My blog expertise posts have been surrounding around the 3D sculpture, which is my business idea for SmartPitch. In the beginning, my intention for this new series of post is to aid me in the development of my business plan. I had no idea on what 3D printing really is except for the experience we had during our excursion to MadMuseum, NRI and FatCat. Yet, we were only able to see something on the surface, like the machines and the end product. Many questions were left unanswered. It is through the blog expert that I have found my answer.
To summarize my expert blog post, I have listed some takeaway points that I have learned from each blog post.
Blog Post 1: 3D sculpture made of 2D paper
From my first blog post, I learned that creativity can open up to many possibilities. In this case, the 3D sculpture was not created from a 3D printer. Instead, he smartly combined 3D scanning technology and 2D printing to create an unique artistic work.
Blog Post 2: Goya of Modern Sculptures
My second post is also my favorite post. I like how the artist try to convey message through his sculptures. Besides being an epitome of dark art, these sculptures are truly inspiring and reflect some real world issues. The little Picasso inside my heart wished that I could create cool sculptures like these with the help of 3D software but then in fact I’m not Picasso and still, I’m a business student.
This blog explores some interesting function of a sculpture and usage of unexpected materials. In the video, we learned that even ice blocks can be used as a material for 3D printing. And the purpose of the sculpture is even more bizarre, the ice sculpture is eventually designed into a Japanese citadel that goes into your glass of whiskey. Maybe this is not the most practical idea, but it definitely inspires ideas to explore into other materials and functions.
Blog Post 4: Introduction to 3D Modeling software
At this point, I am interested in the more technical parts of 3D sculpture. Before that, I thought the 3D printing process is easy and simple because I always see the 3D printer printing objects automatically and I thought the hardest part in 3D printing is waiting for it to finish. Well, I’m wrong because I didn’t see the 3D modeling process. Without 3D modeling, the scanned data is usually flawed and will cause serious printing problem. I used to think anyone can 3D print anything they want, but the video of the 3D modeling process proved me wrong. It is complicated, time consuming, and super skill-intensive that layman like me will have to hire a specialist to do the design and editing.
Blog Post 5: From Virtual to Reality
In my last blog post, I explored into the original business idea that I have abandoned, the 3D printed toy industry. This blog also confirmed my belief that the 3D printing business is harder than it seems. I thought the 3D printing process will be the end of the production steps. Then I realized there are 10 or more steps after the actual printing. This blog also taught me about the details of the post-production steps like molding, assembling and painting, which are often unmentioned otherwise.
In the future, I would like to discover more of these hidden difficulties/ challenges that I will face so I will be more prepared if I were to get myself into the 3D sculpture business. This blog post definitely serves myself more than anyone but I do think my reader can benefit somehow from it. For instance, they will learn the possibilities of 3D printing and aware of the challenges that are usually hidden but revealed, partially, here. My next work will probably be the pricing and cost of the whole process.
