Looking for an easy way to find/create 3D printable terrain models? Go no further than TouchTerrain. TouchTerrain is a project of the University of Iowa that allows you to select a rectangular surface area of anywhere on the Earth and then download a 3D model of the surface terrain. 3D Print a Terrain Models The…

There are cities inside the massive head of a rotted out celestial being (name it!) but cities inside the partial shell of a small planet? …I dunno, I can’t think of one of those. Maybe that’s why our model of the week is so cool. Jukka Seppänen recalls a concept drawing of a city inside…

While 3D printing may still be in the midst of having an identity crisis in the world of mass production (although the recent Adidas and Carbon partnership looks promising), there is no shortage of applications for custom parts in the aviation industry. Although airline manufacturers have been using a variety of additive manufacturing methods for…

Gambody is a 3D model repository for all that’s awesome in gaming and pop culture. The detail on many of their models is impressive, which is one reason why 3D design teacher Sam Fenimore chose Gambody to snag the STL files for his StarCraft Hyperion Battlecruiser. The ship is predominantly featured in StarCraft II: Wings…

Peopoly’s Moai 3D printer began as a personal project between a pair of friends (Shu Peng & Richard Li) who wanted a better 3d printing option that could go beyond what RepRap, Ultimaker and other kit-based printers had to offer. They wanted professional quality with an affordable price. After building several of those machines, they…

For an industry responsible for wrapping material around a human foot for athletic performance purposes, it’s been a long hard road for shoe manufacturers to take 3D printing seriously as a viable form of bespoke manufacturing on a grand scale. And while companies ranging from Under Armour to New Balance have been keeping pace, it…

SketchUp has a very interesting extension called “PlaceMaker” to instantly generate 3D models of cities. I don’t often recommend SketchUp for 3D printing purposes, as it is primarily focused on visual 3D, rather than the solid 3D required for proper 3D printing. It’s just too easy to create non-3D printable models in SketchUp and you are…

I read an interesting announcement from Aleph Objects and colorFabb that begs a question about the latter’s strategy. Aleph Objects is, of course, the producers of the very popular line of LulzBot desktop 3D printers. These are very well regarded machines that have proceeded well through a number of increasingly powerful iterations, leading up to…

Carbon introduced a couple of new items that should make their products far more interesting to those intending on production use. The problem with almost all 3D printers when considering “production” is that they are not designed for production. They are designed for prototyping. They require human attention at frequent points during their operational cycle.…

Gheee! Are you seeing these? ARE. YOU. SEEING. THESE. This is not the exterior of the [insert name of random sci-fi ship or planet size weapon]. It’s a 3D printed array of sci-fi style diorama tiles that have more applications than Darth Vader’s cape. The sci-fi diorama tiles by Roy Ang are 1/72 scale -…

While 3D printing might have lost its magic in the mainstream, there’s no denying that those that are still in the thick of it are coming up with ever more impressive ways of extruding melted plastic into functional objects. And for some, 3D printing is still a viable way for not just prototyping but also…

Performing surgery isn’t a perfect science, and even doctors need to practice their skills, especially when it comes to children. To hone those skills, doctors practice various techniques using anatomical models or mannequins. However, these are typically limiting regarding complexity and feel, which limits the training. To overcome those limitations, Ph.D. grad student Mark Thielen…

You can stop looking for the endangered animal you want to 3D print, because I found it for you. It’s a Pangolin. “A pango-what?” A pangolin. It’s a small, nocturnal mammal covered in protective scales and native to parts of Africa, China, India and Malaysia. Not only is this a 3D printed pangolin, it’s a 3D…

Headphones. They’re a modern necessity for many of today’s workers and, in many cases, have become the universal sign for “don’t bother me right now.” But as convenient as they are, they can be kind of annoying when it comes to keeping your desk uncluttered. Headphone stands usually tend to do the trick, but how…

The Hangprinter is one of the most unusual 3D printer concepts yet seen, and it actually works. The Hangprinter is a project by Torbjørn Ludvigsen, based in the city of Umeå in the northern end of Sweden. Ludvigsen, who goes by the handle “Tobben”. It’s a RepRap variant designed by Ludvigsen apparently in 2014, but…

By itself, one isn’t all that impressive. But, bring enough of them together, and it’s certainly an impressive sight. Originally designed by researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, the Perdix drone (formally Project Perdix) was built for swarming operations and tasked with airborne environmental monitoring. The tiny 6.5-inch drone was impressive enough in its swarming capability…

Formlabs has executed a very interesting experiment in hydrographics using their 3D printing equipment. Hydrographics, if you’re not aware, is the process of applying a color texture to a surface of a non-flat 3D object. The idea is to have paint or a texture floating on the surface of a fluid. The object is carefully…

Netherlands-based 3D4Makers seems to have broken through a major barrier to producing unusual 3D print filaments in engineering materials with a new production system. The secret to their venture is a new filament extrusion system that differs significantly from typical filament production operations. But let’s see how most filament production is done. Most filament production…

Unlike desktop 3D printers, which have only grown more connected and technologically advanced over the past few years, vacuum forming has remained somewhat Lo-Fi—oftentimes consisting of a homemade jig hooked up to a shop vac. But what if desktop vacuum forming finally got smart? It would probably look a whole lot like the Vaquform, which…

While 3D printing failed to live up to its hype as a viable form of manufacturing—at least, in a way that makes sense—there were a few bespoke product companies that managed to pave their way through the noise and found success using more advanced additive manufacturing technologies to produce their one-off wares. Among others was…

Piracy isn’t limited to movies, music, and games alone, you might be surprised to know that 3D models are prime targets for theft as well. For instance, BMW sued TurboSquid, 3D model marketplace, for selling their car design models, and gaming giant Blizzard is still trying in vain to take down porn parodies that…

Outer space. It’s the one place you can be confident no ambulance will show up if you have an injury, at least, not very quickly. When medical emergencies arise on the ISS or other spaceborne vehicles, you make do with the supplies you have or perhaps re-purpose some equipment. With the installation of NASA’s AMF…

Last week 3D print service Sculpteo announced a series of AI-based tools to simplify use of their system. But what’s driving them to this? We spoke with Sculpteo CEO Clément Moreau at CES to find out. Moreau explained that their firm really wanted to get into 3D metal printing, because that is the best market…

Who needs a creepy, baby tree creature sidekick on their desktop? Oh yeah! I see those hands going up. I do too, but not just any creepy, baby tree creature. I needs me a BABY GROOT up in har! Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is hittin’ theaters May 5th, so that gives you plenty of…

Yeah, you see kids frolicking about in their Velcro buckle shoes and remember when life use to simple and carefree. No wonder the international sign for frustration is a unlaced shoe. It’s not? Well, IT SHOULD BE. There, I feel better now. Fortunately for all of us who can’t bend over to tie a shoe, don’t…

A wonderful story has been submitted to Fabbaloo describing how a traditional ceramics craftsman was able to vastly simplify his work using 3D print technology. Nicolas Tokotuu of 3D Printing Science directed us to France-based craftsman Alain Canard, who has spent 27 years reproducing ceramic objects using very traditional techniques. Over that period of time,…

You’ve likely been hearing a lot about something called “Machine Learning” lately, but could this affect 3D printing? Most definitely so! The concept of machine learning is simply the application of advanced algorithms against previously collected data to develop predications, classifications and decisions about future events. From the outside view it more or less mimics…

Doom is arguably the quintessential first-person shooter that spawned one of the most popular video game genres of all time. The game is loaded with an array of traditional and futuristic weapons to decimate demon hordes–shotguns, machine guns, plasma rifles and even a chainsaw are at the player’s disposal. However, one so over-the top-weapon is…

Nestor Llanos is a 3D designer who has done a great deal pushing the envelope of 3D printing forward, but now he’s helping start others on the same path, with a book called “The Little Designer”. Llanos was the Lead Design Engineer for the “Strati” 3D printed car developed by Local Motors, one of the…

Formlabs, who is now responsible for making a generation of designers and engineers giggle gleefully when they hear the word ‘resin’, has recently released a whole array of new engineering resins aimed at professionals for use in prototyping, molding and more. Formlabs is widely known for their consumer and commercial grade resin… and their 3D printers too, I…

Remember a few months ago Netherlands-based Eric van Straaten sought funding to acquire a color 3D printer? There’s an interesting update to his story. The idea behind his quest was essentially a lack of sufficient quality from existing color 3D printers. He had been using standard 3D Systems’ ProJet powder-based color printers, which do produce…

I once went for a jog. True story. It was a bit challenging holding a cheeseburger and attempting to eat it whilst trotting down the roadside, especially in the incredible jogging shorts I was wearing. While that image sinks in, just imagine yourself in the same situation and how nice it would be to have…

The promise of distributed manufacturing—when consumer products can be downloaded and manufactured by consumers locally—was always one of the highest hopes for desktop 3D printing. Unfortunately, that didn’t quite pan out. However, that’s not to say that the occasional project comes through that keeps the hope of distributed manufacturing alive. The SLO (Single Lens Objective)…

Robot hands. There was I time I wish I had a lab with robot hands hanging from the ceiling and the constant hum of industrial machining all around. Who am I kidding. I still wish that. The team at RightHand Robotics has a lab. They’ve got the robot hand making process down too; a process…

Here it is October and you haven’t put any thought into a public display of your talent and creativity for that one day a year where dressing a baby like a taco is perfectly fine. FOR SHAME. You’re a creative person. This should be easy. Here are some ideas: a Minotaur with a cupcake addiction,…

Update – MakerBot has published an update to change the language of the MakerBot Print EULA. Just last week, MakerBot announced a new product lineup—hardware and software included—geared towards professionals and educators that MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom said was the result of a “cultural shift” at the company as they gained further insight into the…

Fuel3D announced a new “mirror” 3D scanner that could lead to advanced eyewear applications. The company has long been developing 3D scanning equipment based on an unusual high-speed structured light system. Initially they produced a very effective 3D face scanner, the Scanify, used for both 3D printing and in 3D gaming. Since their introduction in…

You know how it goes. You make one Archimedes screw and it goes missing. You make another Archimedes screw, it goes missing and you discover a small band of pygmy gopher people have been stealing them for their underground rhubarb growing racket. You want to deal with it, but… THEY’RE JUST SO DANG CUTE and…

Surrey Nanosystems, producers of the amazing Vantablack dark material informed Fabbaloo they have successfully coated a 3D printed object with the world’s darkest material. But first a catchup: Vantablack is a very unusual material composed of extremely long nanofibres, all aligned in a single direction. These fibers tend to trap photons when projected toward a…

If there’s one thing that MakerBot has learned over the course of its short existence, it’s that you can’t please them all. While early adopters seeking a well-rounded user experience for 3D printing at home welcomed MakerBot’s push towards a cohesive ecosystem, those in the Open Source–heavy DIY community pushed back as the company attempted…

Despite raising nearly $4 million across two Kickstarter campaigns, the 3Doodler 3D printing pen never really took off as a tool for professional designers and architects to hash out 3D sketches quickly (note: they are trying to change this). Instead, the hot plastic–extruding handheld device became more popular with artists and sculptors who praised the…

You can’t taste this rainbow, but it sure looks great when it’s blended together to make truly multi-colored 3D prints. That’s exactly what the ORD Solutions new RoVa4D 3D printer is able to accomplish using five different (CMYK+W) colored filaments. This is ORD’s third successful Kickstarter-backed 3D printer with the first (MH3000) debuting in 2013…

“Ello Pip!” Why hello yourself! I’m glad you showed up because I need to talk to someone about storage. I have 397 Mason jars filled with nuts, screws, stamps, snail shells, dried shellac, dry lint… well, you get the idea. I need a better storage solution. “Did you see this splendid, stackable, sensational set of…

Promoting a 3D printing company is more challenging today than ever before due to the huge number of companies in the space. What techniques can a company use to get their message to the 3D printing public? I’ve got seven approaches for you to consider: INFLUENTIAL MARKETING IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT, BUT IT HAS…

It’s been nearly four years since WobbleWorks LLC. screamed onto the scene via Kickstarter and blew everybody away with the 3Doodler –– AKA “The World’s First 3D Printing Pen” –– to the tune of $2.3 million. Since then, the small company has maintained a small but loyal following of artists and retailers including the reputable MoMA…

The retail side of 3D printing has been a slippery slope for years now –– as evidenced by lagging 3D printer sales and waning consumer interest. While Bronies may have a thriving warm and safe space to create plastic unicorns over at Shapeways, other brands haven’t had as much success with venturing into this so-called…

While it still hasn’t caught on for more mainstream applications, there’s no denying that generative design is both insanely cool and practical across many applications –– with many more to come. Among others who have already put generative design to use on a consumer product is Brooklyn-based artist and designer Che-Wei Wang. With backgrounds ranging from…

Store those spare cables in your cheek bags no longer *all SolidSmack readers simultaneously spit cords out of their mouths*, there are other means of keeping those cords, cables and wires organized and out of the way. Sure, you could buy cable wraps, cable ties, or hire a butler to keep all that in order…

There have been many aborted attempts at producing recycled 3D printer filament, but Reflow’s approach appears to be successful. In the past I’ve seen many attempts at producing desktop machines that recycle plastic into 3D printer filament. Typically the concept is to collect leftover prints or plastic, grind it up into fragments and remelt them…

It’s no secret that assembling the dozens –– or hundreds –– of parts that make up a consumer electronic product assembly is both costly and time-intensive. But what if said electronics could –– gosh darn it –– just assemble themselves? What better things have they got going on? Such is the premise behind the latest project…