This is an important step in bridging the gap between people and software – the step where it begins to become part of our physical world. I can see a list of enhancements over the next years including multiple density materials combined for objects (think bugs, soft on the inside and hard on the outside), making use of colors, and finally adding biological elements to bring 3d printing to life (how about a purple ladybug today?)

(don’t worry).

Anyway, there’s much much more to 3d printing. It’s unfortunate we can’t go into its myriad layers here. Suffice it to say, the prices are dropping and for lack of a better line, there is currently a price war, and a technology war in the 3d modeler sector.

The real issue when purchasing one of these (I won’t bring in too much firsthand knowledge here) but its all about the resoloution and model type that is needed that decides what you should buy in a modeller.

Yes, this new one from idealab is cheap, but it also has LOW resoloution (in other words don’t look to use it as a final part, but as a functional prototype it may be operable for what you’re doing.)

For toys and simple items, lower end modellers are going to change the way things work, however, with products that require rigidity, strength, longevity, or even precision, you’re still looking at getting a machine costing between 24 and 130,000 USD.

But for simple molds, castings, (they’re perfect for castings!) and the like, they are going to change the way people do things.

Also you should check out the VFlash modeller coming out next month, and for getting data into the computer look at the Next Engine, it is beyond amazing when it comes to affordable 3d scanning.

You have to remember the most important part of 3d rapid prototyping, you can only get out, what you put in, so it’s still going to take a professional to make quality parts.