In this article from This Is Colossal, dozens of scanned objects from The Metropolitan Museum of Art are available to see. The page on The Mets website shows a decent list of artifacts that can be viewed in 3D in your browser. They feature high-resolution models with textures and even QR codes to scan for viewing in AR on mobile phones. 

This got us thinking, if there's a model, we should be able to 3D print them, right?

Tools Needed

• Mobile Phone (iPhone used)
• 3D printer (Bambulab X1LC used) and filament (PLA used)
• Slicer Software - BambuStudio
• ImageToSTL website (https://imagetostl.com/convert/file/usdz/to/obj)
• STL repair website (https://www.formware.co/onlinestlrepair)

How to get the model

First step is to download the model of the object you want to 3D print. In the object art page, there are images and a View in 3D link at the bottom of the image thumbnail carousel. 

In the 3D viewer, there is an icon of a 3D box, click it and scan the QR code with your mobile phone. 

Save the USDZ

Once in AR view on the mobile device, tap on the share icon to pop up the share sheet model window. Here, you have the options to send via email, text, dropbox and AirDrop.

The USDZ file format is a standard 3D model file format for AR applications. 

Convert USDZ to OBJ

Currently, most slicing software doesn't support USDZ files, so we'll use an online converter website to turn the file into an OBJ (or STL if your slicing software doesn't support OBJ.)

The ImageToSTL website works well enough. Just drop in the USDZ, click the convert button, wait a few moments and download the ZIP file onto your desktop.

Import, Repair, Prepare, Slice and Print

With the OBJ file, drop it into your slicing software. Each model is going to be different, some may need to be repaired (non-manifold meshes), or prepared (supports for overhangs, rafts for non-flat bottom surfaces).

In this model, the Statue of Horus as a falcon, I used a planar tool in BambuStudio to cut a portion of the bottom to create a clean, flat surface to avoid the need of a raft. 

Slice Settings

I scaled it up, down, moved it to the center of the build plate and tried different infill settings. I enabled tree supports, which automatically places them wherever overhangs are present. Once I was happy with the settings, I sliced the prepped model.

It says 1h 28m of total print time and only 22.7G of filament (a cost of 0.45 cents).

3D Print of Horus as a Falcon

The 3D printed statue came out pretty good. At this scale, the inscriptions at the base are not visible. But, the overall shape is clean and smooth. I used Marble Slate Grey PLA filament from Polymaker.

I could have scaled it to fit the maximum build volume (256mm cubic) but I wanted a mini sized statue that wouldn't take several hours to print. 

Maker Thoughts

At first glance, obtaining the USDZ file from the Mets website wasn't totally clear. I'm used to websites like Printables and MakerWorld where DOWNLOAD buttons are prevalent, front and center. The share icon in the AR viewer on mobile is a bit easy to miss, so this playground note is ment to show it can be done.

Like most 3D printing projects, obtaining a model off the internet that isn't optimized for 3D printing requires a bit of work. 

In an ideal world, I can see The Met sharing 3D print-ready models of their scans, perhaps even have their own profile on sites like Printables and MakerWorld. The 3D printing community would definitely post up their own 3D printed makes and remixes. It might even encourage folks to visit the Met.

Future Ideas

I think it would be cool to bring the mesh into 3D modeling software like Blender and make additions and tweaks. With more time, I could have hollowed the model so I could add an LED to turn it into a lamp, a servo to make the head turn, a PIR motion sensor to make it interactive, an amplifier and speaker to make it play the audio narration from the museum. Just a few ideas that popped into my head while printing the model.