3d printing

graham

graham

New member
I believe I may have purchased Mr Hanwell a shandy or two in the past & I have seen 3d models elsewhere - there's a wire-frame one of la grotte de la Luire on display in the show cave- but that's not what I meant.

I have yet to see a "proper" 3d model generated even for a screen, it's meant to be possible on Therion and, possibly, Tunnel but I've only seen wire-frame or 2d so far. When they get a fully 3d model it'll be worth building one of them printers to output it. ?350 should be well within budgetary constraints somewhere on Mendip.
 
K

khakipuce

New member
When I read Grahams first post I was thinking "candy from babes" because we have a 3D proto-typer here-abouts. I was just weighing up the merits of a night of free beer against getting sacked.

But from Graham's second post it seems that this is more about getting adequate section data and projecting along the survey legs that it is about building a 3D model. (I am currently messing around with some ideas for rapid, albeit rough-and-ready, surveying.) So what are the criteria for a "proper" 3D model, how much detail?

As an side Geevor (or was it South Crofty) used to have a wonderful wire and balsa wood model of the workings - I wonder if it is still around anywhere.
 
graham

graham

New member
It's about both, khakipuce, it's about getting the survey side right and then being able to generate the correct output to "print" using one of these devices.

I think we might be intending to give it a go, I seem to have got a team with most of the required skills together already, just a couple of people to talk round.
 
I

IanWalker

Active member
Do you envisage the plastic to take the shape of the rock, or of the space within? (i.e. do you want a swiss cheese or a slug?)

Which is right?  Are both models of 'the cave'?  :-\
 
graham

graham

New member
marysboy said:
Do you envisage the plastic to take the shape of the rock, or of the space within? (i.e. do you want a swiss cheese or a slug?)

Which is right?  Are both models of 'the cave'?  :-\
Click to expand...

I feel that the space within is more useful if the cave is being viewed from without. The alternative might be useful if we could print at 1:1.
 
K

khakipuce

New member
I think you are going to have to pick your cave carefully, something like a big chamber might be easer but long thin passages might be more difficult with the RepRap. The 3d prot-typer where I work uses a laser to solidify the surface of a liquid polymer, the model is then lowered and the next layer solidifed - so the model is supported by the liquid.

It looks like the RepRap extrudes molten plastic so long thin passages might suffer from a bit of droop (so might the winner of of your offer  :LOL:)
 
kdxn

kdxn

New member
First get loads of data points by using a 3d laser scanner, photogrammetry (?), video, or a tripod mounted DistoX plus lots of time.

Data processing, lots of 3D data processing software out there to create a triangulated digital model which is what you need for the 3D printing and this data procesing often takes more time than the data collection.........

Some options for the 3D printing include the laser fixed polymer or the more interesting powder based modellers - the latter can be coloured using photographs to give a photo realistic appearance but....... you would have to split your cave passage in two halves to print it. Couple of UK vendors :
http://www.3dcreationlab.co.uk/
http://www.printin3d.co.uk/

Haven given consideration to 3D printing my model of Gaping Gill main chamber - anyone with a 3D printer available to get it done before HE 2010 ????
 
graham

graham

New member
cavermark said:
Has anyone tried a stereoscopic type display of a survey on a screen yet - Avatar and all that...
Click to expand...

We did stereo cave surveys back in the 1970s. Both Compass and Therion support 3d views now, though both need red&blue glasses & I've mislaid mine. :(
 
jarvist

jarvist

New member
I always thought a 3D crystal engraving would be more suitable for making a model of a cave:
http://www.lasercrystal.co.uk/

That way there's also no worries about making the structure self-supporting on construction, and it's very compatible with a DEM for the surface above too.
 
pete_the_caver

pete_the_caver

New member
jarvist said:
I always thought a 3D crystal engraving would be more suitable for making a model of a cave:
http://www.lasercrystal.co.uk/

That way there's also no worries about making the structure self-supporting on construction, and it's very compatible with a DEM for the surface above too.
Click to expand...

this sounds like a better concept to me.  It would allow a continuous surface to overlay the cave and therefore give a much better understanding of the relationship between the surface drainage and the underlying cave.

One thing that I assume would be possible with a 3D crystal engraving would be the ability to add to the survey as new cave was found. 

I am particularly interested in this question because I am involved in trying to produce a 3D survey of the new Stormy Pot system in New Zealand that would show how it relates to the surface, Nettlebed and Windrift.
 
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