Medical scan to 3D print: Toolychainy
Feb. 19th, 2011 10:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andygatesMusing about toolchains here. For those of you with lives, a toolchain is, er, a chain of tools that run sequentially to perform what looks like an awesome task. So for example the chain that builds my Garmin map starts with a download of OSM stuff, then decompresses it, splits it into bite-size chunks, turns those chunks into Garmin-formatted chunks, applies a style, adds some other Garmin material that doesn't come from OSM, compresses it, sends it up to the cloud and tweets about it. The only creative thing I've done is the style; the rest is all just working out (from wikis and forms and chat) what tools are needed to do what, and getting them to do it.
I did the Garmin map because I wanted a pretty all-purpose map that showed my edits quickly, and doing it myself was the best way to get that. A lazy nerd with a clear goal is a good starting point for a toolchain. ^_^
Now I want to quaff wine from a cup made from my own skull. Byronic inscription optional. Clearly my actual skull is busy keeping my tasty tasty brains from getting out (it scrabbles at the fontanel sometimes, like a little think-pudding shoggoth, but I digress). So, to SCIENCE! Medical scanners can do what's needed. The scanners will have their own file formats; I'll either need to export in a standard, or get a converter (over on Thingiverse, there's a skull that passed through Google Sketchup format). Once it's in a format regular 3D peeps can use, it will need cleanup to remove any scanner artifacts (slices and shadows) and false information (not-bone). It may need resolution change, much like a high-detail image needs resolution change for desktop printing. And then it needs to get into a 3D print format, fed to Shapeways and turned out in quaffingstuff.
I know absolutely nothing about 3D modelling, so this could be an adventure! I should hit this guy up. If any of you have skillz, do let me know!
I did the Garmin map because I wanted a pretty all-purpose map that showed my edits quickly, and doing it myself was the best way to get that. A lazy nerd with a clear goal is a good starting point for a toolchain. ^_^
Now I want to quaff wine from a cup made from my own skull. Byronic inscription optional. Clearly my actual skull is busy keeping my tasty tasty brains from getting out (it scrabbles at the fontanel sometimes, like a little think-pudding shoggoth, but I digress). So, to SCIENCE! Medical scanners can do what's needed. The scanners will have their own file formats; I'll either need to export in a standard, or get a converter (over on Thingiverse, there's a skull that passed through Google Sketchup format). Once it's in a format regular 3D peeps can use, it will need cleanup to remove any scanner artifacts (slices and shadows) and false information (not-bone). It may need resolution change, much like a high-detail image needs resolution change for desktop printing. And then it needs to get into a 3D print format, fed to Shapeways and turned out in quaffingstuff.
I know absolutely nothing about 3D modelling, so this could be an adventure! I should hit this guy up. If any of you have skillz, do let me know!
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-19 11:20 pm (UTC)(and that leads me on to the dangerous seduction of 3D-printed cloisonne...)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 09:16 am (UTC)Machined cloisonne:
http://jarkwoman.co.uk/Jewellery/Enamelling/CNCPendants.htm
(actually Donna did that, but on my mill)
and some CNC machining from STL files:
https://picasaweb.google.com/jarkman/PerspexMilling#5199945219417818354
Machining might be a better choice than printing for some of these things. There are many pros and cons:
- You get a much bigger choice of material. Knife scales, say, can be made from anything that'll cut. Wood, bone, micarta, bronze, firm cheeses, whatever.
- Surface finish is generally good.
- Cost per part is just the cost of the material.
- It's practical to have your own machine.
- You can only machine one side at a time. No problem for knife scales, an annoyance for skull-bowls.
- Cutter size limits some aspects of your resolution. Internal corners can't be arbitrarily sharp, stuff like that.
For the skull-bowl, I think machining would be tricky, because of the shape. Knife scales, OTOH, would be a doddle.
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 11:05 am (UTC)This is only ever going to happen if I stop doing fulltime work, right? and that means I won't have the money...
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 11:18 am (UTC)From nothing to having it all running would take you three weekends, and you can work out what bits you need from the interwebs. Or I can give you a shopping list if you wanted one like mine.
I keep mine on the kitchen table (which is, admittedly, long). And Donna uses it too, which encourages her forbearance.
Just thing of all the things it's good for. Decorative inlay on guitars. Engraved knife scales. Machine-embossed leatherwork. PCBs. How can you resist ? :-)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 12:35 pm (UTC)Can't.
[Sigh]
no subject
Date: 2011-02-20 12:39 pm (UTC)Where in the world are you ?
no subject
Date: 2011-02-21 09:07 am (UTC)Manchester.
In a bag somewhere I have a pile of stepper motors that I picked up from a radio rally. I have a drill press, and when the workshop's finished, there's even a lathe waiting for me to pick up from my parents' house. The problem is more that I bleed maker-genes, but have no time.
Anyway, I have micRo lust. ;)
(sorry Mr Gates, you can have your journal back now...)
no subject
Date: 2011-02-21 09:28 am (UTC)If you ever find yourself near the bottom right corner of Wales, you should come & see the thing in action.