3-D Printing is now affordable

[martinfan5]

I don't think you'll need to know much about 3-D software. Pretty sure these things will be available with very intuitive, user-friendly software that doesn't require a nuclear physicist to figure out.

Actually, the way I see it (no, I'm not a psychic, just seems like a logical inference)... is that people will buy these printers to use at home, but they will buy the things they want to output from suppliers, not create it themselves. Say a model company adopts this technology. The way I see it working is that they would sell the consumer models (or parts or whatever) in the form of a digital download... like we download music. You buy whatever item you want from the manufacturer, and you download an electronic file that you then run through your own 3-D printer to create that item. For example, instead of going online and ordering a set of aftermarket wheels from Pegasus that they had to first manufacture, and package, and warehouse, and ultimately ship to you... you would buy the wheels in the form of a downloadable digital file and "create" the wheels at home on your own printer.

I can see that happing, or should say, that would great if that really does happen

[uncle potts]

I first heard about 3d printing about 2 years ago. At that time it was far too expensive for the equipment, and the quality was not good enough for some patrs. ie: bodies, and any smooth finished parts.

The fact that we have a printer available to us that is "affordable" to the average modeler, is amazing in itself, in my opinion. No, this will not at this time replace the kits we've all come to know and love,yet. But if memory serves me correctly, when the personal computer came out in 1981, I personally thought it was a toy the would never have a serious place in the home. Boy was I wrong!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that none of us have a clue where, and how quickly this technology will progress, and what , if anything, it will replace! So, to tell someone else that their OPINION is wrong, seems to me to be foolish, if not just plain arrogant.

Technology is changing the world we live in, no one can deny that. And all of us at some time or another has been caught off guard by the changes that have been made, and at times how quickly they seem to come.

So, instead of calling names, being offended, and looking for reasons to post rude and belittling comments about each other, that some of us don't care to "wade through" why don't we all agree that its coming, and for the majority of us all we can really do is grab a box of popcorn, sit back, watch the show, and time will tell what will really happen.

Just My Narrow-minded Pinn-headed Opinion,

Paul

[NormL]

The big issue with sending someone a digital download is printer perimeters. How thin can it print, bounding box, does it need a support matrix, is it extrusion, sinter, deposit, .. etc. Not saying that it can't be figured out, but, the low end printers need a lot of fussing with right now

[Harry P.]

The big issue with sending someone a digital download is printer perimeters. How thin can it print, bounding box, does it need a support matrix, is it extrusion, sinter, deposit, .. etc. Not saying that it can't be figured out, but, the low end printers need a lot of fussing with right now

The 3-D printing thing isn't quite ready for mass-market use... but it's very close, and all of those kinks will be worked out in time. My guess, a couple of years, max.

[NormL]

The 3-D printing thing isn't quite ready for mass-market use... but it's very close, and all of those kinks will be worked out in time. My guess, a couple of years, max.

We are singing the same tune. This industry will give you guys a entire world of new things to complain about though. The 3D models the game industry uses are conceived to a different standard than you will hold them too. The few I have looked at are not very dimensionally accurate.

[Harry P.]

We are singing the same tune. This industry will give you guys a entire world of new things to complain about though. The 3D models the game industry uses are conceived to a different standard than you will hold them too. The few I have looked at are not very dimensionally accurate.

Well, how accurate these parts and kits will be will depend on how accurately the 3-D modeling is created... just as the accuracy of today's kits depends on how accurate the tooling is.

Accuracy is one thing, the actual technology of printing in 3-D is another. You're right, though... we'll have to wait and see just how well these new 3-D items will be done. I have no doubt there will be sub-standard products coming from some sources, along with highly-accurate items from other sources... just as the quality and accuracy of today's kits varies all over the place.

[martinfan5]

Well, how accurate these parts and kits will be will depend on how accurately the 3-D modeling is created... just as the accuracy of today's kits depends on how accurate the tooling is.

Accuracy is one thing, the actual technology of printing in 3-D is another. You're right, though... we'll have to wait and see just how well these new 3-D items will be done. I have no doubt there will be sub-standard products coming from some sources, along with highly-accurate items from other sources... just as the quality and accuracy of today's kits varies all over the place.

I know we are all just guessing right now, but who do you think is going to embrace 3D printing first, the Model company's, or the cottage industry?

[NormL]

Cottage, ... isn't Kodak gone or almost gone?

Edited January 17, 2013 by NormL

[Harry P.]

I think that the aftermarket will lead the way. And when the kit makers see how well the stuff sells, they'll jump on the bandwagon. There's no way they would sit back and watch as others profit with the new technology.

[NormL]

I followed one of the links to www.moddler.com and saw the level of detail they bring to the table. Now I want to go back to the scan cloud and make all of the parts to make a very accurate 3D Atom. I am assuming that they are very expensive, so, a very small print and just cast it in crystal for now

[2000-cvpi]

I don't think you'll need to know much about 3-D software. Pretty sure these things will be available with very intuitive, user-friendly software that doesn't require a nuclear physicist to figure out.

Actually, the way I see it (no, I'm not a psychic, just seems like a logical inference)... is that people will buy these printers to use at home, but they will buy the things they want to output from suppliers, not create it themselves. Say a model company adopts this technology. The way I see it working is that they would sell the consumer models (or parts or whatever) in the form of a digital download... like we download music. You buy whatever item you want from the manufacturer, and you download an electronic file that you then run through your own 3-D printer to create that item. For example, instead of going online and ordering a set of aftermarket wheels from Pegasus that they had to first manufacture, and package, and warehouse, and ultimately ship to you... you would buy the wheels in the form of a downloadable digital file and "create" the wheels at home on your own printer.

No, no, no. That will never happen. The model industry will just stay exactly like it is, except that models will go back to $1.98 for 3 in 1 annual kits.

Now back to sticking my head in the sand, which worked really well for the Dodo bird so it's great for modelers.

[martinfan5]

No, no, no. That will never happen. The model industry will just stay exactly like it is, except that models will go back to $1.98 for 3 in 1 annual kits.

Now back to sticking my head in the sand, which worked really well for the Dodo bird so it's great for modelers.

[80mirada]

3D printing is all ready being used for "limited run" production of custom auto parts, and Metal Sintering Technology is allowing for printed metal parts. John Deere has been using the 3D Printers for quite some time to make quick prototypes to evaluate casting design and machining requirements. Gm and Chrysler were using a 3d papermodeling "plotter" as early as the mid 80's, possibly earlier.

The technology allready exsist to produce any model part you could want, but the High resilution machines are currently expensive. I could see more "printing services" popping up, and more of the resin companies will use it to make masters. I bet we will see sintered metal parts on a 3d printed plastic model in five to ten years. Maybe we will see a company offering "short run" production of the often over looked cars we have all been asking for.

[Kaleb]

It's amusing to me, to watch some argue and fuss, others boldly stating their opinion. It's new technology of course it's going to hurt the "mom and pop" store that's been there a long time. Today's world is all about convenience, so pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave and its done.

What's going to be amusing to see, is when the digital files get corrupted with a virus, and what prints in 3D and then your wife walks in. Or just amusing to see what will be printed period.

[martinfan5]

It's amusing to me, to watch some argue and fuss, others boldly stating their opinion. It's new technology of course it's going to hurt the "mom and pop" store that's been there a long time. Today's world is all about convenience, so pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave and its done.

What's going to be amusing to see, is when the digital files get corrupted with a virus, and what prints in 3D and then your wife walks in. Or just amusing to see what will be printed period.

I can see that happing, its almost scary to think what might get printed out in 3D :lol:

[Crazy Ed]

A 6X6X6 Printer would print out a complete 1/24-5 scale Body if the software were to add "Feet" (printers version of a Spruce! ) to it and it were placed at a 45 degree angle. Once the $100 printers can print out smooth parts that donot require sanding beyond paint prep, the After and Kit market will without a doubt change. The limiting part of Kits will be Decals that have White and Metallic that can be printed at home with a printer that isn't going to cost more to buy and operate than a "Kit" Printer.

Given folks seem to agree the plastic is ABS someone is going to need to comeup with a primer that isn't going to require the prep used to paint ABS today. Otherwise there is going to be a lot of peeling paint at the Kit Shows.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Crazy Ed

[Darren B]

A 6X6X6 Printer would print out a complete 1/24-5 scale Body if the software were to add "Feet" (printers version of a Spruce! ) to it and it were placed at a 45 degree angle. Once the $100 printers can print out smooth parts that donot require sanding beyond paint prep, the After and Kit market will without a doubt change. The limiting part of Kits will be Decals that have White and Metallic that can be printed at home with a printer that isn't going to cost more to buy and operate than a "Kit" Printer.

Given folks seem to agree the plastic is ABS someone is going to need to comeup with a primer that isn't going to require the prep used to paint ABS today. Otherwise there is going to be a lot of peeling paint at the Kit Shows.

Im not familiar with abs at all, which is kind of a bummer for what i wanted the printer for, would an acrylic primer/paint combo stick you think? If not ill have to wait till there made using a more compatible plastic. Or like Harry says if they ever are in a staples or office max sitting right next to the ink printers,. but even then probably still abs. I can hope thou...

Edited January 19, 2013 by Darren B

[Ace-Garageguy]

Wow. I'm amazed.

[bbowser]

This is amazing stuff. I think it's much closer than 10 years off, my clairvoyant guess would be about 5 years for something affordable for the average hobbyist. The hobby is going through an evolution, not a revolution. Those digital files will be valuable intellectual property, the trick is going to be defending against pirates.

[martinfan5]

This is amazing stuff. I think it's much closer than 10 years off, my clairvoyant guess would be about 5 years for something affordable for the average hobbyist. The hobby is going through an evolution, not a revolution. Those digital files will be valuable intellectual property, the trick is going to be defending against pirates.

[Psychographic]

To those who know much about 3d files, could a file from a video game be used to make parts? I'm not talking about quality, just if it would work.

There's a boatload of cars available for some games and just to be able to use them for a body could be useful.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Psychographic

[NormL]

Technically you could just take the file and change it to something for printing (this step my not be necessary) and then print it. Then more realistically, you need to make sure it meets the printing minimums for the scale and type of printer. You would be lucky if you could just print it without some modification. For a printer you need a water tight solid and the gaming industry uses solids and surfaces both, I believe.

Edited January 20, 2013 by NormL

[Ace-Garageguy]

To those who know much about 3d files, could a file from a video game be used to make parts? I'm not talking about quality, just if it would work.

There's a boatload of cars available for some games and just to be able to use them for a body could be useful.

Ultimately, any image from any source can be used to create any type of CNC (and 3D printing is simply a variant of CNC...Computer Numerical Control) file, but there would most likely be at least one, and more likely several translation steps to get a usable print-file from a video-game image. There is also the question of scale, and video-game image files are most likely not held to any 'absolute' dimensional relationships, but just to the context of the background of the game. I'd say it's about 99.98778921% AGAINST being able to use any existing image NOT specifically created in a program and language the 3D printer can understand, but 100% than any existing image CAN be translated into a usable format.

It is entirely possible that over the next few years, programs could be evolved that WOULD allow end-users to EASILY input ANY image and get a printable file, but developing such an application would take sufficient market interest to make the investment of $$ and talent worthwhile. I have an early-vintage document-scanner program, and it was billed as being able to interpret an image taken from a flat-plate scanner and format it into Word. Sometimes yes, sort of, but even slightly unusual type-faces confuse it mightily, and gibberish comes out. That tech is similar, but vastly simpler, than automatically converting an image file to something printable.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy

[Edsel-Dan]

Talk to those in the 'know'

For taking cars, etc from Video games and making models out of them,

Paper modelers are your best bet.

I am a member of both "PaperModelers.com" & Zealot Forums' Card Modelers

They do this regularly, Though they are modifying the 3d image into Flat

panels to print a fold-able model out of.

They will tell you, making a model out of a 3ds, lwo, or max file will take other software.

What file is the Game using for its 3d image??

Likely 3d printing will too, depending on the software the printer reads to print from.

Here is where some asked about being able to supply a print file that is ready to go.

Sellers of these files will have to Know what printers are available to the General public,

What their Primary file format is & others they can accept, etc.

At first we will likely see sold files offered in multiple output formats for the different printers

unless a Standard File format & output material are formulated Before reaching the general population.

Think VHS/Beta Video tape here

Or in PC Speak, pdf only or pdo files.

Mac software will not run Pepakura, so pdo files can not be opened.

And so far there is no Mac equivalent for them to use either.

Many paper models are offered by Tamisoft and some designers in PDO format

but must be copied to either pdf (Adobe Reader) or even Picture format. ie jpg, gif, tif, png, bmp

[NormL]

The single biggest problem is the one we were told to ignore and that is accuracy. As I alluded too, another issue is that most the game models I have seen are modeled to surfaces and not solids. This does not sound like much, but, can be painful. For instance, the Atom model that I have going on in another thread, the tires are surfaces as I had no intention of printing them. I am using some off the shelf Pegasus tires and made some surface representations of them as place holders. If I forget to turn them off the printing software just ignores them, anyway.

Basically if the model is a 3D solid, it is just a simple software handshake and make sure it is within your printing minimums and water tight.

Some of you undoubtedly know, but, you can save 3D data in pdf's. I have attached one of the 1/24th scale jack I did as a sample. Just click in the picture and rotate, pan and zoom with your mouse. There is also the ability to comment and measure and turn items off and on if it has been set up for it.

Jack 24.pdf

Edited January 20, 2013 by NormL