I have also used Silo, which is much more affordable (under $200 for the professional version) and offers a displacement painting feature that is similar to sculpting in Zbrush, but most 3D modeling software will work fine to create most models. I designed the digital sculpture for this project using Zbrush 3.1. This process just one way to integrate digital and rapid prototyping tools into the design process and to eliminate some of the waste involved in bringing an animatronic creature to life, without limiting creative possibilities.

When paired with a 3D printer, one can be holding just about any model in a day or two. Plus, it is very difficult to carry a sculpture and molds back and forth to school when riding a bicycle! They are also more accurate and (in my opinion) easier to change and refine. Digital sculptures are much easier to transport and use far less materials than traditional methods. I was brainstorming ideas for my thesis project when I realized that there can be many advantages to using these tools to create animatronic characters.

I am currently an art student studying entertainment/industrial design and have access quite a bit of high tech equipment, such as digital sculpting software, laser engravers and 3D printers. This Instructable is going to show how to use digital sculpting software and a 3D printer to create a skin for an animatronic puppet.

Sculpting for 3d printing