SITUATION

Miniature figurines have long been a source of interest for collectors and military enthusiasts. Historical battles can be completely recreated on a small scale with hundreds of figurines, each one representing a regiment or battle group.

This client sought to recreate the entire Battle of Waterloo, this time with a 1:1 ratio of figurines to actual soldiers. To fit the thousands of soldiers in a reasonable area, they would have to scale them down to an unprecedented size. Wanting to simplify the scaling and figurine crafting process, the client and our team decided the best course of action would be to scan the figurines, scale them and use rapid prototyping.

SOLUTION

Our team started by consulting with the client to determine exactly what kind of data was needed, how it could be obtained and what the data would be used for. It was determined that each model of the 8-20mm figurines would need to be accurately scanned and triangulated into a watertight, STL mesh file.

By combining the Konica Minolta VIVID 9i with an Align-Rite 3D laser scanner, our team was able to obtain very detailed and accurate data from each of the miniature figurines. Rapidform was then used to convert this scan data into an STL polymesh file. Our team optimized and cleaned this polymesh, resulting in an accurate digital model of the small figurines ready for rapid prototype manufacturing.

RESULTS

The data supplied by our team has enabled the client to manufacture extremely small-scale rapid prototypes for the Battle of Waterloo. Impressed with our quick turn-around time, they continue to work with our team for all their scanning needs.

“I really appreciate your time and work, as always. You guys are spoiling me – I really can’t explain enough how nice it is, after almost 2 years of delays, to work with a company like yours. Thank you, again, for the beautiful work so far. I look forward to many future orders.” – Bob