3D print service Sculpteo adds to the ever-increasing set of 3D model-generating apps by creating a custom iPhone design service. It’s similar to most other apps: a basic model is display and limited customization capability is provided. Sculpteo first requires you to download their 3DPcase iPhone app. Within the app you’re presented with several… Continue reading Sculpteo’s iPhone Case Maker
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123D Catch In Your Pocket
Autodesk has released an iOS version of its staggeringly easy-to-use 3D model generator, 123D Catch. The tool isn’t a 3D scanner, exactly, but the results are similar. You collect a series of images of a 3D subject from many angles, then submit them to 123D Catch for processing. Autodesk’s magic algorithms in the sky… Continue reading 123D Catch In Your Pocket
Freshfiber Offers 3D Printed iPhone 5 Cases
Mere hours after Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement, custom case vendor Freshfiber announced they now offer cases for said device. In all, Freshfiber announced six different case styles, all of which are quite interesting, uniquely functional and offered in several cool colors. The cases include one that doubles as a business card holder; another… Continue reading Freshfiber Offers 3D Printed iPhone 5 Cases
Sculpteo Lowers Prices
3D print service Sculpteo has abruptly lowered their pricing for 3D models. Evidently their print volume must have increased sufficiently to permit more effective plastic purchases from their suppliers. This change affects only their plastic price. They say: Thanks to this success, we can now lower the price of your 3D prints made… Continue reading Sculpteo Lowers Prices
Cubify Introduces Bracelets
Well, that didn’t take long! Mere days after introducing web applications capable of dynamically generating rings and earrings to your specifications, 3D Systems has fired up another similar application: Bracelets. It’s very easy to use and offers just the right amount of customization for most people. The Bracelet app works in a fashion similar… Continue reading Cubify Introduces Bracelets
The ShapeWright Experiment
Artist Dolf Veenvliet is experimenting with user-designed custom 3D printed metal jewelry. His new experimental site, ShapeWright, allows anyone to pick and shape components into a unique jewelry item that can be immediately sent for 3D printing in precious metal! The service is incredibly easy to use. The experiment is to customize a “Variable… Continue reading The ShapeWright Experiment
Shapeways Gets A New Engine
Did you visit Shapeways recently? It’s different – but not different visually. Instead the techs at Shapeways have replaced the software engines running behind their website to provide various improvements, specifically in the Order Placement and Order Fulfillment functions. Some of the improvements include: An ability to consolidate all your Shapeways coupons into… Continue reading Shapeways Gets A New Engine
Ponoko’s Badass Black
Ceramic 3D printing services are not exactly new, but there are limits to the colors offered by popular 3D printing services. Ponoko has announced the availability of black ceramic material. Previously Ponoko offered a variety of pastel-ish colors, including Green, Pale Blue, Peach, Periwinkle, Teal, White and Yellow. The new colors include a choice… Continue reading Ponoko’s Badass Black
Cubify’s Rings and Earrings
Cubify has been very busy lately. They’ve introduced a way to “design and personalize your own rings” very soon after launching a similar method for producing customized earrings. Both cubify “apps” work similarly: select various physical features of rings or earrings. The apps include a very wide variety of preselected shapes and icons, as… Continue reading Cubify’s Rings and Earrings
3D Printing Price Check
You’ve got a terrific model you want printed at high resolution in a great material. What do you do? You spend some of your valuable time checking out the prices at each of the 3D print services by tediously entering the specifications of your model into their price calculators. Or, you use 3D printing… Continue reading 3D Printing Price Check
i.Materialise Introduces Ceramics
3D print service i.Materialise has announced the availability of ceramics as a print material. They aren’t the first to introduce commercial ceramics print capability, but it’s an excellent capability improvement for them. Ceramics offers a few key advantages over other materials: Heat resistant up to 600C (1112F) Ultra-smooth finish with no visible… Continue reading i.Materialise Introduces Ceramics
Introducing Mak3D
Opening in “late August 2012”, Mak3D is billed as the “World’s first 3D printing co-working environment”. Located on London’s Brick Lane across from the notable Brick Lane Bakery, Mak3D will provide workspace and access to 3D equipment for makers. For £200 per month (USD$312), you’ll have access to the following: A 1000 sq ft.… Continue reading Introducing Mak3D
HeadBobble!
Yet another use for 3D printing: Printing Your Head. Yes, this has been done before quite a few times, but HeadBobble seems to have simplified the process and produces great 3D prints in full color. And you get a Bobblehead! How does it work? At their website you go through a selection process, where… Continue reading HeadBobble!
Ponoko’s Color Ceramics
Ponoko has announced the availability of seven different colors for their glazed ceramic 3D printing material. They previously offered four colors, but now add Yellow, Green and Pale Blue. Even better, they’re offering a discount of 10% off any orders using glazed ceramic until July 29th. Now you can make that coffee cup… Continue reading Ponoko’s Color Ceramics
The Brass at i.Materialise
They’re at it again. i.Materialise has now launched a trial of Brass 3D printing. Shortly after launching Bronze, we now see Brass on their materials sheet. It’s not a permanent thing, however, as i.Materialise terms this a “summer trial”. 3D print service providers often experiment with new materials in this way, as they are… Continue reading The Brass at i.Materialise
The Met’s 3-D Scanning and Printing Hackathon
An interesting experiment took place at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art recently, in which the Met tag-teamed with MakerBot to produce 3D art models. A team of folks from MakerBot were invited by the Met to journey through several collections to perform 3D scans of famous artwork. The scans were then converted… Continue reading The Met’s 3-D Scanning and Printing Hackathon
Bronzed by i.Materialise
i.Materialise, one of the popular online 3D print services, now offers an experimental Bronze 3D printing capability. This isn’t bronze plating – it seems to be solid bronze. However, during this experimental phase they limit the size of your bronze prints to 5 x 5 x 5 cm. We think that’s quite appropriate as… Continue reading Bronzed by i.Materialise
FujiFilm to Operate 3D Printer Kiosks?
A report from GizMag describes how Fujifilm is considering operating a chain of kiosks capable of printing 3D models. Yes, we thought this was strange, too. The idea is that an inexpensive 3D printer “kiosk” would be located in trafficked areas where customers could peruse a catalog of objects and select one for… Continue reading FujiFilm to Operate 3D Printer Kiosks?
MakieLab Makes Makies
We’ve seen some very specific applications of 3D printing where end-users may choose limited customization for picture frames, robots, etc. Today we’re looking at Makielab’s Makies. They’re 10 inch tall customized figurines designed by you. Similar to other services, you must choose from several customizable dimensions: Hair style, Eyebrow shape (selecting a slider for… Continue reading MakieLab Makes Makies
Fabberworld
Are you in need of supplies for your 3D printer? Do you live in Switzerland? If you answered yes to both questions, you’ll be pleased to learn that there is now a 3D printing supplies operation located in Switzerland: Fabberworld. Fabberworld sells a selection of 3mm plastic filament, bearings, motors and even kapton tape.… Continue reading Fabberworld
Introducing TeamPlatform
Things are advancing from the days of local storage of 3D models and traditional online 3D repositories. Consider TeamPlatform, an online service dedicated to not only storage of 3D models but also the entire development process for producing 3D models. The service operates on a subscription basis, where you are provided with an allocation… Continue reading Introducing TeamPlatform
Shapeways Gets Bendy
Shapeways, the popular 3D print service constantly experiments with new materials and perhaps they have the widest variety of materials one can select from. We’ve noticed they’re now offering a material with a unique property: it’s flexible! The new material, appropriately named “Elasto Plastic” will be tested by Shapeways users until July 20th. Shapeways… Continue reading Shapeways Gets Bendy
A Visit With IPF
While in London recently we had a rather long lunch meeting with Gary Miller of IPF, a.k.a. Industrial Plastic Fabrications, a growing 3D print service based in the UK just outside of London. Also in attendance was Claire Russell-Jones, a publicist often providing service to Objet, manufacturers of commercial 3D printers. Miller’s operation uses… Continue reading A Visit With IPF
Sculpteo Introduces Color Ceramics
Growing 3D print service Sculpteo has introduced a little bit of color to their ceramic material options. Today you can choose from these tasty glazing options: White Glossy, Oyster Blue, Tangerine Orange, Turquoise, Aquarius Blue, Satin Black, Anis Green and Lemon Yellow. Not only will you receive colored objects, but they’ll be perfectly smooth… Continue reading Sculpteo Introduces Color Ceramics
Want Your Shapeshot?
Strolling around Rapid 2012 we encountered an unusual service named ShapeShot. What do they do? Well, they shoot your shape. ShapeShot is a project from Baltimore-based Direct Dimensions, a consultancy that specializes in 3D scanning projects. That’s what ShapeShot does: it scans your face and places it into an online repository. They feel it’s… Continue reading Want Your Shapeshot?
Sculpteo’s iPhone Case Contest
3D print service Sculpteo has launched an interesting contest for those interested in designing unique cases for iPhone 4’s. They’re seeking “the best iPhone 4 case that you could ever imagine with 3D printing”. Judging will be done by a panel composed of “design and 3D printing professionals and representatives of Sculpteo”. Specifically… Continue reading Sculpteo’s iPhone Case Contest
Sculpteo OpenSCADs
A very interesting development appeared at the Sculpteo 3D print service: parameterized OpenSCAD. Whoa, you say, what’s that? Let’s start at the beginning: OpenSCAD is a utility that can produce 3D models by using typed commands to create and bend shapes. Gradually a complex model is created by combining and bending enough shapes together.… Continue reading Sculpteo OpenSCADs
The 3D Printing Network
Want to connect with other 3D print folks? One way might be the newly created “3D Printing Network”. The network, which appears to be a mailing list and IRC channel, is sponsored by the Fellowship of Free Software Foundation Europe, or Fellowship of FSFE. According to the network’s description: The 3D Printing Network… Continue reading The 3D Printing Network
A Very Smooth Idea, Indeed
During our visit to Stratasys’ RedEye On Demand facility the other day, we observed a fascinating finishing process that might be applicable to personal 3D prints, given the appropriate equipment. This process solves one of the flaws in objects produced by personal (and some commercial) 3D printers: layer visibility. If you look closely, it’s… Continue reading A Very Smooth Idea, Indeed
Flat-Rate 3D Print Pricing From i.Materialise
3D print service i.Materialise is experimenting with a form of flat-rate pricing. Normally they employ the standard “how much material and what kind of material are you printing” approach, but perhaps this was seen as a barrier to expanding their business. They’ve been testing this approach throughout May, when the program ends. How… Continue reading Flat-Rate 3D Print Pricing From i.Materialise
3D Printing Discount Available
Some say that 3D printing services are expensive, and that may or may not be the case depending on your situation. However, we do know that students worldwide typically aren’t flush with cash, and that’s why the new i.Materialise Student Discount is so important. The 3D print service offers a 20% discount on 3D… Continue reading 3D Printing Discount Available
Be An Action Hero!
There are quite a few specialized 3D print services emerging in the consumer space, but we kinda like this one: Firebox. Why? Because you can easily (well, by paying their fee of £79.99, or USD$127) you can get your own head on a real action figure. The process is simple: take two pictures of… Continue reading Be An Action Hero!
A Visit to RedEye
Recently we had the privilege of visiting Stratasys’ Minneapolis-based 3D print service: RedEye On Demand. Wait, we shouldn’t call it a “3D Printing Service” anymore. This facility performs much more than just 3D printing, although that forms a large portion of their work. In addition to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), they offer cast urethane and… Continue reading A Visit to RedEye
FigurePrints Moves Into Minecraft
We hadn’t noticed this before, but specialty 3D printing service FigurePrints is now into the MineCraft business. FigurePrints, long-time Fabbaloo readers may recall, was featured in one of our very first posts in 2007. They’ve been around a long time. What do they do? They extract 3D information from online games and produce the… Continue reading FigurePrints Moves Into Minecraft
Sculpteo Alumides!
3D print service Sculpteo announced the availability of a new 3D print material: Alumide. What is Alumide? It’s a mix of polyamide and aluminum powder yielding 3D prints that are stronger than just plastic but weaker than metal. Like plastic and some metals, it can actually bend slightly, making it useful for objects undergoing minor… Continue reading Sculpteo Alumides!
3D Printing Plastic AND Metal
Whoa – 3D printing plastic AND metal at the same time? There are many kinds of 3D printers in the world these days, most printing only plastic and some able to print metal. But printing both? That’s exactly what a joint initiative between ABS plastic 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys is doing with metal 3D printer… Continue reading 3D Printing Plastic AND Metal
Hear and Feel Your Favorite Sounds
This is interesting – Shapeways has teamed up with online Sound sharing site SoundCloud to produce “The Vibe” a very unique 3D model creator. From your SoundCloud account you can select your favorite sound, perhaps a song or yourself speaking. This sound’s waveform is automatically transformed into a visible representation of the wave as the… Continue reading Hear and Feel Your Favorite Sounds
SparkLab: BuildMobile
Of all the Kickstarter-style 3DP projects we’ve seen lately, the SparkLab concept may be the most valuable to society. No, you won’t get a fancy sculpture but you will get the satisfaction of supporting the spread of 3D printing and DIY making knowledge. What is the SparkLab concept? It’s quite simple. They proponents realized… Continue reading SparkLab: BuildMobile
Tinkercad Now Sculpteos
Everyone’s favourite web-based 3D modeling software now has another partner: 3D print service Sculpteo. Previously Tinkercad could automatically send your 3D design directly to Materialise, Ponoko or Shapeways, but now you have a fourth option: France-based Sculpteo. Actually there is a fifth option: download the 3D model to your own computer and print it… Continue reading Tinkercad Now Sculpteos
Thingiverse Terms Changed
3D Model download site Thingiverse has made a dramatic change in its licensing terms. As most startups tend to do, the initial version of legal terms are typically cobbled together from other sources. MakerBot Chief Bre Pettis writes: I went and looked at Blip.tv’s and Etsy’s and Youtube’s and I basically copied them and… Continue reading Thingiverse Terms Changed
3D Printing Stack Exchange?
You may have heard of StackOverflow? It’s a very popular question and answer website for computer programming topics. The makers of StackOverflow now permit the same software to be used for question-answer sites on other topics. But which topics get a site? At Area51.StackExhchange.com discussions are held to determine whether a topic warrants a Q/A… Continue reading 3D Printing Stack Exchange?
The New Tinkercad
Tinkercad, the amazing web-based solid 3D modeling tool has recently improved its capabilities. This tool permits creation of basic 3D printable objects without an expensive software and more importantly without a lot of training. Tinkercad uses WebGL, so be sure to use a reasonably modern web browser. What did we notice about Tinkercad? Gorgeously… Continue reading The New Tinkercad
Sculpteo’s Cloud Engine
3D print service Sculpteo announced their “3D Printing Cloud Engine” that provides a way for websites to create online stores for 3D printed items. The service apparently permits customization of 3D models to some degree. The customized models are then automatically submitted to Sculpteo’s print service for production and shipping. Sculpteo also says they… Continue reading Sculpteo’s Cloud Engine
The Society for Printable Geography
There have been many attempts to print landscapes with 3D printers, but here’s a whole service dedicated to that pursuit: The Society for Printable Geography. While it’s called a “society” it’s actually a specialized 3D print service. The Society uses the Shapeways 3D print service to produce its attractive items. They have a huge… Continue reading The Society for Printable Geography
Another 3D Printed Proposal
Earlier we wrote of how an Objet employee created a special engagement ring using 3D printing and successfully proposed marriage with it. Now we’re pointed to another similar scenario, this time involving 3D print service MyRobotNation. MyRobotNation is one of several small 3D print services that specialize in a particular genre. Of course, theirs… Continue reading Another 3D Printed Proposal
Sculpteo’s New App
3D print service Sculpteo just released a new iOS app that hooks directly into their service. With the app you can select a variety of 3D models that are tweaked with your personal data. You can take a side view image of your face (or your dog’s, we suppose) and it automatically creates a… Continue reading Sculpteo’s New App
More on Cubify
As we mentioned the other day, 3D Systems was set to announce something big at CES and they did: plenty of details on the new Cubify system are now available. Cubify is a very comprehensive 3D printing “system” involving a new personal printer, 3D print services, an online community, a model repository, an API and… Continue reading More on Cubify
Thingiverse Updated
MakerBot’s source for freely available 3D models has been updated. Thingiverse, the repository for thousands of 3D models had a makeover yesterday and now sports a much cleaner look. The site still focuses on the key categories of objects: Who’s Making What? Newest Derivatives, Most Popular Things and the Newest Things, making it pretty… Continue reading Thingiverse Updated
The Materials Project
We’re not sure how useful this is to most Fabbaloo readers, but it is very cool. The Materials Project is an online database of, well, materials. Once you register for free you can access the service by entering a chemical formula and the service returns you a wealth of information about the selected material. You… Continue reading The Materials Project
KraftWurx’s Patent Available
The legalities behind the KraftWurx 3D print service/software are now available for public viewing, courtesy of the US Government’s Patent and Trade office. Patent application number 20110313878, entitled “Made-to-order direct digital manufacturing enterprise” includes this abstract: Methods and systems for designing and producing a three-dimensional object selection of a base three-dimensional object from a… Continue reading KraftWurx’s Patent Available
Secret Cubify Project To Be Unveiled
A fascinating press release from 3D Systems describes what appears to be a whole new product line: Cubify. Is it a 3D printer? Yes. Is it 3D modeling software? Yes. Is it an online service? Yes. Whew! Several announcements bundled into one! 3D Systems is to formally announce this product in a few days… Continue reading Secret Cubify Project To Be Unveiled
Bodyworks Human Models
Want to 3D print a person? Need a 3D body model to put your head on? Go no further than Bodyworks – an online store specializing in sales of 3D models of people. All of their products are SolidWorks models, suitable for modification for your own purposes. Prices range from USD$99-149 for body models… Continue reading Bodyworks Human Models
3D Printed Fractal Cube Originated in Second Life
In December 2007 Henry Segerman, a.k.a. Second Life avatar Seifert Surface, designed a “Hilbert Cube” using Second Life’s then simplistic 3D model creation tools and some tricky Python software. While this interesting object was for years used only within Second Life’s virtual world, there’s been a recent change: you can now 3D print this item… Continue reading 3D Printed Fractal Cube Originated in Second Life
MineToys!
If it’s in 3D, it will be printed. That is the theme we see everywhere now. The latest venture in the theme is MineToys, a service that can 3D print your MineCraft characters. Like those who went before printing World of Warcraft, Mii or Second Life avatars, we now have a service that can… Continue reading MineToys!
Fabbing in Russia
We received a note from the gentlemen at Fabbers.ru, apparently the first company to offer personal 3D printer gear in both Russia and the Ukraine. The new operation resells two 3D printer models: MakerBot’s Thing-O-Matic and the Buildatron. They’re also offering the David 3D Laser Scanner. As 3D printing interest grows, we’ll continue to… Continue reading Fabbing in Russia
Shapeways NYC Base
Shapeways, one of the leading 3D print services, announced it’s opening up a New York City production facility. This plant would include a variety of 3D printers suitable for printing customer objects on demand. While they already can do this with a European production facility in Eindhoven and through a network of partner 3D print… Continue reading Shapeways NYC Base
Kraftwurx Opens
As reported previously, the Kraftwurx 3D print service has been under development for years, but a recent press release indicates they’re open for business. You can now buy printed objects from them and upload & print your own objects for printing or for sale. The magic behind the nine-person Kraftwurx is their Digital Factory… Continue reading Kraftwurx Opens
The Shapesmith Alternative
A new alternative to web-based 3D modeling tools is emerging: Shapesmith. We say emerging because it’s an unfinished work. Shapesmith is an open source project that offers anyone the chance of running their own 3D modeling tool from a website. The interface is truly beautiful and aesthetically simplistic, but as such it has some… Continue reading The Shapesmith Alternative
Tinkercad Gets Funding
First it was MakerBot with a USD$10M injection, and now it’s Tinkercad, that friendly online 3D modeling service that practically anyone can use. They’ve just received a boost of USD$1M from True Ventures with angel investment from Eghosa Omoigui, Taher Haveliwala, Jyri Engestrom, and Joshua Schachter. This is huge news for the small startup… Continue reading Tinkercad Gets Funding
Autodesk’s Two New Things: Catch & Make
With the success of their first web-based design tool, 123D, Autodesk has launched (at least for preview) two new apps, Catch and Make. They’re both quite different, but readers will find them both useful. Make is a 3D slicer that converts a 3D model into layers suitable for manual assembly. This is probably best… Continue reading Autodesk’s Two New Things: Catch & Make
Shapeways Smooths Out The Ceramics
3D print service Shapeways has re-announced their ceramic service. They’ve long been known for experimenting with different materials in their 3D printers and now offer what is probably the widest array of materials to choose from when using a 3D print service. As is their habit, they typically offer a new material experimentally so… Continue reading Shapeways Smooths Out The Ceramics
From iPad to Your Finger
The ubiquitous iPad is well known because the primary interface is, well, your finger. Sometimes more than one. Nevertheless, a new iPad app promises to turn the tables on the interface by permitting you to design (with your trusty iPad finger) a 3D ring. The iRing3D app by Paracloud does just that. The app… Continue reading From iPad to Your Finger
My Robot Nation Lives
This past August we learned of a new specialized 3D print service under development, My Robot Nation. It specializes (obviously) in printed robots. The service works much like 2D web-based composition tools and games, where you select parts from a library to build up your robot. My Robot Nation provides a variety of stickers,… Continue reading My Robot Nation Lives
Unlimited 3D Printing For Only $10K?
We’ve found out a bit more about MCOR’s intriguing free 3D printing program, called “freeDrevolution”. As we wrote earlier, the idea is to give you (literally) a free commercial 3D printer (the MCOR Matrix, of course) and then you simply pay a flat fee to cover all printing costs – including maintenance and supplies. In… Continue reading Unlimited 3D Printing For Only $10K?
3D Systems Acquires Kemo
Mark down another acquisition for 3D Systems, who this week announced they’ve picked up Belgian 3D print service Kemo B.V. Modelmaker. This Belgian firm adds to the significant number of 3D print services now under the vast 3D Systems umbrella. Kemo focuses on on-demand custom parts for industry, similar to other services that 3D Systems… Continue reading 3D Systems Acquires Kemo
Objet’s Clear Bio-Material
Commercial 3D printer manufacturer Objet has released a new very interesting print material: MED610, which is a transparent bio-compatible substance. You might think that making a clear, safe substance would be easy, but it’s not. In order to qualify for such a designation numerous tests and certifications are required, and that’s the tough work that… Continue reading Objet’s Clear Bio-Material
Digital Reality Developing 3D Print Service
We spoke at length recently with Chris Norman, head of Digital Reality Corp, a Texas-based company that knows a lot about 3D printing and product engineering. They’ve been working on a new distributed 3D print service that sounds a lot more comprehensive than those available today. We don’t know all the details yet, as Digital… Continue reading Digital Reality Developing 3D Print Service
Ponoko’s New Gelatin!
Distributed manufacturing service Ponoko has released a new material available for their 3D printers, with the self-describing name of “Durable Fine Plastic”. We think this is a pretty cool material, because it’s actually TWO materials in one! The objects themselves are printed in a rather nice ABS-like plastic that has both “durable” (strong like… Continue reading Ponoko’s New Gelatin!
Tinkercad Adds Shapeways
As we suspected, another 3D print service has added Tinkercad integration into their interface. Shapeways joins i.Materialise as an option for printing your 3D models developed in Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a web-based, very easy to use 3D solid modeling tool. The addition of a Shapeways interface permits direct 3D printing capability, very similar to… Continue reading Tinkercad Adds Shapeways
Get a Free 3D Sample Print
3D printing is a new thing; so new that many people simply don’t believe you if you describe it to them. Blank looks, disbelief and heavy skepticism are typical reactions to “3D printing”. How then can one explain this very different concept to someone? You have to show them something – or even better, have… Continue reading Get a Free 3D Sample Print
Shapeways Teaches 3D Design
In an effort to generate more Shapeways designers, Shapeways is offering an in-class evening training class New York City on September 13th. They’re hoping to attract people new to 3D modeling who have used some of Shapeways’ unique model generators and want more. The course seems to be pretty basic, focusing on use of… Continue reading Shapeways Teaches 3D Design
Ceramic 3D Printing At Ponoko
Distributed manufacturing giant Ponoko now offers a “glazed ceramic” material option for their 3D printers. This is a big development because it permits the creation of “food safe” objects. Typical extrusion-based 3D printed objects have tiny grooves corresponding to the extrusion layers that can obviously become fouled with foodstuff and be unsafe. Not so with… Continue reading Ceramic 3D Printing At Ponoko
Shapeways Reveals Production Status
3D print service Shapeways has grown much in the past few years. Now they’re so large it’s hard to keep track of all their materials offerings let alone their production status. But now you can see exactly what’s going on by checking out their brand new “Material Production Status” page. On this page you’ll… Continue reading Shapeways Reveals Production Status
Evolve Your Objects with Endless Forms
The creation of objects is often the biggest challenge to those using 3D printers, and thus we’re always interested in new ways to obtain or generate them. A new method of generation appeared that uses a Genetic Approach. Endless Forms provides an online dashboard in which you evolve objects into desired or at… Continue reading Evolve Your Objects with Endless Forms
Shapeways AbFab3D
A powerful new capability was announced by 3D print service Shapeways: AbFab3D. It’s a software architecture that permits the existence of “3D Creators”, which are programs that create printable 3D models based on some input parameters. In other words, on-the-fly customized models. The catch is that you need a “3D Creator” for each type… Continue reading Shapeways AbFab3D
TinkerCAD Integrates with i.Materialise
You may recall the incredibly easy-to-use web-based 3D modeling tool TinkerCAD? It permitted those not trained in the big 3D tools to create useful designs at basically no cost. Once done you could export your model and print it either on your own 3D printer or send it to a 3D print service for production. … Continue reading TinkerCAD Integrates with i.Materialise
My Robot Nation is Coming
Design News tells of a not-quite-opened 3D printing service: My Robot Nation. It’s a joint venture between ZCorp, Kodama Studios and Offload Studios (one of ZCorp’s print services clients). They’re attempting to bridge the gap that exists in the 3D printing space right now: where are some great printable objects? Specifically, robots. There’s not… Continue reading My Robot Nation is Coming
Faberdashery Sells PLA With a Twist
A new service for 3D printer owners has emerged: Faberdashery. They sell plastic filament that’s suitable for use in several types of popular 3D printers, including MakerBot, Bits From Bytes, Ultimaker and the many variants of RepRap. The difference at Faberdashery, beyond their broad color selection and exclusive sales of PLA, is that they… Continue reading Faberdashery Sells PLA With a Twist
Win Thousands From Formero
Australian 3D Print service Formero is running a contest for the “most creative and innovative use of Objet 3D printing technology”. The prize: AUD$1000 and AUD$2000 worth of Formero’s 3D print services. That’s AUD$3000 in total for one of you creative readers. The contest, called “When Images Come To Life” is pretty open as… Continue reading Win Thousands From Formero
3D Printing In South Africa
There’s a great story in Design Magazine describing how Kenneth van Rensburg came to create a 3D printing business in South Africa. After seeing the technology by accident during a Jaguar factory tour in the UK, van Rensburg created Protoform in 2008 to “bridge the gap between design and manufacture”, initially focusing on boat design.… Continue reading 3D Printing In South Africa
Human Cloning in Akihabara
We’ve written about various methods of scanning yourself in 3D, then replicating your face, hands or favorite body part on a 3D printer. But what if you didn’t need a 3D printer and could simply walk into a retail location and get it done on the spot? That’s precisely what’s going on in Tokyo’s Akihabara… Continue reading Human Cloning in Akihabara
Ponoko’s Glossiness
Distributed manufacturing service Ponoko has announced a new material for their 3D printers: black and white glossy plastic. This ABS plastic (for use in their Dimension 3D printers) is durable and strong – and glossy! Prices range from USD$1.88-2.00 per cubic centimetre, depending on your Ponoko membership. Via Ponoko
From iOS Game to Reality With a 3D Printer
TUAW reports on one of the latest items from Voxelous, a company dedicated to producing real models of items from popular games. This time (but now sold out) was the runner from popular iOS game Canabalt. Here’s the details: Printed on a color 3D printer, dipped in super glue for strength, and given a… Continue reading From iOS Game to Reality With a 3D Printer
i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver
3D print service i.Materialise now offers printing in Gold and Silver metals. They’re not the first service to offer this ability, but it’s wonderful to see another golden service. Specifics: In addition to the sterling silver, there are three colors of 14 kt gold offered, bright yellow, reddish tinge and white gold available. Prints… Continue reading i.Materialise Glitters with Gold and Silver
Gray Materialises
Who likes gray? It’s a dull, less-than-noticeable color that blends into any background. A gray car? Never! However, there’s something intriguing about i.Materialise’s new 3D printing material: Prime Gray. Objects just seem to look terrific in this color. According to i.Materialise’s Joris Peels: Some of us (OK, me) we’re skeptical about the gray color.… Continue reading Gray Materialises
Domes For All
EFFALO’s latest dome-building venture is perhaps their most ambitious: they are attempting to create two critical items, bundling them together as domekit.cc: A software tool that uses parametric design to generate a dome design of any desired size A DIY flexible connector for geodesic dome construction We’ve followed the progress of NYC-based EFFALO… Continue reading Domes For All
Cadyou: Where You Share Your CAD
Made by the same folks you brought us the amazing 3D model search tool 3DFilter, Cadyou is a new venture that should enable a lot more model sharing. According to Cadyou chief Tom: the idea is to create a wiki-like experience for 3d and 2d cad models where you can contribute, vote and edit… Continue reading Cadyou: Where You Share Your CAD
3D Printed Bikini: Breakthrough or Barrier?
We were very excited to read about Shapeways latest creation: a 3D printed Bikini that you can actually purchase and wear! Up to now, most 3D printed fashions were wild, crazy and effectively impractical for common use. Typically you’d see 3D printed fashions in a museum or modern art event, but never in a place… Continue reading 3D Printed Bikini: Breakthrough or Barrier?
The Personal Factory 5: Apps!
Ponoko has taken a step to solving one of the biggest problems in the 3D printing/making industry today: How do you make custom items? The problem is straightforward: 3D printers and other making devices can produce pretty much anything, once provided with a design. However, the goods produced are typically more expensive than those… Continue reading The Personal Factory 5: Apps!
Photofly Makes 3D Models Easy
There are several ways to produce 3D models of real-life objects and Autodesk has provided another one: Photofly. This is a service and software combination, in which you take around 50 overlapping photographs of your subject and then upload them to Photofly. The service then grinds through some very serious processing to produce detailed 3D… Continue reading Photofly Makes 3D Models Easy
Posable 3D Models From CADHuman
SolidSmack reports on CADHuman’s new posable 3D models, which are highly detailed 3D models that can be adjusted into various positions. This differs from the more common experience of non-posable models that invariably are not in the specific pose you need. The models currently include: Male & female figures Human male head Posable hands… Continue reading Posable 3D Models From CADHuman
Shapeways Glazes Over
We are continually amazed at the ingenuity of the Shapeways 3D print service; they seem to come up with new materials for their service almost every other week. Typically they experiment with them to see how well they are accepted and then decide whether and how to continue offering them. In the past they’ve pioneered… Continue reading Shapeways Glazes Over
OurBricks’ $250 Modern Life Contest
3D Model online sharing service OurBricks has launched a design contest where the prize is fame (and USD$250) and the theme is simply “Modern Life”. If that sounds perhaps slightly ambiguous, you’d be right. According to OurBricks representative Henrik Bennetsen: OurBricks is hosting a design competition for 3D artists. The theme is “Modern Life.”… Continue reading OurBricks’ $250 Modern Life Contest
Shapeways Pops!
Shapeways has introduced yet another way to produce 3D models you can print with their 3D printservice: Image Popper. How does it work? Very simply: you upload a 2D image and then “raise” it to the desired depth. If this sounds too simple to produce useful models, you’d be wrong. In our experience, one… Continue reading Shapeways Pops!
Shapeways Introduces New Detail Material
Shapeways, one of the leading 3D print services, is trialing a new pair of print materials that are specially designed for high detail. They’re taking cues from a survey in which clients demanded more detail and smoother prints. The new materials, dubbed eloquently in the typical Shapeways style, are “Frosted Detail” and “Frosted Ultra… Continue reading Shapeways Introduces New Detail Material