Can you 3D model an Elephant Skull

I have no idea how to do this, but you win for Thread Title of the Day. (I'm sure there are folks on here who can do this.)

here's some of the best 3d models repositories online, some free, some not (since you were asking about a 3d modelling shop)

http://www.turbosquid.com
http://archive3d.net
http://www.3dxtras.com
http://www.turbosquid.com

For the fun of it you could try yourself, it will really advance your skills in the modelling department. And go with 3dsMax, as that is a skill set not many have and is sought after. Take it from a recent arch. graduate

Personally I'd check with Creative Cow (sorry they may be an ad to click to get into the site), someone there might be able to direct you to a resources site.

+1 for radug's advice, it would be worth it for you to actually do it because as a 3rd year student I'd really be working on upskilling and adding some cool stuff for your folio. (Seriously take the advice, you'll learn a skill and have a great unique piece for your folio).

I would suggest trying google images or something for reference material. Skulls aren't really a single bone, but rather a group of plates. To get that level of realism, you want to plan the appropriate sutures into your topology. You could probably make the base shape and then cut it up to make the ridges.

Now here's the issue. You understand modeling something for a 3d printer is different from just building a simple mesh right? Nurbs modelers are typically used for this to construct data that can actually be fed to a machine which will make these cuts. You have a lot of things there that don't really exist in max (zebra shaders, curvature combs, etc). Doing it in a typical 3d modeling program could be a start, but you couldn't take that data straight to a 3d printer, unless that technology has significantly improved beyond my understanding of it.

thekev said:

I would suggest trying google images or something for reference material. Skulls aren't really a single bone, but rather a group of plates. To get that level of realism, you want to plan the appropriate sutures into your topology. You could probably make the base shape and then cut it up to make the ridges.

Now here's the issue. You understand modeling something for a 3d printer is different from just building a simple mesh right? Nurbs modelers are typically used for this to construct data that can actually be fed to a machine which will make these cuts. You have a lot of things there that don't really exist in max (zebra shaders, curvature combs, etc). Doing it in a typical 3d modeling program could be a start, but you couldn't take that data straight to a 3d printer, unless that technology has significantly improved beyond my understanding of it.

Click to expand...

To build upon what thekev said, if you know ZBrush, they have a plugin that can export from ZBrush to a 3D printer format. I don't know all the details but I do remember seeing it on Pixologics website.

Try here

http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdisplay.php?f=25



Keep in mind a detailed Elephants skull will cost more then a little money.....also check out the results of 3d print services as well, some results are not the quality people expected.

thekev said:

Doing it in a typical 3d modeling program could be a start, but you couldn't take that data straight to a 3d printer, unless that technology has significantly improved beyond my understanding of it.

Click to expand...

as long as the 3d model is water-tight and can be exported to STL from your chosen software (Zbrush,Max,Maya,Cinema4D,Rhino,etc), it can be 3d printed. Newer 3D printers don't even require the model to be self-supportive as they use a special material to infill the empty spaces, and then dissolve that material by bathing it in a special liquid.

with a little work...

LERsince1991 said:

I looked on all though sites and couldn't find an elephant skull model

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this guy already did it, maybe get in contact with him.
http://www.santiorozco.com/2011/07/museu-zoologia/

LERsince1991 said:

I haven't got the time to learn the more advanced features yet

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sacrifice some of the pub/sitcoms/etc time and it can be done + as i said before, these skills increase your employability considerably and in this climate, you need to use any edge you might have over others.

To get you started, here's how i would do it in Max :
(method borrowed from car modelling)

1. find good, high-res reference images of skull from different sides , also known as blueprints (front/back/top/side). If you can't find them on the internet, take a trip to the library or ask some people in the uni's biology department
ex :

2. align textures in photoshop, create 3dMax materials and assign them to planes
ex :

3. model using primitives : Boxes+Edit Poly modifier. When volume is done, apply mesh smoothing.
ex :
tip : when modelling, separate different parts by smoothing groups. this could provide for quick&easy separation of sutures.
ex :


4. check water tightness with STLcheck modifier, export to STL file and 3d print.

keep us posted on your process

nothing is impossible

post the reference image i dont no i can do it but i will try my best to complete

Turbosquid

It's a whole elephant, but it's free.

http://thefree3dmodels.com/stuff/animal/elephant/24-1-0-1704