can something like this be machined as a solid?

[cherokeechief79]

or possibly surfaces? this is a render done in a modeling system called "poser" there seems to be a whole community of people who devote much time into making very intricate models like this. the ones of humans are very realistic looking. it appears that they are 1st done as a wireframe and then "textured" over to get realistic looking results. im not sure if you would loose the "texture" if it were somehow imported int mc.

 

[#Rekd™]

As long as you have a solid or surface to drive the tool path it is possible.

 

What is the file extension?

[Hertz]

3D print it. lol

[crazy^millman]

Yes and even to the stl as well. Can be 5 axis cut to the stl as well. Many tricks to machine a part like this in Mastercam trick is who do you fixture it? Do you make segments and put the segments together or do you try to machine it out of one piece? I would probably do the body as one segment making it and upper section with the pinchers, then a lower section with the legs that then the tail fitting into to both of them when locked together would hold and lock it in place.

[Zoffen]

trick is who do you fixture it?

 

Pedestal 5 axis picture fame and tabbbbbbsssssss!!!!!!!!!!

 

or in one piece from solid block with tab on the bottom, rough/finish as you go from periphery in, leaving support structure to be roughed off later, and then finished, and then roughed, and then finished, etc.......

double !

[cherokeechief79]

these seem to be objects. they have an obj. extension. they seem to be wireframe and then "textures" are added over the base model. it seems to me you would loose most of the detail when the "texture" was removed.

 

 

 

 

 

[#Rekd™]

The obj files are similar to stl files.

[cherokeechief79]

could an obj. file be brought into mc?

[djstedman]

The textures in these files are simply images overlayed over the mesh to give color realism to the objects .. the underlying model doesn't get any of its definition from the texture.. (though some textures use prebaked shadows for extra detail)

 

Also lots of these models have multiple LODS (levels of detail) for display purposes within games.. ie low level of detail the farther away from the object you are to reduce the amount of work your video card does when rendering the scene.. so for machining purposes you would want to make sure to get the highest level of detail model..

 

Additionally.. one pitfall to watch out for.. is these models tend to be made for visual puproses.. so they may or may not be watertight.. and also may have different pieces that extend into other sections of the model.. which in machining the parts might cause issues..

[cherokeechief79]

thank you that was a very good explanation!

[Aaron Eberhard]

And for a little more clarification, they use what's called "bump maps" (or "bump mapping") to get the depth of their textures. The idea is you load a grey scale image, and the renderer says black is the lowest point, white is the highest point, and so it will render with artificial depth.

 

Poser uses relatively low polygon count models, that are then "cleaned up" by rendering with anti-aliasing, texture mapping & bump maps. I don't think you'd like the results you'd get out of it if you tried to machine that model.

 

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Bump_mapping for more detail.

[#Rekd™]

Here is a solid file for something similar.

BEE.MCX

[Thad]

... they may or may not be watertight.. and also may have different pieces that extend into other sections of the model.. which in machining the parts might cause issues..

 

Sound like some die designers I know.

[crazy^millman]

Hockey guy that bee has no texture and that is trick on this Scorpion all the texture is the trick and how small of an endmill does someone want to use?