ABSTRACT
Scenic and lighting designer Owen M. Collins agrees that three-dimensional (3D) printing is not the answer to every modeling possibility. 3D printing is useful for many aspects of scenic design and its related techniques. Its applications range from scenic models to full scenic pieces and even construction. As more and more designers adopt 3D drafting techniques much of the modeling work is already complete by the time the drawings are ready to print. Photogrammetry and 3D scanning in combination with 3D printing gives scenic designers the shorthand to incorporate real-world objects into their models. In general, when working with scale models, there are two ways to look at 3D printing: 3D printing can be combined with traditional techniques in the same model, or models can be 3D printed as one piece. 3D printing can be useful for set decoration/set propping as well. Use 3D printing to fill in the gaps and help provide hard-to-find or cost-prohibitive items.
