2D to 3D
'2D to 3D' is an engineering art project I started with my dear friend
Frank Martin Hein
at the end of 2020. Our goal is to convert 2D images into printable or millable 3D shapes
which can be used for art printing (like Andy Warhol) or pressing of paper.
For this project, I oversee the programming of the corresponding code and the generation of printable or millable mesh models. At the beginning, I started out with a simple MATLAB script which imports a picture and then scans every pixel for its RGB value. These values are stored in three different vectors X, Y and Z. X and Y save the pixel position and Z the color. To accomplish a three-dimensional effect, every color is converted into a height. Height values are achieved by greyscaling the RGB values saved in Z. These then consequently range from 0 (black) to 255 (white) which act as values along the Z axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system. With the values of X, Y and Z a three-dimensional mesh is created. Unfortunately, this MATLAB mesh is not sufficient to be printed. The mesh is therefore converted into a .stl-format in MATLAB. Once the .stl is created, final adjustments are made in Meshmixer to allow printing or milling. This involves smoothing the mesh to minimize sharp edges and extruding a base to be able to print every required height. A simplified representation of the 2D to 3D conversion is shown in the pictures below.
We are currently trying to figure out which production path we want to pursue. The first 3D prototype prints look very promising (see pictures above) but will not hold up in terms of precision and strength for art printing or pressing. Therefore, our next step is to take a closer look at possible milling options. For art printing, wood milling seems very promising. Metal milling, e.g. aluminum, on the other hand, looks really viable for pressing paper.
For this project, I oversee the programming of the corresponding code and the generation of printable or millable mesh models. At the beginning, I started out with a simple MATLAB script which imports a picture and then scans every pixel for its RGB value. These values are stored in three different vectors X, Y and Z. X and Y save the pixel position and Z the color. To accomplish a three-dimensional effect, every color is converted into a height. Height values are achieved by greyscaling the RGB values saved in Z. These then consequently range from 0 (black) to 255 (white) which act as values along the Z axis of a three-dimensional coordinate system. With the values of X, Y and Z a three-dimensional mesh is created. Unfortunately, this MATLAB mesh is not sufficient to be printed. The mesh is therefore converted into a .stl-format in MATLAB. Once the .stl is created, final adjustments are made in Meshmixer to allow printing or milling. This involves smoothing the mesh to minimize sharp edges and extruding a base to be able to print every required height. A simplified representation of the 2D to 3D conversion is shown in the pictures below.
We are currently trying to figure out which production path we want to pursue. The first 3D prototype prints look very promising (see pictures above) but will not hold up in terms of precision and strength for art printing or pressing. Therefore, our next step is to take a closer look at possible milling options. For art printing, wood milling seems very promising. Metal milling, e.g. aluminum, on the other hand, looks really viable for pressing paper.
