Laser Cut 3D Sculptures Remind Us Of An Old Playstation

[Paul] a.k.a. [VoidFraction] put up the source and documentation for his sculptures made with laser cut polygons.

For computing his triangles, [Paul] developed LcAgl, an algorithm that transforms a 3D model into the AutoCAD file needed to cut a whole bunch of triangles and connectors. This file was shot over to a laser cutter and after a confusing assembly, [Paul] can make just about any low polygon count model he wants.

For his sculptures, [Paul] uses Coroplast, a type of corrugated plastic commonly used in political campaign signs. Coroplast is lightweight and flexible, a bonus when [Paul] is fitting his triangles together. The connecting tabs are made from acrylic – a very rigid material, so the triangles are held tightly in place.

Since the models in most 3D games are just a bunch of polygons anyway, this technique reminds us of the first 3D console games. [Paul]’s rhino looks like it walked off the set of a low polygon game like Virtua Fighter or Jumping Flash!.

21 thoughts on “Laser Cut 3D Sculptures Remind Us Of An Old Playstation

  1. Why confusing? Figure out an order to put the pieces together in, and engrave a number on each edge. Go sequentially, find matching numbers, hey, you just mixed the jigsaw and the dot-to-dot!

      1. I’ve certainly played 3D SNES games, and thought about that before posting. However, the system itself could not handle polygons. The cartridges for those special games had a small ~25mhz RISC cpu called the SuperFX that handled the 3D.

  2. This is awesome,
    I was waiting for just this invention.

    I make props and I love the way this will enable me to build new things.
    Not just props but also buildings backdrops and structures.

    I would like to applaud the maker and thank him wholeheartly for his work and even moreso for sharing it with the world :D

    1. Sure, if you happen to manage to invent a laser cutter that is able to do such a thing. This process is limited by the flat geometry a laser cutter can produce. Which is why you see the connectors.

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