4D printing?!?

[hon30critter]

Hi gang:

If you thought that 3D printing was neat, I just saw a news report that said the US Army has awarded research contracts to three universities for research into 4D printing!

What's the 4th dimension? Time. They want things that will change their shape or properties over a controlled period of time. Interesting.

OK all you creative types - how could that be used in modelling? How about rolling stock that weathers itself over a scale period of time? Or maybe deciduous trees that sprout new leaves in the spring? I'm sure you can come up with better ideas than those!

Dave

[Packer]

hon30critter

OK all you creative types - how could that be used in modelling? How about rolling stock that weathers itself over a scale period of time?

Make them out of a thin and fairly light (not so it's like model power's metal train heavy) metal that rusts. Tin might work, and it'd dent like real ones too.

 

hon30critter

Or maybe deciduous trees that sprout new leaves in the spring? I'm sure you can come up with better ideas than those!

but then what happens in the fall? we need little bitty kids with little bitty rakes. lol

 

[Kyle]

I forget what the fourth dimension is, but it is not time (my math teacher two years ago showed us a video on it), and there are 4D figures but none have been created the real world, considering that fact and the fact that we are now buying crappy jets (F-35s)that the Chinese copied from us instead of the state of the art ones (F-22 raptors) that we oringinal ordered along with the navy getting new crappy ships that don't even work (LCSs) instead of ones that actually work (like frigates with updated systems), the government is going crazy.

[cedarwoodron]

They already invented that- it's called the federal budget! It grows exponentially over very small periods of time, never to resume it's original shape!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Cedarwoodron

[NittanyLion]

cedarwoodron

They already invented that- it's called the federal budget! It grows exponentially over very small periods of time, never to resume it's original shape!!!!!!LOL!!!!!! Cedarwoodron

I sooooooo want to rip this apart, because I do analyses of federal budgets for a living.

[cedarwoodron]

Nittany: The only thing that seems to shrink is my model railroad budget! LOL! Cedarwoodron

[GP-9_Man11786]

Back to the OP's question, how about figure that normal humans most of the time but turn into wolves during full moons.

[rrinker]

 Buildings that gradually change, as if the owneres modernized bits, or replaced the shutters or added an addition.

 EVERYTHING changes, so you cna start you layout in the 50's but keep it around for 20 years and everything will look like the 70's.

 

        --Randy