Researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) wanted to make the design process for 3D printing less complex. So, for inspiration, they turned to a tool that has been used by a company that has specialized in 3D design for decades Pixar.
This week, researchers from MIT's CSAIL team will introduce two papers detailing new processes inspired by Pixar's use of the RenderMan software and RenderMan Interface Specificat (RISpec) to help alleviate the "enormous computational challenges" in current 3D printing processes.
Essentially, RISpec helps translate the fine details of 3D scenes into realistic 3D animations. For the 3D printing market, similar capabilities may prove invaluable.
MIT's project, dubbed OpenFab, is a programmable "pipeline" architecture that aims to eliminate the current problems with designing replicas of complex 3D objects. Currently, to replicate a 3D scene or object, the design tools need to record every detail in high definition, and often generate up to petabytes of data to do so. This naturally creates issues for those without experience using the tools to create such a complex design, and especially those without the processing power to handle that amount of data.
To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon