Apparently it's here. I'm sure you've all seen the stories on 3D printing. Pretty amazing stuff. I saw one story where some medical researchers had even somehow linked it into creating transplant organs. I have no idea how that would work, so don't even ask me.

But what I want to know is, when these printers become available, how many of you will be scanning and printing Playboy centerfolds? And don't deny it, because I know the thought has already occurred to you. You're just waiting for the street price on those printers to come down.

Cheers!

Rick...

When it can "print" to the same quality as in 5th Element then maybe

you would just print a 2d scan sauron sorry, you would need 3d skill to give shape to the 2d form. i would do backup parts for my old favorite toys that i still keep for...for...(the night adventures of gi joes) you know.memories...
Also i would print my 3d head into them.

I dunno man, sounds like some Weird Science to me!

You have to give it 3D information/3D file.
You cant give it a flat scanned image and have it output an accurate 3D model.

They make software that will turn 2D images into 3D renderings. Now that there's consumer-level 3D printing, sales will probably go up on that type of software and Playboy magazine.

Cheers!

Rick...

I've had a 3D printer since late last year, it's a great gadget and not all that expensive to buy and run.
It works by feeding a 1.75 mm filament of ABS plastic into a heated print head (needs 260deg to melt the plastic) and the melted plastic is forced through a small nozzle (about 0.25 mm diameter) and it simply squirts it out onto the table and builds up the object layer by layer, again about 0.2 mm thick at a time. So it's very slow and can take up to five or six hours to make a large-ish object. The limits for my machine are a cube about 130 mm to a side.
I bought it to prototype some golf tees that a friend of mine invented, they stop you hooking & slicing the ball. We figure there'd be about a hundred million golfers that'd want them.

Neat Enterprise print.


Wheels

Here is the other thread on this subject, in the R/C subforum:

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3497954/Consumer_Based_3d_Printing.html


@Billzilla: What's the name of the manufacturer and model of your printer? How much was it when you bought it?

It was about US$3,000 and I got it from [url=www.pp3dp.com]www.pp3dp.com[/url]

Now that is really cool Bill, I had a dell notebook just like that. Gave it to my mother. And you have a Leatherman Supertool 300
sitting on your table. I carry one everywhere I go. That printer is way to cool. Another must have.

I'm sorry, but that's not the case.
The computer can't recreate information that isn't there. It can take a 2D image and create 3D output yes, but not an accurate 3D representation of the item in the photo.

As a 3D artist, and familiar with 3D modeling, I know of what I speak.

Quite interesting German language text on 3D printing:

http://www.ftd.de/karriere-management/ma...n/60153583.html

They create for example parts of dental crowns.
Also, each F18 nowadays contains 86 3D-printed parts. They say this is not much in numbers, but that Boeing sends back a LOT of money for them. Also, they say, 3D printing can create stuff you cant create otherwise. For example some company used molds that were cooled by drilled holes and of course these have to be straight IOW can not follow the surface of the mold. So the production works like this:
30% produce
70& cool the mold down again to restart
With 3D printed molds, they can produce 40% faster

Scanning 3d Models for Games :p

I have a proper crown like that. Quite cool.

It's a cube of ceramic that gets milled while you wait. The dentist scans the tooth with a laser and the software instructs the milling machine after some fine tuning.

http://www.cereconline.com/cerec/software.html

I wonder what impact this technology will have on business? We've already seen the ongoing economic fallout from the digital revolution in industries that traffic in information (i.e. music, art, publishing.) Imagine what will happen when you can order almost any conceivable material good online and have it replicated in your own home immediately...

Good for one offs, not for serial production. This does have the power to reduce the time from idea to model in the hand. This could be inspirational and create a food of ideas.

A few weeks/months ago, we had that news bit of UAV a university made with a 3D sinter printer.

Well, you better tell Autodesk, or whoever it was I saw peddling the software. Admittedly, the results would not be as pretty as real life.

Cheers!

Rick...

to those of you who have i wonder, can you take a 3d model from a game and print it ?

My wife's just bought a 3d laser scanner for her dental lab. Cost was... lots.

She's looking at a printer too. There's a few options including one that laminates sheets of paper to build up the model. Has many drawbacks for dental use.

Obviously micron-perfect reproduction is what's needed so more money.

I do like Billzilla's machine.

Cheers!

We have a 3D printer in our lab and it is used to custom fabricate small attachment pieces we use in conjunction with our neural network chips. It cost about $18,000 US dollars and was made by Hitachi in Osaka. I have often considered making a custom duel throttle shell for my CH Pro Throttle, but have not had time to fool with it. The printer works well but it is slow, and like Billzilla said, for our 200mx200mx200m design space, a model can take up to ten hours to produce.

Woman's jaw reproduced by 3D printer

http://www.zdnet.com/news/womans-jaw-reproduced-by-3d-printer/6343303?tag=mantle_skin;content

Autodesks 123D, previously photofly.