27 replies to this topic

[Pasidon]

What ya' gonna' do with 3D prints? There are several intriguing ideas going around using 3D prints, such as making great shots for movies rather than CGI'ing terrains and crazy structures.

[duke_Qa]

Most likely architectural visualizations for different firms, Also would have been fun with a Z camera and do sculpts of people's faces, put them into zbrush/mudbox and pull their features around. I would also use it for warhammer terrain and figures, maybe even prototype/create tabletop-game items like settlers of catan hexagons. Shapeways is probably a fine example of the sort of business I'd be working on, but oriented towards Norway/Scandinavia.

[Pasidon]

Shapeways does 3D prints now? Cool. They have some pretty awesome stuff. From the stuff you're doing, you can make some pretty big money. And when you reach the point you can afford the not-so cheep printer materials, you'll be gold to the industry.

[duke_Qa]

I guess you could make money, but you need to invest in tech that is rapidly evolving, you might end up with the 3d-printer version of windows ME. But I'm sure 3d printing is the future of industry, so I'm keeping an eye out on the opportunities. Right now the basic plastic 3d printers you buy are too expensive in the plastic department to do anything but small-time things, but we're getting there.

[Pasidon]

I'd donate, but I don't invest in voxels.

I'm sure this is the innovation of 2012... 3D printing. People can't get enough of this 3D junk, so I can almost guarantee it's popularity will rise. They'll push the 3D printer into becoming a household item, I bet... maybe in 8 years or something.

[duke_Qa]

Most likely even sooner. you can get a crude 3d printer for $500 today, probably less as well.

But the more of these 3d printers the world demands, the more applications for 3d modelling/creation is needed. So you need to create many tools handy for casual 3d, to get people to create silly things they wish to print out. voxel/minecraft games are very useful in that direction.

[Pasidon]

I'm just trying to imagine what crimes people could possibly commit using these things. I wonder if it would be some law against printing a 3D model of an Unreal Tournament map or something...

[duke_Qa]

As with any things that might be under copyright and might be a direct revenue source for the original creator, there will be piracy issue with 3d printers when they get good enough to replicate things.