does anyone know of a program that can calculate whether or not a 3D model will balance in the ‘real world’. I have some zbrush figures that i want to create at human scale and I’d like to know if they can stand up and balance on their feet without having a base…I know I could make a small version, but even small prints are quite expensive, so I’m looking for a program that might allow me calculate it virtually…
There are several programs such as Maya and I believe 3d Max, Xsi. Pretty much any program that can deal with dynamics. For Maya and probably the same for the others you would bring your model in. Then create a ground plane just a little below your model. Make them collision objects and give your model gravity. Then hit play on the timeline. Your model will drop onto the ground plane and if its modeled properly then it should stand upright, If not, it will topple over. Hope this helps.
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Honestly, sometimes you’re not going to WANT your print to be ‘balanced’. What I do is leave a small area cut out on the bottom of the base so I can mount a counterweight if need be. Usually you should just be able to eyeball it unless your character is in a really extreme pose.
Basically- if you have to ask, it probably won’t balance. Leave some space in the base for a counterweight or adjust the pose. Using a physics simulation will not be accurate, since typically they will use a convex hull for calculating weight distribution (even if they use a concave mesh for collision detection). It can give you an idea, but I wouldn’t rely on it… I certainly wouldn’t say it’s any more accurate than just using your eye and best judgement.
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this is really solid advice guys, much appreciated, thanks a lot
Most of the time, the center of mass, not the model’s bounding box center will be the center of weight. If the center of mass is supported the model will stand on it’s own when printed.
Speaking of 3d printing, there is a new site offering 3d print services. You can upload models for sale and buy a print. It’s called “Kraftwurx.com” I found I could make a seller’s account here: http://kraftwurx.com/component/community/register/register?profileType=2