3D Resources - Fabbaloo - Daily News on 3D Printing

3D PRINTING RESOURCES

3D Printing is an incredible space that's now expanding from industrial and commercial uses to new venues including schools and even homes. There's much to learn and we'd like to help by collecting lists of the best resources on the web right here.

CAUTION: These lists are works in progress and are incomplete. If you'd like to suggest an addition or change to the list, feel free to contact us via the "CONTACT" link on the menu bar above. Thanks in advance for your help!

ABOUT 3D PRINTING

So you want to know all about 3D Printing? Of course we'd love it if you read our blog regularly, because you'll pick up what you need to know. Meanwhile, you might consider the links below that talk about the technology in general:

HOBBYIST 3D PRINTER KITS AND PRODUCTS

You don't have to spend a lot of money for a 3D printer. It is quite possible for you to acquire a kit for around USD$1000, or even less from one of these sources.

Bits From Bytes - Produces the RapMan and related 3D printer products, primarily addressing the academic and home markets. Now part of the 3D Systems family of companies
BotMill - A small manufacturer producing a unique RepRap-derived 3D printer
Fab@Home - An open source project providing instructions (and sometimes parts) for an extrusion-based 3D Printer
MakerBot - A growing manufacturer of popular 3D Printer kits based on the RepRap approach. All designs are open sourced
RepRap - The academic and open source research project focusing on the application of new technology for inexpensive 3D printers. Their objective: to make a machine that can replicate itself
Ultimaker - Ultra-fast RepRap derived 3D printer

COMMERCIAL 3D PRINTERS

For serious commercial applications, including building prototype parts for manufacturing, envisioning architectural models or any large-scale use, you might consider investigating one of these big-time firms:

Arcam - Produces 3D printers capable of printing in metal
3D Systems - One of the largest companies in the space, with a market capitalization of over USD$700M as of 2010
Dimension - Manufactures a well-known line of commercial 3D Printers, from large to small
envisionTEC - Produces a variety of specialized 3D Printing equipment and materials
FORTUS - Makes a line of integrated manufacturing machines
MCOR - Makes the MCOR Matrix 300, the only 3D printer that uses plain paper as its print material
Objet Geometries - A leading 3D Printer manufacturer with several interesting product lines with unique features
Stratasys - The owner of Dimension, Fortus and RedEye on Demand
ZCorp - Makes a line of very popular color-capable 3D printers, often used by 3D print services

POPULAR 3D PRINT SERVICES

What? You can't afford your own 3D Printer? You need quality or materials not available on your 3D Printer? The answer is quite simple; use one of these 3D print services, who operate much like Kinko's. Send them your model (or select one from their repositories, if they offer one) and print it for cash. They'll ship the resulting object to you when it's finished.

3D ProParts - One of the largest 3D Print Services, owned by 3D Systems
i.Materialise - 3D print service focusing on individual and personal applications
Impression-3D - 3D print service based in France
Materialise - Another large 3D Print Service, offering a variety of capabilities focusing on industrial applications
Ponoko - A distributed manufacturing service, offering 3D printing as one of its many features
PrintTo3D - A small custom 3D print shop
RedEye On Demand - The services arm of Stratasys, offering a wide variety of capabilities
Sculpteo - A consumer-oriented 3D print service offering some customized design services
Shapeways - A unique, consumer-oriented 3D Print Service with a vast library of objects and large selection of print materials

POPULAR 3D PRINT RELATED BOOKS

Many currently available books relate to 3D printing, modeling, designing or simply how society may change as a result of this technology. Here are some of the most popular among our readers.

3D PRINT CROWDSOURCING

Your 3D Printer sits idle? For shame - you should plug into one of these networks to match you with someone that needs something printed. Make money with your 3D printer!

100K Garages - Community of fabrication workshops
CloudFab - Network of makers
MakerFactory - Auction-based matching service
WhatCanIMakeForYou - Generic making site matches makers to buyers

NOTABLE 3D PRINT ARTISTS

Artists always explore new media, and 3D printing is no exception. There are a number of fascinating artists that are engaged with 3D printing to produce startling works of art. Here are some of them.

.MGX - Shop for amazing furniture artwork created with 3D printing technology
Bathsheba Grossman - Explores 3D mathematical artwork, often using 3D Print technology
Freedom of Creation - A design house that produces amazing works for consumers using 3D technology
Janne Kyttanen - 3D artist who often uses 3D Print technology in his amazing works
Laura West - Operates RPSculpt, which attempts to create art using new rapid prototyping tools and approaches
SMArchitecture - Experimental design using advanced fabrication tech
UNFOLD Design Studio - A wide variety of interesting designs, some for sale

COMMERCIAL 3D MODELING SOFTWARE

If you have the ability, you might consider creating your own 3D models for printing - but it takes quite a bit of skill, particularly for more interesting objects. These tools can help you do the modeling - if you have the cash to pay for them, and some are quite expensive.

3DS Max - High-end commercial 3D modeling tool
AC3D - Inexpensive multiplatform 3D modeling tool
AutoCAD - Well-known 3D design tool
Cheetah3D - Easy to use 3D modeling tool for OS/X
Cloud9 - Amazing haptic-based 3D modeling software (requires haptic input device)
FormZ - Commercial product offering not only modeling but comprehensive import/export functions
Maya - High-end commercial 3D modeling tool
Magics - Software for the rapid prototyping and manufacturing professional
NetFabb - Commercial product focusing on preparing models for 3D printing (Free Basic version available)
Rhino3D - Commercial 3D modeling tool
SolidWorks - High-end commercial 3D modeling tool
ZBrush - High-end commercial 3D modeling tool

FREE 3D MODELING SOFTWARE

Art of Illusion - Open source multiplatform 3D modeling tool
Blender - The most widely used Open Source 3D modeling tool, but beware, it has a steep learning curve
Google SketchUp - Another widely used multiplatform 3D modeling tool; it is easy to learn but doesn't do everything
K-3D - Open source multiplatform 3D modeling tool
MeshLab - A very useful Open Source multiplatform Mesh management tool. Fix broken models!
MeshMixer - A Windows application that permits drag and drop recombinations of STL files
MiniMagics - Free .STL file viewer (Windows), includes English, German and Japanese versions
NetFabb - Commercial product focusing on preparing models for 3D printing (Free Basic version available)
OpenSCAD - An open source CAD program; uses a programmatic interface, not a visual interface, typically used for designing mechanical or engineering parts
RapCAD - An open source project attempting to build on OpenSCAD
Sculptris - Free Windows-based free-form 3D modeling tool

FINDING 3D MODELS

Can't design your way out of a wet paper bag? Why not simply use a model created by others? There are huge numbers of 3D model repositories on the web, and a few specialize in printable 3D models.

3D Marvels Commercial repository of tested 3D models
Mallyable Source for low-cost, beautiful 3D models specifically for home 3D printing
Ponoko Product Plans Buy a design, modify and upload to Ponoko to make it
Shapeways 3D Parts Database Creative-commons licensed downloadable 3D models
Thingiverse Open source 3D model repository, very active with new models appearing every hour

While there are many other 3D model repositories, virtually all are focused on rendering, not 3D printing and thus many 3D models found in those repositories will be unprintable - or even 2D flat models masquerading as 3D! For broad searching of many such repositories, we recommend using 3D Filter, A search engine focused on finding 3D models. However, please ensure your model is printable before you buy/build.

3D SCANNERS

If you can't design the right model, or cannot find something suitable to print in a repository, you might consider scanning a real object to capture its shape, which can then be converted (hopefully) into a 3D model suitable for printing.

Creaform - Makers of the highly capable HandyScan handheld 3D scanner
DAVID-Laser Scanner - Is an Open Source 3D scanning solution
Laser Design - Provides laser-based scanning systems - and services, too
NextEngine - Manufactures an inexpensive 3D scanning system
ZCorp - Also markets a line of 3D scanners

3D PRINT ACCESSORIES

You might own a 3D Printer, but where do you get parts, print material and add-ons? There are many shops you can choose from.

Faberdashery - Sells a wide variety of colorful PLA filament by the meter or in spools
MakerGear - Focused on 3D printer kits and parts; sells several types of plastic
Orbi-Tech - Sells print material, including an amazing flexible PLA plastic
RepRapCentral - RepRap-based equipment & material, including full 3D printer kits
RepRapLtd - RepRap-based equipment & material, including full 3D printer kits
RepRapSource - Sells a variety of items for RepRap-based equipment, including full 3D printer kits
Ultimachine - Sells parts, kits and plastic, focused on RepRap equipment

RELATED BLOGS

Here's a list of the notable independent blogs you might consider reading if ours isn't sufficient. Note that many of the manufacturers above also have excellent blogs related to their products and services.

i.Materialise - 3D print blog by Materialise, covering developments in the 3D print space
Open3DP - By the University of Washington, where experiments in cutting-edge materials science take place
reBang - By designer C. Sven Johnson, who focuses on deep technical and philosophical aspects of 3D Printing and making in general
Replicator - By Joseph Flaherty, who writes about "companies and products that combine the connectivity of the internet with the physicality of products"
RepRap - A very technical group blog by the RepRap Project, who are discovering much of the base technology used by the hobbyist manufacturers