Digital Store of Digital Storing

Makerbot had some big announcements at CES. Not the least of which was the new Makerbot Digital Store. The notion of a digital store has been percolating ever since Thingiverse came into existence.  A lot of people right now are making a living from their digital design work at places like Shapeways.  But, the extension of now having some model file itself is a bit different.  The potential is there for infinite digital & physical copies (unless someone uses really arcane DRM).  For this reason, some 3d model selling sites up until now have charged exorbitant rates for models.  That's not viable in the long term as normal folks pick up 3D printing.  Makerbot is aiming this platform at the audience that picks up a printer from them cold and asks, "Now what?"

The first set of "in-action" figure collections put up on the store are generally pretty ho-hum, but the Famous Flyers collection is REALLY freaking cool. You can infer from photos of the models that they are well done as toys and very printable (albeit with support). The price per figure is comparable to an iTunes song (1.29) and a collection is comparable to an iTunes album (9.99).  This is a good price for commercial grade models.  I've paypaled the equivalent of a cup of coffee to folks who I've shared models with. Taking the risk that someone can share your work with the wider world will continue to be a challenge.

There are more than a few things not to be crazy about with this first attempt at the digital store.  For some reason, the most inventive name from Makerbot at CES this year was the Replicator Z18, their Big Daddy printer.  These guys used to come up with crazy names for even laser cut parts from kits (You had to bolt the Little Dinosaur and the Big Dinosaur to the "Plastruder" in the Cupcake kit for support).  Digital Store is the most generic name possible for something I look at on a computer screen and shovel money into.

Something that seems a bit bizarre is the use of .x3g format for the files, the actual binary build code makerbots use.  It's stated to work for the Replicator 2 and newer 5th gen Replicators (Does the Gene Roddenberry estate get money for these at this point?).  This is ostensibly to take work out of tuning a print, but it's obviously also meant as a poor man's DRM.  Including an STL file seems like the right step to both open up the store and allow experimentation (I'd love to make the shuttle really freakin' huge!). The thing is, Makerbot literally sells a scanner one could use to turn around and scan a print right back to an STL and post it anywhere.  The best compromise may be Makerbot exclusive "launch windows" which open up to anyone after a few months.

A cool possibility from here is if the store expands into a curated, premium Thingiverse.  Maybe there is a plan to start a matching store under the Thingiverse logo (which isn't specific to Makerbot machines )or could even be open to a range of digital fabrication technologies.  There needs to be more options in this space for users to get models, for creators to sell their work, and help guide the next wave of adopters for 3D printing.

Note: The airplane pictures can be attributed to Makerbot. I would have loved to print one myself, but was unable to do that since I have an older Replicator.  

3D Printers at CES

High-Res Printing: It is fantastic!

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) just ended, so what better time to talk about some of the 3D printing news from the show. The already insane amount of technology at CES now includes 3D printers on top of the range of computers, cellphones, tablets, and televisions. Exciting to see semi-mainstream interest for makers, engineers, designers, hobbyists, and tinkerers alike!

While they were busy NOT giving a CES award to Dish CNET found time to round up several of the shiny new machines. One of the big boys, 3D Systems debuted its CubeX tri-color printer. It's 1 more than 10....uuuhhh or dual extrusion. This appears to be a pretty high-end machine if you don't mind buying their cartridges. Also, Afinia announced a software upgrade that allows for 150 micron prints. They displayed their H-Series printer along with their line of ABS. MakerBot, best known for introducing 3D printers to home-based users, brought along the newest version of their Replicator, the 2X.  At $2800, will this be the Lisa to compliment the Cupcake/Apple I?  The machine has a redesigned extruder, casing to hold in heat, and a redesigned heated build platform that keeps prints from warping. Fabbr machines run enclosed as much as possible and the reduction in drafts does have a big impact on quality with large prints.

 

We've experimented with the Sailfish software and been able to attain the same high-resolution prints with our Replicator and need to check out the new v7 official firmware. The Makerbot branded, Thingiverse website also received a good size update. Particularly exciting is their Customizer App, which allows a user to simply design, customize and print an object. For example, you can choose from a few standard phone cases and then modify their thickness, shape, and durability. A user can easily create a .STL file within the webpage and upload it to Thingiverse. Exciting news if you are looking for 3D printers at an entry level or as a "prosumer".  Most of the things we've been getting excited about is suppliers of components for building our own machines.  Hopefully reviews of those will go up soon.

 

I printed the D20 on Felicia Day's Desk!

Last month Ryan and I met Felicia Day at a game fair. She is totally sweet, and down-to-earth. Basically, one of the nicest people I've ever met. I couldn't resist printing this D20 for her on my MakerBot. Last night while watching this episode of The Flog I spotted the D20! Needless to say it made my day. Thanks Felicia!



The famous Dual Extrusion D20

The Flog

MakerBot Grab Bags are Back!

MakerBot is offering a grab bag for $9.99. The bags were so popular that they went out-of-stock, but they are back! Oops grab bag 1 went out of stock, but there is still grab bag 2. It is always good to have a spare belt or pulley handy when constructing your 3D printer. Besides the complete fun of ordering a mysterious bag of stuff, you might find something useful for your current DIY project.

Cutting it Close

Custom Designs

What Else Do You Print?

We have been printing a lot of of Prusa Mendels lately. I am continuously surprised and pleased at the steady rate of demand for 3D printed parts. However, I wanted to mention that fabbR is not limited to producing RepRap parts. If you design it, we will print it (as long as it fits on the build platform)! Some of the things that we have designed and printed include: A GPS Mount, bottle opener, and a US CPSC Small Parts Test Tube. For more awesome 3D parts check out Thingiverse.com.


What Software Do You Use?

If you have a design that you would like printed, send us a .stl file and we will provide you with an estimate on the cost of the parts. We are charging $9 per ounce for custom prints. When we receive the file opening it in Rhino is a good way to see the scale of the object. You can also view and manipulate objects with Replicator G, before generating the code to print them. Skeinforge is another helpful piece of software for viewing the layers of a potential print.

Sharing 


What have you printed or shared on Thingiverse? We are interested in seeing what you are printing and designing at home. Leave a message in the comments to let us know.

Credits


rplumley on Thingiverse for designing some really cool parts!

GPS Adapter (pictured above).

What Do You Do?

Have you ever had trouble explaining to a friend or family member what you do for a living? Maybe your career is so specialized that nobody has heard of it. A friend asked me the other day what exactly I print on my 3D Printer. I told her that I print plastic parts on my MakerBot, and sell them to people wanting to build their own printers (e.g., Prusa Mendel). A printer that prints itself is a pretty cool concept when you think about it. Of course this might be hard to visualize, unless you have actually seen the plastic parts, or a photograph of a Prusa.

Furthermore, I explained that my printer was not limited to printing other printers. I have had fun making boxes, blocks, cookie cutters, whistles and other neat things designed by the Thingiverse community. And the creativity does not end there. If you can't find what you want on Thingiverse you can design it yourself! 3D rendering software such as Rhino and Google Sketchup are a good place to test your modeling skills. I know Rhino is pricey, but you can download a free trial (which lasts a long time).

I'm anxious to know what you've told your friends and family about 3D printing. Also, feel free to share some cool tips and advice on things that you've designed and printed yourself.

3D Printing at NYC Maker Faire

It is awesome to see MakerBot and Prusa Mendel at Maker Faire. A couple of years ago I had never heard of 3D printing. I am still amazed by the digital fabrication process that is 3D printing. I'll admit, I have trouble grasping the science and mathematics behind these machines. Of course you do not have to completely understand something for it to be fun! I enjoyed putting together our MakerBot. I wasn't exactly sure how it was going to work, until I saw the plastic coming out of the extruder. I am still learning about 3D printing all the time. If you would like to learn more about it check out the information and links below. The MakerBot TV video is especially cool.

The RepRap 3D printer made an appearance at the NYC Maker Faire this past weekend.  Josef Prusa gave a presentation on the history of RepRap. If you were unable to attend you can check out the slideshow. Also MakerBot was at the Faire and recorded some goodies on their new show MakerBot TV.


credits-
This photo was taken with the Tiny Plant Photos iPhone App.

The Future of Digital Fabrication

Printing plastic objects on a 3D printer called a MakerBot is a niche hobby. Most of our friends and family were interested, but unaware of the inner workings of such a machine. They were fascinated to see how a spool of ABS plastic could be turned into almost anything. Our mothers were impressed when we made them miniature jewelry boxes. But 3D printing can be so much more. It can be whatever your mind creates.

Maybe one of your shower curtain rings broke, but you don't have the time to get in the car and drive to the store to buy a new one. Why not print one on your MakerBot? In the end you will be saving yourself time and money. The best part is that you can feel proud that you made something that will be used on a daily basis (hopefully).

Something else that you might need on a regular basis is a knob for your air conditioning/heating system in your vehicle. Unfortunately my knob broke in the middle of Summer. My husband saw this as a perfect opportunity to design and print a knob for my car. I knew there was a reason for marrying an engineer. For a MakerBot owner this is more fun than contacting the manufacturer and paying top dollar for a replacement.

Right now this site is in flux, but we see it as a step in between the heavy industry and high costs of today and the promise of Earl grey tea replicators tomorrow.