3D illustration of the Peacock Springs cave system

http://youtu.be/BkWAEuHRTwQ

I've had an interest in starting some cave surveying projects. This illustration is a test of what I can create with just a limited amounts of data.

Very cool!!

Very very cool!!!

Very cool!

Very very very cool!!!!

That's very cool, it'd be awesome to import it into a program that allowed the user to control the models movement and zoom in on areas of interest.

That reminds me of the table models you see of national parks you see.

http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/im...3-340e8a22ae8b

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Originally Posted by mdax

That's very cool, it'd be awesome to import it into a program that allowed the user to control the models movement and zoom in on areas of interest.

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+1!
Would you consider donating a neutral format of this that people could play with?

I love it--

That's FANTASTIC! I'd love to see you play with the QRSS maps from Mexico . . .

I would love to see a 3d plastic model of a cave, which is more and more possible with plastic printers, and for someone to make the 3d file from cave maps... Something a foot or two big, in a plastic case, maybe could go in a coffee table...

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Originally Posted by JahJahwarrior

I would love to see a 3d plastic model of a cave, which is more and more possible with plastic printers, and for someone to make the 3d file from cave maps... Something a foot or two big, in a plastic case, maybe could go in a coffee table...

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Great idea....

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Originally Posted by JahJahwarrior

I would love to see a 3d plastic model of a cave, which is more and more possible with plastic printers, and for someone to make the 3d file from cave maps... Something a foot or two big, in a plastic case, maybe could go in a coffee table...

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That would be amazing!

Fantastic; even to a non-cave diver like me!!
John Ploegert

Awesome!

Very neat!

Dive safe,

Celia

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JahJahwarrior

I would love to see a 3d plastic model of a cave, which is more and more possible with plastic printers, and for someone to make the 3d file from cave maps... Something a foot or two big, in a plastic case, maybe could go in a coffee table...

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I'm in! Where do I send my check?

Very cool!

Thanks, everyone. A plastic model is a sick idea, and is absolutely possible - I'll look into it. Holler if anyone has experience or insight with that.


I'm also working on making it interactive on the Web so you can play around with it like you would in Google Earth, but I ran into some snags. I'll keep you posted. If anyone wants to talk about sharing some better data (even just a sample) I could make a better, more realistic model.

How about a 3d printout? That seems to be all the talk on the net lately

Taming of the Slough has the survey data in the back.

3d model would be awesome.

Very cool. Ahhh GIS bling.

If you are interested in better data, and willing to look at MX, you should contact Fred Devos. He's doing some very interesting things in passage survey.

Can you get STL ouput from your GIS? If so, I might have source to get a 3D model for free.

Mike Poucher (mpoucher on this forum) has all the survey data that was used to make the map you used. Why not get in touch with him?

very cool

I have experience w/ 3D printing. It would likely be very expensive even for a small model, depending on which technology is used.

The printers using plastic, and heat, also utilize a support material that dissolves away in a special solution when the piece is finished. The support material fills in any hollow areas to allow plastic to be printed over top.

Cost wise, you can expect to pay probably $15-20 per cubic inch. Materials cost about $5-10 per cubic inch depending on brand (and volume discounts) and then you, the customer, are also paying for machine time.

Most machines are fairly small, allowing perhaps 1 sqft of space to print on perhaps 6in tall. Much larger machines are available, just not likely to be as available or as inexpensive. Most small printers allow printing in only one color too. Some systems exist to print in a variety of colors but that adds expense too.

Other systems allow printing in sand, wax, etc. Those are less expensive, sometimes, but more fragile.

Someone could make a wax model, use it to make an investment casting. Then you could have aluminum cave maps...

Unless someone here has access to a system at work, or owns one, I doubt that a map, of any real size, can be made for less than the price of one kidney, half a liver, and a few first born children.

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Originally Posted by NorthWoodsDiver

I have experience w/ 3D printing. It would likely be very expensive even for a small model, depending on which technology is used.

The printers using plastic, and heat, also utilize a support material that dissolves away in a special solution when the piece is finished. The support material fills in any hollow areas to allow plastic to be printed over top.

Cost wise, you can expect to pay probably $15-20 per cubic inch. Materials cost about $5-10 per cubic inch depending on brand (and volume discounts) and then you, the customer, are also paying for machine time.

Most machines are fairly small, allowing perhaps 1 sqft of space to print on perhaps 6in tall. Much larger machines are available, just not likely to be as available or as inexpensive. Most small printers allow printing in only one color too. Some systems exist to print in a variety of colors but that adds expense too.

Other systems allow printing in sand, wax, etc. Those are less expensive, sometimes, but more fragile.

Someone could make a wax model, use it to make an investment casting. Then you could have aluminum cave maps...

Unless someone here has access to a system at work, or owns one, I doubt that a map, of any real size, can be made for less than the price of one kidney, half a liver, and a few first born children.

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If you're familiar with the comedian/ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, a lot of his creations are done with the assist of such a 3D printer. In fact, on his new "Minding the Monsters" DVD, he goes through the entire process from the computer scanning/imaging to the actual print of a head piece for his "Walter" character, turning him into "Crankenstein." :-D

What occurs to me as a cool "touchable" thing that could be made from this would be a 3D laser etched glass paperweight--
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