Ok, so when it comes to requests for unusual and never before seen puzzle productions on the site that I'm most likely to get results, I'm batting 2 out of 3.

The TARDIS cube, a rousing success thanks to Gus!
The autism awareness puzzle, beautifully designed by xGATOxMALOx!
The Transformer puzzle (you know, the one that shapeshifts into two solved states, like a robot to a car, or an aardvark to an artichoke), still nothing out there! Not a peep! Have I stumped you? Well, let's leave that for now, and get to my next challenge/request.

What if I wanted to make a 2x2x2 puzzle in the shape of a persons head? Or, perhaps a 4x4x4 depending on the size of the nose. Not just any generic person's head, but one that actually has the likeness of a specific person! This occurred to me when I was thinking of a present that would annoy my latest traveling companion, my wife. Given her not so enthusiastic perspective on my ever unwieldy collection of puzzles and the continuous pleads that I stop all this collecting, or at least hide them while company is around, I can think of nothing better (or worse) then a 2x2x2 made to look like her head!

Her response will either be:
1. Immediate attempt at jettisoning me into a black hole.
2. Absolute joy at the thoughtfulness of turning her head into 2x2x2 thus launching her into an everlasting appreciation for the brilliance of twisty puzzles.
3. Immediate attempt at jettisoning me into a black hole.

In any case, I'm wondering how a head can be rendered into an image, put in a CAD file, and then uploaded to shapeways. This could lead to quite a scholarship to any of you budding engineers out there. Or at least enough to buy a years worth of Ramen noodles. In any case, I'd make it worth your while!

So, lets see what you've got, don't make me have to jump ship to Speedsolving.com...

Like this?

The only accessible way I know of is using Autodesk 123D Catch, cleaning up the mesh, and then making the cutting planes, etc.

That may work but from what I've seen it would take a lot of work cleaning up the mesh. But what's wrong with a bit of hard work if there is a puzzle at the end of it ...

Seeing as options 1 & 3 are most likely - I would consider abandoning this!! Especially when you consider the cost of printed plastic!

The best thing you could do is cook her a nice meal every night for the rest of your life and do some DIY. The present Mrs S is getting very fed up with answering the door to the postman. She also wants it to stop but is happy that as long as I keep it in my study, don't get into debt and as long as my puzzles don't jingle, then she will tolerate it (She doesn't know yet that I have bought a whole load of wire puzzles from Dick Hess a few days ago!).

I slip up occasionally and she burns me with the laser stare. This puts me in my place until it all happens again!! Usually after just a few days! I'm really not very bright!!
I keep her around because she's not doing badly for a first wife And it would be much too costly to replace her!

The best thing you can do for your wife would be to pack up all of your puzzle collection and send them to me for safekeeping! I will risk wrath of Mrs S just for your salvation!!!

I doubt that you will live long enough to actually get there!!! It's been nice knowing you!

So let me get this straight. She gets to travel time and relative dimensions in space, and still gives you grief about a few (ahem) puzzles about the place (which has infinite capacity!)
No wonder you want to replace her with a likeness figure, that, lets face it, is much more manageable and you can figure it out occasionally

Spot the married people coming out of the woodwork

I work for a games company that has a very new and swish facial capture system (LA Noire type quality)
But you would have to get her here to do it and, frankly, at some point you would have to take the blindfold off, which would take the surprise away!

Are there any Maya/Max artists out there who are prepared to model up her head from several pictures?
It could be exported as STL and put into a CAD package to be cut up and scaled to fit a 2x2x2.
That's the cheapest option you have I think.

I looked into this last year. I found a place in London that would do the scans but the cost was horrendous. I also discussed it with Oskar and there seems to be a lot of untidiness that has to be cleaned up in the files. Hair for example is not something you could accurately scan and 3d print.
Having said that on The Gadget Show a while back they made little models of the presenters using scanning and printing. They were absolutely perfect though I suspect the very best equipment was used.

I know that Shapeways provide a head making service, but I don't know if the software can be used (hacked?) to give access to the 3D data so you can use it to make a puzzle.

While I have to admit that Oskar is a devastatingly handsome man, the effect will be somewhat confusing if I present her with his as opposed to her head. But thanks for the Autodesk reference, I'll check it out as it just may lead me to my goal

Well, not if I keep the handcuffs on. Did I just say that out loud?

Aha! Now you're talking! I couldn't understand a word of it, but I like how it sounds!


That's really more of what I would be looking for. Something that can take a scanned picture and make a 3d model. I don't think I can make her pose without heavy sedation. The rendering doesn't have to be perfect, it just can't look like Oskar in drag.

I checked that out, and that may be the closest I can come in achieving my goal. I'll contact them and see what I can do. Thanks to all for the advice! Now I know where to go when I'm looking for a little...uh...never mind.

Signature anyone?

Sure

I guess that this is where I come in
Send me your address and a first class air fair and I'm on my way!

Now how many days, weeks, months ... decades did you want her asleep for? Anything is possible. Whilst I'm at your place can I play with.....