WTFFF?! 3D Printing Podcast: 3D Print Tips | 3D Print Tools | 3D Start Point

Poland is a hot bed of high tech FFF 3D printers, so it is no surprise that ZMorph has introduced a multicolor image mapping tool to create mixed or blended filaments with their line of 3D printers. There are very few 3D printer and software combinations out there that are able to attain such fantastic results, and it is something many have been after for a long while. Also out of Microsoft is a new patent for CMYK+W mixing for achieving reportedly any color on a 3D printer, and while this idea is great in theory, it might not be as achievable in reality. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Rees Calder of MyMiniFactory shared how they are incentivizing 3D print designers to create quality 3D print files that the 3D converted and non-3D converted will want, need, like, and ultimately purchase. With their unique advertisement revenue share system and strategic targeting of key consumer buying bases, they have a true platform for success in the ever growing marketplace. Listen to the original interview episode here. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

As the holiday shopping season gets into full swing, there's many factors to consider when shopping for the 3D print maker on your gift list. Picking a 3D printer to bring home out of the thousands out on there market can be a daunting task, but answering a few quick questions from our original post here will help to narrow down what 3D printer is best suited for your needs, budget, skill level, and what you intend to create. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!  

Just as 3D printers range from hobbyist level, to professional, to commercial, so does the world of 3D scanners. Lisa Federici of Scansite, a company that has been doing professional 3D data scans since 1994, shares her enthusiasm for the growing 3D scanner market and why the different types all have their place in the industry. We also get her tips on what makes a good 3D scan better from her experience working with the military and high profile companies like Nike, Boeing, and Fitbit. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Thousands of hours spent on designing 3D prints has led to more than a few lessons learned about how to best create 3D printed products. The order of the design process has to be right for the product to end up right so we are sharing our five top lessons about 3D printing, 3D design thinking, and what to do and consider at each step of the process.  To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Part software, part web plug in, the Digital Forming customization tool is the app that 3D printing for consumer products has been missing. We tested it out on our 3D print angel ornament to see how the entire process works from setting up customization limits and allowances to it generating a new STL file for the custom worded design. Any 3D print business thinking about expanding their product line to include personalized varations from text to texture, or size to final shape, should check out what Digital Forming has to offer to streamline major design steps. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Using coding and algorithms to "design" 3D prints is limiting, boring, and you, more often than not, end up with generic, boring, and ugly. While sometimes it's necessary to go into the g-code and make a few changes, only staying in the g-code and using that as the only method for product creation limits innovative and creative design thinking. We opened up a can of worms on what art and design really means to us, as product designers with a fine arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design, and welcome your thoughts in the comments to our original episode here. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

3D printer maintenance and good filament storage practices are obvious ways to prevent clogged extruders and failed prints, but we uncover some of the not so obvious techniques to keep 3D print materials flowing smoothly. How to determine if it's a poor quality filament or a poorly designed product and what to do when a filament jam inevitability happens. Take a look at our tips for 3D printer maintenance in our previous blog post: http://3dstartpoint.com/maintenance-tips-for-consistent-material-flow/. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Heading into the world of 3D print aerospace with Donald Godfrey of Honeywell. There are so many lessons any 3D printing business can take from look at the model of success in this additive manufacturing industry segment. Donald showcases how rapid prototyping provides astonishing cost and time savings that produces safer and more reliable parts, as well as detailing what engineering students need to know and be doing now in school to find success in the workplace after graduation. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

The numerous benefits of 3D printing bones found by researchers are Northwestern University are astounding. We've seen medical 3D printing before, but the way these 3D printed bones are being produced is very FFF like in nature. Looking at all the benefits hospitals, doctors, surgeons, and patients could see from 3D printing bones when it's cleared for use in human patients. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

The declining state of many factories does not lead us to think that we are on the verge of a 3D printing manufacturing revolution, as TED Talk speaker Olivier Scalabre has presented. Some aspects of the 3D print industry are seeing an evolution, while other segments are not. An area that needs the most evolution, revolution, renovation, and upheaval lies in the hands of the school system and educators to provide a better foundational understanding of how products are made if we want to be able to understand how to improve their manufacturing processes. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Identifying where the 3D print market has a needs gap, and in the case it's huge cavernous one. Looking at other market areas, it can be hard to pin point if the gap is there for a reason or if it's an opportunity for a business to develop and grow in. Avoid the "me too" and be "me only" or "me special" with our thoughts on market-proof testing and market gap identification: http://3dstartpoint.com/3d-print-market-needs-gap-identification/. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Lars Brubaker of MatterHackers shared in-depth information on how the MatterControl platform operates to streamline many of the different software processes out there for 3D printing. Along with the creation of an image converter and text creator, they are working with schools to develop a comprehensive curriculum specifically for use with 3D printers in the classroom. Look back at the interview transcript here: http://3dstartpoint.com/making-3d-printing-more-accessible-with-matterhackers/. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Talking 3D print design with 3D toy artist Christina Douk who fell in love with how 3D printing brings to life her computer models. The next generation of designers will have a new view of design and how to conceptualize and bring to life their creative ideas because of 3D printers. Fascinating to find out her comparison of 3D prints she had done from Shapeways and Sculpteo through a Groupon deal from the level of service, time to receive product, and final result. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!

Helping to plan our daughters upcoming wedding has drawn us into 3D print wedding planning for favors and decorations. 3D printing opens up the door to customized gifts and accessories and the wedding industry is ripe to take advantage of this technology. A 3D print wedding is the perfect time to create unique to you and personalized items on what is widely believed, at least here in the US, to be the biggest day of your and your spouses' life. To send us a message, go to 3dstartpoint.com or shoot us a message at info@3dstartpoint.com or on our facebook or twitter! Its absolutely free, so ask away and and don’t forget to subscribe so you can hear more on our regularly scheduled Thursday podcast episodes!