LOS ANGELES -- If Siggraph's onsite computer laboratory is any indication, a convergence of CAD/CAM, 3-D scanning, and printing technologies is rapidly changing the way products and works of art are created.
Many of the technologies involved have been around for years. But technical advances, lower prices and -- most importantly -- innovative ways to use the tools in tandem makes this a pivotal moment for the budding technology of turning images and models directly into computer-generated parts.
"It's only been in the last 18 months that we're getting the data flow right between input and output," said Dan Collins, a Arizona State University scientist whose research focuses on that convergence.
Companies are already experimenting with the technology. One automaker, for example, was able to prototype a metal engine block directly from a CAD/CAM drawing, slap it on a car, then redo it, moving holes a few thousandths of an inch, Collins said.
The potential savings to industry are huge. An entire car model can be created by moving directly from a CAD/CAM program linked to a prototyping device that deposits tiny layers of material in a precise three-dimensional pattern.
Until the last few years, the cost of so-called rapid prototyping was beyond the reach of most small companies. The auto manufacturer's metal depositing device could have cost well over US$500,000.
But rapidly falling prices are making such devices much more accessible.
Z Corp. sells a system for about $59,000 that allows a manufacturer to create toys or shoes, for example, from three-dimensional computer models.
The device uses a standard Canon ink jet printer head that passes and repasses across the printing surface, just as 2-D printers do. But the "ink" is a cornstarch and cellulose powder mixture that can be precisely deposited to thousandths of an inch.
The unit's moderate price means even comparatively small companies can afford it, allowing them to envision and create new products before their competitors do.
As prices continue to drop over the next four years, this type of machine will be common in the $4 billion worldwide CAD market.
"It will be something you can't be without," said Kate Moore, Z Corp. marketing director.
3-D modeling technology is another critical component of that prototyping process. A sculptor's rendition of a toy, for example, can be precisely laser scanned in three-dimensions into a computer using Geometrix's scanning technology.
The equipment costs about $7,000. For people who don't need many scans, Geometrix also offers its services for about $500 per full scan.
About $70,000 will buy one of CyberWare's scanners, which can precisely scan a person's head in three dimensions into a computer. The technology recalls the early days of photography: The subject sits perfectly still for a period of time while a laser does a pass around the head.
A demonstration produces a credible result, although one eye does look a bit like it belongs to a dead fish.
One application: creating digital extras or virtual stars for the movies of the future.
"In the next 20 years," predicts Arizona State University student Ysa Gordon, "actors aren't going to be worth much."
