Interesting. Thanks for the graph.
Though I hate log/log graphs; those lines should be pretty steep curves.
Interesting. Thanks for the graph.
Though I hate log/log graphs; those lines should be pretty steep curves.Olowkow
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Dreadnoughtus schrani 3D PDF images - Lacovara et al., 2014, A Gigantic, Exceptionally Complete Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur from Southern Patagonia, Argentina, Scientific Reports,
This is fun to look at. Big download. The parts can be maneuvered in 3D for inspection. The bones were scanned with laser modeling software so that a 3D printer could make models.
This is fun to look at. Big download. The parts can be maneuvered in 3D for inspection. The bones were scanned with laser modeling software so that a 3D printer could make models.
I've wondered how 3D printing would impact paleontology. Obviously fine detail will be lost (any printer has resolution limits), but for something this size the limits are likely irrelevant. It'll be interesting to see what use the dinosaur folks make of this new technology. I'm not as interested in what they find out about the creature (though the gods know I'd give my left eye to see it!), as I am in how this new technology impacts the research.
On a similar note, I wonder if I could get an xBox Kinect. I know those can be set up to take scans for 3D printers, and are cheap enough for someone without much in the way of funding to purchase personally. That's one reason I want to know what they do with these scans: if it's enough, it may trickle down into what I do.
On a similar note, I wonder if I could get an xBox Kinect. I know those can be set up to take scans for 3D printers, and are cheap enough for someone without much in the way of funding to purchase personally. That's one reason I want to know what they do with these scans: if it's enough, it may trickle down into what I do.
The mice were as big as a Volkswagon!
Olowkow
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The viewer that comes with the download I linked is surprisingly flexible. It has pan, zoom, rotate, color changing and rendering, wire frame of different types, transparent, measuring tool etc.
I believe they said in one of the videos that the plan was to build a model of Dreadnoughtus using 3D printing, since it was too risky to attempt to display the actual bones, and of course they must be returned to Argentina. I think it might be a suitable job for a CNC milling machine or router. In any case, they would likely have to print or mill small pieces and glue them together.
The printer that I saw used some sort of PVC on a spool, and even though it is relatively primitive the resolution was fairly good, not great though. The students who were demonstrating it printed 4" models of a campus building which used an existing Auto Cad drawing that they spent a weekend editing to remove unnecessary parts.
I looked up xBox Kinect/3D, and it looks like this might be an interesting project. There is a MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner being sold for about $800. But this item looks more like a toy than any serious equipment. Max size 20x20 cm (8x8") with .5mm (0.02") resolution.
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To be honest, outside dinosaur folks and whale folks 8"x8" is pretty good. Most of what we work with is in that range. Horse teeth just aren't that big, you know? It's the 0.5 mm resolution that's the killer here; tooth marks and other taphonomic data, as well as enamel plates on some teeth, are often much smaller. Still an interesting idea, though. I need to start saving up my pennies....Olowkow said: