Tag: 3d
How to get into 3D printing without breaking (too many) things
Our favorite free 3D modeling software gets free AI add-on
Researchers are using sound-waves and holograms to instantly mold tiny 3D shapes
The idea of growing organs or tissues for medical use still sounds like science fiction — and indeed, it’s an incredibly difficult thing to do. 3D-printing technology has shown some promise in the field of biofabrication, but the process is too slow, and often damages the tissue it’s working with. Researchers in Germany may have a solution: using holograms and sound fields to rapidly assemble matter in 3D.
The process uses acoustic pressure to mold silica gel microspheres and other materials into complex 3D shapes. Pulling that off isn’t easy. The team first had to learn how to create complex, layered holographic shapes that were formed from sound, rather than light — and that takes an incredible amount of computational power. “The digitization of an entire 3D object into ultrasound hologram fields is computationally very demanding and required us to come up with a new computation routine,” one of the team’s researchers told FastCompany.
Once the hologram is complete, however, it can be used to mold various materials. The shapes the team has made so far aren’t very large — measuring less than an inch at the largest — but they are fairly complex. Even more impressive, the fabrication process happens quite quickly: One video included with the published study shows a clear cube with a cloudy liquid made of silica gel microspheres. Moments later, that cloud condenses into the shape of a helix.
Other experiments formed shapes using mouse myoblast cells, and the study’s lead author, Kai Melde, told FastCompany that the technology had potential to be used for bioprinting in the future. “Ultrasound is gentle and non-toxic to the cells,” Melde explained. “And the remote assembly without contact helps keep things sterile and the cells happy.” The study also explores the idea of using the technology for targeted drug delivery and rapid prototyping. For now though, the research stands as an interesting proof of concept for rapid-one-step assembly of 3D objects, and a potential, much faster alternative to 3D printing in the future.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-are-using-sound-waves-and-holograms-to-instantly-mold-tiny-3d-shapes-214040047.html?src=rss
New Kickstarter Will Add 3D Printed Elden Ring-Style Fog Gates To Your D&D Campaign
Tabletop RPGs are a time-intensive hobby, with some gamemasters spending hours setting up the perfect virtual or physical map for the climax of the D&D session. If you’re looking to add a little more pizzaz to your sessions, one Kickstarter will sell you a 3D-printed portal that lets you make your own fog gates, and the effect is pretty impressive.
Black Scrolls Games is one of many companies that sells 3D-printed terrain pieces for D&D campaigns, which are intended for use with grid-based combat, or to simply give your players an idea of the battlefield. However, this Kickstarter also includes portal pieces that hold your phone, which allows you to make a swirling gate effect, or even the fog gates made famous by FromSoftware’s Souls series. They can even be used horizontally for a witch’s cauldron effect. However, you’ll need a 3D printer to make these, so make sure you know that before you back it.
“Act 1” of the Kickstarter includes almost a dozen portals that can be used in various configurations, including one with a pond effect that drains to reveal a dungeon entrance beneath. Very nifty. Act 2 includes at least 4 more, including a particularly impressive tree portal called Summoned Souls. While these pieces aren’t necessary for a great D&D campaign, they’ll definitely have an effect on your party if you’re a GM who pays particular attention to presentation. Backers who commit $45 or more will receive the full set in 3D printer format.
AMD’s Top of the Stack 3D V-Cache CPU Pushes Even the RTX 3090 to Its Limits
![](https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--L13DrZj---/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/42bbe8ab18b1081c8e9e413484a1cab2.png)
Saying that it has been a busy launch season for AMD is an incredible understatement. Not only did we see the release of the high powered, high performing Ryzen 7000X Series, but we also got a full stack of lower powered, but still respectably performant processors in the Ryzen 7000 Non-X Series. And let’s not forget…
Metaverse live streaming is more than just watching shows in a 3D virtual world
This randomizer mod reshuffles classic shooters like Duke 3D, Blood, and Shadow Warrior
One of Sonic’s most beloved 3D outings is now available on Steam
![](https://assets2.rockpapershotgun.com/sonic-colours-ultimate.jpg/BROK/resize/1920x1920%3E/format/jpg/quality/80/sonic-colours-ultimate.jpg)
Sonic Colours was first released on Wii in 2010, prompting Sonic fans to declare, “hooray, Sonic is good again!” and non-Sonic fans to declare, “alright, fine, I agree this one is OK, but can we now talk about something else?”. Sonic Colours: Ultimate upscaled the graphics and added a new mode when it released on console in 2021, but seemed to also add new bugs in the process.
As of today, Sonic Colours: Ultimate is available via Steam after a period of Epic exclusivity.