About those 3D printers...

[gendoikari87]

[url]http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/23/peachy-printer/[/url]

Alright, if the math here is too hard, you should just pack up and go home, because we're about to multiply the wave function by it's complex conjugate. That's right, **** just got real!

[Wolfshade]

This should be in the kickstarters or oubillete, it is not strictly 40k related.

[Morgrim]

And it'll still be quite a few more years before games companies need to worry; the quality of the small desktop printers just isn't high enough yet to do smooth models. You'd spend more time sanding surfaces flat than designing the thing in the first place.

I know Raging Heroes uses 3D printed masters but I wonder what sort of clean up they have to do on the models before casting from them? I also know they send them away to a different company to be printed, so presumably it is some professional business with printers that have higher resolution.

[Muulka]

And it'll still be quite a few more years before games companies need to worry; the quality of the small desktop printers just isn't high enough yet to do smooth models. You'd spend more time sanding surfaces flat than designing the thing in the first place.

I know Raging Heroes uses 3D printed masters but I wonder what sort of clean up they have to do on the models before casting from them? I also know they send them away to a different company to be printed, so presumably it is some professional business with printers that have higher resolution.

I did some work experience at an engineering firm earlier this year, and they had a 3D printer which was accurate to, I believe, 0.1mm. It might have been even finer. What I do know is that it was hugely expensive and broken when I was there, so I never saw it used.
I think that 3D printing technology is also used in Formula 1; if they can make front wing parts from a 3D printer, they can sure make a smooth model!

If you have the money, that is

[Mr Mystery]

There's also the speed consideration.....

How long does it take to print something of suitable resolution and complexity that it doesn't look poop?

Hours it would seem, and even then the results are touch and go...

[knas ser]

I don't know much about 3D printing, but presumably it could follow the same path as photocopying, black and white and colour printing. All of these were expensive at first and can now be done in the home, BUT it didn't have to reach the cheap enough for the home stage for us to make widespread use of it. We'd go to the library and funnel our coins into the photocopier or we'd go to the print shop and say "42 pages of this, please". When the cost can be spread between many people, expensive things can still be accessible.

Sure 3D printing takes time, but that just means you'll place your order in advance and pick up some days later.

I don't know if any of these will be good enough for figures, but I bet we'll see some fantastic terrain / building / vehicle designs going around.

[Charistoph]

I think that 3D printing technology is also used in Formula 1; if they can make front wing parts from a 3D printer, they can sure make a smooth model!

If you have the money, that is

Some chap here in the States is also making firearms with one as well. The final assembly is up to the customer to get around certain crazy legal issues (you know, the ones that prevent law-abiding citizens to possess a means to defend themselves).

[Seleucus]

Have a look on Shapeways to see what 3D printing can do already. I've brought up a page with 40k connections:

[url]http://www.shapeways.com/search?q=40k&s=0#more-products[/url]

Have alook through the pages and you will see some good ideas/models, many of which you can buy. Prices differ depending upon how many people order the item, how difficult it is to print, what quality of material you want it in etc. Dynarth and Custom Minis have a lot of SM specific items including weapons and moulded shoulder pads with some useful designs on them, not over-priced.