3D-printed Dune chess set
by Rob Beschizza · Boing BoingRory Noble-Turner's 3D-printed Dune chess set suggests simplicity of materials while being the complex product of cutting-edge 3D quartz-printing tech. And I'm not sure I could cope with the combination of minimalist pieces and a curved board, Dune-tastic as they are in cleverly different ways. But it looks absolutely gorgeous!
By using 3D sculpting tools typically reserved for the visual-effects industry, he was given an enormous degree of creative freedom and control when it came to crafting the final product. A major challenge was refining the digital scripts required to generate the rippled textures. What seemed like a relatively straight-forward exercise became increasingly complicated as he tried to fine-tune the degree of rippling randomness, its varying density and depth, and the gentle fall-off as it blended into a smooth surface. To create such a natural – or windswept – appearance required months of dedicated problem-solving and refinement with a couple solutions being discovered only after delving deep into the depths of visual scripting forums.
Don't forget to garotte the slavemaster, while you're at it: we cannot have such inept chess players in our employ. On a lighter note, Feyd, have you ever seen The Sand Castle? You'll need 14 minutes.