What is the 3D printing community/group looking for?

Thanks for all the ideas!  Can someone from E14 put their input on what direction they would like to go or see?

Nate

3D printers cost about as much as a high end computer, so more people could afford them than actually purchase, because why?

They are not as useful as a computer?

They are too complicated to use - nobody who can afford one learned how in school?

They don't produce things people want at a price they want to pay?

They don''t produce items with high enough quality?

I don't know - but now that I have one, I think it is a pretty high priority to have one.

Your initiative could address some of these barriers or issues.

For example, video instruction on how to design with a low cost CADD package would allow more people to to feel the design side is something they can handle.

Maybe an explanation of how to use free models from the internet to print and where to get them.

Maybe just some stories of how useful they can be would get people more interested.

Hi Doug,

I think you hit the nail on the head, they are not perceived to have high quality, and to be honest most people have not seen the output from a 3D printer in real life.

Until I did, I was extremely sceptical that it could be useful. Now that I have physically seen some output, I can see uses for it because it does reduce the barrier to make complex shaped objects. I still think they are overpriced though. It still feels primitive that many need spools of plastic and what still looks like a crude assembly of stepper motors or expensive fluids. When I was at school no-one had a paper printer (maybe a dot-matrix one!) and people used local stores or the library for their paper printing/copying needs, or a photo store for their photographs. It would be nice to see affordable 3D print or build services in local locations so people could pay to 'print' locally. I know there are online services but it defeats the 'green-ness' of 3D printing that you'd need to transport and ship items across the country or world, rather than produce locally.

I don't see that a 3D print solution has to use the same technology to handle all materials, it could process materials separately and combine them with adhesives for instance), even if some parts are done manually. Intelligent software could auto-select a sheet material (e.g. wood) if large parts of the design needed a flat surface for instance. Or offer lower prices on certain material if that was in stock.

In all likelihood basically some sort of automated 3D print solution that maybe too large and expensive for individuals but affordable enough for local firms to run.

Today if I want a flat object (e.g. a front panel) there are firms that will offer that, and have their own requirements for how they want the design file. If I want a laser cut piece then I have to go somewhere else. And if I want metalwork folded etc then I have to go to another firm. It would be nice to be able to farm out parts of your design automatically to the nearest firms/individuals with the capabilities to build it.

Hi Doug,

I think you hit the nail on the head, they are not perceived to have high quality, and to be honest most people have not seen the output from a 3D printer in real life.

Until I did, I was extremely sceptical that it could be useful. Now that I have physically seen some output, I can see uses for it because it does reduce the barrier to make complex shaped objects. I still think they are overpriced though. It still feels primitive that many need spools of plastic and what still looks like a crude assembly of stepper motors or expensive fluids. When I was at school no-one had a paper printer (maybe a dot-matrix one!) and people used local stores or the library for their paper printing/copying needs, or a photo store for their photographs. It would be nice to see affordable 3D print or build services in local locations so people could pay to 'print' locally. I know there are online services but it defeats the 'green-ness' of 3D printing that you'd need to transport and ship items across the country or world, rather than produce locally.

I don't see that a 3D print solution has to use the same technology to handle all materials, it could process materials separately and combine them with adhesives for instance), even if some parts are done manually. Intelligent software could auto-select a sheet material (e.g. wood) if large parts of the design needed a flat surface for instance. Or offer lower prices on certain material if that was in stock.

In all likelihood basically some sort of automated 3D print solution that maybe too large and expensive for individuals but affordable enough for local firms to run.

Today if I want a flat object (e.g. a front panel) there are firms that will offer that, and have their own requirements for how they want the design file. If I want a laser cut piece then I have to go somewhere else. And if I want metalwork folded etc then I have to go to another firm. It would be nice to be able to farm out parts of your design automatically to the nearest firms/individuals with the capabilities to build it.