Does anybody know any 3d printing companies, what their quotes are?
Omg Zbrush > All
There are a lot of 3D printers now, but most are either too expensive or too low res to be worth it.
IT seems like the usual quote is at LEAST $100 per square INCH!!!
That’s pretty insanely expensive. It’s still geared towards big business, no the hobby market.
pigumon: do some search here at ZBC and you will find that you can find cheaper prices for the printing 
I used to be a principal partner with a company called Paradigm Development Group that has hi-res Objet printers. They are just outside Chicago. (I’m no longer with them but that’s another story). I know a big issue in how we used to price models was in data handling. We’d get native ZTL files or STL’s with serious issues that needed repair. The point is there was a LOT of work & expensive software that went into turning those files into buildable databases. I wrote a tutorial (see my link below) explaining the pipeline to try to help users provide good files. With the decimation & STL export plugins all that work is no longer required so the pricing should come down considerably. I know the machines & materials are still crazy expensive but that seems to get a little better every year. Also, you typically get better prices in volume so if you have a lot of files or can hook up with some other modelers who want to get prints done you can save some $$$. There’s quite a few other places out there but I know these guys personally & they’re good guys. Give them a try. 
Thank you, thank you. This is a great plug in that was needed.
Another great plugin from you guys ! Thanks !
Pixologic
Josh - thanks a lot for your input, actually I’ve gotten samples from Paradigm, and was pleasently surprised. I’ve been following 3D printing for close to 5 years and things are finally at a castable quality now. I like Objet, but so far it seems Envisiontec’s Perfactory machines are the ultimate in quality. I’m thinking about doing some “chibi” stuff, which are generally very round and smooth, only about 2 inches tall and no textures to “cover up” the build lines of a 3D print.
Thanks especially for the tip about optimizing the files before sending to reduce labor costs (it’s the same in print production, where I’m from), and also about the loading up with other modelers! That same idea works in the print industry too (you can can really inexpensive business cards or postcards done that way).
By the way, I wonder how much the 3D export plugin fixes things like open holes, gaps, overlaps, severe unprintable details, etc.
I can’t wait to get some prints made!!!
Hi Pigumon-
I agree about the Envisiontec parts. I’ve talked with them at great length about their process & materials & have gotten many samples built for review. When I was still at Paradigm we considered getting one of their Perfactory machines but the build envelope was too small for the majority of the work we did. The only problems I have with the Envisiontec machines is that it uses rigid supports that need to be removed and damage whatever surface they’re attached to. I think the best approach is to split the model into parts & have them built separately with non-cosmetic sides used for support attachments then reassemble. Also, I can’t seem to find any vendors in the States. Anyone know of any? :qu:
It doesn’t look like the Decimation or STL exporter have any repair capabilities. I was contacted directly by Pixologic about a year ago when they started working on these plugins & asked for a list of “specifications” I thought should be included. Along with a bunch of other stuff that seems Pixologic absolutely nailed, I suggested that a repair toolbox would be great. (Maybe they’ll come out with a “repair plugin”! :idea: ) But for right now understanding what is necessary to create watertight geometries when you start your model & building it accordingly is the best approach.
These plugins are fantastic! I have been importing .OBJ files into Rhino and preparing them for print utilizing a workflow that these plugins have made obsolete. I am going to be sculpting away like crazy now, just to have something new to print. Thanks so much for making Zbrush even better!
Anyone though of using this system, http://www.carvewright.com/cms/results , should work and seems rather cheap… any comments from someone having tried it…
I am a beginner…I want to prepare a file to print. My file is a head that is hollow, so will it be printed hollow and just print a thin layer, if so how to control that layer. Or, setting the set size to say 3.5x3.5x3.5, will that fill the object automatically?
I have also been looking for a 3D printing company and found www.shapeways.com and have emailed peter@shapeways.com although based in the Netherlands they ship worldwide. Peter has been very helpful with questions so may be worth contacting
A general rule is your mesh needs to be water tight. So as long as there are no holes like at the base of the neck or at the eye sockets it will be treated as a solid (filled) volume when its printed.
If you wanted the object to be treated like a shell you would need to extrude a thickness like with a push, shell or extrude operation in your 3d modelling app. Or perhaps with the subtool> extract function in zbrush with the desired thickness setting.
Thank you spaz 8 I will investigate those options, as of yet, I do not work with any 3D program like maya or 3d studio max, Perhaps it would be easy to get into it enough to do just what I want to do…as for a subtool extract, is it possible to create a thickness internally, meaning instead of pulling out on the outside of the mesh, creating a wall inside. I don’t mind having a hollow hole in the head as long as there is a bit of thickness on the perimeter.
scooter23-
As spaz8 said, you’ll need to make sure you’re model is closed/watertight. Within ZB you might try scaling a copy of your model down using the “size” slider in the Geometry palette then adding it to your model as a subtool. I think it should be fine but you’ll need to experiment, you might need to flip UVs or something. You should be able to export this as a single model with the STL exporter. ZB does not offer any kind of ability to make precise measured adjustments. Everything is done on a scale/ratio level, so you’ll need to determine the amount of scale that’s appropriate compared to the final size of your printed model. A good rule of thumb for processes that require shelling would be appropriate for is .060" to .125" (inches) depending on your model size. You might try importing a reference “pin” or something similar that is a known dimension & use that as a gauge.
One point that you should be aware of- Most processes will build your model with it’s shell thickness but if it’s not split open (i.e. two halves that will be reassembled, or with a “plug”) then uncured resin, powder, support material, etc. will be trapped inside. If this is the case I see no point in shelling. You’d be paying for material consumption, not saving on weight, and wasting time prepping the file to be shelled.
Just curious if any one knows how to keep the model the same scale?
When I import an .obj into Zbrush that is lets say 20mm wide when I go to the 3dprint plug in and check the units it says that it’s around 88mm wide. Is there a way to leave it at 20mm wide without needing to scale it back down to 20mm?
If I work on the model and export it as an .obj the size is all good, but when I save it as an .stl through the new plug-in the scale is off unless I change it inside of the plug-in back to the original dimensions. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi,
I just thought I would show you this 3d print that I printed out last week for a customer of mine, it was modelled in Zbrush and came out awesome!
Some of the models I have seen created with ZBrush are just plain amazing! This one was created by Matt Long at the West Wales school of arts.
That looks good, what kind of printer was that printed on?