I know the subject of 3D printing has come up from time to time here, but I can't find the old threads.

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/10/1 ... Challenges

I doubt that'll happen, you still have to know how to draw in CAD. The printer is just a tool just like a CNC or any other machine equipment. And they're mostly used for making protos, not an actual product to sell. I don't really see how it could be infringing on patents any more than a CNC would be.

That's not a barrier any more. The article stated that people have been sharing their designs online.The article also mentions home systems, not just commercial ones. And whether or not an item is sold doesn't affect whether or not a law has been violated.If you're using the device to make something already covered by a patent (or copyright or trademark) without authorization from the holder, then you are violating that patent (or copyright or trademark).

My point is that if I went on some bootleg CAD file site, even though I know how to draw in CAD and program CNC's, I could still do the same thing as these hobbiests in their garage. I could infringe on patents all day long. I think it would be a matter of going after these sites that would have have the part files and that's as far as they could go IMO. Also 3D printers are mainly used for rapid protos. Usually used to show a client where the design is at. I've looked into the office sized ones recently and they have lines on the edges and are just proto quality, and that was a 10,000 dollar one. I can only imagine these garage ones.

You would think they would just prosecute the sites that hosted it, but now when it comes to infringing items, they pursue the people that originally uploaded them and those who download them.

And while I understand your point about the state of today's technology, the point of the article is about where it might go in the future. Maybe people will be making their own Rose Vampires one day.

This is true, very strange subject. I'm sure it'll get really nice in the next few years with consumer models and get cheaper and cheaper and bootlegs will run wild!!! It would probably take a while for them to go after the people who are downloading the files though. They'll probably go after the sites first. There is a limit though that will not change. It is limited to plastic parts. Unless you have a factory to translate it to some other form you are stuck with that.

Schrodinger's cat has nothing on you.

Announcement coming up at Makerbot in 30 minutes:

http://makerbot.com/

i didn't realize there were so many 3d printing fanatics. the site must be getting hammered — nothing but error screens

Try:

http://www.livestream.com/makerbotindustries

just finished watching what i assume was a live-ish stream of the announcements. amazing stuff. 100 micron resolution?! dimensionally stable plastics? for home use? human brains aren't evolving fast enough to comprehend, much less fully utilize, all the tools being invented.

Yah, was pretty interesting.

1) There's a Replicator 2 coming, higher resolution and larger build platform and optimized for PLA:

http://www.makerbot.com/replicator2-press-assets/

2) There's a Replicator 2X on the horizon, going to be optimized for ABS:

http://www.makerbot.com/replicator2x-press-assets/

3) There's new Makerware being released:

http://www.makerbot.com/makerware/

4) They're opening a retail store in Manhattan, complete with gashapon.

http://www.makerbot.com/retail-store/

I've read some discussion on fear of 3-D printing guns and gun parts. Other than that I got to check out a maker bot and got a little chipmunk sample. Honestly on the sub few thousand dollar models I think the quality and stair step effect is so severe it would require a tremendous amount of hand work to clean up and get resembling the 3-d model. And on smaller objects I wonder if proper clean up would even be possible or doable for the casual hobbyist. But I look forward to seeing advances in the technology and improved quality.

^ you might be talking about older gen machines. the one announced today has 100 micron resolution. that's 0.1 mm or about 0.004 inches.

as fo making gun parts, every new technological step brings with it weaponizing aspects that are unavoidable as long as boys still like to make pew pew sounds. besides, guns don't kill people; bullets do

Reminds me of Chris Rock's solution to gun violence - make bullets cost $1K a piece! Then when someone gets shot you know they deserved it!

Very cool Roger. Did you have anything in particular planned for the mini heads, or was that just what they had planned for Stross' visit? Pricey, but still very cool.

Nothing planned for the heads aside from sitting on the shelf next to my Combat Shell prints.

No idea what Mr. Stross did with his scan. I have a Makerbot print of one of these lying around:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:9272

Roger there was an article in the new Wired about the Makerbot 3D printer. In fact the creator was on the cover with the machine. Interesting stuff. I thought it was funny that 90% of the examples mentioned (on what it can do) were toys. If I had a spare $2200 I'd get one!

http://www.wired.com/design/2012/09/how ... facturing/

Yeah, I'd love to get one too but money and time are the obstacles right now. One day.

I love that giant tractor that they made with it. I also pointed these out elsewhere, they are tons of fun:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23688

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:11996

^ do you know what advantages this machine has over makerbot? its specs list lower res and smaller volume, but i'm not familiar with dlp vs fdm, etc.

Watch the videos for both, that will clear things up. They're completely different types of manufacturing, one melts solid PVC or PLA and extrudes it, and the other is using liquid resin that's being fused with a laser.