11/14/2005

MAS863 | Fall 2005

Assignment:

This week's assignment was to scan and print in 3-D!   Using the Minolta Vivid 910 3-D scanner.

Project:

• 3-D scan something

• Print scanned image on a 3-D printer

• Continue to update project HTMAA - How to Measure Almost Anything

Tasks:

1.     Using the Minolta Vivid 910 3-D scanner, I scanned a small green train that my son Riley loaned me.  He also sent me to the lab with a small bear and a dinosaur.  The dinosaur had a very thin long neck and therefore I chose not to attempt the process with it due to fragility.  I was unable to get the Minolta to see the bear.  The bear is all black and I believe it totally blended into the turntable - same color.  So I used the green choo-choo train!  The scanning was straight forward, 8 scans at 45 degree increments, overhead fluorescent lights and a single bulb lamp provided good lighting.

2.  The most difficult and time consuming step was using the software to produce a 3-D model of the eight scannings.  Filling the many holes/polygons was laborious.

3.  Challenges continued in the printing process.  I chose to print with the Z-Corp Z406 Powder Binding Printer.  For some reason, late on Friday night during a batch run with others, my train decided not to print.  Not sure why. (see below for answer)

4.  11/13/05 I can't log into the new computer that runs the Z-Corp. I will attempt to print tomorrow - Monday morning.

5. 11/14/05 I was super fortunate to meet John early this am!  The problem with the file was that "normals" had to be inverted - essentially the computer program could not see the train and that is why it did not print.  John saved the train by helping me to doctor it a little and then enabling another computer to drive the Z-Corp (he could not get on the new Z-Corp computer either!).  Printing was finally a success!  (a close replica?!)