3D Software?

[Mike Null]

Here is a link to one thread.
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...ight=mackenzie

[Chad Voller]

If you don't mind learning some software, here's a free, well known app.
http://www.blender.org/

Mostly for illustrative, animation work. But it does 3D, and includes the renderer. I'm not sure of it's shaders and how it's materials work as I haven't used it. But it is based on commercial systems.

I use 3DS Max for 3D at work, and made a grey scale depth map to test the laser 3D out. It is made by putting a falloff map in the diffuse/color channel, that renders the object out whiter the closer it is to the virtual camera, and of course blacker the further away it is.

In the motorcycle sample render here, I reversed the falloff as I wanted to etch from the back of acrylic, so the image would be visible from the front. It didn't turn out that well, too much detail for how small I was engraving.

[Chad Voller]

Hmm, my image didn't upload, will try again.

[Jack Harper]

Thanks everyone for your input. It's back to the secret laboratory to explore all these ideas.

Jack

[Garry McKinney]

Remember your working on percentages, although the laser is suspose to recognize all 256 levels of grey the changes are very small. But it is possible to create a 3-d impression even if it is not real 3-d , but most of it is developing the pattern to give the levels to the laser.

This piece was done in 3-d and 200.00 is more than reasonable for a 3-d pattern considering the time invested to get a pattern. I do a lot of 3-D work, but I have more people say it is to expensive , then those willing to pay for the work.

Excuse the 22 long rifle it was done for reference , for another job I was working on .