API Evangelist Blog
Series - 3D Printing - Marketplaces
Posted on 05-18-2011
Marketplaces are necessary to showcase and make 3D printing products and parts accessible by the public and other potential customers.
Shapeways and Google SketchUp provide integrated warehousing and marketplaces for 3D designers to showcase their work.
As 3D printing grows, public and private marketplaces will evolve to provide services to showcase 3D products and parts to potential consumers.
Marketplaces will also go beyond showcasing 3D models, and actually act as marketplaces where items can be bid upon, creating virtual economies around 3D manufacturing.
These 3D economies will allow consumers to buy individual or bulk printed versions of 3D models.
3D marketplaces will provide competitive arenas, that creators and designers can find success by offering cheaper, unique and innovative 3D print products.
Marketplaces will represent a re-invented way of buying and selling products that feed an evolving 3D print and manufacturing supply chain.
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Series - 3D Printing - Makers
Posted on 05-18-2011
Just like it takes creators to develop 3D models of physical objects, it takes makers, who are people that actually bring these virtual representations into the world.
3D printers do most of the work, but it takes someone who knows the machine, materials and process to bring these 3D models to life.
Many industries will adopt 3D printing, increasing the need for specialized talent understanding the needs of each sector, and how the printers, process and materials serve these sectors.
Creators will understand objects in a virtual format, and makers will understand them in a physical form.
3D printing is still a relatively new technology and will require constant improving as it evolves, makers will feed this evolution, and provide the knowledge to move the industry forward.
Makers are are another important human link in the evolving 3D print and manufacturing supply chain.
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Series - 3D Printing - Files Formats
Posted on 05-18-2011
3D models used in 3D printing are stored in files. These files can be a wide range of standard or specialized file formats. File formats often depend on the type of 3D modeling software used, but there are many common formats: .stl - STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. .iges - The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) (pronounced eye-jess) defines a neutral data format that allows the digital exchange of information among Computer-aided design (CAD) systems. .obj - OBJ (or .OBJ) is a geometry definition file format first developed by Wavefront Technologies for its Advanced Visualizer animation package. The file format is open and has been adopted by other 3D graphics application vendors. For the most part it is a universally accepted format. .3ds - 3DS is one of the file formats used by the Autodesk 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation...
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Series - 3D Printing - Delivery
Posted on 05-18-2011
3D printing is about delivering a virtual object as a physical object, on demand.
This is where our current shipping industry steps in; UPS, Fedex, USPS, DHS and other shipping providers will make sure we receive our 3D printed objects.
With growing fuel costs, the need for localized delivery will grow, and here is another area where 3D printing will excel.
3D printers can be localized and deliver parts and products locally, with only the need to ship raw materials.
As the green revolution continues, 3D printing will become a key player providing localized manufacturing, and potentially printing made of more sustainable raw materials.
Delivery logistics will be a final and decisive link in an evolving 3D print and manufacturing supply chain.
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Series - 3D Printing - 3D Scanners
Posted on 05-18-2011
3D printing doesn't always start with a human designer or creator. There are wide variety of 3D scanners that can be used in the 3D printing process. A 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance. The resulting data can then be used to construct 3D models. 3D scanning is no replacement for a human designer, but can offer a good start creating a 3D representation. Each 3D scanner has its benefits and limitations, and resulting data will always need much work before it can be used in 3D printing. 3D scanners can offer a lot of benefit in rapid prototyping, and reverse engineering of existing objects. Just like 3D printers you will find a wide range of 3D scanners, in both functionality and price. You can also find innovative hobbyists employing tools like the Xbox Kinect for...
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Series - 3D Printing - 3D Modeling Software
Posted on 05-18-2011
When it comes to creating 3D models for 3D printing there are many types of software to choose from.
3D software solutions range from commercial to free, and can be desktop or part of a newer evolution of web-based applications.
Popular 3D modeling software includeds 3DTin, Tinkercad and complete 3D printing solutions like Shapeways.
One major player that was acquired by Google, is SketchUp. SketchUp is building a large following of amateur and professional 3D designers and creators.
Many software solutions like Sketchup and Shapeways are finding success by simplifying the 3D modeling process and making it accessible by anyone.
As many software solutions move online it opens up the possibility for data portability, collaboration and many other aspects that will fuel growth in 3D printing.
3D modeling software is a critical link in the evolving 3D print and manufacturing supply chain.
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Series - 3D Printers - Printers
Posted on 05-18-2011
A 3D printer works by taking a 3D model, then by making a series of slices that are printed one on top of the other to create a 3D object of the model. Since 2003 there has been large growth in the sale of 3D printers, due to the decline in their cost. You can find 3D printing used in jewellery, footwear, industrial design, architecture, engineering, construction, automotive, aerospace, dental, medical and a wide variety of other industries. There are different types of 3D printers from low cost Makerbot printers for around $1500 to higher end ZCorp printers running around $60,000. There has even been buzz around 3D printers being able to print most of their own parts, enabling 3D printers to recreate themselves. Companies offering the the services of 3D printers range from hobbyists to publicly traded companies like Stratasys. 3D printers are just the golden piece of technology,...
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Does Your E-Commerce Marketplace Have an Embed Strategy?
Posted on 05-04-2011
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Embeddable widgets come in many formats, from JavaScript to iFrames, and are quickly becoming commonplace, especially within e-commerce platforms.
Embeddable objects allow users, especially non-developers to copy and paste content from web sites and embed within other sites, blogs, and social networks.
3D printing and manufacturing platform Shapeways, provides a marketplace for their designers to sell their products, and also provides a set of widgets for users to promote the products they've created and published to their Shapeways shop.
The Shapeways widgets is a classic example of why RESTful APIs are so powerful.
Shapeway employs an iFrame widget where users can enter their shop name, and customize the number of rows and columns, and the height and width of the widget.
These embeddable widgets allow Shapeways shop owners to extend their presence beyond the Shapeways marketplace across the World Wide Web.
Does our e-commerce marketplace have an embed strategy?
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Create 3D Models from Images for 3D Printing
Posted on 04-28-2011
3D printing innovators Shapeways has released a new concept in 3D Printing.
Image Popper is a new tool that allows you to upload a black and white JPG, and Shapeways will generate 3D model from it.
After the image is uploaded you can choose the size and how much you want the drawing raised to create the 3D object.
Innovative tools like Image Popper that allow users to build 3D models for 3D printing without CAD experience is an important piece of moving forward the 3D printing and manufacturing industry.
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Google Sketchup and 3D Cloud Printing
Posted on 04-26-2011
I'm doing a lot of researching and thinking about the future of commercial printing, 3D printing, and manufacturing. Yesterday I was brainstorming on 3D printing and manufacturing with Google. Tonight I'm learning more about Google SketchUp,which Google added toGoogle Apps in December of 2010. Google SketchUp allows anyone to build 3D models to the STL file format, a standard for the 3D print industry. 3D printers like Shapeways lets you upload your STL files, print and order them in their physical form.. Google SketchUp provides a free and professional version of the modeling software. They also provide a 3D Warehouse where you can find a collection of 3D models that are free to use. There is a community of resources as well as training and education materials to learn about the platform. Everything is there to build models to be used in 3D printing and manufacturing. The only missing link...
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