I should clarify, in production projects, materials may end up being a much greater overall part of the process, especially if the production is heavily automat

I should clarify, in production projects, materials may end up being a much greater overall part of the process, especially if the production is heavily automated. However, 3D printing of tool steels seems like it is aimed at lower volume parts where the automation will be lower, so paying a machinist to load/unload, finish, debur etc might be a relatively larger portion of the time. For us hobbyists, the CAD time is free, so it tends to cost less :)