Where does Outshaped get a Digital Model? We can get millions of models from online libraries, sculpt it, or 3D scan something. You can sculpt it yourself too, there’s a ton of options and I’m here to walk you through them.
Starting from scratch, creating or finding a 3D model can be intimidating. Grab a coffee, I’ll walk you through it!
First option: we’ll do it for you! We’re quick and we’ll find what you need. If you’re doing a project with us, we’ll 3D scan for free or find an existing model for free.
Second: Go to a marketplace service like CGTrader, TurboSquid, or GrabCad where artists of all skillsets create pretty much everything. They’re usually less than $50 and often free (check the model license to make sure you can use it how you want to.) The only reason this isn’t #1 is that we might have to do some backend work to make your part “makeable” or fit your application right. But if you know what you want and how you’ll use it, go for it!
It’s only $44 for this amazing model by metaforma on turbosquid
Can’t find it there? You can always hire your own digital sculptor! Try out Fiverr or search craigslist. It can get expensive though. Talk through the wage/contract terms with the artist first, and they should give you screenshots of the model before you need to hand over any money. Most in this community are honest people and problems are pretty rare – just be clear about everything from the start.
The third and sometimes just supplemental option is to sculpt yourself. If you have a decent grip on computer programs and a knack for sculpting, try a 3D sculpting program like Meshmixer (or check out my article on modifying 3D objects for more info).
If you have a 2D drawing that you need to make 3D, we can do it for you. Any format will work, jpeg, png, pdf, etc, we’ll model it and get it made. On that note, if you have a good picture that you need to make into a DXF, try vectorization.org. It’s amazing and it’s free – just upload your image and download a DXF, plug it into your laser engraver or whatever you need it for. You might need to first change the contrast/brightness in a program like paint.net (their website is www.getpaint.net/)
Check out how easy it is:
Here’s the result from Vectorization.org, after cropping and adjusting the contrast just a bit – 15 seconds of work.
Now you know the tricks, let’s do it!