Software

Meshmixer Joins 123D

Autodesk announced that Meshmixer, a tool for easily manipulating 3D meshes, has been added to their 123D suite of 3D modeling applications.    Meshmixer has been around for quite a while and is frequently used by hobbyists and others to fix and mix 3D models. It provides an easy ability to combine multiple meshes to… Continue reading Meshmixer Joins 123D

NetFabb Private

NetFabb offers a software product specifically designed for personal 3D printing: NetFabb Private. It’s a lot more useful than their free NetFabb Studio product, which we and many others use for basic 3D model repairs. NetFabb Private offers these capabilities:    Fix complicated file errors Make late design changes Combine parts into one Hollow out… Continue reading NetFabb Private

3-Sweep Creates 3D Models from 2D Images

In an incredible video presented at SigGraph Asia 2013, researchers demonstrated an amazing new method of deriving full 3D models from only 2D images.    The 3-Sweep software appears easy to use: simply drag your mouse across an image to cue the software to create a 3D model. The specific motion of the mouse drags… Continue reading 3-Sweep Creates 3D Models from 2D Images

Formlabs’ PreForm Goes OS/X

Formlabs, the makers of the Form 1 resin-based 3D printer, released a Macintosh-capable version of their PreForm printer management software. Their strategy going forward is to maintain “feature parity” between the two versions and even release them simultaneously.    We believe this to be an important step into OS/X space, which has been traditionally very… Continue reading Formlabs’ PreForm Goes OS/X

Cubify Announces Cubify Sculpt

Those software wizards at Cubify are at it again. After generating who-knows-how-many 3D model generators this year, they’ve now released another new tool: Cubify Sculpt.    The new tool hopes to simplify the process of creating 3D models for printing on (presumably) 3D System’s Cube and CubeX personal 3D printers. The theme of this software:… Continue reading Cubify Announces Cubify Sculpt

Digging Deeper Into Microsoft’s 3D Printing Support

A short while ago we described Microsoft’s surprise announcement of their inclusion of 3D printing support natively in Windows 8.1. We’ve been checking out the detailed documentation available from Microsoft on this feature and found some interesting stuff.    They’ve extended existing print and document components within Windows to accommodate 3D printing. “PrintTickets” are created… Continue reading Digging Deeper Into Microsoft’s 3D Printing Support

123D Design Gets Better

For those of you using Autodesk’s free 3D modeling utility, 123D Design, there is very good news: a new version has been released.    The new version includes some very key features that were lacking until now:    The ability to import existing STL files, critical for handling 3D scans captured elsewhere Text! You can… Continue reading 123D Design Gets Better

Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes

Scientists at Disney Research have developed a new method of converting a collection of 2D images into a 3D model. While this approach is commonly done – and can even be accomplished on your smartphone with the 123D Catch app, the researchers have found a way to efficiently process huge images. This processing results in… Continue reading Capturing High-Res 3D Scenes

Cura: An Unusual Slicer

3D Hacker has posted an interesting video interview with David Braam, the developer of Cura. What’s Cura? It’s a new 3D printing management program designed to drive the Ultimaker personal 3D printer.    Braam used his own Ultimaker for some time but noticed problems in the software environment, specifically around time delays. 3D printing is… Continue reading Cura: An Unusual Slicer

Preventing 3D Gun Printing?

Create It Real announced they’ve developed a system for preventing 3D printing of firearms. The system apparently uses some kind of geometric detection to identify firearm-like 3D models. Once identified, it simply prevents them from printing. But how does it work? They say:    Upon opening a 3D file, the smart software scans the model… Continue reading Preventing 3D Gun Printing?

Skanect Under New Management

Skanect is now part of Occipital, Inc., according to an announcement by Skanect. Skanect produces one of the most powerful systems for capturing casual 3D scans with a Microsoft Kinect.    Occipital produces 360 degrees panoramas and related computer vision products, so acquiring Skanect seems like a logical extension of their existing business.    The… Continue reading Skanect Under New Management

MakerWare 2.2 Released

MakerBot has the good habit of continually releasing improved versions of their software to make their hardware work even better. The latest release of MakerWare, software to drive MakerBot’s Replicator 3D printers, showed up last week.    We’re particularly interested in this release because it offers significant improvements in handling overhangs. 3D printer operators are… Continue reading MakerWare 2.2 Released

MakerBot – Autodesk Discount Available

If you happen to be interested in purchasing a MakerBot Replicator 2 personal 3D printer and a premium membership in Autodesk’s highly useful 123D apps, you’re in luck: there’s a discount available.    If you upgrade from the free version of 123D to premium level, you’ll receive a USD$40 discount on purchase of a MakerBot… Continue reading MakerBot – Autodesk Discount Available

Augmented Realty 3D Printing with UltimARker

Industrial Designer Joris van Tubergen and augmented reality artist Sander Veenhof have invented something we’ve not seen previously: a way to view your 3D printing operation using augmented reality.    Wait a sec, what does that mean? Watch the video above to see what we mean, but it is a way to observe the final… Continue reading Augmented Realty 3D Printing with UltimARker

MakerBot Doesn’t Forget

MakerBot sold thousands of CupCakes and Thing-O-Matics long before they moved to the Replicator and Replicator 2 models. The new machines were (and are) driven by some pretty slick software called MakerWare, which enables you to scale and position models before printing and control the print operation.    Unfortunately for those with models earlier than… Continue reading MakerBot Doesn’t Forget

New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

Another recent announcement from 3D Systems President and CEO Avi Reichental indicated that the company has been seeking ways to simplify the creation of 3D content suitable for 3D printing. Evidently they’ve been working with the Leap Motion 3D sensor in particular, but we have little information beyond that.    The Leap Motion sensor is… Continue reading New 3D Modeling Interface From 3D Systems?

The Doodle3D Box

Another Kickstarter launch in the 3D printing space: Doodle3D, made by a Netherlands startup company. This product is a method to simplify the design and 3D printing of 2D line drawings. It’s composed of an app and a WiFi box that attaches to your personal 3D printer.    Using the app you can “doodle” a… Continue reading The Doodle3D Box

MakerBot’s Quality Program

Producing high-quality prints is a complicated business, it turns out. There must be synchronization between the slicing software, the printer hardware and the plastic filament used. 3D printer manufacturers who supply these things must do extensive testing to ensure their product works correctly – and homebuilt 3D printers must undergo similar calibration.    MakerBot does… Continue reading MakerBot’s Quality Program

Parametric Parts’ CadQuery

  Looking for an easy way to generate parametric 3D models? Tired of OpenSCAD? There’s a new approach from Parametric Parts that permits easy programmatic generation of 3D models: CadQuery    Wait a sec, what’s “programmatic”? It’s a method of creating a scalable 3D solid model using commands instead of visually through a graphics interface.… Continue reading Parametric Parts’ CadQuery

Another 123App: Creature

Autodesk has been rapidly adding apps to their free suite of consumer 3D apps, with the most recent addition being 123D Creature, with which you can create “creatures”.    The USD$7.99 iOS app is similar to others in the suite, permitting easy generation of a 3D model. This app is focused on limb-based objects that… Continue reading Another 123App: Creature

3D Modeling? Where Do I Start?

Once you’ve got your personal 3D printer working and you’ve exhausted the usual sources of printable models, your faced with a dilemma: how do I create my own 3D models?    You might ask someone trained in 3D modeling, but we think that’s probably not a good idea. We’ve found that pro 3D modelers tend… Continue reading 3D Modeling? Where Do I Start?

Questions About Skanect

Manctl’s new version of Skanect should permit easy 3D scanning by anyone with a Microsoft Kinect and a computer. However, we wondered about several aspects. We asked Manctl’s Nicolas Burrus a few questions about the new version.    Fabbaloo: The new release seems to be Windows only. Any hope of a Mac or Linux version… Continue reading Questions About Skanect

A New Version of Skanect

Readers may recall Skanect, a software tool that uses an inexpensive Microsoft Kinect to produce 3D scans of room-sized areas. Now creator Manctl has released a new version of Skanect that’s much more powerful.    The new version is capable of taking 3D scans of objects instead of rooms. They’ve re-engineered the program to include… Continue reading A New Version of Skanect

APIs for 3D Printing?

API enthusiast Kin Lane (above) has started working on a set of APIs for 3D printing. Wait, what’s an API again? It’s software, specifically the precise interface between programs. In other words, APIs are the equivalent of “standard electrical plugs” and the like between any software programs. The presence of APIs tends to encourage the… Continue reading APIs for 3D Printing?

3D Bioprinting Software?

According to a press release from bioprinting startup Organovo, they’ve partnered with CAD software giant Autodesk to produce tools specifically designed for creating bioprints.    Why this makes sense to us:  Autodesk is one of, if not the, leader in 3D design software across the industry. If anyone was to tackle this problem, it would… Continue reading 3D Bioprinting Software?

Digital Reality Announces Pro-Quote

Digital Factory announced a new plug-in service, Pro-Quote that can handle the preparation of cost estimates for 3D printing. Who can use this service? If you have a commercial 3D printer available and a website you can place Pro-Quote on your site and immediately accept 3D print requests.    The Pro-Quote software presents a web… Continue reading Digital Reality Announces Pro-Quote

Cubify Now Macify’d

3D Systems has abruptly introduced a new version of their Cube 3D printer management software (Cubify) specifically for OSX. This is a major step by 3D Systems, who up to now have not offered OS/X-based software for, um, well, anything as far as we can tell.    The software performs well, offering an extremely simple… Continue reading Cubify Now Macify’d

TeamPlatform’s API Released

You might recall TeamPlatform, the new service that enables secure sharing of 3D models? They’ve released a software API that enables much wider use of their service.    But first let’s back up a bit: TeamPlatform is a web service specifically designed around handling 3D model development. You can create a secure, private “workspace” in… Continue reading TeamPlatform’s API Released

MediaGoblin Shares 3D Models

MediaGoblin, the open source project that enables easy sharing of media, has added the ability to share 3D models.     Not familiar with MediaGoblin? Here’s their own explanation:    MediaGoblin is a free software media publishing platform that anyone can run. You can think of it as a decentralized alternative to Flickr, YouTube, SoundCloud,… Continue reading MediaGoblin Shares 3D Models

Rapidform Joins 3D Systems

In yet another acquisition, 3D Systems has acquired 3D software maker Rapidform.    Rapidform is well known in the 3D industry and provides reverse-engineering software. That means their software accepts a 3D scan and then transforms it into a usable, parametric CAD model. In practice it isn’t totally magic and produce the CAD model at… Continue reading Rapidform Joins 3D Systems

Free For You: A 3D Photo Booth

Computer engineer Jeremy Herrman has developed an amazing software configuration that dramatically simplifies the process of scanning humans. Or anything, really. It’s the software you need to set up a kind of 3D Photo Booth, called ScanBooth.    Readers who have attempted scans of people with open source gear will know very well the issues… Continue reading Free For You: A 3D Photo Booth

BFB’s AXON Updated

For readers using BitsFromBytes personal 3D printing equipment (that means a RapMan, BFB 3000 or 3D Touch), there’s a present for you to download: a new version of AXON.    AXON is the software used by BFB devices to prep the files for printing on BFB’s line of 3D printers. It accepts STL and converts… Continue reading BFB’s AXON Updated

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123D Catch In Your Pocket

Autodesk has released an iOS version of its staggeringly easy-to-use 3D model generator, 123D Catch.    The tool isn’t a 3D scanner, exactly, but the results are similar. You collect a series of images of a 3D subject from many angles, then submit them to 123D Catch for processing. Autodesk’s magic algorithms in the sky… Continue reading 123D Catch In Your Pocket

New Software From MakerBot: MakerWare

Along with yesterday’s blockbuster announcement of MakerBot’s Replicator 2, MakerBot also announced, MakerWare, new software to supersede the long-used ReplicatorG, at least on the Replicator line.    MakerWare performs the usual 3D printer management tasks: loading and orienting a model onto the print bed; resizing models; slicing the model into GCODE; sending GCODE to the… Continue reading New Software From MakerBot: MakerWare

Slic3r Author Interviewed

RepRap’s Josef Prusa recently interviewed Slic3r author Alessandro Ranellucci in Prague.   Ranellucci initially used Skeinforge to prepare his 3D models for printing, as did most small scale 3D printers of the day. Like everyone else, Ranellucci was baffled by the monstrously complex parameterization of Skeinforge when trying to print small architectural models on a ShaperCube. He… Continue reading Slic3r Author Interviewed

Hands On With Skanect

There’s quite a few free tools to make good use of your XBox Kinect 3D sensor. We’ve already tested ReconstructMe, a wonderful tool for scanning 3D objects. Today we’re taking a look at Skanect, another 3D scanning tool.    Skanect, by Manctl, is available for OSX and Windows XP+ (32 or 64 bit versions). If… Continue reading Hands On With Skanect

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Easy 3D Printing with File2Part

Preparing 3D models for 3D printing is often problematic. They’re in the wrong orientation, wrong size, etc. While most 3D printer-specific operation software can do rudimentary orientation and sizing, you’ll still have to use other programs to fix errors in the model and slice it into printable form. That will change with the introduction of… Continue reading Easy 3D Printing with File2Part

Additive Manufacturing File Format Allows for Volumetric Specifications

In a recent post on “The End of Polygons,” Aaron Trocola correctly points out that the STL file format is becoming a major barrier to production of objects with high volumetric complexity, such as internal lattices and graded materials – essentially reaching a point where STL files make certain advanced applications difficult or impossible.  … Continue reading Additive Manufacturing File Format Allows for Volumetric Specifications

Automated Mesh Articulation

When we write “Automated Mesh Articulation” you might be wondering what we’re on about. It’s an advanced technique developed by Harvard’s Moritz Baecher that inspects a 3D model to automatically identifies where “joints” should appear and outputs a new model with said joints.    This means one could take any 3D model of a figurine… Continue reading Automated Mesh Articulation

Cubify Invent 3D Modeling Software Available

3D Systems has announced a new software tool to accompany their consumer-oriented Cube 3D printer: Cubify Invent.    One of the major issues with a 3D printer is getting great content to print. While 3D Systems has Cubify.com to provide pre-made models, there is also the possibility of Cube owners making their own models. However,… Continue reading Cubify Invent 3D Modeling Software Available

3D Worms Infect The Net!

Do you use AutoCAD? If so you might be a victim of one of the most unusual cases of 3D theft we’ve seen yet.    It seems that certain AutoCAD templates have been infected with malware that does something blatantly nefarious: it sends your AutoCAD drawings to email addresses in China! What a highly efficient… Continue reading 3D Worms Infect The Net!

Up!’s Software Advantage

From the beginning, PP3DP’s Up! 3D printer produced wonderful prints, largely because of its sophisticated software. The software accepts a digital 3D model (in STL format) and converts it into instructions for the machine to actually build the physical model.    While most personal 3D printers use the open source Skeinforge utility in some way,… Continue reading Up!’s Software Advantage

Free Autodesk Inventor Fusion for OSX and Windows

Have no money and need fancy 3D modeling software? If that’s your situation, you’re in luck: Autodesk is now offering a free preview of their Inventor Fusion 3D modeling software.    Inventor Fusion is Autodesk’s tool that unites both parametric and direct modeling approaches, hence its name, “Fusion”. The new version incorporates some very cool… Continue reading Free Autodesk Inventor Fusion for OSX and Windows

Google Sells SketchUp!

Big news! Google has sold off the hugely popular SketchUp 3D modeling tool to Trimble. Wait, who are Trimble, exactly? They’re a “leading provider of advanced location-based solutions that maximize productivity and enhance profitability”. In other words, they leverage GPS and other location tech to develop point products for quite a few different industries.   … Continue reading Google Sells SketchUp!

Haptic A-Go-Go

Anarkik3D has opened a crowd funding initiative at IndieGoGO to raise money for enhancements to their Cloud9 haptic 3D modeling software. The project’s goal is sufficient funding for two full time programmers to develop the improvements, which means USD$120,000 by June 27th.    We think this is important, because, as Anarkik3D’s CEO Ann Marie Shillito… Continue reading Haptic A-Go-Go

3Dify From Matherix Labs

Some weeks ago we wrote on a breakthrough in inexpensive 3D scanning by ReconstructMe, which permits true, 360-degree 3D capture of 3D models of real objects. While ReconstructMe works quite well, it requires a super-powerful graphics card in your Windows PC simply because it’s producing the 3D model in real time as you scan.   … Continue reading 3Dify From Matherix Labs

3D Printing Movie Props At Home

We just finished reviewing a rather interesting Instructable detailing the steps you’d take to produce a complete, wearable Iron Man mask with your 3D printer (with some red and gold paint, of course).    Maker samohtep takes you through the process of developing the model, printing the pieces, painting, finishing and assembly. The result is… Continue reading 3D Printing Movie Props At Home

MakerBot Software Update

MakerBot has released a new version of the ReplicatorG software that drives their personal 3D printers. ReplicatorG version 0034 now includes a few new features, including an optimization to speed up heating of both the heated build platform (image above) and the twin extruders (if using their new two-headed Replicator).    Another interesting feature included… Continue reading MakerBot Software Update

Playing With FreeCAD

Can’t afford a big-time 3D CAD modeling software program? You’re not alone and you’re not without solutions. There are free 3D modeling software options, including the very popular but impossible to learn Blender. But Blender just isn’t CAD. Each 3D modeling system is best used for certain kinds of designs and if you are designing… Continue reading Playing With FreeCAD

Tinkercad Now Sculpteos

Everyone’s favourite web-based 3D modeling software now has another partner: 3D print service Sculpteo. Previously Tinkercad could automatically send your 3D design directly to Materialise, Ponoko or Shapeways, but now you have a fourth option: France-based Sculpteo.    Actually there is a fifth option: download the 3D model to your own computer and print it… Continue reading Tinkercad Now Sculpteos

Pleasant3D Now Open Source

Zaggo, author of one of our favorite 3D modeling utilities, Pleasant3D, announced that the project is now going open source. Evidently the author, like many of us, was simply too busy to do further work on the software and has passed it on for the community to improve.   We think this is an excellent… Continue reading Pleasant3D Now Open Source

3D Systems Deploys Print3D

Industry giant 3D Systems acquired software plugin maker Print3D in April last year and this week saw 3D Systems announce the technical outcome of that acquisition: Print3D is now released as a free plugin for major 3D modeling tools for direct integration with 3D Systems’ print services.  Instead of exporting your 3D model and then… Continue reading 3D Systems Deploys Print3D

Design with ImplicitCAD

Have you heard of OpenSCAD? It’s an open source software project that can be used to produce 3D models without a visual interface. How’s that work again? You write a kind of computer program whose instructions gradually generate all the pieces of your model. It’s a grand idea that we’ll delve deeper into in the… Continue reading Design with ImplicitCAD

The New Tinkercad

Tinkercad, the amazing web-based solid 3D modeling tool has recently improved its capabilities. This tool permits creation of basic 3D printable objects without an expensive software and more importantly without a lot of training. Tinkercad uses WebGL, so be sure to use a reasonably modern web browser. What did we notice about Tinkercad?    Gorgeously… Continue reading The New Tinkercad

Mineways!

The popularity of Minecraft has blossomed into several 3D print-related services. One of the new ones is Mineways. Minecraft users spend hours designing complex and amazing 3D environments and it’s only natural they’d want to see them in real life if at all possible.    It is possible with Mineways, but with some effort. Mineways… Continue reading Mineways!

Slic3r Instead of Skeinforge?

You own a RepRap 3D printer and you’re preparing a 3D model for printing with Skeinforge, the time-tested, defacto standard for slicing 3D models into printable GCode. All you need to do is wait for the slicing operation to complete.   And you’re still waiting.    That’s the problem with Skeinforge – while it has… Continue reading Slic3r Instead of Skeinforge?

T-Splines Eaten by Autodesk

If you use Rhino3D or Solidworks for preparing your 3D models you might have heard of T-Splines. It’s a special plug-in that permits easy creation of organic shapes and thus greatly extends the usefulness of Rhino3D and Solidworks, at least for some designers. But that may change abruptly. The other week 3D software giant Autodesk… Continue reading T-Splines Eaten by Autodesk

Uformia – Saving The World From Polygons

Our rant regarding STL the other day provoked some interest from the not-yet-well-known company Uformia of Norway. While we all agree that there are serious problems with STL format, some are starting to do something about it. One group with an interesting approach is Uformia, who are developing a new approach to 3D modeling specifically… Continue reading Uformia – Saving The World From Polygons

The Shapesmith Alternative

A new alternative to web-based 3D modeling tools is emerging: Shapesmith. We say emerging because it’s an unfinished work. Shapesmith is an open source project that offers anyone the chance of running their own 3D modeling tool from a website.    The interface is truly beautiful and aesthetically simplistic, but as such it has some… Continue reading The Shapesmith Alternative

Tinkercad Gets Funding

First it was MakerBot with a USD$10M injection, and now it’s Tinkercad, that friendly online 3D modeling service that practically anyone can use. They’ve just received a boost of USD$1M from True Ventures with angel investment from Eghosa Omoigui, Taher Haveliwala, Jyri Engestrom, and Joshua Schachter.    This is huge news for the small startup… Continue reading Tinkercad Gets Funding

Autodesk’s Two New Things: Catch & Make

With the success of their first web-based design tool, 123D, Autodesk has launched (at least for preview) two new apps, Catch and Make. They’re both quite different, but readers will find them both useful.    Make is a 3D slicer that converts a 3D model into layers suitable for manual assembly. This is probably best… Continue reading Autodesk’s Two New Things: Catch & Make

Waiting For AMF

Some months ago (March actually) we wrote about a new file format for additive manufacturing that had been approved after long discussion: AMF, the Additive Manufacturing Format.    This new format included a variety of key features to dramatically improve the information content found in 3D models. Meta data, materials, colors, textures and more were… Continue reading Waiting For AMF

AutoDesk’s 123D Gets Improved

The new beta 6 of Autodesk’s free 3D modelling tool includes a couple of very interesting features for 3D print operators. First, there’s the ability to convert text into 3D shapes using solid creation tools. You can place vector text on any plane and then apply extrude, bend, taper or other deformations.    This, we… Continue reading AutoDesk’s 123D Gets Improved

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Shapeways AbFab3D

A powerful new capability was announced by 3D print service Shapeways: AbFab3D. It’s a software architecture that permits the existence of “3D Creators”, which are programs that create printable 3D models based on some input parameters. In other words, on-the-fly customized models.    The catch is that you need a “3D Creator” for each type… Continue reading Shapeways AbFab3D

Generated Spaceships

Once you have a 3D printer, the eternal question is, “what should I print?” One can tediously look through online repositories for something interesting, or perhaps tediously design something new with your 3D modelling software if you have the skills, ability and time.    But what if you could generate your own model? And specifically… Continue reading Generated Spaceships

PP3DP Releases Mac Software Option for Up! 3D Printers

There were rumours of such a release earlier, but now it’s official. You can actually drive your Up! printer directly from your Mac.    The version 1.0 software they’ve provided for Mac is not quite the same as their Windows version 1.12, as some features are not present. On the other hand, it appears that… Continue reading PP3DP Releases Mac Software Option for Up! 3D Printers

Up! Supports Macs

Or will soon, according to a short mention in a recent post on PP3DP’s blog: “The version of software that can be used on MAC will be released soon.” Strangely, this was briefly stated at the tail end of a post on a new platform heating cable.   Soon the very powerful but end-user simple… Continue reading Up! Supports Macs

Finally Shapeways Makes the USA

Makes “in” the USA, that is. 3D print service Shapeways announced they will now ship product from the USA – this means US-based users (and also nearby countries we suppose) will avoid the delays and shipping costs of Shapeways’ European distribution centre in the Netherlands.   Shapeways says they’re also “we are also increasing our… Continue reading Finally Shapeways Makes the USA