Cymatics in 3D

So I'm thinking of how to integrate my 3Dmax/Virtual Worlds class with my Negotiated Project and, lecturer, Mick reckons that it would be possible to build some of the cymatic forms I've been looking at as rendered 3D works. Unfortunately, if these get too complex, they fall apart if you try to use them as augmented reality elements. But there's the above which uses simple geometry and imports the cymatic image as a map - then turning a jpeg into an undulating relief image.