Tom Whitwell at the Times Online has posted a nice article about some different rapid prototyping techniques and organizations that are out there (including Fabjectory).

CandyFab’s sugar printer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/sets/72157594553416374/

Bathsheba Grossman’s math+metal sculptures: http://www.bathsheba.com/

Fab@Home: http://www.fabathome.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

RepRap: http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome

Something to be noted though is that we don’t actually create World of Warcraft figures. While technically possible, it’s against Blizzard’s TOS to create figures based upon their intellectual property. This is most likely a result of their having signed a licensing agreement with a toy company to sell generic “Human Warrior”, “Dwarf Hunter”, etc. figures

Interesting things:

• There is a copyright symbol in the source image, not sure how this sort of thing works for graffiti
• The 3d image is only loosely based on the original, art inspired by art
• The final object generated is small. This sort of project cries out for something larger scale like the CandyFab 4000

There are a number of the standard ‘that’s not quite right’ moments one gets in reading a paragraph of text that’s been condensed from an hour long conversation. Dave Demerjian seemed genuinely interested in the nitty gritty processes that take place to bring the figures into the real world and we spent a bunch of time in the interview talking about the unique approach SecondLife has towards intellectual property, the different types of rapid prototyping, how soon rapid prototyping would be in people’s homes, what people do in online worlds, etc.

Even a few years ago, you’d basically have to take what was created for you, now you can do it yourself.

[update 5/15/2007]Boing Boing has a followup on the story and the many, many other bloggers and people pissed off about Marvel’s idiocy.
[/update]

]]> http://www.fabjectory.com/2007/05/15/devil-doll-2/feed/ http://www.fabjectory.com/2007/05/12/wii-creates-celebrity-miis/ http://www.fabjectory.com/2007/05/12/wii-creates-celebrity-miis/#comments Sat, 12 May 2007 17:09:50 +0000 michaelbuckbee http://www.fabjectory.com/index.php/2007/05/12/wii-creates-celebrity-miis/

CNet News has a slideshow up showing some of the different celebrity Mii’s that people have created. Fabjectory is mentioned on slide 6 and Dave Curry’s Zach Braff Mii is on slide 5.

Even a few years ago, you’d basically have to take what was created for you, now you can do it yourself.

With the fabjects we’re creating at Fabjectory, I think we’re still in the opening act as far as narrative goes; mostly they are totems right now: marking a place in time for people and are a way to show of their creativity and individuality.

I think it just highlights how people are using virtual representations of themselves as a form of self-expression.

Today the Technology Section of the New York Times has a great story about the growing market for 3D Printers (”Beam it Down from the Web, Scotty“), Fabjectory is linked to in the Related section of the article and mentioned as a company doing entrepreneurial work in the consumer 3D Space.

A somewhat altered version of the story by the same author, Saul Hansell, ran in yesterday’s LA Daily News which makes a bigger mention, but no link, to Fabjectory as well.

[Updated] Fixed the last sentence of the first paragraph as I didn’t realize at first (they didn’t have a link directly in the text) that they mentioned us in the body of the article as well.