Concrete Surface, How to? (Actually 3D Texture)

Mike5401 · 15 Feb 2012, 01:29

Hey Guy's,

I was wondering how do you create an actual concrete surface on a slab that I intend to have 3D printed? I'm not talking about wrapping a image texture on top, I'm wanting actual dimples and I guess rough surfaces on my 3D printed model, so that when I go and airbrush paint it myself it looks like concrete?

Is there a way to do this?

Thanks
Mike

Alan Fraser · 15 Feb 2012, 07:05

There is a way. Thomthom has produced a script that will use a bitmap as a heightmap. The problem is that to get an decent area of detailed, textured concrete, you are going to need quite a large image to begin with. This will result in an absolutely huge SketchUp model that will probably bring your computer to a complete standstill.

SU doesn't like a lot of geometry. This kind of thing could be done far more interactively in something like Z-Brush, in which you can actively sculpt in 3D.

oganocali · 15 Feb 2012, 15:18

Ideally, to get what you want, you should be able to assign bump-maps or displacement-maps to surfaces just as in a rendering application. I even asked i-materialise support whether they accept such data. Their answer was that I had to convert the maps to 3d geometry (faces) first. Of course Alan is right, SketchUp (or any other tool) will croak if you want to include fine texture detail as 3d geometry. I think 3d rendering companies and 3d printing companies should cooperate somehow to get that kind of support.

Alan Fraser · 15 Feb 2012, 15:52

When you say 'model' is that actual size or scaled. I'm only asking out of interest, because many years ago (I was still at college at the time) I saw some wonderful examples of wall art...which were presumably castings...that had been painted. They were about 2 metres square and were of sections of waste ground, roadway and sidewalk/kerbside. They were complete with grit, cracks and even discarded cigarette butts and ring pulls...and were absolutely convincing, even from very close inspection. In fact, they were so convincing that it looked as if the artist had actually removed the surface of the ground and hung it on the wall. I wish I could Google it, but all the right keywords just bring up the modern fad for trompe l'oeil chalk drawings.

Mike5401 · 16 Feb 2012, 03:42

Thanks guys!

Yeah I mean scaled. I had planned on doing a 1/48th scale tarmac complete with aircraft tie downs and didn't want a smooth surface. I had started drawing last night a little squared section of texture that I would individually push/pull certain pieces to get some texture then was just going copy and paste this over the whole tarmac, but do you think that would be too much geometry for the file and for shape ways?

I wonder if I'd be better off just using there tan sand stone material if that would actually get me the texture I want?

Scaled size was gonna be 12" x 12" base.

Mike

Alan Fraser · 16 Feb 2012, 08:09

You could maybe build-in a few blemishes, but for an overall granular texture it might be better to investigate methods of physically abrading/distressing the finished surface.

Mike5401 · 17 Feb 2012, 23:40

@alan fraser said:

You could maybe build-in a few blemishes, but for an overall granular texture it might be better to investigate methods of physically abrading/distressing the finished surface.

Okay thanks! I think I probably will have to go that route.

Thanks again all for the help!!