Autodesk gets involved with 3D printing.

[wcfn100]

This one's not old news as it just came across my e-mail.

http://spark.autodesk.com/ember

Jason

[jimmo]

Bear in mind that what we (as modelers) require as users of 3D printers is far from any affordable desktop unit. If I could get a 16 micron desktop printer for a couple hundred bucks, I'd be all over that.

Back to reality...

[jmarley76]

Some day...

This technology may advance to the point where we're no longer buying kits, but the specs or data to print kits. But not anytime soon, and definitely not until I have gone to all the trouble to scratch-build what I want.

[Jesse6669]

I think I saw Dremel marketing a 3D Printer..  seems a natural fit for their "small tool" "craft" business.  Although the consumer grade printers made by anyone (i.e. Makerbot, etc) are probably not acceptable for most scale models just yet, it's only a matter of time I think.

[sirenwerks]

Bear in mind that what we (as modelers) require as users of 3D printers is far from any affordable desktop unit. If I could get a 16 micron desktop printer for a couple hundred bucks, I'd be all over that.

Back to reality...

So how does 16 micron compare to Shapeways?

[jimmo]

So how does 16 micron compare to Shapeways?

I had heard that 16 microns was the best we could get if we wanted to pay more than four times the cost of Shapeways prints. I found an online place that offered such a service and ordered one of my files to be done. It would have cost me less than $10 on SW in FUD. This place charged me $60+. I figured that if it was way better than what SW was doing, it would be worth it because I was going to use it as a master for resin casting. When I got it back I was sorely disappointed. It was too rough to even use. That being said, I am still searching for that ultra high definition others have discussed, because that sure wasn't it.

[sirenwerks]

I think what you're saying is the 16 microns is not in all three dimensions? 

If we ever get to the point of getting no print lines in an N scale vehicle print with a company like Shapeways to handle the distribution, the hobby/scale will take off.  3D printing could be the game changer, putting product development and fulfillment in the hands of small manufacturers.  The down side to that is that small manufacturers are based on an individual, which (not to sound morose) has a shorter life-span than a corporate entity.  Proof of that has already been seen in companies like Sunrise and N Scale of Nevada.  People grow old, they get caught up in life and their products disappear quicker.  Which is not necessarily a good thing for the hobby/scale.  Companies like Atlas and Kato keep going.

This may seem like a strange idea to put out there, but in terms of Shapeways-based product lines, I would urge model-makers to devise a legacy plan.  When they decide to give up their products, they 'donate' them through transfer of ownership so the products live on to benefit a good cause, like Railwire; rather than pulling their product line or letting it die off.  Granted, new products won't get developed in such instances, but existing products can live on and modelers for years to come can still get them.

[Palouse51]

This may seem like a strange idea to put out there, but in terms of Shapeways-based product lines, I would urge model-makers to devise a legacy plan.  When they decide to give up their products, they 'donate' them through transfer of ownership so the products live on to benefit a good cause, like Railwire; rather than pulling their product line or letting it die off.  Granted, new products won't get developed in such instances, but existing products can live on and modelers for years to come can still get them.

I do not think that's a strange idea at all. In fact I can also envision more people sharing their 3D print files with each other. Maybe setting up areas on forums like this one where people swap and share such files-designs. "Open source" for the win.

We just need to wait for the tech to improve some more. It's coming along, and it will get to where we need it to.

[lashedup]

Just got back from the Consumer Ekectronic Show and spent some time with all the 3D printer companies and learned a lot.  I took photos and notes and tomorrow I'll create a new post with the current 3D printer state of the union.   

- jamie

[pjm20]

The resolution is on par with Makerbot at 100 microns. The build area is a little smaller, but being $1500 cheaper and you can get it at Home Depot makes me want to get one. Then again, Makerbot has some nice support like their own software and accessory products like their Digitizer. Decisions, decisions.

[peteski]

Just got back from the Consumer Ekectronic Show and spent some time with all the 3D printer companies and learned a lot.  I took photos and notes and tomorrow I'll create a new post with the current 3D printer state of the union.   

- jamie

Since it was a Consumer Electronics Show, were the printers there of consumer grade only or did they also have high-res industrial ones too?

[lashedup]

EnvisionTec was there. 

In a nutshell I'd stay away from the filament-based machines and only look at SLA type machines at .25 microns or better. Otherwise there are too many compromises in detail and smoothness.  I'll explain more tomorrow. 

[wcfn100]

Just got this today from Autodesk.

Ember Explorer

Resolution of 50 micron XY and 10-100 Z.

Six large is probably out of my range unless I could see it in action and get some test prints first.

Jason

[wazzou]

EnvisionTec was there. 

I'll explain more tomorrow.

That meant 1/8/2015, right?   

[C855B]

Uh oh... from further down the page Jason linked to:

...who have been approved by Autodesk to purchase... [established commercial users but]... not to other parties or to end users located in a residential environment...

In other words, they're not going to sell to hobbyists.

They clearly haven't the smallest clue who their prospective market is. Nearly all their illustrated samples are art and jewelry, yet where do they think this kind of custom artwork is created? On some factory floor in an industrial district? Hardly. I've been in dozens of artists' studios, and with the rare exception of glass artists (blown glass), 99% have been at home, either in a converted garage or a shed out back.

Curious how much they're going to stick to their guns on this. Until they're passed by the competition? Too late at that point.

Standing by for the CES report!