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3D Printing For Everyone

Posted by kdawson on from the rapid-prototyping-as-a-service dept.

mmacx writes "Technology Review has up an article about Shapeways, a new online rapid-prototyping service that allows users to upload digital designs which are then printed on 3-D printers and shipped back. A spinoff from Philips Research, the service gives small businesses, designers, artists, and hobbyists access to prototyping tools that were once available only to the largest corporations. The fee for a typical printed object is $50-$150. Their video shows the steps behind the process." We've been talking about 3D printing for years.

183 comments

  1. yawn by Lord+Ender · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Wake me up when we have a 3D printer that is capable of printing a 3D printer. Then we'll be on to something.

    --
    A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
    1. Re:yawn by fractic · · Score: 3, Informative

      You mean like this one ?

    2. Re:yawn by tomee · · Score: 1

      Try Reprap. That still has a way to go though.

    3. Re:yawn by dlgeek · · Score: 1

      These guys are working on it, and apparently have made a lot of progress.

    4. Re:yawn by notseamus · · Score: 1

      There was the RepRap, until the TSA defeated it in the war on terror: http://blog.reprap.org/2008/07/tsa-really-wreck-reprap-child.html

      --
      I dreamed of Freud: What does this mean?
    5. Re:yawn by unlametheweak · · Score: 1

      When I think of self-replicating devices I think of Viruses and T-1000 cybernetic organisms. I don't think I want a 13 year old hacker prodigy with Asperger Syndrome self-replicating things. The IRAA has had enough problems with the likes of Bram Cohen et al. And yes I've been self-diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, so beware what befalls me.

    6. Re:yawn by witte · · Score: 1

      "mmacx writes ..."
      Is that you, Charles Stross ?

    7. Re:yawn by T.E.D. · · Score: 2, Funny

      > Wake me up when we have a 3D printer that is capable of printing a 3D printer. Then we'll be on to something.

      But if it copied itself, wouldn't the copy that came out be in the process of copying itself? If that happens, then it will become possible for someone to phsyically fork-bomb the universe!

      This is just the sort of end to the universe that Douglas Adams would have really appreciated.

  2. My first order by nawcom · · Score: 3, Funny

    A life-size statue of CowboyNeal.

    1. Re:My first order by martin_henry · · Score: 1

      A life-size statue of Jessica Alba.

      --
      www.purevolume.com/martyd
    2. Re:My first order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...eating a twinkie while riding a Sybian.

    3. Re:My first order by keithjr · · Score: 1

      My first order? A 3D printer.

    4. Re:My first order by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      From what I've heard... they already make those. Not linking b/c it's NSFW. Google it and find out for yourself though. I've heard that they also make sacrilegious ones as well.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    5. Re:My first order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      The parts I need to build this.

  3. I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Opportunist · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...because someone used that service to copy a product.

    It will be from a dildo manufacturer, I promise you that much!

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Trent+Hawkins · · Score: 3, Funny

      ...because someone used that service to copy a product. It will be from a dildo manufacturer, I promise you that much!

      Well they do have a limit in size, so [insert penis size joke here]

    2. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      DUDE! 50x50cm is the max size (source).

      If you get sqrt(2*50)cm (about 28in) into any orifice of yours, I'd go for a career in the porn industry. I'm pretty sure there's a market for that (hell, there's people who get off on anything, so I'm almost sure!).

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Naughty Alysha.

    4. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by eggnoglatte · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, you can print on the volume diagonal, so the correct formula is sqrt(3*50^2), or about 87cm (34 in). Ouch indeed.

    5. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Samizdata · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, non-adult, but similar... Printcrime...

      --
      It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage. - Colonel Henry Walton Jones, Jr., Ph.D.
    6. Re:I'm waiting for the first copyright/patent suit by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      How about this one?

  4. Exploit by noidentity · · Score: 3, Funny

    Haha, they don't realize that they will bring about their own downfall:

    1. Order prototype of prototype-making machine
    2. Make your own prototypes.
    3. ???
    4. Profit!!!

    1. Re:Exploit by LordSnooty · · Score: 1

      But it can only produce a prototype, which is guaranteed to fall apart when you demonstrate it to somebody important.

    2. Re:Exploit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think there was a previous slashdot article about an open source project to make a 3d printer than can make copies of itself.

    3. Re:Exploit by manastungare · · Score: 1

      Obligatory reference to Cory Doctorow's Printcrime.

    4. Re:Exploit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Indeed, RepRap have this working:

      http://reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome

  5. Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Every time 3-D printing comes up I like to consider what this will do to my favorite hobby, model-building...

    Styrene injection kits have been around for ages, and they're generally the cheapest way to get a kit made in large quantity - but because it costs so much to set up the molds, usually they're pretty hesitant to make a kit of anything that's not a pretty sure-fire seller... Additionally the hobby has been dying by inches for a long time.

    To fill all the niches of interesting subjects that nobody's bothered to make injection kits of (this would be, for instance, things like the Serenity cargo ship) there's resin kits - but because of the high degree of manual labor involved in casting the parts, as well as the material expenses and the initial sculpting work divided over a run of maybe a couple hundred kits, they're pretty expensive for the person buying the kit...

    But then you think about stuff going on these days, like papercraft - people making model designs, putting them online in a form that other people can print out and build dirt-cheap. The results aren't generally as good as injection or resin models but it's quite impressive, and inspiring what they've accomplished...

    So it's fun to think about what fabrication could mean for the hobby. On the one hand it may actually mean less people buying and building models, or scratch-building parts themselves. Rather, once the technology is cheap enough, more things will be simply fabricated. But on the other hand - to think of something that would today be a garage kit, only done up as a downloadable design for fabrication... that would be pretty damn cool.

    --
    Bow-ties are cool.
    1. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      One would hope it would have the same effect as in the printing industry. Two decades ago, getting custom color printed materials for businesses was a real hassle. Now we print color letterheads as a part of daily business. I just sent out a short order (20 pads) of sticky-notes with our custom mailing worksheet (who it's to, how many copies to make, how to mail it, and where to file it). Heck, I even printed out a pattern off the 'net for making a hemispherical model rocket parachute. Think of all the photo printers in peoples homes. Of course, with the ink prices, it costs about 1/3 as much to just digitally transmit the prints to a traditional printer.

      Sadly, the 3d printers produce very heavy models when reviewed for rocket use, but for display modeling it might turn out to be quite a boon.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    2. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Ngarrang · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I would love to be able to print my own replacement model parts. Next time I break a rotor blade on my heli, just print one out. Need a new control horn, print it out. Servo arms, wing assemblies...such a home capability might bring back a renaissance of RC building that is becoming a lost art due to RTF products.

      --
      Bearded Dragon
    3. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by hcdejong · · Score: 1

      IMO, 3D printing solves one problem (generating copies of a design) but not the other (creating the design in the first place).

      Traditionally, creating the design has been done in hardware (a master, which is used to produce moulds etc.).
      With a 3D printer, you can either build a master, scan it and clean up the data, or you can build the model in CAD. CAD is less messy, but I'm not convinced it's faster than building a master.
      Using CAD will result in more accurate models, though. A handmade master is hard to make completely symmetrical, for instance.

      The first 3D printed scale model parts have already appeared, btw.

    4. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tabernaque86 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Additionally the hobby has been dying by inches for a long time.

      At what scale though?

    5. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Too expensive, and too low resolution/rough. For models, try www.printapart.com, the parts are durable enough, and the minimal texture covers fine with primer and paint.

      Cheaper rates, higher res parts, but the max part size is probably smaller than what shapeways can offer.

      I use them to print out masters after designing miniatures figures on my computer, and then molds are made from the masters for spincasting in pewter.

      -Daniel

    6. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by FinchWorld · · Score: 1
      Using CAD will result in more accurate models, though. A handmade master is hard to make completely symmetrical, for instance.

      I believe Games-Workshop uses some CAD now for there models, though I gather this uses some sort of milling machine to make a mold or similar, rather than 3D printing.

      --
      "I may be full of crap about this game, and I may be wrong, and that's fine." -Jack Thompson
    7. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Right, because broadening the appeal of a hobby makes it a "lost art". Much better if you have to take a test before you're allowed to do a hobby. That will keep the "art" from being "lost".

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    8. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      Too expensive, and too low resolution/rough. For models, try www.printapart.com, the parts are durable enough, and the minimal texture covers fine with primer and paint.

      I am familiar with printapart - people bring up the subject of fabrication services every now and then on modeling forums... I know it's not ready to take the place of paper craft and GKs now - but there will come a time when it will do so. It's inevitable, in my view - the hardware will get better, and the printouts cheaper - at some point this is going to shake up the hobby in a major way. For the better, I think.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    9. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3D printing would make that hobby much easier - and obsolete.

    10. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      Right, because broadening the appeal of a hobby makes it a "lost art". Much better if you have to take a test before you're allowed to do a hobby. That will keep the "art" from being "lost".

      This issue hits kind of close to home for me, too, but in a somewhat different way due to the differences in my hobby...

      Basically, one of the new things these days with injection model kits is parts that are not simply color-molded, but pre-painted. For instance, some of the recent Armored Core or Gurren-Lagann kits, the Revell of Germany Star Wars kits, the Bandai Star Trek kits... The trend for pre-painted kits is on the rise and I'm afraid it's only going to continue that way. Even Fine Molds is making a prepainted version of their Millennium Falcon...

      You could say this makes the kits more accessible - just as snap-assembly or color-molding do - to me it means the product is more expensive due to a feature I don't want. If you want to talk about how the resulting growth of the hobby is a benefit of all this, you have to consider what has the hobby become in order to accommodate this growth? In the case of modeling, I'm afraid the answer is that the hobby manufacturers are making kits for people who don't want kits, and so a lot of people "in the hobby" these days don't actually do anything in terms of finishing their own kits.

      Ham Radio has a similar problem - if you take away the process of building your gear (by buying it in a shop, for instance) then IMO you've taken away just about everything there that's worthwhile. It's almost paradoxical - the industry grows to service what the hobbyists want, and as a result the hobby ceases to be what it was...

      'Course, the kit manufacturers need to sell kits, I can appreciate that. I also believe that the reason injection kits exist in the first place is because for a while it was the most efficient means to deliver people the product they wanted. People got used to the idea of building the kit themselves 'cause there weren't good alternatives. There was a "sweet spot" that favored injection kits - that "sweet spot" has since shifted elsewhere. So if the hobby is dying, it may at least be a natural and appropriate death.

      What I see in fabrication that excites me (and let's be clear, here - I'm not talking about "$50 for a grainy, smallish part from a fab. service" fabrication, I'm talking about "Everybody has one on their desk that is capable of fabricating parts as good as typical garage kit parts" fabrication - a big difference in part quality and economy) is that it could mean there will be a new "sweet spot" in which people will again find kit building (in the form of home-printed parts of designs downloaded over the net) as a worthwhile means to an end - at least until the fab. machines are so refined that there's nothing to do once the machine's done its work. :) But even once things go to that extreme, people who want to build and paint will be able to use fab. machines to get parts to build and paint...

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    11. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, at $50-100 per part according to TFS, a 200-part kit is going to set you back a pretty penny.

    12. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Ngarrang · · Score: 1

      Right, because broadening the appeal of a hobby makes it a "lost art". Much better if you have to take a test before you're allowed to do a hobby. That will keep the "art" from being "lost".

      I have no problem with RTF. I like RTF and it is the way I started with model RC. There is more, though, that if you stick with RTF, you will never see. When you build your own plane or heli, it is an art. That art is being lost, yes, due to pre-built RTF. So while one aspect of model RC is growing (flyers), another aspect is decreasing (builders). Building your own plane will entail more cost in the end, than buying something mass produced in a Chinese factory -- which is where the RTF industry right now to keep prices low.

      But, being able to print your own parts seems like a good middle ground between buying a laser-cut balsa kit and RTF. You just buy the model file and away you go. Producing model plans is far easier than contracting out laser-cut balsa or plastic molding.

      --
      Bearded Dragon
    13. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      IMO, 3D printing solves one problem (generating copies of a design) but not the other (creating the design in the first place).

      I've done a little bit of computer modeling and a fair bit of scratch-building - certainly there are things that are perfectly simple to do by hand, not worth complicating the process by introducing a computer-design phase... And there's inherent limitations in current display and input technologies that make it difficult to model on the computer, even with the right tools...

      But on the other hand, I've basically finished my computer-modeled Zaku, but the process of making the corresponding physical parts has been very slow. Maybe this says more about my lack of skill at scratch building than it does about the relative ease of computer modeling, I don't know... But either way, once a model design is on the computer, cheap fabrication would mean cheap production and flexible distribution... A great thing for people who want to have kits, I bet - probably not so great for people who want to sell them. :D

      I am aware that 3-D printed parts are already a present-day reality - what I'm looking forward to is a point when it's as cheap and accessible as papercraft is today.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    14. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      Well, at $50-100 per part according to TFS, a 200-part kit is going to set you back a pretty penny.

      Did you not get the part where I'm talking about the future potential of 3-D printing? Do you really think it's always going to be as expensive as it is now?

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    15. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      Re: Models -
      Yeah, if you're not interested in actually assembling the individual pieces and then painting them... you aren't really interested in modeling. If you're buying a snap together kit with pre-painted pieces you might as well just buy a pre-made assembled model and stop pretending. If it only takes you 10 minutes to make the model then you didn't really make anything.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    16. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      3D printing would make that hobby much easier - and obsolete.

      How do you figure?

      I mean, right now, the model-building hobby is "obsolete" for any number of reasons. Resin Figure kits are obsolete due to high-quality pre-painted polyvinyl, or pre-painted resin products. Injection kits are sold pre-painted, too. Even kits without such gimmicks are generally of such high quality these days that modelers joke that you can "toss in some glue and shake the box" and have a winning model... Some even argue that the whole reliance upon kits has killed modelers' potential to learn "true modeling" - AKA scratch building...

      3-D printing does not presently do anything to make modeling obsolete. At some point it will advance far enough that there'll be nothing left to do once the part is printed. But it's a long way from here to there. In the mean time, there will be this new capability, home fabrication, but to really exploit it (produce display pieces from raw fabricated parts) people will have to turn to modeling skills... That's what interests me.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    17. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I hope you don't misconstrue me either. I've built Guillows balsa kits with my granddad, and designed a large remote control airplane from the wheels up for a design competition. I really like building model airplanes.

      But it's silly to assert that, just because RTF is the most visible (and most popular) form of model aviation, that's somehow detrimental to scratch building.

      Heck, with the Internet, I'd wager that you're seeing a major renaissance in scratch-built modeling. It may or may not be growing in terms of marketshare, but who cares about marketshare? All you need is desire and an Internet connection, and you can build anything you want.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    18. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by mapkinase · · Score: 1

      Can I order print of the machine that prints?

      --
      I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    19. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by DrVomact · · Score: 1

      I would love to be able to print my own replacement model parts.

      I missed the "model", and my mind spun off on a wild tangent...yes, I would like to have a new left arm, please—the one I've got is pretty messed up. Then if that works out OK, how about a new heart? Oh...

      --
      Great men are almost always bad men--Lord Acton's Corollary
    20. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by IronChef · · Score: 1

      But on the other hand - to think of something that would today be a garage kit, only done up as a downloadable design for fabrication... that would be pretty damn cool.

      Agreed. But look at the dark side... IP laws are going to apply to this new medium too. Fox or whoever owns the copyrights isn't going to let you sell that Serenity kit even if you created the CAD files as a labor of love.

      Looking ahead to the "diamond age" when we have matter compilers, we'll have DRM that makes today's padlocks on music look like a memory of heaven.

      Just feeling cynical this morning, I guess!

    21. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by xhrit · · Score: 1

      Games Workshop uses rapid prototyping with 3d printers to design all its plastic kits. GW's model kits are pretty simplistic - I can put a basic infantry model togeather in about 10 minutes. Ov course it takes 3 hours to paint one, and you need about 100 to play a game ov Warhammer 40k. As such, I play a lot ov Star Wars Miniatures.

      Anyways, I could see this useful to get a large amount ov scenery and terrain - design a few modular 'gothic' building elements in blender, email the file to the printers and cast the masters in resin. I bet you could get enough terrain to fill a 8*4 cityfight table, with plenty leftovers to cover the costs ov doing so in ebay sales alone.

      --
      Dungeon Tactics : Free Open Source SRPG
    22. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by xhrit · · Score: 1

      games workshop does all their plastic kits using rapid protyping.

      --
      Dungeon Tactics : Free Open Source SRPG
    23. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by archammer2 · · Score: 1

      I agree whole-heartedly. Nothing's worse than when you're on the last step of building a model and *snap*, there goes that one piece that everyone will see.

      More than that, though. I always think of miniatures for D&D and other RPGs. I have great ideas in my head for various characters and creatures, but damned if I can find a mini that's close to what I'm looking for. And my sculpting skills aren't exactly the best.
      Then again, the resolution for most cheap rapid prototyping models isn't good enough for 28mm figures. (Still need to RTFA)

    24. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      But on the other hand - to think of something that would today be a garage kit, only done up as a downloadable design for fabrication... that would be pretty damn cool.

      Agreed. But look at the dark side... IP laws are going to apply to this new medium too. Fox or whoever owns the copyrights isn't going to let you sell that Serenity kit even if you created the CAD files as a labor of love.

      This is exactly the situation we have today. People who want to sell garage kits of their favorite copyrighted subjects have two options, basically - the first option is to get the kit properly licensed - which actually is practical in some cases. (For instance, an event-only license to sell a kit at Wonder Fest in Japan is pretty reasonable, I hear... There's also the resin Falke that was released a year or two ago, that kit was produced as a garage kit and then officially licensed...)

      The second option is to simply "fly under the radar". Keep your operation small, hope you don't get pinched, and cease and desist if so requested. In this category you'll find all sorts of Gundam, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. And the Serenity...

      Of course, part of the reason, I expect, why GKs are allowed to exist is because it's not profitable for a large-scale operation to pursue every last opportunity with the license. Only so many people are going to want a Ferengi pod, or the Klingon cruiser from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (not the Bird of Prey from Trek 3, which tends to be more popular, or the simpler D-7 from the TV series...) Let alone a conversion kit for some obscure variant most people have never heard of... There's just not enough benefit to justify the expense of chasing down all the little GK operations. That, too, may change - since affordable home fabrication would make it trivial to do small production runs affordably, the only concern would be making enough money to cover the costs of developing the pattern... But if that means kit makers can sell a wider variety of designs in the form of fabrication designs, all the better...

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    25. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i've got a broken printer at work, it would be awsome to be able to print new parts for it.

    26. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by dbc · · Score: 1

      I'm a member at the TechShop, and they have a 3D printer from Stratasys. It prints in ABS, what Lego is made of, but it doesn't yield Lego-like parts. First, resolution is limited because it feeds small diameter ABS rod from spools and fuses it together -- imagine printing in 3D with weed-whacker cord and you have a good mental picture. Secondly, it is not as strong because it has lots of heat-fused joints and also not all ABS is created equal. You can dip your resulting part in acetone and get the whole thing to fuse together better, and improve the surface finish, but it doesn't improve the resolution.

      Whether or not the part is strong enough to use directly in the application depends on a lot of factors, but it will be more brittle and quite a bit less strong than an optimized injection-molded part. Heli blades made from this technology are probably a health hazard. I've seen suspension parts made for R/C trucks, though, because the builder could print a part thick enough and otherwise large enough to handle the load.

      The material costs in the range of $10-$15 per cubic inch of consumed volume. Be aware that since it can't start printing in mid air, cantelever sections need a break-away scaffolding printed underneath them. (Think coffee cup handle - you need to build from the table to the bottom of the handle, and also fill in the hole to build the top part of the handle on something.) Since it isn't solid, you don't consume a whole cubic inch of material to get a "cubic inch" of scaffold, but it does add to the cost of the completed part. Since material volume is directly proportional to machine time, the $/in^3 factor is both rolled together, since there is a maintenance contract on the machine to pay for and so forth.

      Where it could be really cool is for making a master for a vacuum-formed widget, I have some ideas for that. One member printed a master that he rammed up in a sand mold and poured aluminum castings -- I think he was casting eye balls for a giant dragon sculpture he was building.

    27. Re:Speculating on the Hobby Implications by Lissajous · · Score: 1

      Additionally the hobby has been dying by inches for a long time.

      At what scale though?

      Umm...imperial?

  6. Bah... by Muad'Dave · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Holler when they can selectively print with highly conductive and non-conductive inks. I can then design 3D, flexible, massively interconnected PC boards.

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
    1. Re:Bah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's not 3D about multilayer boards?

    2. Re:Bah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      This is old news... Check:

      http://www.optomec.com/site/m3d_home

      They have been working on an ultrasound induced suspension of precious metals to be deposited on just about any surface using a laser.

    3. Re:Bah... by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

      I'm talking about 1000 layers/inch. 16 layers total doesn't cut it.

      --
      Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
    4. Re:Bah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good luck with heat dissipation there.

  7. Only 3 dimensions? by techess · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great there goes my plans of printing tesseracts.

    --
    Don't anthropomorphize computers. They *hate* that.
    1. Re:Only 3 dimensions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not so fast:

      http://www.infostuka.org/2007/9/1/tesseract-3d-prints

    2. Re:Only 3 dimensions? by karlandtanya · · Score: 1

      The tesseract is 3d
      They hypercube (of which the tesseract is a "shadow") is 4D.
      Print away.

      --
      "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
  8. You can't patent something.... by snspdaarf · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...in the pubic domain!

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
    1. Re:You can't patent something.... by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      I doubt that specific dildo shapes (like, say, a Jesus Dildo, and yes, such a thing exists. I refrain from direct linking to a page that has one. Google is your friend if you're really interested...) are in public domain.

      Though I dunno who sues first, the maker of the dildo or the RC church. Afaik they claim some rights to the cross with a carpenter's corpse and all that stuff surrounding it.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:You can't patent something.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We need a porn star named Public Domain. She could completely reform copyright law by the end of a single tube of KY.

    3. Re:You can't patent something.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      whoooosh!

    4. Re:You can't patent something.... by nawcom · · Score: 1

      She could completely reform copyright law by the end of a single tube of KY.

      A porn star that needs KY? No thanks mate ;)

    5. Re:You can't patent something.... by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      , a Jesus Dildo, and yes, such a thing exists. I refrain from direct linking to a page that has one. Google is your friend if you're really interested...

      I remember encountering such things in the past. Oh yes, plenty of hits. http://www.divine-interventions.com/baby.php if you like it one way. Or http://www.blowfish.com/catalog/toys/symbolic_dildos.html if you like it lots of other ways.

      Though I dunno who sues first, the maker of the dildo or the RC church. Afaik they claim some rights to the cross with a carpenter's corpse and all that stuff surrounding it.

      I thought that Jesus ibn Joseph was a failure as a carpenter, which is why he went into the confidence trickster market? You want to be careful saying things like that, you're insulting carpenters.
      "RC church" ? Is that like an RC helicopter? http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=220841&doy=2m8 Does the RC church come with self-propelled deluded victims who'll auto-navigate to be screwed at the altar? RC opening and closing of the doors to symbolise excluding the victims from Never-Never Land? Wooo, the advances of religion these millennia! I can't wait until experimental theology comes up with an explanation for lightning.

      More seriously, .... nah, this isn't really a serious post.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  9. direct link by Speare · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I would have complained about a direct link (http://www.shapeways.com/ in the summary, but the site is a bit rude to looky-loos like us who just want to see what's going on. Almost all their front page links are blocked until you log in, even the "getting started" page! The "about" page is about all you can see, and it's got no real details. What is the printing resolution? What material choices? Can you print two-material designs? Come on, Shapeways, if you want to generate buzz, put out a bit more welcome mat.

    --
    [ .sig file not found ]
    1. Re:direct link by rdschouw · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually we are private beta now. But you are right. We could show a bit more information without requiring a beta login.

      Let's see what I can do!

    2. Re:direct link by scorp1us · · Score: 0, Troll

      Let me get this straight, you participated in this "story" (really a marketing moment) and didn't prepare your website for the ensuing curiosity?

      Things I want to know:
      What software can generate the models?
      Costs?
      Turn-around time?

      And you don't even have a gallery...

      --
      Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
    3. Re:direct link by coolhelperguy · · Score: 2, Informative

      Printing resolution seems to be 0.5mm to 2mm minimum detail, depending on material. Colors are cream, white, transparent (translucent yellowish, from the looks of it), and bright white. They all have various properties (one bends well, some are weaker, etc).

      Maximum size varies from 20x25x33cm to 35x40x40cm, depending on the material as well. Prices range from $1.87 to $2.89 per cubic centimeter.

      I'm not affiliated, just a beta user. I got my invite the same day(?) I signed up for one, so if you're interested, go sign up. I did look for anything saying that that information might be proprietary, but I couldn't find anything, other than the warning that those prices may be low for the beta. (And that the beta includes no shipping/handling fees, I believe.) Sorry if I shouldn't share!

    4. Re:direct link by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      Turn around time was in the video... said about 10 days to get to your house.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    5. Re:direct link by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      So... for those of you that are trying to make a "cylindrical object" that's about 3cm in diameter and 20cm long you're going to end up paying (pi)9*20*$1.87 = $1057. That seems a little spendy... maybe you guys are better off taking a wood working class.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    6. Re:direct link by Thirdsin · · Score: 1

      This company is obviously not the only player in the market. In fact, a friend of mine currently works for another company http://www.zcorp.com/ developing the material they use in the printers. Nothing to see here...

      --
      No words of wisedom here.
    7. Re:direct link by Mithrandir · · Score: 5, Informative

      FWIW, I'm the lead dev on all the 3D portions of the site. I had no idea these guys were going to get it posted to /. today! I wake up late to find my inbox filled with emails about it....

      Anyway, on to answer your questions. Two ways:

      1. there's some simple editors built in for specific object types (and more on the way)

      2. Upload from your favourite modelling tool. Right now support is for X3D, Collada and STL files. More formats are on the way, but are not, as yet, fully tested.

      There is also some restrictions on the basic structure of the models. The system tries to correct a lot of problems, but it is by no means perfect as it is all automated.

      Costs are like the article summary states - $50-$150 per piece. However, that is dropping very, very rapidly as volume increases. Only this time last year, costs were an order of magnitude higher for exactly the same pieces. We're expecting a similar sort of drop in prices over the next 12-18 months as bulk manufacturing really starts to drive prices down.

      Turn around time is usually a couple of weeks. The actual printing process is still relatively slow and manually managed. We'd love t automate it, but the printer hardware companies are not giving us that capability yet.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    8. Re:direct link by Mithrandir · · Score: 1

      Yes. Prices are dropping dramatically. 12 months ago it was an order of magnitude higher than that.

      In the not too distant future, there will be a lot of other materials too. We've seen both chocolate and metal (sort of a molten blob/sintering sort of deal). The chocolate material is the one I'm personally looking forward too. There's a huge amount of potential for Christmas, Valentines, Birthdays etc in that.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    9. Re:direct link by techiemikey · · Score: 1

      yes, but that's a solid cone. The only way to put more material into it would be a sphere instead. So, why don't you instead make a hollow cylinder with 1 cm thick walls, and now you have ((pi)9*20-(pi)4*20)*1.87 =587.18, or if you want a half a centemeter thick, you now have it reduced to 322.95. Not a good deal, but the more detail you have, the cheaper it gets.

    10. Re:direct link by scorp1us · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Thanks for the clarification....

      I would like more clarification though.
      1) I have SolidEdge.
      2) Could you define "per piece" - Volume constraints (size), weight, etc...

      --
      Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
    11. Re:direct link by Mithrandir · · Score: 1

      A current area of research in the rapid prototyping community is how to reduce this amount of material automatically. The most efficient way found so far is still a O(n^2) operation. For the size models we're looking at, that is several hours to process a single model. There are the potential for less efficient operations that use faster algorithms that we are investigating currently.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    12. Re:direct link by Mithrandir · · Score: 5, Informative

      Hmmm... don't know much about SE and what formats it can export. If you can get STL, then you should be fine. There's very few CAD apps that can't do at least STL. Many have Collada support already. Between those two you should be OK. If not, have a dig for software called PolyTrans (Okino Graphics). That's a huge file format conversion tool that supports almost every known 3D file format. I believe they have a free demo download.

      Bounds constraints vary wildly and also vary by material type. A material may only be available on a specific printer (manufacturer and model), that will then limit what size model can be printed. For example, selecting an ABS material can be printed on all the machines, but 720 Fullcure is only available on one. Each machine has a limited production size. However, as an absolute max, no machine is capable of printing something greater than 1m cube - at least right now.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    13. Re:direct link by techiemikey · · Score: 1

      wait a minute...now that i look at it again, a 3cm in diameter "cylindrical object" is 1.5 cm radium, not a 3 cm radius. The object you described should be priced at (pi)2.25*20*1.87 = $264.37, nearly 800 dollars cheaper than your original estimate. Then, if you want to leave a half cm thick wall, and hollow the rest, the price is 189.34 - (pi)*1.5625*20*1.87 + 2*(pi)*1.5625*1.87*.5 (woops left the top and bottom out of my original estimation) = $14.93. I'd say that would be a reasonable price, you?

    14. Re:direct link by De+Lemming · · Score: 1

      The most interesting part of the site, accessible without logging in, is their blog.

      I found the three posts about the used printers rather informative, with discussions about possible materials, level of detail,...

    15. Re:direct link by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      hrm. Yes... 6cm *would* be quite a bit larger. What's funny is when I first did the math in my head roughly I did it right but then when I used the calculator I just used the diameter rather than the radius. Ahh well. I was working on a nasa project for a while but I got kicked off the team. Something about meters and feet not being the same. I don't know.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
    16. Re:direct link by scorp1us · · Score: 0, Troll

      Thanks that was very "informative"

      Mods, have at it! :-)

      --
      Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
    17. Re:direct link by The+-e**(i*pi) · · Score: 1

      it's pi R squared, not pi D squared.

      so its really about $150 as a rough estimate.

    18. Re:direct link by _ph1ux_ · · Score: 1

      there is this company in the bay area that I have used, while their prices are currently slightly higher than whats quoted in the article - its still a good service:

      http://www.protopulsion.com/

  10. What else do folks use? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    It seems most of the content on the ShapeWays site is unavailable to folks not in their closed beta program (even the FAQ's). So, there's no much to go on other than the video?

    So, staying mildly on-topic, what else do hobbyists use in this arena? Say I want to prototype a new computer case:

    • What's good opensource software for doing millimeter-accurate modeling?
    • Where else could you send your 3D file to have it 'printed'?
    • What would that cost?
    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    1. Re:What else do folks use? by ironwill96 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Not sure on the open source software front but i've always been fond of Rhinoceros 3D for doing modeling since it is relatively in-expensive to buy a commercial copy ($900).

      You can send your 3-D file to lots of companies, i'm not sure why ShapeWays is getting all the press when there are thousands of RP companies called "service bureaus" that will take 3-D models you upload and print them using some RP machine then ship them to you, usually with a 1-2 day turn-around time.

      I used to get some parts done with http://www.rjmrp.com/ but they focus mainly on high-resolution small parts (such as jewelry pieces). So, if you're designing jewelry i'd recommend them otherwise look for some other companies using Stratasys type machines (there are lots). The costs they quote sound about normal, typical jewelry prototypes were around $100 or so for a ring in .001" resolution.

      --
      "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." - Tennyson
    2. Re:What else do folks use? by flez · · Score: 1

      Check out http://www.printapart.com/. Similar service but they have much more information on their site. It's part of Fineline (http://www.finelineprototyping.com/ which is a big rapid prototype shop (SLA, SLS) so they have a lot of experience getting good parts from your models.

    3. Re:What else do folks use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are other services like http://www.zoomrp.com/ or http://www.redeye.com/ which use the exact same technology that are not "closed beta".

    4. Re:What else do folks use? by Mithrandir · · Score: 2, Informative

      Most of our users are using Blender to create their own model. In fact, one of the principles of the project is the former head of the Blender Foundation.

      The difference here and the other companies is that this one is going for the mass market. The others are looking at niche areas. They are also looking at doing Cafe-Press-style stores and so on.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    5. Re:What else do folks use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      just double check the prices, and you'll understand the hype around Shapeways ;-)

  11. SLA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    We've had 3D printing for over 15 years to my knowledge. Probably more like 20 years. My high school got one way back when, it was called a "Stereo Lithography Apparatus" or SLA for short. You inserted a disk containing an acceptable 3D wire mesh file format, put in a bucket of "printing goop" and pressed a button. An ultraviolet laser then solidified the goop in the shape of the 3D object you gave it and drained the rest of the goop back into the drainage pan. We used it for rapid prototyping in our CAD/CAM lab.

    The goop used is the same stuff that dentists use for "clear" or "tooth colored" fillings. It is a translucent yellowy resin that solidifies when exposed to ultra violet light.

    The goop was pretty darn expensive stuff. I imagine if demand hasn't increased greatly or if SLAs haven't gone down in price then the goop probably hasn't changed much in price over the years.

    1. Re:SLA? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Read again. SLA is dead because it was too expensive and the printed objects way too fragile.

      These days, printed parts are tough enough that they can go directly into working products.

  12. Anonymous Coward by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It prints in 4d space.... you just can't see it.

  13. I like the sound of this by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hello, gentlemen. I am interested in your offering. I am linking to my specification here: http://babes.com/monica_bellucci. How long should I expect to wait for delivery?

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:I like the sound of this by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 3, Funny

      Typical Slashdotter, going for a cheap knockoff rather than enjoy the real thing. But then again, I shouldn't expect any different. ;-)

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    2. Re:I like the sound of this by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Funny

      Typical Slashdotter, going for a cheap knockoff rather than enjoy the real thing. But then again, I shouldn't expect any different. ;-)

      If I went and got the real thing, that would be kidnapping. This does not deprive her husband of use of the original Monica Bellucci, I'm just committing a copyright violation. That's far more socially acceptable.

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    3. Re:I like the sound of this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's a slippery slope. Before you know it you'll want to start dating illegally-downloaded robots.

    4. Re:I like the sound of this by orasio · · Score: 1

      Typical Slashdotter, going for a cheap knockoff rather than enjoy the real thing. But then again, I shouldn't expect any different. ;-)

      If I went and got the real thing, that would be kidnapping. This does not deprive her husband of use of the original Monica Bellucci, I'm just committing a copyright violation. That's far more socially acceptable.

      And not a criminal offense.

    5. Re:I like the sound of this by dashesy · · Score: 1

      I am gonna start a business to issue copyright for married couples. for convenience, we may issue it only for sensitive body parts (which are state of the art) or for the whole package. "Wife© Ltd" Have a better name?

    6. Re:I like the sound of this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      better watch out, or the MBAA will be all over you.

    7. Re:I like the sound of this by Lissajous · · Score: 1

      Typical Slashdotter, going for a cheap knockoff rather than enjoy the real thing. But then again, I shouldn't expect any different. ;-)

      If I went and got the real thing, that would be kidnapping. This does not deprive her husband of use of the original Monica Bellucci, I'm just committing a copyright violation. That's far more socially acceptable.

      Not if you ask the RIAA/MPAA

    8. Re:I like the sound of this by tsjaikdus · · Score: 1

      Given the size of the machine and the fact that she will not grow any bigger, I hope you're hung accordingly.

  14. Nothing new here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are dozens if not hundreds of other companies that offer the exact same service and have been for years with turn-around in 2-3 days rather than 10. Perhaps the novelty is that this organization is targeting hobbyists, but their price isn't impressive and I've never know any other shop to turn away business.

  15. This is going to be the best ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Halloween ever!

  16. Images courtesy of Blender... by LetterRip · · Score: 3, Informative

    It isn't mentioned in the article, but it is clear from the images that they used Blender for the demo items and screenshots, indeed the two images from the article are rather well known among Blender users, one is from 'man in man' a short by Sacha, and the other is Petunia by macuonu which was used for a collaborative animation for the Blender art festival. Also some of individuals involved in Shapeways are major Blenderheads.

    I thought Shapeways was being supported by Phillips but was under the impression that it started externally and hence would not be a spinoff.

    LetterRip

    1. Re:Images courtesy of Blender... by Mithrandir · · Score: 1

      Also some of individuals involved in Shapeways are major Blenderheads.

      I thought Shapeways was being supported by Phillips but was under the impression that it started externally and hence would not be a spinoff.

      It is both. It's a technology spinoff from Philips. Also one of the heads of the company left the Blender foundation to join and run it, hence the connection.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
  17. Very nice by iminplaya · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But it still suffers from the age old problem of control by those who own the press. Let's get the printers in the hands of everyone to insure that control goes where it belongs. Then we can make our own DRM free hardware for instance.

    --
    What?
    1. Re:Very nice by thefekete · · Score: 1
      Here's a response to somebody asking about certain "likenesses" of human organs on youtube:

      In principle we want to let the Shapeways designers be as free as they want to be. We do not want to censor you in any way.

      So we will definitely allow you to print out your models.

      The only issue that we have is that we by no means want to be seen as an adult site by NetNanny, other parental controls and internet filters. We also would not want to offend any one individiual. So just to be on the safe side we would ask you to make your models 'private'.

      --
      The cool things is to have windows that bounce up and down like a good tits.
  18. I'd like to see color by loafula · · Score: 1

    Imagine printing a 3 dimensional multicolored object. The color would be layered and continuous through the object, not just painted on. You print something like an apple. It is red on the outside, but if you cut it in half, you see the white inside with brown seeds in the core. Or imagine a figure of a human or animal. Cut it open, see guts. Granted, it would all be 1 solid object with no physical distinction between gut and skin other than color.

    --
    FOXTROT UNIFORM CHARLIE KILO
    1. Re:I'd like to see color by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Check out Zcorp. They've been building 3D printers that can do color for a while now.

      There are tons of different ways to rapid prototype objects but none is perfect. All methods require some level of post-processing to remove imperfections (picture anti-aliasing on a real life object) and many methods are time consuming and VERY expensive.

      A small SLA of a handheld object even with a very thin wall thickness will cost several hundred dollars from most vendors.

  19. The Techshop by btarval · · Score: 4, Insightful
    While this is a really cool service, nothing can beat hands on. My preference is The Techshop.

    The site seems slashdotted already. Google's cache should have a copy of their 3D printer, laser etcher, and other services for building (nearly) anything that you can imagine.

    This is the most innovative thing to hit Silicon Valley in years. It really should've been covered by Slashdot long ago.

    The advantage the Techshop has over mail-in is that you can get advice on how to create your prototype. The costs for a 3D print job can vary greatly depending on how you do it. Just the orientation alone can either save you or cost you quite a bit. So that's why I prefer "hands on". Now, if I really knew what I was doing, or I didn't have a TechShop nearby, then I'd probably do a mail-order service.

    As far as apps goes, you can pull down one of the Google apps (whose name I've forgotten at the moment) and use that.

    Oh - and the guy who founded the TechShop used to work with Mythbusters in creating their gadgets. I hear they even showed up on opening day.

    I have no connecting with the Techshop other than has a happy and frequent customer.

    --
    The best way to predict the future is to create it. - Peter Drucker.
    1. Re:The Techshop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Screw prototypes. 3D printers are cool and all, but where Techshop really wins is that you get to make *real stuff* there.

      Beyond jewelry, 3D printing is only good for models. Accessible, affordable CNC & laser cutting is where it's at, and Techshop has plenty of that going on.

  20. Everyone? by hcdejong · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can see one stumbling block for 3D printing becoming more popular: the software you need to create a 3D model is generally expensive and difficult to use.
    Google Sketchup is a potential answer here, but the last time I checked, the 3D printing house I wanted to use didn't accept Sketchup files (and/or the free version of Sketchup doesn't allow export to any generic 3D format).

    1. Re:Everyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Blender.com

    2. Re:Everyone? by Yetihehe · · Score: 1

      Microsoft made caligari truespace available for free.

      --
      Extreme Programming - Redundant Array of Inexpensive Developers
    3. Re:Everyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      blender

    4. Re:Everyone? by MindStalker · · Score: 1

      Sketchup Pro is $495 and allows CAD export.

      Yea thats expensive but if you Really need this for your work, its cheap.

    5. Re:Everyone? by jatriska · · Score: 1

      You could use Blender, and if you dislike Blender's interface for modeling, you can at least import a Sketchup model through a third party import script (don't have the link at the moment, sorry) and export as .OBJ, or any other of the many formats Blender supports exporting to.

    6. Re:Everyone? by rdschouw · · Score: 1

      Well actually there is a STL export plugin for Google Sketchup which you can use to export models for 3D printing.

      I tested it and it creates printable STL files.

    7. Re:Everyone? by AeroIllini · · Score: 1

      The video shows the 3D artist using Blender, a free and open source 3D modeling and animation program.

      --
      For security, the MD5 hash of this message and sig is 09f911029d74e35bd84156c5635688c0.
    8. Re:Everyone? by Mithrandir · · Score: 1

      That's because the sketchup file format is proprietary and nobody really knows the specification.

      --
      Life is complete only for brief intervals in between toys or projects -- John Dalton
    9. Re:Everyone? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, anyone who has the time to learn the skills required, just like sculpture.
      Blender is free, and I bet it would take someone less time to learn the app and create their model in Blender rather than learning and creating something through sculpting materials or injection-moulding.

    10. Re:Everyone? by hcdejong · · Score: 1

      I bet it would take someone less time to learn the app and create their model in Blender rather than learning and creating something through sculpting materials or injection-moulding.

      I'm not so sure about that. I'd expect sculpting to have one big advantage over 3D CAD: when you sculpt, you work in 3D, instead of a 2D representation of a 3D model.
      I can sculpt complex shapes fairly rapidly, even with my limited experience. The sculpture may not be accurate to the mm, but it's close enough that it looks right, which for my purposes (scale modeling) is good enough.
      Learning to draw using 2D CAD tools has taken me more time than learning to sculpt. I don't have experience working in 3D beyond a few hours of fooling around with SketchUp, so I could be off, but to me 3D CAD doesn't seem to be easier to learn and do than 2D CAD.

    11. Re:Everyone? by Lissajous · · Score: 1

      There's a number of plugins out there for Sketchup that allow you to export in alternate formats. You can get .x and .fbx out quite easily - I believe the fbx is a native export (but don't have sketchup on this machine and am too lazy to check). But under all circumstances Sketchup is extensible via ruby, so it should be fairly straightforward to roll your own exporter for whatever format you need. That's assuming an open standard format somewhere in the equation.

  21. This is not a first by jbeaupre · · Score: 1

    These services have been offered for at least a decade. I bought parts this way a couple months ago and paid like $20 or $30 a part. I can give the specific place, but try just googling for 3d printing service, rapid prototyping service and so on. The first search only brings up 2.7 million hits. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=3d+printing+services&btnG=Google+Search

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
    1. Re:This is not a first by Facegarden · · Score: 1

      Yeah, i thought that too. WTF is wrong with people posting articles to "new" services that aren't new at all!? :-/
      -Taylor

      --
      Worldwide Military budgets: $2100 billion. Worldwide Space Exploration budgets: $38 billion. Really, world? Really?
  22. My guess? Dildos by aliquis · · Score: 3, Funny

    Which is why I tagged this story dildo.

    Seems like the perfect use for the service :)

    Can they do cavities? ;/

    1. Re:My guess? Dildos by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

      Which is why I tagged this story dildo.

      Seems like the perfect use for the service :)

      Can they do cavities? ;/

      Ssh, you'll anger the dentist lobby.

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  23. Interesting issue by jez9999 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    When everyone can accurately 3d-print objects, does getting the design for, say, a type of chair then 3d-printing it without paying, count as theft? After all, you're not depriving anyone else of the model chair the 3d specifications were based on.

    --
    == Jez ==
    Do you miss Firefox? Try Pale Moon.
    1. Re:Interesting issue by hasdikarlsam · · Score: 1

      No, it's pretty obviously copyright infringement.

      I do believe we know well how that works already, here. ;)

    2. Re:Interesting issue by jimicus · · Score: 1

      When everyone can accurately 3d-print objects, does getting the design for, say, a type of chair then 3d-printing it without paying, count as theft? After all, you're not depriving anyone else of the model chair the 3d specifications were based on.

      Compared to churning them out on an assembly line in China that produces 10,000 a day, it's very unlikely such printing will be cheaper. So the likes of Ikea probably don't have to worry yet.

      Be interesting if you were copying the chair of some fancy designer company that does fantastically expensive chairs though. I suspect what will happen is something similar to what a lot of photo labs do today - unless you're already known to them as a designer (photographer), they won't print out anything that they think is a copyright violation.

    3. Re:Interesting issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is unlikely to be an issue with objects that size. At least in the foreseeable future it'll be much cheaper and more importantly faster to get the chair from a store (and it'll be made of better materials).

      However, as you get into objects with smaller volume and higher design cost relative to material cost (e.g. jewelry) you could see some copyright infringement happening already... This isn't really a monumental change though, as "replica" products already exist in every field where the design is a major part of the price.

    4. Re:Interesting issue by nEoN+nOoDlE · · Score: 1

      I think you're overestimating the abilities of 3d printing. You're not going to be able to print a working pillow, but a solid plastic version of a pillow. You could print as many chairs as you want, but with each part being hard plastic, you're not gonna get much use out of them. It will also take a substantially greater amount of money to print a life-size chair then it would to buy a working chair at Staples.

      If you change "chair" to "toy," then you might be on to something. If I get the design of the latest Batman toy and print it, is it considered stealing? No, but it's definitely considered copyright infringement. I would think it's the same for any type of recognizable design.

      --
      Don't trust a bull's horn, a doberman's tooth, a runaway horse or me.
    5. Re:Interesting issue by gregorio · · Score: 1

      When everyone can accurately 3d-print objects, does getting the design for, say, a type of chair then 3d-printing it without paying, count as theft?

      I'm not sure about the copyright part, but if you try to actually USE the chair, you'll end up right down at the floor.

      Most people who comment about 3D printers don't understand product manufacturing at all. These printers will never be useful for anything except dimensional prototypes. Unless the printers can (and for a good price they won't - not in a million years) create metal parts with extreme precision and with the same strenght as forged parts, at least this one gap will keep them from building simple things such as wall clocks or cell phone parts.

      Sure, you can build pretty toys, such as the latest batman action figure. But even that might be limited, as most toys these days are filled with mechanisms that can't be replicated by polymer deposits.

  24. nice to see another competitor, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    this has been done before quite a bit, there are plenty of places online that let you upload a model to their website and purchase the fabbed plastic result.

    however, more competition will probably bring the prices down. also, more attention to this sort of capability will make it more popular, and bring the prices down/advance the technology.

    i worked at a place where they blew tens of thousands of dollars on a 3D printer, printed one prototype out and then let it sit there. big companies can't think outside the box. they'd probably make a lot of money running an operation like Shapeways. i think the reason they bought a whole machine to make one simple prototype (i'm sure they'll use it in the future as well, it just seems hard to justify not just having it fabbed quickly by someone else who owns one already) is because they were very paranoid about someone stealing their designs, plus they're just fun to use.

    my first hand knowledge watching them use the machine is this; the layering technique using two kinds of material, a white plastic and a black or brown organic substance. in order to make gaps/holes/crevices and other 3D abnormalities the darker substance is used in those areas. when the printing is done they have to place the model in a lye solution to eat the darker matter away.

    you see the fella in the video doing this at the end, it is also why he is using gloves. lye is very dangerous to human skin/flesh. if you've ever seen fight club you'll know what it can do, and you get a pretty detailed explanation and history from tyler about it.

    i think they used borax afterward to clean the lye off and any residuals. the whole process can take a long time depending on how large and how complex your model is. some things are better left in overnight. the cubes they used were the simplest and easiest thing to make with this and they kept their model small, so the duration of the print was short.

    the materials that go into this are expensive and since they only have one (maybe two?) machines this is most likely why they charge alot more for complex/larger models. it all depends on what you send them.

  25. I'm put of paper by Savior_on_a_Stick · · Score: 2, Funny

    can you fax me some?

    1. Re:I'm put of paper by JCSoRocks · · Score: 1

      no, No, NO! I'm not falling for that one again. Last time, my friend asked me to send him some money so I faxed it to him. All of sudden I've got the FBI breathing down my neck. Something about making counterfeit bills.

      --
      You are using English. Please learn the difference between loose and lose; they're, there, and their; your and you're.
  26. Linux Collada Exporter? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This Shapeways 3D printing service requires models in Collada (or X3D) format. Other than running Windows SketchUp under Wine, which is so buggy that it crashes when you try to save a file, what's a really good, basic Linux 3D studio, suitable for learning in about 10-15 minutes how to sketch out accurate scale models of houses and basic landscape, that imports and exports Collada format?

    Then I can 3D print the models, and I can export them to Google Earth. I could even download and import my neighborhood, tweak it, and 3D print it for my trainset.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by charlie763 · · Score: 1

      From the video it looks like you can work in Blender. Take a look at the link below for the import/export Blender plugins. http://www.blender.org/download/python-scripts/import-export/

      --
      Welcome to the land of the free...pay toll ahead...no photography...please open your bag...
    2. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by xhrit · · Score: 1

      irrlicht can open a lot ov model formats. One tutorial is a simple model viewer (pan, zoom rotate). If you know c++, you program a button into the tutorial that dumps model data to a Collada file in about 10 min.

      --
      Dungeon Tactics : Free Open Source SRPG
    3. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by X0563511 · · Score: 1

      suitable for learning in about 10-15 minutes how to sketch out accurate scale models of houses and basic landscape, that imports and exports Collada format?

      Blender is great, but if he needs to learn it in 10-15 minutes it won't work. Sure, once he did learn it he would be done with his model in 10-15...

      --
      For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
    4. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Well, that's not a studio, but a toolkit. And when I downloaded it and tried to make it on my Ubuntu 8.04 PC, the make failed all over COpenGLDriver.cpp .

      It's going to take longer to get built correctly, and then to write a C++ app, than I really should spend just learning a basic studio's GUI.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    5. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be helpful if shapeways could add a little more information to their homepage. Right now you don't get any information unless you sign up, or read all the old entries on the blog.

      What are the allowed data-formats?
      What are the prices?
      Do they ship to all countries in the world?
      Can the printer handle several colors or materials?
      How durable is he result?

    6. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by xhrit · · Score: 1

      there is a bug in nvidia's ogl. you have to define a compiler flag to get around it - just open up COpenGLDriver.h and read the comments.

      --
      Dungeon Tactics : Free Open Source SRPG
    7. Re:Linux Collada Exporter? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      No, this is not an execution problem, but a compilation problem. I found the compiler flag you're probably referring to, _IRR_GETPROCADDRESS_WORKAROUND_ , in COpenGLExtensionHandler.cpp#182 ,and uncommented it (after googling for the nvidia bug), and I'm still getting the same compiler errors, mostly like
      COpenGLDriver.cpp: In member function 'bool irr::video::COpenGLDriver::setTexture(irr::u32, const irr::video::ITexture*)':
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1082: error: 'GL_TEXTURE_2D' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1082: error: 'glDisable' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1089: error: 'GL_TEXTURE_2D' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1089: error: 'glDisable' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1094: error: 'GL_TEXTURE_2D' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1094: error: 'glEnable' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1096: error: 'const class irr::video::COpenGLTexture' has no member named 'getOpenGLTextureName'
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1096: error: 'glBindTexture' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp: At global scope:
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1116: error: variable or field 'createGLMatrix' declared void
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1116: error: 'GLfloat' was not declared in this scope
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1116: error: expected primary-expression before 'const'
      COpenGLDriver.cpp:1123: error: variable or field 'createGLTextureMatrix' declared void

      Which looks more like some dependency isn't installed. But there's no instructions for such dependencies, or any other instructions that "type make in the directory".

      --

      --
      make install -not war

  27. competing service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.quickparts.com

  28. Second Life and OGLE by argent · · Score: 1

    The Second Life building tools are actually pretty good, for putting together objects that are going to be reproduced at 3d printing resolution.

    And you can extract a mesh from Second Life (and other games, but don't let Blizzard catch you :-> ) using GPU hooks and programs like OGLE.

  29. They're a farking print bureau, big whoop by Libertarian001 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm a garage-kit maker -- 1/285 Macross and 1/2500 Star Trek, available at http://scifiskunkwerks.blogspot.com/. All of my models are done in CAD first, then rapid prototyped. I spent several months looking for an affordable way to get my parts printed out in the quality that I needed and I'm always on the lookout for being able to just buy my own machine. So when this PAID ADVERTISEMENT masquerading as an article came along I was pretty interested. RTFA and you'll see: "The 3-D printers that Shapeways is using are commercially available, made by Israeli firm Objet and Stratsys in Eden Prairie, MN." That means they're nothing more than a print bureau. Big farking whoop. Last night I saw a nice, big Objet add on the front page and now I know why. Incidentally, I'm already having my stuff printed on Objets. The quality is top-notch. I'm just irritated (no coffee this morning) because this is a non-article.

    1. Re:They're a farking print bureau, big whoop by Libertarian001 · · Score: 1

      And because I'm always looking for a new service bureau, I've signed up. They do accept STL now (good, because it's an industry standard), but they set their system to interpret STL in meters instead of millimeters. Pretty odd choice, especially considering the machine's build volume. Worse, it kicks out every design and requires the user to re-scale it. They also print in High Speed mode instead of High Quality. They claim you won't notice the difference (goes from 16 micron to 30 micron), but you surely will if your model has any curves. At the moment, I have to say "Pass."

  30. Will it print a ... by boot_img · · Score: 1

    ... Klein bottle?

    1. Re:Will it print a ... by lurking_giant · · Score: 1

      I don't know, but here's one by way of StereoLithography http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/sw/klein/Klein.html

  31. Buy your own! by pjt33 · · Score: 1

    Why should I pay for your paper?

  32. Not such a Yawn... by lurking_giant · · Score: 1

    If you are really interested in the technology of rapid prototyping and would like to learn more, goto: http://www.prototypemagazine.com/ And Yes it's possible to build a "Klien Bottle" http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/sw/klein/Klein.html/ Full color parts and moving assemblies, http://www.zcorp.com/Solutions/Rapid-Prototypes---CAD/spage.aspx/, Transparent, Opaque, Elastomeric, Rigid, Plastic, Metal, Ceramic, Wax... Allare available as a service from a prototype house somewhere in your area. http://wohlersassociates.com/service-providers.html/ All you need is a good solid or surface model to work from. I spent 14 years in the RP business, just about anything is possible, it just costs $$$.

    1. Re:Not such a Yawn... by lurking_giant · · Score: 1

      Sorry, links are fixed here: If you are really interested in the technology of rapid prototyping and would like to learn more, goto: http://www.prototypemagazine.com/ And Yes it's possible to build a "Klien Bottle" http://emsh.calarts.edu/~mathart/sw/klein/Klein.html Full color parts and moving assemblies, http://www.zcorp.com/Solutions/Rapid-Prototypes---CAD/spage.aspx, Transparent, Opaque, Elastomeric, Rigid, Plastic, Metal, Ceramic, Wax... Allare available as a service from a prototype house somewhere in your area. http://wohlersassociates.com/service-providers.html All you need is a good solid or surface model to work from. I spent 14 years in the RP business, just about anything is possible, it just costs $$$.

  33. paper model generator/creator by sectionboy · · Score: 1

    Is there a software can generator a paper model design from a 3D CAD software file( maya, auto cad...)? There are lots of free 3D models available on the web, way more than paper model designs. Even without texture, it can be really fun, then just image if it can generate texture with rendering effects ( lights, motion blur...).

  34. Another option by gr8_phk · · Score: 1

    For making "real" parts. Check out www.emachineshop.com. They provide a free downloadable program for designing parts. You can get help optimizing cost and even order right from the software. OTOH, a one-off is probably still more expensive and I don't think they have SLA.

  35. Nothing has changed. by Explodicle · · Score: 1

    When everyone can accurately 3d-print objects, does getting the design for, say, a type of chair then 3d-printing it without paying, count as theft? After all, you're not depriving anyone else of the model chair the 3d specifications were based on.

    Just because it's a new manufacturing technology doesn't mean the laws are any different. If the chair is patented and you don't have permission, this would be patent infringement. It would not be theft.

    1. Re:Nothing has changed. by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 1

      But wouldn't a patent apply to one specific method for making that kind of chair, which is not, presumably using a 3D printer?

      Of course, since the patent office rubber stamps anything you stick under their noses, I'm surprised no one has patented, say, a spoon with a screwdriver on the other end, or measuring time in hundredths of hours or any other trivial thing you could come up with.

      #include "broken_patent_system_rant.h"

      --
      You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
    2. Re:Nothing has changed. by Explodicle · · Score: 1

      In addition to the process used to make the chair, one can patent any minor innovation in the chair itself. I'd imagine people would print out more fancy ergo chairs (with patents) than lousy Wal-Mart chairs.

  36. My guess? figurines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now any American can have one of those nude female figurines that are only available in foreign countries (who refuse to ship them to America).

  37. Computer, Earl Grey ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    ... hot!

    Can it do that?

    1. Re:Computer, Earl Grey ... by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      ... hot!

      Can it do that?

      Not as such... But it can make the cup, and it could even fill it with something that's almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.

      The real trick, as I understand it, is to have "tea" and "no tea" at the same time. This goes against common sense, though, so I'm not sure how it could be possible.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
  38. Get a nicer one by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

    Why get a printed one when you can get a nice hand-blown one from someone well-known in our field?

  39. The programm shown is Blender ... by Qbertino · · Score: 1

    ... the guy you see in the end is Bart Veldhuizen of Blender and Blendernation.com fame. So *that* was the company he was founding a few months ago. I wish him Good Luck!

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
  40. why do i need to log in just to read their info? by pxuongl · · Score: 2, Informative

    why do they insist that you log-in before seeing anything on their site? I was interested until i had to register.

  41. Huh, what? by KDAWSON+sucks · · Score: 0, Funny

    Ssh, you'll anger the dentist lobby.

    What does SSH have to do with dentists?
    And what is a "dildo?"
    Am I not getting something here? =(

  42. Hello everyone. by jcb3780 · · Score: 1

    Hi this is John from Shapeways. It's awesome to see all this great feedback for Shapeways. To answer a few questions: currently accepted formats for the Shapeways service include STL, Collada, X3D. The objects can be created in White Strong & Flexible (SLS), Cream Robust (FDM), White Detail and Transparent detail (both Objet); color and additional materials will soon follow. Best, Shapeways Team

  43. These arent limited the "Largest Corporations!" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We have one of these at my college and judging from the budget the technology programs get they cant be too expensive.

  44. Don't forget shipping by Pearson · · Score: 1

    Shapeways is in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, so while each piece may only cost $50-$150, the shipping could push that quite a bit higher, depending on size, weight, and location.

    Also, I don't know about Shapeways specifically, but most of these places will give you a pretty significant break per piece if you order more pieces, as long as they all fit into a single build volume.

    --
    I...I'm attacking the darkness!
    1. Re:Don't forget shipping by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      Shapeways is in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, so while each piece may only cost $50-$150, the shipping could push that quite a bit higher, depending on size, weight, and location.

      I don't see shipping being any serious degree of expensive - after all it's not as if it needs to go by airmail. Oh, are you on the wrong side of the Pond?
      A more serious problem for trans-Pondians would be the continuing decline of the dollar and the rise of the uro.
      Eindhoven, eh? I think I got lost there once. But I'm not sure. Obviously.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  45. brilliant! by scotsghost · · Score: 1

    now, who's got schematics and part lists for a 3-d printer?

  46. RepRap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Make your own 3D-fab
    http://www.reprap.org/bin/view/Main/WebHome

  47. eMachineShop... by maz2331 · · Score: 1

    Is actually pretty pricey. Pricey enough that for prototyping more than a few parts it would be cheaper and easier to just buy a small CNC mill and lathe. Then you can make pieces parts to your heart's content really cheaply.

    Ebay some used gear, or roll your own from the cheap manual mills and lathes out on the market. It's not trivial, but not as difficult as building, say, a decent real database app either.

  48. What!? By invitation only!? by tsjaikdus · · Score: 1

    The website is by invitation only. When I get my account in God knows when I sure hope they have something to offer that my current supplier hasn't. And the only spec I have -delivery time- isn't one of them.

    1. Re:What!? By invitation only!? by tsjaikdus · · Score: 1

      Uh oh... This company is Dutch. Better yet, it is only meters away from where I live! Might be interesting after all! I used to to business in Belgium up to now.

      Up to 2 mm is not acceptable for most parts. I'll wait and see when I get the invitation.

    2. Re:What!? By invitation only!? by tsjaikdus · · Score: 1

      OK, I've got my invitation and the site is very open and simple to use. There's a community with a lot of newby info and the pricing is very competitive (no, actually it's just dirt cheap). Apparently they calculate prices by volume only (as far as I can judge). This is good, because this allows you not to worry about combining and merging and orientation. I will definitely start ordering parts from this company. Thumbs up!

  49. Meh... by ockegheim · · Score: 1

    ...2D-printing's enough of a nightmare.

    --
    I’m old enough to remember 16K of memory being described as “whopping”