Hi everyone,
A while ago, I shared CHAMELEON here while I was developing and testing it. At that time, it wasn’t available for download.
I’m happy to share that CHAMELEON is now live and available on Food4Rhino.
CHAMELEON is a GHPython component for Grasshopper that converts a photograph into an actual 3D relief texture on a surface. Instead of creating only a rendered/bump-map effect, it generates real displaced mesh geometry that can be fabricated or 3D printed.
The workflow is quite simple: provide a surface + image, and CHAMELEON samples the brightness values from the image and uses them to control displacement along the surface normals.
It also includes controls for the relief and wall thickness, with the aim of producing closed, printable geometry rather than just a visual effect.
I originally developed it while experimenting with textured lamp shades and wanted a quicker way to translate images and patterns into physical surface textures.
Requirements: Rhino 8 + Grasshopper
Component: GHPython / IronPython 2
License: MIT
Cost: Free
The download also includes a PDF setup guide.
Food4Rhino: CHAMELEON — Photo to Relief Texture | Food4Rhino
This is my first release, so I’d really appreciate feedback from anyone who tries it—especially regarding bugs, workflow improvements, or features that would make it more useful for fabrication and product design.
Thanks!