Depth Map Engraving and SD versus HD questions

[johnbrooker]

Thanks James. I see now what you have done. Having gone to his website, and looked more closely at his work, I guess he is painting a fully modelled surface with translucent gauche, but also adding a set of contour lines that enhance the depth, by suggesting the layers that would be needed to make up the image in a 3D rendering.
Very inspiring for anyone used to working in transferring 2D info into 3D models who see both 2D and 3D images and their interplay.
Mere words become a bit inadequate !

[theinfamousj]

I agree. That is an absolutely breathtaking image. My style of art.

[karzdan]

Decided to play around with another one of Takamatsu’s images.

I like Target, simple, good variation in grays.

This is a test, so I put the forge through two different runs. I used Honduras Mahogany. A pretty soft wood. Both are 3.5" square.

First up. Vary power, Min power = 0, Speed = 500, Power = 40, 225 LPI, 2 Passes, Focus set at wood thickness.

Not bad after cleaning up with some IPA. Some decent variation.

You can really see the lines. Interesting note. The laser cut a lot deeper where there was no wood gains, making the wood’s rings peaking up over the rest of the etching.

The depth differences really pop when looked at from the side.

Still a lot more charring than I would like.

Second. Vary power, Min power = 0, Speed = 600, Power = 25, 270 LPI , 2 Passes, Focus 2x the wood’s thickness.

Running with a lower power setting, faster speed, higher LPI and soft focus.

Before cleaning with IPA

Post cleaning.

That line of wood grain really showed up.

Still a fair amount of depth differences. Not nearly as much charring.

The two side by side.
First run on the left, second on the right.