The Spring coffee table
Here’s a bit more background and detailed step-by-step instructions about the coffee table I made for the April issue of Wired magazine. Don't forget to check out my other projects. I really enjoy making custom shaped Bookcases. you can see what i am talking about here.
Step 1: Select a Map (using Tasclient)
Step 1: Select a Map (using Tasclient)

Once you settle on your map, you have to decide the dimensions of your table (or other object)—width, length, depth, etc. The easiest method for viewing Spring maps is with Tasclient (Download from this page). You'll also need Spring (SpringRTS.com) Tasclient lets you connect to a game, but it also will let you view game maps. To do this, host a game, then select a map. A minimap of the selected map is actually a button for a 3D preview of the map. When you've found the map you want to use, remember its name.
Step 2: Extract the Heightmap (Using Spring Map Edit)
Maps in Spring are actually compressed files that contain all kinds of goodies. For instance, every MAP file contains not only the texture and color but also the height map information, and several other important files. We're only concerned with the heightmap. I mentioned it’s compressed. You’ll need 7zip to open it up. You need to get the .SMF file. It’s inside the map file, inside a folder called "Maps". Extract it, and remember where.
Now start up Spring Map Edit (SME). SME is one of the tools used to create/modify maps in the game. I don't make maps, and I don't modify them either. What I do know is how to use SME to get the heightmap. To do this, Select Map>Load>Import Spring SM2 Map. ]There is no graphical progress bar. Just give it a bit of time. It will come up. If you want to see that it’s loading, you can switch over to the console window that opened with SME.
Maps in Spring are actually compressed files that contain all kinds of goodies. For instance, every MAP file contains not only the texture and color but also the height map information, and several other important files. We're only concerned with the heightmap. I mentioned it’s compressed. You’ll need 7zip to open it up. You need to get the .SMF file. It’s inside the map file, inside a folder called "Maps". Extract it, and remember where.

Step 3: Adjust Heightmap (Using Photoshop)
A heightmap is a 2D representation of a 2.5D object. (2.5D objects are things that have no "under" areas. So no caves, no inverted cliffs. Just the tops An example of a 2.5D object might be a pyramid in the desert, while an example of a 3D object would be the same pyramid, with the point at the bottom.—3D because it has "undercuts," or areas under other areas. Heightmaps represent 2.5D objects. The height is represented in color, usually black/white, or grayscale. If you look at the heightmap you just made, it’s all whites, blacks and grays. What does this have to do with anything?
Each shade of gray represents a particular height. In the next step we are going to tell some software to set white for the minimum depth of cutting, and black as maximum depth. With this, however, if the heightmap contains only grays right in the middle of the shade range, the result will be that the router won’t cut to our desired maximum depth because there is no black. So the trick is to get the darkest color in the heightmap to be black, and the brightest color to be white. This is called "Levels" in Photoshop. We are going to tell Photoshop to change the darkest gray in the heightmap to black and the lightest to white, then adjust all the grays in between accordingly. The result will be a heightmap with higher contrast, which will allow for greater precision.

Eight-bit images will struggle here, as they can hold only 256 values (0-255). If you start with an 8-bit image that has black thru 50% gray, for example, you’re starting with only 128 levels. If you use the process I’ve just outlined to convert that 50% gray to white, the grays in between will scale evenly between black and white, but the jumps will be rather pronounced, since you’ll be dealing with only 128 levels to cover the full range between black and white.
Step 4: Generate gCode (using PhotoVCarve)
PhotoVCarve (PVC) was designed to take a photograph and generate instructions for a CNC router to, essentially, scratch the image into wood—deeper scratches for darker areas, and shallow scratches for light areas. It’s all carved with a V-Bit (a Bit with two sharp angles, typically 90 degrees).
First, change the bit to a ballnose/bullnose bit (the kind that is half a sphere at the tip). Then adjust the stepover. This is the amount of space between each “scratch,” usually measured as a percentage of the bit’s diameter. Set it between 6 and 9 percent. Under 6 percent, and the cutting gets torturously slow; over 9, and you start getting pronounced ridges between the passes. I keep mine at 8 percent.
Next, change “Carve Max Depth” to be whatever you want the carving to cut down to. I’m starting with wood that’s 2.25 inches thick, and I don’t want to go all the way through, so I set the max depth to 1.75 inches. Make sure you know how deep your bit can cut in a single pass. Mine can only cut 1.25 inches, so I will be cutting this twice—first a rough cut, then a second “finishing” pass.

With your settings dialed in, save the file as gCode and transfer it to your CNC’s computer.
Step 5: Machining the Wood (using Mach3)
There isn't much to say here. Secure the wood, position the machine over your designated starting position, load the gCode file you created in PVC, and press “Start.” Then wait. This table took four hours to carve.
Step 6: Painting (using Professionals)
I’m not a painter. My wife—and I totally agree with her on this—says “you make beautiful stuff, then you paint it, and it’s destroyed.” Still, I wanted a cool paint job to finish this off. Where can you find someone good at painting and who would want to paint something like this? Your local tabletop-gaming store—the place where the D&D players meet. Could be a comic store, too. Regardless, these shops are full of people who do masterful paint jobs of figurines. I guarantee it you’ll find someone to help you.
11 comments:
I read your article in Wired and on you blog here and I thought this was great. I am also a 28 year old IT professional looking to learn about wood carving and everything. I was just wondering if you had any info on how you setup the router to work as a CNC? I'd like to try this type of thing out. Thanks for the article!
Yeah I do.
First off,
There is a ton of information available. But you gotta begin some place.
cnczone.com is a large community for anyone and everyone who does CNC stuff (professionally, and hobby)
My machine is based off the ideas of JoeCNC (joescnc.com) Hybrid 4x4.
You need software to actually control the machine (reads the gCode, and then make the machine parts move), i use Mach3
Feel free to email me directly and kennethscottbarry@gmail.com
I'd just like to say: Thank you for using my MoonQ map! It looks just awesome! I could try and look/search through my backups and check if i have any more, or better heigthmaps that i did for TASpring? Good luck with the CNC carving anyways!!!
Awesome Wired piece...it got me thinking about trying to carve some of my photos out in 3D. One question: do you know if anyone makes a PhotoVCarve equivalent for Macs? Thanks!
I'm not aware of anything like photovcarve for a Mac. I mean, I am using photovcarve on a mac (running XP). Might be time to try bootcamp?
nice work, especially on making your own rig! but...look out for MDF. when airborne it's basically a cloud of formaldehyde:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard#Safety_aspects_of_MDF
why not use plywood? maybe it's not the aesthetic you're going for, but i think it makes nice topos when you mill contours out of it...
I never considered using plywood. It sure would make some interesting contour lines. There are a few problems in general with Plywood. But i think they could be overcome. I don't think i have ever tried carving 3D/2.5D stuff from Plywood.
A minimap of the selected map is actually a button for a 3D preview of the map. When you've found the map you want to use, remember its name. 1617evspk
Oh my gosh, I like that moon map you used! I think my nephew and I will have fun making this.
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