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How to make a model in ArtCAM from a BITMAP image
How to make a model in ArtCAM from a picture (Images with embossed in grayscale) Bitmap (. BMP) in 5 minutes, even beginners ask. You can find many such pictures on special sites or simply in a Google search. True, these images are not so easy to search if you do not know how.
If you type “Grayscale Embossed Images” into the image search bar, you will get not so many results, or rather, you won’t find any at all (most likely). A more interesting search would be for the query "Embossed Grayscale Picture Design", but still there will be just as few of them.
Although, by going to the view of one picture (the view area in the Google image search, at the bottom you can see similar images and a button for "More". By clicking on it, we get to the desired result, there will be a couple of hundred pictures. Also by clicking on different pictures, you can find other similar images.
There is another way to find pictures with grayscale embossing by typing in the search box (when searching by pictures) Chinese characters (copy-paste):
浮雕灰度图图片 设计图
Here, after such a Google search; will give you a million more pictures. We are looking for-copying the one you like. Same result as requested 浮雕灰度图图片 设计图 Yandex Pictures will also be issued, in which it is even more convenient to search for and download them. Although there will be slightly different models in Yandex, this is even better, more choice, more opportunities..
You can also find pictures for translation in the model by request:
- pictures with height maps
- witmap images with heightmaps
- BMP pictures with heightmaps
- bitmap images with heightmaps
- free bmp art design pattern files
- free BMP Art Design
- 3D Grayscale Image
- vector file '3D Grayscale Image
- Embossed Grayscale Picture Design
These requests are enough to find such pictures in a huge number in the PS.
You can also view a collection (1200+ images) of already prepared (in BMP format) improved with the help of AI and enlarged images in the gallery at website, where you can also download any of them for free.
True, it should be taken into account that a lot of pictures from the PS search are small in size. There are also extra inscriptions on the pictures, but this is not a problem, and it can be corrected. I will describe how to do this if the initial image has a low resolution (about 300-500 pixels wide). Most of these pictures are in JPG format, so we will work with them.
Translating grayscale embossed images into an image for work in ArtCAM
Important!!! All pictures from the gallery on the site are already prepared in this way, that is, they are maximally improved and prepared for work in ArtCAM. Therefore, everything that you download from there - there is no need to improve (although of course you can edit it).
Perhaps some of the picture will need to be converted to "Negative", but they are placed in the gallery for an example.
So, the translation algorithm
Download the desired image (the maximum size that can be found). Next, we find the Topaz A. I. Gigapixel program (you type in the Google search Topaz AI Gigapixel Portable, or the full version). I won't explain here how to find and run such programs... Have you downloaded it? Great, let's zoom in on the image in the Topaz A.I. Gigapixel program by 2-4 times (you don't have to touch the magnification settings too much). The "intimate" part in the photo is pixelated... There is no particular point in increasing it more than 4 times (you don’t need a maximum of 6 times ...), since the program can give additional artifacts, but they will already interfere. When zoomed in, the program manages to fix artifacts and improve the quality several times.
Of course, we increase it only if the initial image size is small (from 300 to 500-800 pixels). You will be surprised how well this program can enlarge images, even by painting some fuzzy parts in the picture....
Next, we throw the picture into Photoshop. We remove copyrights, clean up unnecessary (I usually work with a brush with black, which I copy from the image itself). In theory, here you can edit the image if necessary, remove extra points, or correct something. You can also work with Liquify, but carefully, trying not to spoil the height map (in fact, these are shades of gray). Crop the image as needed. Immediately look at the size of the image in proportions. I got a square (1x1). This is important, because when creating a new model in ArtCAM, you will immediately need to specify its dimensions (at least the proportions) of your product.
Open the "Image Size" settings and set the image resolution to 150 (usually about 70).
Since the picture has already been enlarged by Gigapixel, we get an image of approximately 2500-3000 in width. Fine. Save this picture "Save AS" - select the BMP format (for ArtCAM 2018 you can save in JPG as 85-95).
Next Open ArtCAM, I did it in the programs of release 2008, 2012, 2018, but I will show on the example of ArtCAM Premium 2018, because I did not find a video on this issue, recorded specifically for this program.
Of course, you can enlarge the image simply in Photoshop, without Topaz Gigapixel, but unfortunately you won't be able to get such a quality. But it's worth a try...
Important and checked!!! The ArtCAM 2018 program works with JPG files, that is, you do not need to convert to BITMAP (BMP), this will not change the quality of the resulting 3D relief. ArtCAM 2008 will obviously require translation to BMP.
Let's continue in ArtCAM 2018
Open ArtCAM 2018, create a new model, specify the dimensions (in mm).
The quality of the resolution of the future model is up to you, but not less than 2200 (and higher). I put 2500-3500.
Now you need to load the saved BMP file. (or JPG) - Relief-Import-Import...
The naturally uploaded file is huge (in gallery of finished images on the site there are files up to 5000x5000 pixels) so you need to fit it to the size - additional settings appear in the program, enter the desired dimensions, scroll below and enter the starting point (reset both values to Zero). If necessary, we immediately rotate the picture, if necessary.
Apply, make sure that the picture has risen as it should, or go back up and edit the size.
Let's check how the image is positioned.
You can also move the picture manually, while holding the "Points" along the edges of the overlay image.
We get a model, if everything is done correctly, then the relief of the future bas-relief will be visible.
Raises the relief of the picture using the standard function of the program. In the additional window, specify the height of the future relief. In fact, we look at how it looks, only then we apply it. If after applying the relief has risen additionally by the same height value, then just press the Cancel button in the same window (this function is buggy for me) ... Experiment, maybe it will work for you without bugs.
We smooth the relief over the entire surface.
Now you can work with Liquify and smooth out the roughness and bumps on the model. By changing the thickness of the brush and the effort, we level and remove the excess (with a small brush, you can completely smooth the relief, thus removing unnecessary details). Or we increase the missing. Since the model had a very low gray transition gradient, it turned out to be low-volume. But having done this once, you will perfectly understand which models to take, and that they can also be edited a little in Photoshop.
I will not describe further, this is a topic for another lesson, but obviously you already know how to make a UE (control program for a milling machine).
Here's what happened in the end. I didn’t really try here, fitting the model with plastic, there are some mistakes, but the lesson is not by mistake - but how to make such a model from gray Bitmap images.
I hope that this little tutorial will be useful for beginners in CNC. In this way, you can process almost any picture with a gray gradient. With some skill, the same method can be applied to simple photographs (but there will be much more fuss). There you need to convert the image to Negative in Photoshop and work with it.
Plus, the beauty of this method is that you can EDIT the STL model this way - that is, the loaded ArtCAM 2018 model is saved in grayscale >>> Menu - “Model - Create model in grayscale”, save, and then, as at the beginning of the lesson, edit in Photoshop and modify in Artkam (on a new model, that is, we raise the relief). This is of course a Crutch, definitely, but sometimes it's easier to do than to redraw the model. And when it comes to Paintings, or various panels, no one will see roughness or inaccuracies there, or they will take it for the original style. Post your discussions on the forum. In addition, this method can be used to compose various pictures from several, combine, add details, remove unnecessary things, while creating unique products with minimal costs for 3D graphics (designers) and time. This method also allows you to partially uniqueize models (and when adding other elements, this definitely turns out to be a unique model).