"Difference/Comparison of the 3D Print Quality" Topic

I was looking at some of the options for 3D printing vehicles and was wondering if any could describe or provide visuals of the different print qualities.

For example on Shapeways they have:
White Natural Versatile Plastic
Smooth Fine Detail Plastics
Smoothest Fine Detail Plastic

If you like any detail, stick with the detail plastics. The "White Natural" is what used to be known as " White Strong and Flexible", and has a slightly textured finish.

I have a ton of the detail plastics in 1/4800 WW2 ships, and fleet-scale space fighters, and they are gorgeous.

MiniPatton,
It really depends what you want. The daft new names at Shapeways do not help. My opinion is the White Strong Flexible now (WNVP) is an excellent material for gaming. It does have a slight texture but the daft thing is at war games ranges (4 ft or more) it is impossible to tell. The others types of plastic have a bit less texture but tend to be brittle for very small details like 1/144 scale tank guns.

If you spend your time staring at models at 6" range instead of actually playing, then perhaps the very expensive material would be better but at a high price. If you don't want a specimen from Shapeways, see if you can get a model from Butlers Printed Models they are to the same standard as WNVP.

Thanks for the information!

I ordered a few trucks from Shapeways and some stuff from Butler's Printed Models to give them a try.

I'll take some pictures and post it on my blog.

This seems like another juncture for me to dig out some photos…

You will have to forgive the scifi, but that is what I have the most pictures of in situ!

A close image of a starship (actual size just under 50mm) in WNVP – at this sort of distance, my painting doesn't really hold up.

Same ship just visible (centre bottom) in the melee here (all of the ships on that side are WNVP, and some of the opposite side (i.e. the non GW ones) are Replicator 2.

Aotrs Shipyard's titular Aotrs ground force (144th), which is a mix of WNVP and Replicator 2 stuff, painted and seen at approximately wargames distance.

More sci-fi 144th in WVNP in situ:

(Centre grey vehicles, the large tanks to the left are Rep 2).

Hope that gives you some idea.

(NB: I don't use the higher detail materials. I had one set of ships done in them during the trial period, and they are the only ships I have ever had to throw away. The missile pylons broke during normal usage and the material wouldn't even superglue properly. I had to replace them with WNVP and have had no problems since.) But for the sake or arguement, here's photos of the detail plastic and the WNVP.