3D Printing models, scanning, making biger, etc.

I have a question I thought you guys could answer.

In regards to 3D printing is it correct that you can simply put in a piece of anything, it scans it, and copies it?????

If that is true, couldn't you put it a piece of a model, maybe the whole thing, and simply have the machine make it bigger????

Say you have an Enterprise E model. Throw the parts or whole thing into a 3D printing scanner, and then just make it bigger??? Say 3 feet, maybe 10 feet?????????

Actually you need to do a lot more than that. First thing is you need a 3d Scanner this is a separate piece of equipment. Then you would need the software to re size, clean up, and make the model printable. Then you would need a 3d printer to actually print the item. Currently a good high res printer is still VERY expensive, and to my knowledge no one has made one that can go up to 10 feet.

You'd be better off just taking a 3D model and scaling and tweaking it for printing. 3D scanners are really only useful for art, historic objects and people.

Like say you got your hands on access to the original studio scale bird. That would be worth the trouble of 3D laser scanning and cleanup to make a perfect model.

Hi,
When it comes to 3D printing you have some limitations on the size you can print parts. The size of the build area is a limiting factor ...most are about 14"x 10"X 12" so you have to part the model up if the model is going to be bigger.
If you are going to work with scanned models..depending on the scanner and the amount of resolution it has you can get a decent scan then build from it .
But there are easier ways to do it . Find a 3D mesh of the model you want to build . There are hundreds of sites and artist out there that will sell you a mesh or even work with you to see it built up. Next you have to get it parted up so that you can build it like it was a kit. There are people that will do that for you for a fee .. i know a lot of them...contact me if you want to go down that road eventually. They can part it up , Hollow it out and scale it to what ever you want.
Next ..the scale you want to build in isnt really something you want to do in a rapid protyper...it would be hugely expensive. Think of doing it on a 5 axis mill. I know of another person doing an Enterprise 10 feet and hes doing it that way . The mill used a hard foam and this is then shaped to the part you want. This is then coated in resin and you can cast from it to make more than 1 of what ever you are building. This is a good way also to off set cost of the project.
RP ( Rapid prototyping) models isnt a cheap hobby but if you want the model you cant find anywhere else its the way to go.Ive been doing it for about 8 years and love doing it. There are companies that will take your mesh , test it to see if it printable and give you a price n the part at the same time . Then you can cast you parts and make copies saving further cost on RP parts if you have duplicates.
Hope this helped you..contact me if you want more info.
Tony

This is an interesting subject, and had me thinking about this for a while..

if I had a 2nd or more generation casting of a highly prized screen used item, this would have shrunk/deformed, due to the multiple molds made from it.
nowadays it would be more the doable to have the object scanned and fix and tweak the 3D scan data, and have it printed to the correct shape, molded and sold.

would that be considered "digital" recasting ?

for me it is an unclear question, as the original molder (mold making person), did not make the object, just made a mold and sold the copies for cash.

Xeno - interesting points. I had not considered the implications of working off of a model/mesh that someone else had done and then you modifiyng and printing it.

I agree - would that be recasting? I guess the line might be in the intent and whether you intend to sell or if it is just for your own use and modelling?