The thickening process can prove somewhat challenging because the software tools to achieve this, on anything but simple meshes, are few and far between, and those that do exist provide limited capability and success. In addition, some editing of the mesh or removal of artifacts may be required to fill holes, remove unwanted polygons and vertices, or generally improve the mesh quality for printing. In most cases, the 3D models that are generated from 3D reconstruction methods are only surfaces (which have no thickness), and, unless these are inherently closed surfaces, they need to be thickened or solidified in order to have the correct and minimum thicknesses for 3D printing. ReMake (which replaces the discontinued AutoDesk® 123D Catch application) and PhotoScan have attractive licensing options for educational institutions, which should be good news for those interested in applying 3D reconstruction to educational pursuits. The SfM technique is the basis of the commercial Agisoft PhotoScan and AutoDesk® ReMake products and the open-source VisualSFM application ( De Paor, 2016). The Structure from Motion (SfM) 3D reconstruction technique for model generation, which makes use of smartphone or other digital camera images, is a particularly relevant and convenient method in the context of this paper for capturing and generating 3D models of rocks and rock faces, whether they are located indoors or in the field. The techniques discussed by De Paor (2016) for creating virtual rocks are equally applicable to the generation of 3D models for 3D printing, with the important proviso that the models are made “watertight,” i.e., have closed surfaces and no holes. GENERATING REALISTIC AND ACCURATELY SCALED 3D MODELS OF ROCKS AND ROCK FACESĭe Paor (2016) provides a complementary and detailed description and review of techniques applicable to the creation and virtual display of 3D digital models of rocks relevant to a range of geoscience subdisciplines. In addition, these service providers have a range of printers that cater to the different printing techniques, thus giving customers a wide choice of printed material without the cost of ownership overhead.
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An alternative to purchasing a printer is, however, available in the form of online 3D printing service providers such as Shapeways ( Sculpteo ( and i.materialise ( i.) that offer a relatively affordable way to print high-quality models, no matter if one’s interest stems from a hobby or professional activity. Although there are affordable fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers such as the MakerBot ( the majority of printers and printing techniques are expensive. © International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2017.There are companies such as 3DSystems ( Stratasys ( and Konica Minolta ( that specialize in the manufacture and/or marketing of 3D printers, and most have a printer range that includes at least a few of the different techniques listed above. The described method provides a low-cost and accessible means to digitize a socket interior for use in prosthetic CAD/CAM systems, employing a smartphone camera and cloud-based photogrammetry software.
However, this method would provide a viable 3D digital socket reproduction that is accessible and low-cost, after processing in prosthetic CAD software. Discussion:ģD reconstruction accuracy averaged 2.6 ± 2.0 mm and 0.086 ± 0.078 L, which was less accurate than models obtained by high quality 3D scanners. Linear measurements were comparing between sockets and the related 3D models. A 3D model is generated using cloud-based software. Technique:ġ5 two-dimensional images of the socket’s interior are captured using a smartphone camera. A low-cost and accessible photogrammetry method for socket interior digitization is proposed, using a smartphone camera and cloud-based photogrammetry services. While dedicated scanners exist, they are expensive and the cost may be prohibitive for a limited number of scans per year. Prosthetic CAD/CAM systems require accurate 3D limb models however, difficulties arise when working from the person’s socket since current 3D scanners have difficulties scanning socket interiors.