Shapeways announced the ability to resize 3D models for printing. Wait, they didn’t have that before?
Apparently not. What is likely one of the world’s most popular 3D print services just announced the ability for designers to scale 3D models. Previously, designers would have to do all scaling externally in their own 3D modeling tools.
Now, designers contributing to Shapeways’ enormous repository need only edit uploaded models to resize them. This should save some upload and confirmation efforts. Designers can ensure their models are precisely the desired – or required – dimensions.
We say required because this is a critical aspect of some model geometries. Let’s say, for instance, that Shapeways permitted buyers to resize their selected models before ordering a 3D print. Some, in an attempt to reduce the price, might shrink a model down substantially. But by doing so, they may reduce the size of some features below printing tolerances – smaller than can be reproduced by Shapeways’ printing equipment. That can’t happen because it could wreck quality control measures.
Instead it’s up to the designer to specify the correct sizing, and now they can do so a lot more easily. On the other hand, if you’re just using Shapeways as a print service for your own models, you’ll be glad Shapeways now has this feature to ensure you print in the correct size.
Via Shapeways
