There are 3D printers in schools. I think it would be coll to have a printer which I could use like Spotify with a large catalogue of useful designs, maybe a marketplace where I could tender for designs, and almost idiot proof operation. Imagine 3D printing your own custom in-earphone tips because you've lost an old pair. This has potential. It can work if it's executed well!
The reason is because it's getting much closer to the "star trek replicator" than we've ever had.
Education is ONE of the uses, yes and we plan to promote that as one of them, however there's SO MUCH MORE. There will be 1,000 models in 10 categories of USEFUL 3D models people can benefit from daily, and we plan to increase that library, so within a year we could have 5,000 models and then 10,000 and so on until there's a massive library of models, and with that, we also plan to work with the likes of Disney and Ikea and major car manufactuers, and toy manufacturers, because it can completely change the landscape of things.
Yes, 3D printing has been difficult to pin down because there's MANY use cases, not just one or two specific ones. I keep going back to the PC market, but I believe it is relevant. The only people who were using PC's were businesses, engineers and tinkerers, until some compelling interfaces and other usefulness came out of it, and we saw an explosion of all kinds of uses, but they still had to buy the PC to get into it.
You can overpay for shapeways and wait a week or two for your product, but with ours, once you pay the $1,000 you have a machine that is ever increasing in value and the material costs goes down to a few dollars per print out.
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Originally Posted by Yw-slayer
Agreed. I truly believe the reason that large companies haven't gotten into the industry is because it's not been easy to use, and second, the printers aren't very reliable. If we can improve the overall standards and "What to look for" in a 3D printer....such as, no longer being an out in the open thing with wires and hot bits everywhere, but enclosed, we can really expand the market and start to attract large companies to the fold.
I just wanted to add that I'm very happy that Billi isn't convinced, it helps me work harder :)
This is one of the things that is going on now. 3D models online are like the Napster era....many are using copyrighted objects and posting them for free. Big companies don't like that.
https://all3dp.com/disney-pulls-star...m-thingiverse/
If only there was an alternate outlet for those companies to post their designs for a fee....sorta like an "Itunes" for 3D models....hmm....
It's not just 3D models. Places like Etsy are absolutely loaded to the gunwales with amateurish handmade crap that exists in copyright limbo, which I am surprised hasn't been looked at too deeply yet.
But beware of a big difference between Napster and Thingiverse and their ilk:
Napster users were sharing files that were created by someone else, then ripped into a lossy format, then shared freely, with no compensation to the original creator.
Thingiverse is different because the 3D files are an original creation of the uploader, they just take inspiration from ideas and designs that someone else owns the rights to.
I mention this because you want to create the "iTunes for 3D models" but the original objects do not exist in the first place like it does for music files that were copied wholesale. But that's not impossible to fix. When this gets off the ground and you build your audience, you'll be able to approach rights holders and licence the designs for people to print at home. I'm sure you've already thought of that, tho!
Imagine an app on your phone where you can customise a 3D model of your favourite Star Wars character; Vader's head on a Stormtrooper body, with Gungan legs or something, paint it all pink and send it over the network to the printer and BOOM out it pops. The kids would love it.
That's exactly the point.
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Originally Posted by Rare White Ape
Yes, I agree...but the comparison is a valid one I believe. The question is, will those companies want to offer 3D models?
I think they will, but there are some caveats and I fully expect them to tread carefully at first. It also depends on the industry. Toys and non-functional models are one thing....functional replacement parts are another.
I think the idea, and this is further down the road, of companies no longer having to stock spare parts in warehouses, but can still make income from those spare parts, without them doing anything except producing the CAD file. That's about the simplest way for them to make money possible. They produce the "official" CAD file, we fully test it, they sign-off on the finished part and it's a done deal. We get a percentage of the model sales, and they get the rest, and no longer have to worry about inventory and packaging and shipping.
This also makes it potentially more eco-friendly as well :)
It will be more eco friendly. Imagine printing an Ikea setup instead of the travel and shipment to get it etc.
It would be huge
You'll just have the travel and shipment of all of the raw materials and 3D printing equipment and maintenance tools.