Create a 3-D relief from photo

[mestela]

Linked on spiraloid a while back. If it works it's pretty neat, but then you wonder why no-one else is doing it... anyways:

http://www.di3d.com/virtualclones/vc_3dphotos.html

Animation

[Karlfucious]

Yes there is a way to do it but since you are going to be cutting it on a Mill you are going to need a VERRY fast computer for Master CAM to read that file. To get very good results you are going to need a mesh in excess to 1,000,000 polys to look good. As far as bringing it into other apps you can decrease the resolution a whole lot by using displacement maps but as far as i know there is no way of doing anything like that in cnc. We use a Haas VF2 mill here and ive had pretty good results cutting some poly stuff that ive created in Maya but Master Cam usually farts out with anything over 10,000 polys but we are using some dinosaur computers too. Im not shure what Cad Cam program you are using but you may want to check out how well it works because Master CAM is kind of a RAM hog but what you are using may be a lot more ram friendly.

[Karlfucious]

As far as using a picture goes yes it can but you may need to do a few things before it will work right. First it needs to be greyscale. Secound there cant be any lighting imformation. What you are going to have to do is bring it into photoshop and kind of paint over the values which you need based on distance instead of lighting very simular to what was in aminuts reply. So with that said I personally think that it would be easier for me atleast to just model whatever you need from scratch and do it that way. by doint that you can also use the mesh in projection master to create a relief that way and you should get much better results without too much time diffrence. Another option depending on what you are trying to use this for is to just do some regular 2d line drawings and create your tool paths that way. If it is going to be used as more of a piece of art or something like that that may be a way to go. It will have more of a abstract kind of look to it but sometimes that will acually have a better impact on what you are going to create. Ive done it that way many times and in certain cases it acually looks better. Also by doing it that way it makes your tool path creation a heck of a lot easier and will cut down you time on the machine from taking a few hours to taking a few min.

Good luck,
Karl

[billrobertson42]

Hi Bill,

We spoke on the phone a couple of weeks ago if you recall. I'm in Ohio and I've got the MDX 15 if that helps to jog your memory.

Anyway, I have had the same idea, but I haven't put much thought into it yet. One thing that has occurred to me is that I could use the function in rhino that can turn a picture into a relief. I suppose you've tried that and found it unsatisfactory?

[Bill B]

Hey Bill, Ya I remember. So ya man I am actually trying to figure this out I am dam close. I just recently discovered ZB to add to my never ending list of modelers I use. ZB is one of the most amazing apps I have used and seen yet period. I would like to shake hands with the development team.



But anyways I think with a MDX-15 it will do the job but with way to many machining time. And running it in Modela 4 will KILL YOU, you will never get tool path gen times up fast enough to make it profitable. I am doing some testing now and I have a machining time of about 1hr and 15 min. NOT BAD AT ALL! The part size is your basic 4x6 picture size. I may be posting images on the form soon.



As far as Rhino is goes it will not happen, I have been scouring the application world for along time now. I have tried other apps that claim it can work but just dose not do it. And they are really high cost apps. ZB may just be the ticket.



If I make this all happen I am taking BNT Studios on the road, fairs, Venice beach, the mall ect. Type of thing. I really think I have something here. I know I’m not the first to think about it but I WILL be the first to do it if it all works out. All I have to do now is learn ZB in and out, as I now only have the tip of the ice burg. I really don’t know what the hell I am doing with it now.



Hey, you keep in touch if you need any help on the cnc side of things.



Did you check out the jewelers burs yet.
Bill B
BNT
www.bnt4cncrp.com

[jrussellred]

I ran across some software from a small company called Designs Computed (www.designscomputed.com) and they do a pretty good job of converting photos in 3d. Just like every approach to this their suffers from the same issue of lighting, etc. but they have some tools (a bit clunky but usable) that will let you adjust the z axis.

Anyway, if you've come up with any other processes I'd be interested in knowing - I've been trying to do some similar things with products (not people) photos and it's been tough to get there.

[Steevo]

Bill B:

Which effect are looking for the most?

Low Relief or High Relief?

Please see the following photo.

[jrussellred]

I don't know about Bill but the Bas relief stuff would be what would probably be most useful for me.

[abcd1234]

Linked on spiraloid a while back. If it works it's pretty neat, but then you wonder why no-one else is doing it... anyways:

http://www.di3d.com/virtualclones/vc_3dphotos.html

Animation

Interesting but expensive and you can't use it with zbrush


Is there something like that who can be used with zbrush ?

[abcd1234]

Interesting but expensive and you can't use it with zbrush


Is there something like that who can be used with zbrush ?

It will be super cool if zbrush creates something like that.
I mean, doing a 3d model based on stereo pictures.

[lemonnado]

Roland has a machine/software combo which does that. However, all those machines including laser engravers only produce a 'likeness' when the sculpture is lit in the correct way to reproduce the shadows the photogrsphy/alpha had. Etching seems to be the only way to provide a good image on a metal surface. Well... it is a process analog to the photographic one.

LemonNado

PS:All results I have seen so far on trade fairs etc. have not "wow'd" me...
The best process with cool results imho is the metal powder one with the laser fused substrate, a sinter process after the run, and then a soaking in liquid brass to fill the voids. Results are spectacular even with tons of undercuts. Inclusions however make the pice HEAVY.

[Steevo]

Dear ZBrush NG:

Both the high and low relief effects are possible using ZBrush and Projection Master.

The high relief can be accomplished by using multimarkers and then converting the assembled "meshed" objects into a polymesh and then masking and deleting what you don't want. (Like the the head "A" coming out from the flat plane in my last post.)

The low relief can be accomplished by deforming a mesh using an alpha from within projection master. There are numerous posts and a carving tutorial in the ZBrush Central Tutorials section to explore this effect. (Like the "B" head.)

The use of photographs is limited in an automatic generation of a mesh with the correct "topography". For instance, if a photograph of a face is used, the flash highlight on the forehead and nose is translated to either a gaping hole or a mountain depending on the direction of the displacement. (See aminuts post.)

Delcam has a software package called Artcam (www.artcam.com) that is very good at getting low relief effects for manufacturing. However, the creation of the original artwork that is "displaced" or "deformed" is still basically created manually - read "tedious". Price and licensing fees rules out Artcam for me - plus its not as fun as ZBrush!

The best thing I have seen is ZBrush's MRGBZ Grabber tool with its resulting Alpha or "depth map" based on a 3D model to create the ghostly type of "alpha" used as a brush.

Here is a low relief model I created recently exploring these effects. Modeled and textured in ZB, rendered in Rhino / Flamingo.

The art of artistic carving still exists, just now it is in virtual 3D!

Cheers.

SW

[cadartisan]

Dear ZBrushers,

I'd like to use Zbrush to make a low bas relief of a person's face from a photo (either from the front or side view). The model would be CNC milled, so control over depth and dimension is absolutely crucial.

It would need to take 30 minutes or less to create an accurately representational relief ready for prototyping, so if anyone can prove to me it's possible, I'd be willing to pay for examples. I'll email you some photos if you are interested in trying.

Thanks,

Cadartisan

[johnny blaze]

Send me a photo and I will show you a sample. Make sure the picture is clear and of good quality . See my profile for email info.

[Steevo]

Dear NG:

Here is a quick example of a low relief "carving" from a photo.

This effect is quick and can be accomplished from within Projection Master. I got the photo off the 'net as a quick example.

The effect is not bad, however, you will notice that the hair receed into the mesh rather than go out from the mesh.

This can be overcome, but it becomes more tedious.

Cheers.

SW