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There was a lot of 3D printers demoed at Siggraph this year. Their technology is impressive but still not quite there in terms of quality (resolution and color)
by jrbedard 18y ago
There was a lot of 3D printers demoed at Siggraph this year. Their technology is impressive but still not quite there in terms of quality (resolution and color). Most of the models produced, even with higher-end 100K$+ printers, still felt grainy as if the "3D DPI" is not high enough to create a layered object with smooth enough surfaces. Also, all the models that I've seen containing colors were hand-painted as the affordable printers don't have this feature yet. I think that technology is improving, but still aimed mostly at the engineering prototypes market for now.
- replicatorblog 18y agojrbedard, You are absolutely correct about the state of the art. I use a fairly nice Invision 3D printer and its quality is nice, but pieces straight out of the chamber have a distinct "wood grain" look. The machines are also somewhat unreliable. However with some sandpaper and elbow grease you can finishe the parts quite nicely. I've sanded pieces from the Invision to the point where they are optically clear and nearly indistinguishable from injection molded parts. The most successful applications of 3D printing beyong engineering models are niches. Figureprints.com can print out World of Warcraft characters for ~$150 because of the emotional bond people have to their characters. Paragon Lake brilliantly figured out a way to make 3D printing a mainstream part of the jewelry manufacturing process.
- jrbedard 18y agoyeah, at Siggraph the most popular company around 3D printing was http://www.shapeways.com/ http://www.shapeways.com/ with their social network around printable 3D creations and their easy-to-use 3D modeling software to design and customize artsy products.