Staples doing 3D Printing In Store

[up1950s]

I wonder if the green is a company choice for vision or laser needs , or automatic color of the compound .

[peteski]

I wonder if the green is a company choice for vision or laser needs , or automatic color of the compound .

Soylent green? 

[Robbman]

IT'S PEOPLE!!!!

[wm3798]

Andy's high school CAD class is doing some rudimentary 3-D design and printing.  The samples he's shown me are easily DPM quality, or even better in terms of detail and resolution.

I'll be interested to see how this works out.
Lee

[peteski]

I first experienced 3D CAD back in the mid 80s while I worked as a hardware tech in the Computervision Corp. repairing (among many others) the graphic processing unit boards. To test them out we would have the full CADDS 4X software installed on that computer and we would doodle things on the screen. That gave me some education on how to work a 2D and 3D CAD program.

Fast forward about 10 years and I got a hold of a copy of AutoCAD V12.  I again played around with it but didn't actually design anything useful.

Fast forward to the present: Once I learned about Shapeways I tied using Google SketchUp.  I can see that it would be fairly easy to design objects like buildings. After all, that is what SketchUp is designed for. But when I tried to do some complex and intersecting curved surfaces, SketchUp is very limiting in what can be done. I also found it frustrating that many times the surfaces are reversed and need to be fixed.  I also tried to run the output through the CADspan tools but I was running out of triangles very quickly.

Overall, I haven't really spent enough time on this to get good at it but I also think that other more powerful 3D tools would make the design process easier. Maybe some day I'll get back into it (and fins a powerful and affordable 3D CAD app).  There is definitely 3D rapid prototyping in our model railroading future.

[jdcolombo]

I know folks have issues with Shapeways, but here's a photo of a finished N-scale NKP 1000-series caboose done in FUD material:



No, the material isn't anywhere near as smooth as injection molded plastic (or styrene).  I have another photo in which you can quite clearly see the striations ("fuzz") on the sides of the caboose.  But this is a model that wasn't going to be produced by any mainstream manufacturer, and it was as much a symbol of the NKP as the Berkshire.  Shapeways offered a way to get these at reasonable cost ($23, not including trucks & couplers), and frankly from any reasonable viewing distance on my layout (e.g., 2' and up), they look great.   If you get your kicks out of taking close-up photos of highly detailed models, then this clearly isn't for you.  But for me, it's perfect for now.  Before I'm done, I hope to have a dozen of them, and if something better comes along, I'll do what I always do, which is retire and upgrade (if I can afford it).  Anyone want some old Atlas-Kato wrong-dimension GP9's painted for the NKP? 

In short, whatever the shortcomings of Shapeways and FUD, it sure beats not having a key model at all (yes, I could have scratchbuilt it, but it's all a question of time - this route saved me countless modeling hours that can now be shifted to scenery projects; filling out car-cards or what have you).   

John C.

[Mark W]

In short, whatever the shortcomings of Shapeways and FUD, it sure beats not having a key model at all.   

Thank you.

[DKS]

In short, whatever the shortcomings of Shapeways and FUD, it sure beats not having a key model at all...

+1!

[Sokramiketes]

The Finelines stuff is interesting.  In person you can see the layers, but the parts are extremely clean and dressed in a way that the striation all but dissappears.  They appear to be worth the money. 

Their file upload also lets you pick the build orientation.

[DKS]

I think I'll be taking a serious look at Finelines, once I get a better handle on 3D modeling.

The problem is finding the spare minutes to do all of this!

[u18b]

Not to hijack this thread.... but I have what I hope will be a simple question.

I know NOTHING about 3d drawings.  I'm still using CorelDRAW ver 8 for 2d vector drawing.

What program would you 3d guys recommend with a caveat-  I use Window$ when I have to, but prefer to work in Linux (using Linux Mint, 13).  I do my CorelDRAW drawing in WinXP in a virtual machine.

So should is go with Blender (works on Linux).  Or in Windows go with Sketchup?  Or something else- hopefully free.  Free is good- if possible.

There are several projects my son and I might attempt- but the hindrance is just getting started.  I almost find all 3d tutorials overwhelming.
Ron

[FrankCampagna]

I first experienced 3D CAD back in the mid 80s while I worked as a hardware tech in the Computervision Corp. repairing (among many others) the graphic processing unit boards. To test them out we would have the full CADDS 4X software installed on that computer and we would doodle things on the screen. That gave me some education on how to work a 2D and 3D CAD program.

Fast forward about 10 years and I got a hold of a copy of AutoCAD V12.  I again played around with it but didn't actually design anything useful.

Fast forward to the present: Once I learned about Shapeways I tied using Google SketchUp.  I can see that it would be fairly easy to design objects like buildings. After all, that is what SketchUp is designed for. But when I tried to do some complex and intersecting curved surfaces, SketchUp is very limiting in what can be done. I also found it frustrating that many times the surfaces are reversed and need to be fixed.  I also tried to run the output through the CADspan tools but I was running out of triangles very quickly.

Overall, I haven't really spent enough time on this to get good at it but I also think that other more powerful 3D tools would make the design process easier. Maybe some day I'll get back into it (and fins a powerful and affordable 3D CAD app).  There is definitely 3D rapid prototyping in our model railroading future.

Have you tried 3D modeling programs like Wings, Hexagon, Blender (all currently free)?

Someone at Daz Studios made a credible 3D model of an ALCO RS-11. Several 3D artists have made railroad related items. Saw a bunch of track items the other day.

[DKS]

Also free is Google SketchUp. Much more powerful than some folks would have you believe, and the learning curve is not frightening. Especially if you take the time to watch their tutorials first.

[peteski]

SketchUp is the only software I tried. I have watched the tutorials and I can easily draw certain objects, the stuff i needed to draw is not that easy with SketchUp.  I often end up with not watertight solids because some of the intersecting surfaces SketchUp creates have voids in them.

A good looking (on the screen) 3D model is not guaranteed to be "printable". It needs to be watertight and there are some other rules that need to be followed. To be honest. I really haven't had much time to mess around with any 3D modeling software. But I am planning on getting into it someday.

I agree with DKS - the online SketchUp tutorials are very enlighting (even to someone with no 3D modeling experience). After all they were designed for average mortals who would like to help Google in creating 3D models of real buildings.

[DKS]

Some of the 3D printing services offer assistance in making minor corrections to your drawings for a nominal fee. Might be worth considering when the time to correct it yourself outweighs the correction fee.