wondering is this. Could that 3D scan be animated and an alternate pose of my old pet be taken from the animation program (be that whatever it might be) and the new pose 3D printed. I am intrigued by the potential applications of this field. As an Environmental Chemist (no longer practising) some of the molecular models that could be produce as 3D prints is quite astounding. I hope someone can take the time to answer this query it will be much appreciated by an older guy who likes to try and remain current.

[truly_bent]

Hi Garryferg and welcome.

I think what you're looking for is to have someone scan the statuette. A good quality scanner isn't exactly a cheap item... yet. That or a series of pictures can be taken (every 10 degrees at least) and uploaded to 123D Catch (a free service btw) or an alternative. These uploaded images are then used to generate a 3D "point cloud", which is essentially a surface of points defining the shape. This point cloud is downloaded as an OBJ or STL "mesh" file, which can then be used to generate a 3D print. Hope you're followin' so far

The big problem comes in the second part of your request:

... but what I was wondering is this. Could that 3D scan be animated and an alternate pose of my old pet be taken from the animation program (be that whatever it might be) and the new pose 3D printed.

I don't know of any software that can do that without some serious skills. I expect there are artists out there who are proficient enough with mesh editing software (Meshlab, Netfabb, to name just two), who can carve up the STL file into various parts, repair the damage and glue it back together again in a different pose for you. I'm just learning Meshlab and i can tell ya, it's a pretty steep learning curve.

(Edit: I've been poking around the net searching "mesh animation", which i think is what you're looking to accomplish. Aside from Disney Studio level stuff, there seems to be quite a bit of chatter around the Blender forums on the topic. I've only dabbled with Blender, but can attest to its seemingly endless functions. It also has a unique interface, which takes a while to be comfortable with. Best of all though, it's free)

[GOC]

- Like stated prior you would have to scan the item in some way to get a meshing of the item. This would then have to be brought into a program like Maya (Autodesk product) so that the item could be surfaced, patched, and have a skeleton applied for animation. Then simply pose your creation and export the files appropriately.

HERE is a short tutorial on someone rigging a dog up in Maya if your curious of the process.

THIS video will show the next step after rigging on how to move the newly created skeletal features from the rigging process.

[truly_bent]

Maya eh? Good to know. At least it was, until i looked up the price. Price for one seat is $3675 (base edition), plus yearly upgrades of about $2600. So, i googled "Maya vs Blender" and found this comparison video. It's long, and i only watched about 2/3 of it, but you'll get the idea.

Basically, Garryferg's pet can be animated by either package. Something i hadn't realized.

(Edit: Another comparison video)

[awerby]

Sure, anything's possible, given unlimited time, money and skill. But this would not be an easy project, at least for most people. If your statuette has any areas that are not visible to the scanner (for instance if the dog has any limbs folded against its body), they would have to be sculpted in for a re-pose to work. Rigging a 3D model takes skill as well as software, and it's hard to get convincing results on a subject with fur, that has complex dynamics of its own. Once you'd done it, you'd have to use a high-end 3D printer if you don't want to end up having to resculpt places where supports were attached, or do a lot of surface preparation to remediate the lamination lines low-end printers introduce. Then you want it painted, right?

Andrew Werby
Juxtamorph.com

[Garryferg]

Hi Guy's,
Many thanks for your very quick responses. It's nice when people are so giving of their time and experience/knowledge. I was not completely unaware of any of the programs mentioned, as I had tried to thrash out the complexities on my own, but when I came across this forum I thought I'd let those with far more knowledge than I cut some corners for me, and many thanks you've come through in a big way. You've given me a far more focussed approach to this to continue (actually start) learning more about the subject. My only worry is that in a few months my endless questions will drive you all to drink. Please rest assured that I do my very best to try to come up with answers on my own but sometimes you just cant get 2 + 2 to make 4 because you lack a small piece of the puzzle. Lots to chew on here so thanks again guy's

Garry Ferguson

[Marm]

Don't worry, we already drink.