Well I came across this article;
http://www.gizmag.com/makerbot-replicat ... ter/24209/

Here's the bot;
http://store.makerbot.com/replicator2.html


That's $2200 for a 100 micron accurate 3D printer. Times they are a-changin...

...and early next year two-color printing for $2799!

Did you notice the resolution? 100 micron. Nice smooth surfaces...

Yes VERY nice...definitely nice enough for gaming (among other things). This is getting to where it will be a game-changer in many industries. It is a little high for me to fork over immediately, but it is definitely on my radar, and may be a purchase within the next 6 months to a year, although I suspect something better will be out in that time frame as well!

Did you notice the part in the article that said the top of the line (16 micron) units pop out models that may cost as much as this printer? I was awed.

So I thought to myself...how much does the material cost? At $50 a KG, I was worried. Then I found this and...well...aside from the up front cost of the printer, this is WAY cheaper than buying minis...
http://www.makerbot.com/blog/2012/02/24 ... 1kg-spool/

Or 392 minis for $50... Just prime, paint, dip...

How long until they can print the minis fully painted?

Minis would be nice, but I'd be more interested in getting terrain from them!

Wonder when Pepakura will come out with support for 3d printing.

I am with UHF and Skunkape. Minis will be great, but will most likely take a while to design to get it right (at least in the beginning and depending on detail). For terrain, it would be excellent. No more foamcore for my TLX! I would be printing 1/4" (not 3/16"!) tiles as well as many non-paper props and unique pieces.

My thought is that some of the miniature companies who ALREADY produce their models in a 3D modeling program will start selling digital miniatures and accessories.

I cannot see why they would not. I also expect there to be many new entrants to the field which is better for us all!

I'm super excited about the prospect of 3d printing - I'm kind of willing to drop the cash to be an early adopter of the technology. I would like more information, though, on the reliability of the printers - how often do those print heads get clogged? What parts tend to break, and what will repairing it be like? What's the process of cleaning up after a "print"? A paper jam is annoying, but it isn't all that expensive to deal with. How often and in what ways do 3d prints "mess up"?

I've been eyeing a number of different machines, but I haven't spent the time to really research it.

I also wish I had a nice CNC router setup. As a software guy, I love the idea of being able to tell the computer to be the craftsman, since I don't have the time to hone those skills myself!

Agreed on all points!

I saw a DIY CNC product that was supposed to be able to cut Foamcore and similar thickness products, but when I found it, they weren't selling the blueprints to build it anymore!

I need to do another search on the internet to see if I can find another one!

Instructables has a few of them. I have been browsing.

Their new software takes OBJ files which is an output format for Daz...
http://www.daz3d.com/shop/shop

Check out some of my renders here to get an idea about what can be done;
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=10958

So... you can buy models like this;
http://www.runtimedna.com/EarthBreaker.html

pose and print them. (There are issues... which may need to be addressed on a model by model basis... Printers don't like surfaces that are 1 pixel thick, and these printers build up, so model bits that go down would be an issue.)





I suspect that if you can't print a daz model yet, you will be able to do so soon.

Oh and how about a base like this?
http://www.daz3d.com/shop/one-tree-hill


Also... right now, there are tons of free versions of models that are copyrighted. Soo... Space Marines... free;
http://phantom9856.tripod.com/wh/warhammer.html

I could see a model like her working if you cut it in half along the shoulders so it had a flat base to build up and then gluing the halves together...

Apparently the way to go is getting a dual-head printer and use two separate materials. One acts as a support material that can relatively easily be removed in a wash, allowing for more complex shapes.

Building on what Kane said, I say there is no shame in printing pieces/sprues instead of full models.

Although I agree... You have to consider that it would be a more complicated process. Not everyone here is an expert in solid works, etc.

There was an experimental project a few years ago to convert standard objects into proper STL files. (Which are some sort of volumetric file.)

Oh, of course. For those who want to develop models with complex parts, however, it should be no biggie to chop them up after the fact and lay them out on a plane, then add a frame to complete the sprues.

Another one to consider... http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/for ... 3d-printer

WOW. That is REALLY impressive. I think that is MAJOR competition for the Replicator 2. Cost looks to be about 50% more, but the quality is a LOT higher.

That's not a high enough resolution... 100 microns is barely good enough for minis. (You may need to sand a carve the clean up at that resolution.)

I'm not sure you can compare exactly, though. This one does it in a different way. They have comparison shots showing traditional 3D printing vs what this one does and its pretty stark.