3d Printing

[greed4284]

Hey Guys, anyone into 3d printing? i got thinking how cool it would be to be able to 3d print my in game Toons!

i play mech warrior online on the side and i was able to take the 3d renderings of the mech graphics and potentially 3d print them out.

Anyways anyone ever Dable with this idea?

[leftharted]

I happen to work at a manufacturing company that has a 3d printing department.

It really depends a lot on what your looking for. For example, there are a wide variety of different materials it could be made from, from urethanes to metals, some more expensive than others, with all different resolutions (quality/detail).

If you truly have your own CAD(3d) files already, you've done half the battle. Depending on the size/detail, your probably looking at a few hundred bucks (minimal) for a figure of your own character done Professionally.

I have researched those 'at home' personal 3d printing machines, and like most things in life, there's a catch. They aren't able to produce a ton of detail, the materials they use are (for lack of a better term) cheap, and they require a lot of maintenance.

If you do not have your own CAD files yet, id suggest getting a hold of those before going any further. You'll probably have to make your own, as I doubt youll find other from a website like GrabCAD etc. If you are computer literate, get yourself a copy of Solidworks, watch hours of youtube videos, and make your own CAD files.

If you are truly serious about any of this, send me a PM with your personal/private email; and I will contact you with more information. (or rather, put you in contact with one of my sales team.) But realize it can be costly, if you REALLY want to do it right. If money isn't a large concern for you, send me that PM.

No Joke.

[Sorn]

I've used one of the home 3D printers and also created my own model using Google Sketchup and Blender. They will work with several common file types. The only difficult part is figuring out the size of the resulting print before it's printed.

The EQ models aren't really complicated, but one problem with 3D printing is that anything held out from the main body needs supports and occasionally won't print properly. Crazy poses are pretty much out of the question.

The texture is also not smooth on the home printers. The printer will print in layers and you can feel and see every single layer. The detail would end up being in the sanding and painting you do afterward. Not all of the printers will do colors for you.

I think it would be pretty cool to try, regardless. One thing I learned in art school is to never let what others think might happen get in the way of trying new things. The proof is in the pudding and all that jazz.

You can also find a lot of models on Thingiverse for home 3D printing. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[leftharted]

Originally Posted by Sorn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I've used one of the home 3D printers and also created my own model using Google Sketchup and Blender. They will work with several common file types. The only difficult part is figuring out the size of the resulting print before it's printed.

The EQ models aren't really complicated, but one problem with 3D printing is that anything held out from the main body needs supports and occasionally won't print properly. Crazy poses are pretty much out of the question.

The texture is also not smooth on the home printers. The printer will print in layers and you can feel and see every single layer. The detail would end up being in the sanding and painting you do afterward. Not all of the printers will do colors for you.

I think it would be pretty cool to try, regardless. One thing I learned in art school is to never let what others think might happen get in the way of trying new things. The proof is in the pudding and all that jazz.

You can also find a lot of models on Thingiverse for home 3D printing. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Well said; and Very true, for at home printers.

As for fancy poses etc; a high-end 3d printing machine and a good engineer can stilt and support anything you can imagine. Ive seen our machines build some pretty crazy scaled figurines and castles with some INSANE detail; no build lines, supports, or visible layering.

But, this all comes at a cost. 8/ so there is much to levy!

But, just as Sorn said, if you are good with model working (painting, finishing, sanding bondo skillz) then you can make a figurine from a cheap 3d printer look Epic.

Sorn is very correct; where their is willpower, there is a way. If you care enough, youll find a way to make an awesome figure. 8)

if you have the money for the professional route, PM me, otherwise I will say that the at-home and personal stuff, although more work intensive; will feel much more rewarding to accomplish.

[Bromgard]

I use 3D printing all the time both for prototyping stuff for my business and just for fun.

Nowadays, there are lots of inexpensive shops that will print your CAD files and ship them to you. With a relatively quick turnaround, I might add. And the services they have available are worlds above what in-home printers can offer in terms of quality and variety (different substrates, scale, etc).

I recommend www.shapeways.com

The biggest challenge you will have is generating your digital 3D model in some CAD format (probably .STL). Even if you are able to obtain the right software, 3D modeling is not a skill you can pick up as easily as something like Photoshop for example. Not in my experience, at least.

There are ways to get your 3D models made for you by a designer, sometimes very cheaply, but that is a more involved discussion about sourcing labor that I won't get into. You can even do this through Shapeways website, but you will pay a huge premium over contracting a freelancer directly.