Making Things See

Sending Our Model to Shapeways

So, we’ve learned how to create a 3D print from our file on a MakerBot, RepRap, or other desktop 3D printer. But what if you’re not lucky enough to have one of these at your personal disposal? How can you get a physical copy of your scan in that case? One answer is by using Shapeways (http://shapeways.com).

As I explained in the introduction to this chapter, Shapeways (Figure 5-26) is an online service that lets you upload 3D model files and then purchase and sell copies of your design in a variety of different materials. In this section, I’ll walk you through the steps for creating a print with Shapeways and point out some of the gotchas involved. Then we’ll finish the chapter by comparing the results from Shapeways ...