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Future of online sharing of WIP and finished models


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Hello everybody. I wanted to get your opinions on how you see modelers sharing their builds and getting feedback on sites like ARC. Specifically, I am interested in your thoughts on if/how future technology that we currently may not even know of could impact our hobby. I hope to not be limited what already exists but rather have your thoughts of the future (say 10, 20, 40 years down the road). I ask this because I am in the field of engineering and constantly think about these things. I seek thoughts and fantasies where my profession and hobby overlapped (in a healthy way :rolleyes:)

Let's assume we had some magical hardware/software technology that made whatever you wanted possible. For instance, for online sharing of your wip and your final models, I envision somethings like this in the somewhat near future:

- You can scan your own model with a 3D scanner type of device, which creates a highly accurate 3D computer model of your work with proper colors, textures etc. Creating 3D models from multiple pics is a similar idea (people do this in different domains)

- You post that model online.

- Viewers have the ability to study the model as they wish, annotate to give feedback, indicate modifications etc.

- If you have some desktop manufacturing capabilities, someone can scan a part that you may need, send the digital model to you, and you cast it or print it out at your home.

Well, these kinds of raw, unrefined thoughts... It would be interesting to hear what everybody thinks. Just to make it clear, the focus is not so much what you think will happen (though that's ok too), but rather what you wish happens. This might already be an ill-posed problem, nonetheless still wanted to know if any of you are interested in participating.

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Hello everybody. I wanted to get your opinions on how you see modelers sharing their builds and getting feedback on sites like ARC. Specifically, I am interested in your thoughts on if/how future technology that we currently may not even know of could impact our hobby. I hope to not be limited what already exists but rather have your thoughts of the future (say 10, 20, 40 years down the road). I ask this because I am in the field of engineering and constantly think about these things. I seek thoughts and fantasies where my profession and hobby overlapped (in a healthy way :rolleyes:)

Let's assume we had some magical hardware/software technology that made whatever you wanted possible. For instance, for online sharing of your wip and your final models, I envision somethings like this in the somewhat near future:

- You can scan your own model with a 3D scanner type of device, which creates a highly accurate 3D computer model of your work with proper colors, textures etc. Creating 3D models from multiple pics is a similar idea (people do this in different domains)

- You post that model online.

- Viewers have the ability to study the model as they wish, annotate to give feedback, indicate modifications etc.

- If you have some desktop manufacturing capabilities, someone can scan a part that you may need, send the digital model to you, and you cast it or print it out at your home.

Well, these kinds of raw, unrefined thoughts... It would be interesting to hear what everybody thinks. Just to make it clear, the focus is not so much what you think will happen (though that's ok too), but rather what you wish happens. This might already be an ill-posed problem, nonetheless still wanted to know if any of you are interested in participating.

3D printing is already a reality - we're not too far away from being able to share 3D models of parts and print them out for ourselves. The printers are currently quite expensive, but the prices will drop in the next 3-5 years to make it affordable. Remember, it was less than 10 years ago that colour laserjet printing was the preserve of the IT Department, now you can pick one up for a few hundred quid.

Vince

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The death of plastic modeling will be when you buy a pattern online and you just print out a perfect model.

One thing that I think would be neat is a web cam on someone's work area so that people can take a look at what someone is working on at that moment.

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From the futur: Printing? What's printing? We have holigrafic bases that project a hologram of what ever model you wish. Difrent makings? No problem click click click. New paint scheme? Click click (that's my mouse by the way, yeah we still haven them in the future:).

PS: I'm actually almost done with my Ugandan F-35, man they've had those for ages I don't think they will ever replace that aging fleet.

Edited by Pep
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New here, so hi all!

I can imagine something along the lines of what paper modelers have been doing for some time now. You go to an online store and buy/download a data set so you can 3D print parts at home, output a sprue and get working. No delays, no more kits lost in the mails or missing and broken parts. Designer/mold maker mistakes? No problem, make a correction set available for your customers to download.

On the other hand, the same technology for printing assembled models looks like a contest judge's nightmare. Imagine a 2041 model show and 20 people bringing their perfectly printed(?) Yellow 14 or Big Beautiful Doll or what have you, and given the proper technology, those being undistinguishable from a "proper" model. :nanner:

The idea of a web cam looks neat, maybe going along the line of a live video master class or modeling clinic where you could ask for and give advice, wonder why no one has yet put it to work?

JC

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The death of plastic modeling will be when you buy a pattern online and you just print out a perfect model.

I disagree with that. Technology is no substitute for craftsmanship or artistic expression. A copy is a copy. Technology can be used as a (alternative or more efficient) tool, but it is not a substitute for genius!

Edited by toadwbg
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I disagree with that. Technology is no substitute for craftsmanship or artistic expression. A copy is a copy. Technology can be used as a (alternative or more efficient) tool, but it is not a substitute for genius!

Furthermore, the same thing was probably said at the dawn of plastic injection molding, that "now every part will be an exact copy" as opposed to wood models modelers woudl create from scratch.

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The death of plastic modeling will be when you buy a pattern online and you just print out a perfect model.

Nah, 'cause they'll have too many rivets, the shape of the nose won't be right, and then there's the whole subject of "correct" colors and markings. Modeling will not die!

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