[Oscar36]

Hey all,

I just bought a 3d printer and I have been going plain hog wild with it (it's been running 24/7 for the last three days) and it feels like I am neglecting my cnc roots.

So I am putting out a request for suggestions for a pattern I can make and share with the community. I am not placing any limitations on it this time. I am going to put this poll on all the sites I am a member of and if there are more than one suggestion I will pick the one I like the most.

The pattern I make will be shared as a grey scale height map image and also test carved to ensure no issues.

At some point I need to make a Youtube video on how to use Blender 3d (free) to make a high quality 3d file for cnc carving from a height map image. It kind of sucks that VCarve Pro can't do it. Aspire can. Zbrush can also make high quality 3d files from height maps.

Regards,
OG

 

[Oscar36]

Two submissions were submitted on other sites. A tropical fish and an eagle with wings spread out. The fish was fairly easy.

So this is what I've been working on the last few days. I'll test carve tomorrow and see what I can get. I modeled this in the most difficult manner possible. I used a particle system for the body feather texture which after turning into real geometry made for a 3 GB STL. Converted it to a 2.5d model with Zbrush and got it down to about 100 MB but lost a bit (okay a lot) of detail.

For folks that are not familiar with it, this is the Blender basic user interface.

What's nice is when I am finished I will have a base model I can pose for different patterns.

 

[Oscar36]

It is. I am working to one of the limitation with one of my cnc software (Project Designer 2) which is a 100MB file size limit due to my computer memory so that has been my target size. The software is outdated but I just don't want to spend 400 dollars for the newest version when this one does everything I need 99% of the time..

I still don't know how to use VCarve Pro.

But here is pattern I made and will be test carving this afternoon. I also didn't realize I am out of poplar. I have some purple heart and mahogany which I WILL NOT be using as scrap for a test carve. lol. I'll see what I can find in my bins.

 

[Oscar36]

I may play with it someday in the future. I just modeled it the wrong way using a particle system. I just need to re-sculpt it from scratch.

It carved okay. I could only find a piece of pine in my bin that was large enough for a test carve. I hate carving on pine especially with a dull bit. I haven't swapped it out yet. lol.

This was carved at 5.5"x3.5" at .25" depth.

The grey scale height map images:

 

[Oscar36]

Mike, thanks. That was just a test carve to ensure no big issues with the pattern. The patterns were made for this exercise and I really have no plan on carving them for myself but hopefully someone finds them useful for their own personal project.

The fish suggestion came from someone making a fish tank light holder and he wanted it personalized.

Okay! Back to 3d printing useless trinkets! I did print out the grumpy old man head model I had. That might be a picture of my soul. lol