Hi,

I have a friend with a CNC 3D milling station who makes 3D statues of hard plastic from .IGS and .IGES files. Only exportable format it will use in its Surfcam program is, DXF. However, when I try to import a DXF into Surfcam, it loses much of the file. Has anyone actually milled a statue from Poser figures? If so, please let me know how i can contact him/her!

Thanks!

Mark

what exactly do you mean it loses much of the file? Does it lose the resolution and make an angular model or are there actual pieces missing (like an arm or a nose?)

I'd want to look at the specs of the surfcam rogram and see how it handles files, whether it can apply additional smoothing and whether it is sensitive to poser's grouping.

I've exported DXF's in the past with no problem.

I know that Dark Whisper had one eithe rdone, or given to him a year or so ago, but I'm sure the tech has changed since then.

If you get this to work, please post some photos.  It sounds interesting.

I had one done of my RobbyBobby character a year or so ago.  It cost me $65 to do and the quality was less than satisfactory.  It was done on what is billed as a 3D printer from an OBJ file that I provided and, among other things, it couldn't do hair at all because of the transmapping.  It also couldn't do the clothing because that was only two dimensional.  The bottom line is that I ended up with a bald and naked version of myself in my twenties that is a bit...shall we say..grainy.  It has been a bit of a conversation piece, though.  We keep it in a curio cabinet along with the mythological statues (Pegasus and Perseus, Poseidon and Hades with Cerberus).

Oh yeah, it also provided a stand in the object file that didn't make it to the final piece.  As a result, there is a little strip of "material" connected to the feet, but it's not enough to stand the piece up.  So, I glued a couple of magnets to the bottom and put it on a metal coaster (the coaster is pewter, so it kind of looks OK like that). :D

Post a photo.  I'm curious to see the quality.

Aren't there also programs that take real objects and turn them into 3D models?

Yes, but typically this stuff is used for prototyping products, or machine parts, and the costs are VERY high. Like "how much do you make in a year" high.

Most smaller prototyping is either very fragile, and doesn't have much detail at all. (Think like a 30% or more detail loss.)

Also there are a lot of restrictions in takeing a 3d object and making a physical item from it.. you can''t for instance had holes in a mesh, items that are one poly thick can't render, polys cannot overlap, you can't have "undercuting", that sort of thing.

Granted, its getting better, and cheaper, but it's not like you are going to get an action figure from a poser item.

If you ever saw those old blow molded dinosaurs at zoos a few years back, that's what the Iemind me of most.. either that, or pvc hollow figures. And they are usually small, not over 5" tall.

Certainly nothing I'd pay $70 for, or in a lot of cases, $200-$300.

In theindustry, it's called "Rapid Prototyping".. here's some web resource info:

http://home.utah.edu/~asn8200/rapid.html

FYI, There's an article about 3D-printers in 3D-world of December (nr. 97) with some price-compairing.

my two-cents.

regards,

Bopperthijs.

in case nobody mentioned this, poser smoothing might be the problem. i.e. the model looks smooth in a render, but the polygons are obvious in preview mode. try importing the poser model into carrara, set subdivision smoothing at 6 for modelling and rendering, then see if that imports better into the 3d printer or whatever.

Attached Link: http://www.3darttopart.com

Those are the guys that I used.

Their prices really aren't THAT bad, considering.  As long as you have mesh editing capability, you should be able to conform to their requirements.

RobbyBobby: Does it look like the pricing has changed?

Has anyone tried the Shader 8 STL plugin for 3D printers?

Quote - RobbyBobby: Does it look like the pricing has changed?

Looks the same to me.  Mine is about seven inches...no, really, the statue...and it cost $65.  Maybe I'll post a picture this weekend...if I can find John's camera.  The final product does not look as good as the posted pictures.  I did it as a curiosity, so I didn't mind shelling out the money for the experiment at the time.

I would like to see some photos of people's results too. I was thinking about trying it.

Bast black: look at the ones on the website, and zoom in on the pics.

Thanks. Yes, I looked at those.  But I was wondering what people here at Renderosity/Poser came up with, and how they did at their first try at it. I'm also interested in lessons learned, such as What Not To Do.  Looks like transmapped hair is no-no.  Of the models shown, only one took on hair. So that's an example of what to do with hair.

I'm thinking it might be better to just get BJD hair for your figure, rather than try to do 3d print.
You could get cool hair style from Volks, and Dream of Doll. You just need to do your 3d print to  SuperDollfie scale, so hair will fit.

Just a thought...

I only know of 2 or 3 people TOPS who's bothered to use the process, since it is expensive,and the results are not that great.

The only 3 people I've ever seen post about having one done is the poster here, Neftis, and Dark Whisper, and I believe Dark Whisper's was actually free from winning a contest.

What not to do is listed in their requirements.. in a nutshell, don't apply any maps at all, and make sure everything has a real 3d dimension.. in other words, no single poly thick clothing, hats, shoes, accessories or such, and since that's 99% of the content out there, that's a huge limit.

Also no flat hair planes, eyelashes, or pubic hair.

No one models character accessories in full 3d for poser, because if it's not seen, its a waste of resources to texture and have the mesh loaded.

You could probably use any of the toon characters, since they have 3 dimensional eyelashes and hair, like Stacy or the heavies.

I think anyone doing this really needs to own and be able to use 3d modeler software, so they can make the model production ready.

Oh, Thank you so much for the advice!  ^^

Quote - What not to do is listed in their requirements.. in a nutshell, don't apply any maps at all, and make sure everything has a real 3d dimension.. in other words, no single poly thick clothing, hats, shoes, accessories or such, and since that's 99% of the content out there, that's a huge limit.

Errr? I would have been caught unprepared for that one! ^^;
Does the Shade 8 plugin STL merger the figure into 1 solid mesh? I would think that would solve the problem.

Quote - Also no flat hair planes, eyelashes, or pubic hair.

I guessed that one. Anime style hair is the way to go on this, or how action figures handle hair. I don't think there needs to  eyelashes.

Quote - No one models character accessories in full 3d for poser, because if it's not seen, its a waste of resources to texture and have the mesh loaded.

You could probably use any of the toon characters, since they have 3 dimensional eyelashes and hair, like Stacy or the heavies.

The Girl has real eyelashes, and her default Hair would work too, right? So would ChibiBel, and KuroKuro, and NearMe, right?

Quote - I think anyone doing this really needs to own and be able to use 3d modeler software, so they can make the model production ready.

I think your right, someone doing this would need to know a little more so that they setup things correctly. 

Do you have to provide a base for figure (so that it stands)?

bB

There really is NO way to merge the clothing meshes to a figure, so it's all one closed "watertight" mesh. The STL plugin is worthless for that application.

You would have to go in from a base obj level in a object editor, and weld all the points from the clothing to the figure, and loft all the flat polys left into full 3d version of them with thickness. For a skilled modeler (myself) I'd say I'd be looking at 2 weeks minimum full time work to make sure the entire thing had become a watertight object.

OOO yeah I just thought of that.. you need to provide the mesh, and reistribution of meshes is illegal. One of the things they mention in the requirements is that you must have redistribution rights to your submission.

So forget all the bought characters and clothing, and accessories.

For all we know, they might outright reject submitted objects based on poser content outright.
Or they might just turn thier heads and look th eother way.. but as soon as you post an image of someting done with copyrighted poser content, everyone will jump down your throat.

Hmmm... I bought Shader 8 and STL plugin so I could do 3D print. I'm not sure what the plugin does exactly. It was marketed for Poser Users, so I would think they have problem solved all those issues. Here is the STL product page: http://store.e-frontier.com/us/user/stl_plug_in_for_shade_8_product_24674

Quote - STL Plug-in for Shade 8 Price: US $29.99 Currently Available for Electronic Download Purchase Only ESD Filesize: 0.12 MB (1 File ) Download Time : [1000k 0m | 56k 0m] Delivery: Electronic Download Platform: The STL Plug-in for Shade 8 adds STL (Stereo Lithography) translation and output functions to Shade 8 standard or professional English. With this plug-in, you can now print objects or figures you have created as 3D statues, using Shade 8 and an STL service provider. Prominently display your 3D artwork as tabletop art in your home or sell your own exclusive 3D art! The STL plug-in enables Shade 8 to output any high resolution OBJ file to STL. OBJ files can be created in Shade, or imported to Shade from Poser or other 3D applications. Once exported, you can then send the STL file to an STL service provider for output as a 3D statue. The STL service provider provides 3D printers that fuse a fine polymer plastic powder into your 3D object. Objects created this way are as sturdy as other plastic items. Then finish your design with some fine sandpaper and paint it however you choose. Currently available as electronic download only. Creating Statues is as easy as 1-2-3! 1. Begin by creating your high-resolution figure in Shade, Poser or other 3D application. For example, in Poser, select a high-resolution figure such as Jessi High-Res Mesh or James High-Res Mesh. These figures are built with 100,000 polygons and would be suitable for any size STL output. (You can use “NormalEresolution figures such as Jessi, Jessi Casual, Koji, Miki, etc. that are built from about 35,000 polygons; however, at any output over 6Eyou will see faceting on the surface.) Export your file from Poser as “Wavefront OBJE 2. Import the OBJ file into Shade 8. Create additional props like a pedestal, chair, etc. Output file as STL. 3. Upload your file to an STL service provider like TEKPRO, and in a few weeks you will receive your plastic statue, ready for you to apply your finishing touches.

Ok, the stl plugin outputs the stl format data, so the obj file isn't actually redistributed.

BUT you still have all the other polygonal "watertight" issues.

Bear in mond that this might also have been released with the high end professional designer in mind, with unlimited funding for hiogher end rapid prototyping.

For instance, someone could design a headset for say, Sony, and then rapid prototype a full sized jessi head and the headset, as a proof of concept.

Or it could be used for movie effect designers.

Do they provide you with any list of reapid prototyers using the outputted STL files?

Look at Tekpro's website for more information.. their cheapest product is $125 for a 10x10 inch part. ABs plastic parts (better quality, more detail, more durable) run $250 each.

Some items are even just made of foam.. for $125!

Just remember items have to be "watertight" I.E. NO holes what so ever in a mesh, and that you can't have 3d objects with no thickness, like poser clothes, transmapped hair, that sort of thing.

If you have any props in scene (guns, jewlery, ect) they all need to be water tight and have thickness as well.

It loosk liek that other place ends up doing mulitpkle objects when you have multiple 3d objects in the file you send.. they might also charge $65 for EACH object.. good to check on that! Maybe see if they can use a STL file?