2D to 3D Software recommendation?
Howdy Mates,
Any recommended (and easy to use) software -or method- which will take a 2D image [specifically... scans of the various terrain pieces; the Islands, Reefs, Coasts & Shores terrain pack, etc..) and render it as a 3D image? Which... could be used to send to Shapeways [or someone with a 3D printer] to print as a 3D shape?
Color is not currently an issue, as will probably need to be painted anyways.
Just curious.
Thanks!
Gina (Broadsword56) has been working with 3D rendering programs and Shapeways to produce some 1/1000 ships for SoG. She might know of some program that can convert from 2D to 3D?Originally Posted by kippryon
There are lots of sophisticated 2d to 3d programs out there. But what you are talking about requires a DEM. A Digital Elevation Map of a given island can be input into a 3d printer which would then print the island in 3D. There are lots of sources for DEM data.The USGS has DEM data for the entire US. So you could do something like Catalina Island or Hawaii or any coastline to a given scale on a 3D printer. Hope this helps.
Kentop is right.
Here's a link to a step-by-step tutorial on how to take an image of any real place from Google Earth and turn it into an STL file that can be 3D printed.
http://www.matterhackers.com/news/ho...e-in-the-world
In essence, the software tools interpret the relative lights and darks of the 2D pixels in a bitmap image into heights (lighter being higher and darker being lower). Software turns that into 3D data. Then you use a tool to render the heightmap data as a 3D mesh file in a format that a 3D printer can read, like STL.
I'm not sure how exactly you'd turn the Ares terrain into 3D, but I suppose a good scan of it could serve the same purpose for your initial image. The fictional Ares terrain is copyrighted, so be careful if it's not just for your personal use. Why not use real terrain instead, and then (if you have any 3D design skills) you could edit your STL model to add details like forts or harbors, etc?
It would be a brilliant thing to offer to gamers. But I think it could be harder to paint terrain and have it look realistic than it is to paint a model ship. Maybe not, but you'd need to read up on the techniques. We have a 3D printing artist here in my town who sells painted scale replicas of real places like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, derived from digital topographical data, and they look amazing. He's become adept at various drybrushing techniques, among other things. He shares many of his tips on how he does it, too. Here's his Thingiverse page:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:409877
Very cool info from Ken and Gina. Learned something new. Thanks!
There are low tech solutions, too. You can still find a Vac-U-Form on eBay from time to time and you can buy supplies for it. You can use just about anything for the mold. You can whittle one out of wood or pile up layers of something to make a decent looking island or coast line. The plastic sheets are easy to work with and can be glued together to for a long chain of coastline.
Or, you can buy them directly from plasticguys.webs.com:
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