"Now I've seen everything" Topic

Really?

TMP link

That's more than lazy.

(I, of course, refer to the fact that people may 3d print a crater rather than make one. As simple as a piece of card with some filler with sand glued on. Or other such construct. Lazy, uninspired state of the world)

How much does a 3d printer cost?
How much to run the printer?
How long to print a figure, tank, crater?

To your question if you have the printer, it's already set up and there's probably less clean up when your done.

It's definitely the way of the future.

I have bought several batches of "terrain" files for things that I could build, but printing them honestly takes less time and they usually have more detail than I would probably put into it.

The biggest advantage is that they don't take up physical space until I decide I "need" them!

Once you have the printer, the cost is minimal.

H Man, I agree completely. WHat some folks are willing to buy when they could easily scratch build is insane.

Terrain companies have been making models of craters for years. Why is this surprising?

If it takes an hour to scratch build that's an hour lost. But if it takes an hour to print, tat's 5 minutes lost and 55 minutes I can do other things while it prints.

I sell cardboard boxes, washers, and wood rectangles.

I don't build terrain, I buy it.

Good mix of views here.

3d printing board Vs scratch building board perhaps?

The future, no. Even in Star Trek they still do art and craft/hobbies by hand. I think even Garak did hand sewing in DS9.

Back in the present, if anything, all this technology is only making hand made more popular as people seek out alternatives.

I guarantee I could pump out easily 100 craters in the time it takes to print one. Made and painted/flocked loads that I sell for $1. USD They are perhaps the simplest terrain to make, why complicate things? There are also so many available to buy pre painted, why print them if you don't want to make them?

I also suspect the filament required would cost A LOT more than an old box and some masking tape and glue and sand. What I made mine out of.

This is the type of nonsense harming our kids. We will never get to Mars if they are taught that computers are the only way of doing things.

It does seem the print file is free, though I expect with another purchase.

All you need is some tape, glue and sand, extra crispy!

If you can't knock out something like this, if not a lot better…. Too easy! If your too lazy, get your kids to do it, or get someone else's to do it if you have none.

Add some money for filler, ice-cream (labour payment) and some better gravel/flock and paint job and they would look even better.

Sky's the limit, you wont get there on your bottom.

Complaints about time, skill or money, all go out the window here! As it takes none of these!

I was definitely talking a much wider application of 3D printing terrain and not just shellholes…

Agree with Extra Crispy, you can work on those tank models while it prints. :)

As to handicrafts in the future, you still need to paint it and finish it…

"Really? Have you ever see a man eat his own head before?"

". . . Err, no . . "

"Then you HAVEN'T seen *Everything*!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I would guess based on my experence at 20 GBP per kilo, maybe 5 gramms of material something like $0.7 USD dollar and minimal time. No mess to clean up WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ONE the old way.

3D modelling is far more fun than messing about with putty and once you have a model, new ones and even better very similar ones but not identical ones can be produced with minimal fuss.

If you want to mess about instead of playing wargames you can, but modeling is not wargameing. 3D prints are definitely the way forward. Plus mine does many of those anoying DIY jobs, when stuff breaks you just draw and make a replacement.

H Man seems to be quite proud of his collection of buggy whips; automobiles will never catch on, you see.

Still need to paint and finish? I though you would be all over the new multi colour printing technologies?

No I have not seen everything, but I have seen enough.

70c US about $1 USD or so Au. Sounds expensive in comparison to what you can make by hand. Why make one the old way? Because its more realistic, typically craters are not made of plastic, last I checked. Its more than likely healthier, looking at the real world, moving your hands in a natural way, being out doors, so on.

Staring at a screen more fun than making things???

3d printing 'aint wargaming either, last I checked.

3d printing is not the way forward. You just think it is. It may be for you

When stuff breaks, you fix it.

Ahem…

Actually automobiles (internal combustion at least) are, apparently, on the way out. I have pondered if horse-drawn carriages may make a come back, look a bicycles.

Why wouldn't you print it if you can?

Dinosaurs?

Damn kids. Get your new fangled printers off my lawn!

If you have the printer set up, how long does it take to load and configure the files before printing ?

What is the learning curve on the software ? Is it still a very techy domain rather than true end user ?

I have 30 years in IT and I know you don't just jump into a 3d package ? I am really looking forward to 3d printing, but would prefer leading edge not bleeding edge ..

(Reminds me of the time I bought a conservatory "kit" from Wickes, and aside from the window panels and generic instructions I got a lorry load of wood I had to measure, cut, put into jigs etc, before I could actually build anything!! :) )

Loading an SD CARD with the file (SD CARDS are faster to load to the initiated than the old film spools, some members may be too young to remember film cameras.

The printer was scary in that it was plug and go after a quick level of the bed with feeler gauges.

Software to make you own, hard to put a finger on the time. MUCH LESS than the time to learn to sculpt even a tank at 1/144 scale.
3D printers are the way forward and good riddance to casting, plastic was always better.

@The H Man:
Well, that was a rant if I have ever seen one. You really demolished those straw men.

Look, the craft of building terrain will not disappear, not entirely. Like every technology that has been rendered obsolete by advancing science, there will always be a place for lovingly hand-crafted models and terrain, but it will be considered a luxury niche (which our entire hobby already is).

"3d printing 'aint wargaming either, last I checked."
In that case, neither is building terrain by hand. You just use different tools to reach a similar result. The difference is that you only have to 3d model it once, then you can print as many as you like. Yes, it may take an hour to print one but only five minutes are spent starting the print, the you can spend the rest of the hour painting miniatures.

A crater is a really poor example because it is so easy to make by hand so I won't download it. This link, on the other hand, is useful and would take much more time to build by hand.

Lupulus. Fair enough. I did not have to shoot them, then burn them, then stab them, but they looked at me funny.

Remember my initial post was in reference to printing a crater, as you pointed out.

Casting won't become obsolete. 3d printing runs that risk, though, as does any modern technology.

You only have to sculpt something once. Then spend the few minutes to cast it. I see not time advantage, depending on your set up, of course.

The boxes shown look quite simple to make. Card or bulsa strips, knife, glue. Done. Cost (old cereal packets) only the glue, say $1 USD the lot? Time? A few hours perhaps, maybe less, but a saving of hundreds if not thousands over buying a computer and printer set up.

UshCha. You contradict your self:

"3D printers are the way forward and good riddance to casting, plastic was always better."

Casting is used to produce many of the plastic objects you enjoy. Even your fantabulous 3d printer.

Plastic was always better?? I assume you refer to modern plastics like abs. Always is then a very short time. Not to mention the research suggesting the harm plastics cause us and the environment.

I believe aquatic sea life may disagree with you in regards to plastic being better. Perhaps you could go to the floating plastic accumulation in the ocean and discuss it with them in more detail.

So I take it since you think it is a waste everyone else should too, sorry but no.

Apology accepted. I'm not sure what your on about? Feel free to elaborate.

I should have said cast metal figures, appologies.

I am shure that when it was originaly invented folk considered the wheel a really negative step and only to be around for a short time.

The plastics we use PLA is based, on corn starch and is re-cycleable so is no worse then metal figures.

Certainly here in the UK most yound people have access to computors and are computor literate so chargeing the cost of a computor to the sole use of wargaming is like claiming the cost of your house or phone as part of your hobby.

As far as the wheel, I believe most south americans were against it. They did pretty well without it, Spanish aside.

Also lead free metals are available and I even with lead, I doubt you will have too much trouble, but you should always have good ventilation, metal or plastics.

Unfortunately, not all programs run on all computers. So it can be a cost and who knows what programs you will need to run to print what you want in the future, so even a modern computer may need upgrading. Any burner or hot plate made 20 years ago can still be melting metal in 20 years.

I believe aquatic sea life may disagree with you in regards to plastic being better.

If you were the expert on 3D printing you claimed to be, you'd know many plastics – including PLA, one of the most commonly used plastics in 3D printing – are biodegradable.

Fail.