How to 3d print GPX data

Thingiverse user "snrk" aka Per from Sweden shared his method of converting .GPX data from a GPS in 3d printable files. He used Processing to with additional libraries to  parse the files and translate the data to points in a voxel array.

Here is the example of 3d printed run data recorded on a GPS device in .gpx format:

Full instructions can be found here:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:276911

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3D Printing Complex Data Sets of DNA, DEM and Sound

Here is a compilation of few detailed guides on how to design 3d printable objects from complex data like DNA, topological maps and sound.


How to get 3d printable objects from 23andme raw DNA data set


With this tutorial you will be able to take raw DNA data from 23andme DNA analysis and model a 3d printable object in OpenSCAD with a custom plugin.

Detailed guide and software:

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Print-a-sculpture-from-your-DNA/

https://github.com/jjg/3dna 3dna code for OpenSCAD


How to 3d print geographical maps, topology, landscape and other geographical data


3DPrintingNinja developed an Instructables tutorial on how to convert DEM (digital elevation model) data into 3d printable objects.

Detailed instructions:

http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printing-Models-of-Landscapes-Topology-Mountain/


Sonic Sculptures


With this free app you can get 3d models from visualized sound waves.




Download the software and get the instructions here:

http://blairneal.com/portfolio_page/sonic-sculptures/

http://www.thingiverse.com/laserpilot/collections/sonic-prints

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Massive collection of animated mechanical movements and devices

While I was looking for a design of an automatic windows opening mechanism that I could use on my workshop I found this little jam on the YouTube.
The channel is just named "thang010146" and contains big number of video animations which show various mechanical movements and internal working mechanics of different devices in many areas like construction, engineering, hydraulics, gears, cams, robotics and many more. There are new videos coming up frequently.
If you are hobbyist, maker, engineer or just curious this is very useful reference base for finding solutions or inspiration.

Here are some examples:







You can find many MANY more mechanism schematics here:

https://www.youtube.com/user/thang010146/videos

One of the windmill / wind generators designs from the channel  

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GCodePrintr loading g-code from NFC tag embedded in 3d printed object

Here is video demonstration of GCodePrintr interacting with NFC tags embedded in 3d printed objects. After the near contact the NFC tag emits link to URL that loads remote g code of the object in the software and you can print new copy.
Simply, you touch an object and you can print it using your smartphone.
I could see many use cases, like consumer goods where you can print simple replacement parts like handles etc. by scanning the NFC tag embedded in them.

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How to make a Data Crystal 3d model from large data sets

Scott Kildall made excellent tutorial where he described in detail how you can make "data crystal" 3d printable objects to visualize or present large data sets. Data sets can be anything, he used data sets from OpenData.

This data crystal represents incidents of crime data from San Francisco

Over 35,000 data points from 3 month period. Worse crimes (e.g. kidnapping) are represented by larger cubes and less severe crimes (e.g. possession of drugs) are smaller cubes.

Detailed guide is at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Data-Crystals-3D-Data-Visualizations-from-Open-Dat/?ALLSTEPS



Here is video of algorithmic data clustering to produce the model:




Here are more visualization projects where 3d printing is used to present 3d objects from data:

Video tutorials on how to make 3d models from CT data for medical applications:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/02/how-to-create-model-for-3d-printing.html

How to hide data in 3d printed objetc shape:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/01/object-steganography-method-to-hide.html

Printing molecules :

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/07/how-to-3d-print-models-of-molecules.html

Update (29.9.2014.):

Scott has new tutorials on how to make 3d models of sewer and water systems from processed data:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/09/how-to-make-printable-3d-models-form.html

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DIY 3d printing statistics from survey by Yeggi

If you ever wondered what were your fellow 3d printing enthusiasts and hobbyist up to in winter of 2013 / 2014 here is chart from Yeggi, the 3d model search engine, from their online survey.

Dudes, go visit a FabLab, or Makerspace, or Hacklab or some other DIY community space ... just do it!

Source:

http://www.yeggi.com/int/infographics?igid=3D-Printing-Online-Survey-2013-2014

Another interesting chart from Yeggi:

What people make on their 3d printers?

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Object steganography method to hide data in shape of 3d printed objects

Ingenious and cool process designed by Noah Feehan of hiding data in 3d printed object. Shape itself can then be scanned for information to be extracted and decrypted.

Physical object IS encrypted data carrier, carrying it in its shape. I could not find more detailed or software itself, however concept is intriguing and deserves attention and further exploration.

From source site:

Object Steganography, Noah Feehan (2012)

Steganography is the practice of concealing one form of information within the properties of another; it has been used as a way of hiding information in plain sight for thousands of years.
“Object Steganography” is a series of parametrically-designed 3d printed objects: the shape of each piece is determined by a user-submitted word.

For example, one of the objects pictured here is the most common password in the world; the other is an illegal number.
Further work in this series will close the loop between computer fabrication and computer vision: Each object will be scanned back into a programming environment and decoded.

Object steganography software and .stl file generated

Pictures of 3d printed objects with data in their shape:

3d printed object with most common password data embedded in its form

3d printed object containing Illegal Number data encrypted in its shape 

Source:

http://p-dpa.tumblr.com/post/71516057042/object-steganography-noah-feehan-2012 via http://go3dprinting.tumblr.com/

I also googled it anf found a site that could be THE source: http://akamediasystem.com/2012/05/object-steganography/


There is a software project that encrypts .stl files:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/12/disarming-corruptor-3d-model-encryption.html

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What do people make on their 3d printers?

Who knows ... but this infographic from yeggi.com 3d model search engine is showing some trends in 2013 ...
First are fantasy toys and figures, second are smartphone accessories and thir are 3d printers and parts for them ...

You can also see what can "average" 3d printer owner make in one year:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/03/petleh82-on-one-year-owning-3d-printer.html

here is a new infographic from Yeggi:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/02/diy-3d-printing-statistics-from-survey.html

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