tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12606026.post111740205321436065..comments2024-03-11T08:20:48.329-07:00Comments on The Mechanical Philosopher: Geeks behind the curveFelice Luftscheinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13376070891556200008noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12606026.post-1121275323895660792005-07-13T10:22:00.000-07:002005-07-13T10:22:00.000-07:00I was feeling cranky when I wrote this post, I'm n...I was feeling cranky when I wrote this post, I'm normally more forgiving of people...even when they insult me.<BR/><BR/>Now I'll have to figure out how to import the vector data of some tanks from the only game I play, "Combat Mission". <BR/><BR/>Like I have the time!<BR/><BR/>Glad you like the blog!Felice Luftscheinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13376070891556200008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12606026.post-1121218367328149082005-07-12T18:32:00.000-07:002005-07-12T18:32:00.000-07:00I think the overall thrust of the blog that spurre...I think the overall thrust of the blog that spurred you on wasn't so much the capacity of a home machine shop to produce parts as it was wonderment over the ability to interrupt a GL stream (or more correctly an OpenGL stream) and import the data into CAD for whatever purpose.<BR/><BR/>I read through some of the other blogs you had links to and the replies to them. A number of them seemed to focus on the idea of image-to-CAD. Interrupting an OpenGL stream isn't the same as image conversion. An OpenGL command stream is a complete 3D description of an entity. In a way it's closer to a file you'd import into something like Rhino rather than something you'd import into PhotoShop.<BR/><BR/>The irony is that most of the entities in high-end 3D video games start life in a 3D modeling package. So in a way this is no different from the 3D-modeler -> 3D-CAD/CAM -> G-code -> Part stream, except there's an extra step thrown in there where the stream passes briefly through a video game.<BR/><BR/>In a way making a part from a digital image is harder than making a part from an OpenGL stream. OpenGL calls are already 3D vectorized entities. Vectorizing a raster file is a pain in comparison.<BR/><BR/>I did have to laugh at the various posts that ended on a wistful note, wishing that the loop could be closed and the parts get made. You're absolutely right. The tools for that have existed for years. (Hey, I bought mine from you!) And yeah, the things you can do are incredible indeed. Glad I saved my pennies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com