We're into some interesting territory here. Through my research I found out
(not many specifics unfortunately) that there was a company in New York all the
way back to the 70's that was doing automatic portraits using CNC milling. I'm
not sure how they got the data, but it was a lifelike portrait. The business
failed. The cost per portrait was around $500 bucks. I saw a product. It was
beautiful. Maybe thats an indicator that people don't want it without the
"artistic" hand. Maybe its time hasn't come yet.
In "The Studio" at siggraph this year, we had a head scanner set up and
software and rp equipment to produce portraits. It was very popular.
Color might take over eventually? Eventually? Let me quote from an article by
my alter ego at <<http://michaelrees.com/RParticles.html>> :
"Color has a major role to play in the further development of rapid prototyping
as a communications media. Color is such a strong
communicator that no major mainstream media is without it. As the market
for rp sags, new, broader, popular markets must be aggressively
developed. If the maturation of numerous technologies from black and white
to color is any lesson (color TV, film, video, printing), this
lesson might suggest that developing color is the next important step for
broadening the market for rapid prototyping.
" The applications and benefits for color in rapid prototyping are so varied
that all of its ramifications have yet to be explored. If rapid
prototyping is to assume its mantel as a more popular communications media
it will develop sophisticated color abilities. "
In my humble opinion (and in my passion to see color), there is no choice.
Evolve or die. One of the two things that rp can do that milling can't is
automatic color, relatively effortlessly. (The other thing is build something
of any shape in one shot).
NB. Certainly, milling can have an added paint spray tip, but if you wished to
alter the model by removing areas, you would wear away all the color. RP models
could be colored throughout.
ONe last thing. If my head is scanned and reproduced automatically, where's the
art? I guess your point is that the art would be in the "coloring". Isn't this
akin to a color book? Now you're in my world bending our brains over how to
make art with automatic processes! It is no trivial feint of hand!!
IN good spirits, (especially if the fastest growing market in RP is art),
best, mr
lblasch@opw-fc.com wrote:
> Just a suggestion to the artist community to create a new service or
> product...
>
> How about using a portrait sitting, as in Painting or Photography, to
> do 3d Scanning of clients... both shape and color, RP the shape in
> plaster or ceramic and then working from the 3d color scan, you can
> paint/glaze/color the finished piece as a 3d portrait.
>
> Might put a few photographers out of business.
>
> Color 3d printing might take over eventually, but the art is in the
> lifelike qualities (or the artistic impression) of the finished work.
>
> Larry Blasch
> Design Engineer
> OPW Fueling Components
> P.O. Box 405003 Voice: (513) 870-3356
> Cincinnati, OH 45240-5003 USA Fax: (513) 874-1231
>
> **********************************************************************
> * "No electrons were harmed in the production of this message." *
> **********************************************************************
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
-- michael rees effective immediately suite Number 301 www.michaelrees.com 1015 Washington Ave 314 494 7393 St. Louis Mo 63101 msr@michaelrees.comFor more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
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