Gentle Giant Studios Enhances Its Creative Vision with 3D Systems Introduction Sounding much like a superhero from one of his movie projects, Karl Meyer, president of Gentle Giant Studios (Burbank, California, USA), tells of his ability to re-create real-world objects in digital form or bring data from the digital realm into physical being. His powers aren’t magical, however. His company is the leading 3-D modeling studio serving the motion picture, entertainment, video game, and toy industries. Meyer began using three-dimensional printing technology in 1997 to augment his company’s 3-D production processes. Recently, Gentle Giant took a giant leap forward by installing two new InVision™ 3-D printers from 3D Systems (Valencia, California, USA). These are the first two of several InVision printers he plans to install in his Hollywood studio and at his overseas manufacturing facility. "From digital data acquired from complex 3D-CAD models, the InVision printer can build everything from replicas of human heads to articulated parts, such as arms and legs," says Meyer. "The InVision printer allows us to cut articulations into the digital model and have it print out perfectly. In fact, the quality of the models straight off the InVision printer is so good that some of the models themselves are being used as props in films." Visionary It was less than a decade ago that Gentle Giant was solely using traditional modeling processes such as hand-sculpture from wax, a very craft-intensive and time-consuming task. After exploring the market alternatives, Meyer purchased two 3D Systems ThermoJet® printers and an SLA® (stereolithography) solid imaging system. The company added a third ThermoJet printer along the way, and those systems are still in use today. "As a ThermoJet printer and SLA system user, we were keenly interested in exploring the new capabilities found in the InVision 3-D printer," says Meyer. "By adding the InVision printer to our arsenal in 2003, we greatly enhanced our company’s capabilities. The InVision machine delivered on the promise to produce parts with lasting integrity." To make parts that last, the InVision printer creates models made from a photopolymer material. This acrylic material gives Meyer’s finished models durability, exceptional detail, and a smooth surface finish. "The parts are so rugged that we can sand them or drill into them," says Meyer. "InVision-built parts come out of the machine relatively clean, so we no longer have to spend as much time re-touching them. We have reduced our labor costs by 40 percent using parts built with the InVision printer." Like the ThermoJet printer, the InVision 3-D printer works much the same as a traditional network printer. It uses technology that is based on ink-jet printing—but instead of using ink, the InVision machine deposits an acrylic photopolymer to create a solid model. Layer by layer, a three-dimensional object is formed that can be held and evaluated. The InVision 3-D printer combines 3D Systems’ patented multi-jet modeling printing technology with an acrylic photopolymer model material, which results in a durable model able to withstand the stresses of shipping and handling. "The InVision printer produces a very clean output that can be handled without fear of breaking," says Meyer." In fact, I have a model of a very delicate and involved video game character on my desk, and it can be handled without fear of damaging it." Force in the Industry It’s more than durability that made Meyer a fan of the InVision 3-D printer. Meyer cites the machine’s flexibility and speed as important advantages. "The InVision printer allows us to stack parts on top of each other to maximize the building capacity of the machine," he says. "The InVision technology also allows us to build complex parts and sculptures in one piece without having to cut them up and reassemble them," says Meyer. Meyer’s enthusiasm is nothing new. "We’ve been using 3D Systems for years and have had a good relationship," says Meyer. "There were no surprises when it came to performance of the InVision 3-D printer. Our experience has been that 3D Systems’ machines are very reliable and easy to use." The InVision printer puts affordable, automated model-making at Meyer’s fingertips. "It’s a simple process to create a model," Meyer explains. "Simply save or export a 3-D design file to the .stl file format, run the InVision software, and 'submit’ the model for printing. It’s that simple." With the 3D Systems’ solid imaging technology firmly in place at Gentle Giant, Meyer is confident in the company’s ability to "always deliver what the client wants" without the fear of having to "slave in a manual way" to get the results his clients demand. With the InVision printer, Meyer’s customers’ reactions to models have been spectacular. For instance, Meyer talks about some of his video game clients who had never previously seen their designs in three-dimensional form. "They are thrilled when they see the models," he says. The InVision 3-D printer runs every day at Gentle Giant Studios. It produces 20 or 30 models a week. Along with the ThermoJet and SLA machines, it has helped make Gentle Giant a star in the film, video game, and toy industries. Over the past decade, the company’s special effects work has appeared in such blockbuster movies as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Spider Man, and Star Wars. The combination of the ThermoJet, SLA, and InVision systems has enabled Gentle Giant to bring its creative vision to life.