Put Letchworth on the 3D Map!

This is an astonishing demonstration of 3D printing of structures on a microscopic scale. It is fast – see the time-lapse video!:

“Printing three dimensional objects with incredibly fine details is now possible using ‘two-photon lithography’. With this technology, tiny structures on a nanometer scale can be fabricated. …” article with video & comments

Example of a portable 3D laser scanner: the DAVID Structured Light Scanner; news item here, user manual here.

This is new to me.

• Functionally, in terms of the resulting digital model, what is the difference between it and using still photography to capture the images then using software such as Building Maker to generate the result?
• Is the technology LIDAR or similar?
• Are the benefits in accuracy and convenience as a result of the technology?

The Raspberry Pi computer was considered for sponsorship as one of the Competition’s prizes, but not taken up. Here’s a handy article and discussion about the Pi’s evolution into an educational aid:

“Has Street View changed the way we behave? By Duncan WalkerBBC News” here

Note: “Google’s Street View cars have now driven 65% of the UK’s roads, including Shetland, the Isle of Wight and much of what lies in between. The interiors of some museums, cathedrals and – increasingly – shops can also be explored.”

Here is technology by Lynx Technologies in the USA. It enables professionals to use a hardware+software system to produce 3D models of objects/scenes. The result can be surprisingly compact. video (12 minutes, including a 2-minute demo.)

Immediate 3D modelling of surroundings is becoming possible with combinations of a specialised camera and PC software: example with video

There are various research projects for adapting private cars to drive themselves (“selves?”) via use of LIDAR modelling, e.g. here.

Thanks to 3D Materials World / Future Publishing Ltd. for this item.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, USA, Hunters Point has for decades been seen as a marginalised, post-industrial urban area. wiki

Recently serious proposals for wholesale regeneration have been visualised. How well these are originated or worked up with the resident populations is not mentioned in the source here.

What the news post does address though is the problem of digitally building a huge and complex yet adaptable 3D model to visualise scenarios of regeneration as they evolve.

As described it uses professional tools other than SketchUp. Regardless of the technology, it’s impressive as a large-scale application of urban 3D modelling.

Article from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. USA: “The world of urban planning is forever changing.”

“What once was a field dominated by hand-drawn sketches and large-scale models is now being taken over by computer-generated virtual interpretations and three-dimensional landscapes. Programs like Google Earth and SketchUp are beginning to replace the age-old practice of putting pen to paper. …” here

Here’s a brief list of experienced tips for architectural visualisation. The colour distortions look overdone, but that may just to make them obvious  in the illustrations. article