3D printed lingerie
Designer Samuel Bernier has an idea for Valentine's Day, give your sweetheart a gift you both can enjoy: 3D printed lingerie. His Muse corset design is available at Thingiverse, but for more fun and a better fit, it's a good idea to scan your special someone and 3D print your own customized design.
Bernier is the artistic director for leFabShop, a digital design and manufacturing startup in Paris. When he realized he'd be away from his girlfriend this week to present and speak at the popular "3DPrintShow," in New York, he decided to celebrate Valentine's Day early with a special 3D printed design just for her.
In the past, Bernier took inspiration from corsets in designing lamps for his Dentelle project. Now he is using 3D printing to make a corset directly as a 3D printed Valentine. He provided a tutorial for creating these intimate designs.
Step 1: Get a 3D file of her body
The first step is tricky: find an excuse to 3D print your lady without letting her think you're up to anything exciting. He suggests you tell her that you're scanning her to make a statue... but secretly you can scan for extra resolution from the neck to the hips. Make sure she's wearing light, skin-tight clothes for better fitting 3D printed lingerie.
Bernier used the Asus Xtion Pro Live scanner with Scanect as a capture software and Autodesk Meshmixer to clean the file.
He suggests you print her a 3D statue after the scan so she doesn't suspect anything. Then you can continue preparing the real surprise.
Import the .stl or .obj file into meshmixer and keep only what you need – be careful not to deform the model. Bernier suggests smoothing the file if it seems rough and checking to make sure the scale is correct.
Step 2: Design the shape
Now design the shape. Get some inspiration by checking out other images. Once you get an outline that you like, it's time to start modeling.
Import the scan and create a "loft" function that covers the body. To do this it's important to determine the top and bottom and to draw the outlines of the scan. Have at least 3 drawings of the torso and as many as you need for the symmetry tool. Create a skin or a volume between these boundaries. Now shape the side view by removing extra material.
Step 3: Choose a texture or "textile"
To keep your lingerie from looking like a plaster mold, choose a texture. Bernier used diamond holes to cover his corset because he knew the pattern can be 3D printed without support using a Makerbot Replicator 2.
Step 4: Cut and print
The 3D file must be cut to fit in your machine. Bernier's Muse corset was printed in 4 parts and assembled with epoxy glue using tape to hold the structure together while it cured. Cut and sand the lingerie as needed and you're ready to close it with some nice lace or ribbon.
Step 5: Photoshoot
Bernier's Muse corset is available at Thingiverse here.
