These days, it seems like if you can dream something, 3D printers can produce it. It doesn’t matter if you want to make a fully functioning robot or an entire earthquake-resistant villa, the list of uses for 3D printers is constantly growing and the technology is working its way into more and more industries.
WhiteClouds, a 3D-printing company, has seen its uses expand into a variety of fields, including entertainment, health care, and architecture. In fact, the company collaborated on what it says is the first-ever swimming pool constructed from 3D plans. The project was for Cutting Edge Pools, which tapped WhiteClouds to show a client what to expect from a customized pool design for their Ogden, Utah, home. The goal of the model was to display the finished product — prior to actual construction.
“This project shows the breadth of 3D Printed models in a variety of industries,” WhiteClouds CEO Jerry Ropelato told Digital Trends in an email. “Not only can we help people see their dreams before they are built, but valuable designs can be fine-tuned before construction even starts and changes become extremely expensive. 3D printed models help companies sell the vision they are selling.”
To build the mini replica, WhiteClouds used multiple software programs, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox, and Enroute. The project was completed in less than a week and a half, with the actual printing taking 5 hours and 59 minutes. The finished product was ready on May 18, and the result was a 5-foot-by-4-foot 3D model of the pool made with full-color sandstone-like material.
WhiteClouds’ creation shows how useful printed models can be when it comes to custom construction projects. Because the average person may struggle to envision how designs will turn out, a smaller 3D version aims to make everything clearer. In the case of Cutting Edge’s Pool, the model did the trick — the homeowner gave the company the green light, resulting in a beautiful pool that measures 60 feet by 40 feet.
