"You just gotta love 3D printing." Topic

Yesterday I was slow of the mark getting a simple scenario up for Monday night. In the end a Ukraine inspaired assult by a Plausible Russian company (i.e some basic training and artillery support). But to make it fun based on the pics I have seen, I needed shell craters as some form of cover. I had some crude 3D models at 1/72. I needed them lower and wider for this 1/144 game. Minutes later new files, 24 printed in under 2 hrs, quick spray with geen paint, though far from perfect for some, perfect gaming pieces and a really fun game ensued. This this shows the massive gains when you have a printer available.

I may revise the design of the craters a bit and then perhaps use a sand/pva mix to coat them but whether its really worth that much time to me is still a debate.

It would be easy for instance to make them slightly less circular, but withought a lot of faff in research they may not be any more credible than circular one's. Any body got a good source for real gun crater shapes and sizes for a particular terrain type?

I knew some guys whose job involved this. Variables include angle of impact, depth of penetration, nature and amount of explosive and type of soil. (And moisture and temperature. I forgot frozen soil.)

But if you're not personally plotting the counter-battery fire, I'd go with circular. There really are things too petty even for miniature wargamers.

I'd make the crater hole and edges brown, but otherwise, absolutely.

Agreed.

There are definitely quicker ways.

Yes, there are. I think UshCha's point is that 3D printing has revolutionized the hobby.

Only for those who want to buy and use a 3d printer and associated technology.

It's only a bother to the rest of us.

Not really, it has made a huge difference. Being able to print almost any military vehicle in any scale a wargamer might want for example. I doubt it will be long before most wargames clubs include at least one person with a printer and print on demand services are likely to get more competitive.

I don't see how it can be a bother to anyone. No one is making anyone do anything. If you don't want the products -- don't buy them. Plenty of gamers have 3D products but don't own 3D printers. Model railroading is another hobby being revolutionized by 3D printing. There are vendors selling 3D products at every game convention and RR show I go to.

So glad to hear this and have a chance to brag. I was invited to be first employee of 3D systems, the company which invented 3D printing. I personally designed and built the prototypes for the world's first 3D printers, using UV Lasers and resin. Then I managed the projects to bring them to market. I NEVER imagined they would become so widespread and so capable.
Chick Lewis

There are definitely quicker ways.

"Go a head punk, Name one" I just love Eastwood.

advocate – Only had green, I seem to have used all the brown spray and I had time for one quick coat.

"Name one"

Ok Homer,

"They can be used in place of your real -craters-…, Sorry, I'm needed in the basement… "

Cut some card to shape. Scrunch up some paper into doughnut shape. Tape onto card with masking tape.

Less time, less money.

"I don't see how it can be a bother to anyone. No one is making anyone do anything. If you don't want the products -- don't buy them."

That's highly contradictive.

If a company changes to prints/CG, and you don't buy them for that reason, that can be a bother.

Companies are making people buy them, if they don't offer an alternative, or it becomes a bother.

It does feel like people are being pushed out of the hobby, at least at the larger end, because they use the hobby to get away from computers.

"There are vendors selling 3D products at every game convention and RR show I go to."

And everything else, toys, what not.

There is hope there that it's just the latest fad gadget.

People have mentioned that they buy one, use it once or twice and then it just sits there. Like the bread machine, or latest fitness gadget.

"have a chance to brag."

Maybe there will be a film.

I can see the Barbenheimer style memes already.

People are already printing guns, or parts there of.

I'm sure victims families are thankful.

PS

Yeah, that Ian Malcolm quote, 'nuf said.

Cut some card to shape. Scrunch up some paper into doughnut shape. Tape onto card with masking tape.

Less time, less money.

Card is not cheap whare I live, the cost opf the card alone would be far more than the cost of the Fillament. It would take longer, I only spent 5 min setting up the machine and it made 24 at no cost in time at all.

Papar would not work at 1/144 too light, it would blow away and taping paper them onto card card would take far longer than the amount of time it took to set the machine up. Not sure then it would even look better as getting the right size, about 2 to 3 mm would be time consuming.

Lets face it H man, youare as far behind on 3D printing as I am on what my kids call "A Smart Phone", never could get a handel on a phone with no real buttone.

I don't own a printer, I just pay other people to print stuff for me. But yes, it has revolutionised the hobby, it is like being on the USS Enterprise with access to the Replicator. Just amazing.

I still buy some stuff from old fashioned manufacturers, but the bulk of my new vehicles and guns are 3D printed now.

"Card is not cheap whare I live, the cost opf the card alone would be far more than the cost of the Fillament."

I can't can't say what I want about that.

Seriously?

Is that the best you can come up with?

Do you only eat home grown?

You don't buy clothes?

Your computer came in a bag?

Do better.

I was thinking 28mm.

1/44,12mm, even quicker.

Card (free from the pantry/bin, dah).

Some tissue (I suppose one is immune also, or perhaps tissues are just too expensive where your are, I'd suggest loo paper, but don't want hear that reply), and a bit of white gold, aka PVA glue, the really expensive type. You could even add a bit of paint (just don't eat that week).

One could sprinkle some sand or flock while your there (but who has the money for that?!)

"no real buttone"

Each to there own.

"it is like being on the USS Enterprise with access to the Replicator."

I may have to agree with you there, at least according to the suggestion that the replicators are just recycled s**t.

I don't feel they are any more revolutionary than cast resin.

Getting them printed elsewhere makes more sense.

However it then makes more sense for manufacturers to use metal, resin or plastic for speed and quality.

That's where customers can go back to traditional manufacturers, thus voiding the point.

The H Man – you missed the point, this was a quick job elaped time about 3 hrs, Time working actually doing stuff maybe 30min tops (all I had, busy getting troops and scenary redy plus alsa some housework). Flock and PVA eventaully maybe even on the Printed stuff but that would not have got me done in the 3 hrs I had start to finnish before it was needed at the club. . Us OAP's are a busy lot.

30 mins to make 24 tiny craters?

Can't see the issue there.

You could also just cut some polystyrene to shape (tip, use talc to avoid static).

Or a circle of gap filler.

Or just mix sand paint and PVA.

Tidying up would take more than 30 min and PVA does not cure very fast. Lets face it you are just not used to the moderen superfast technologhy

"moderen"

No, I'm not familiar with that brand.

Scrunching up a piece of paper and throwing it in the bin doesn't take long.

Less time than someone may take swearing at a failed print, computer crash, what have you.

The glue, particularly if placed in a warm area, will cure enough in the time the printer took to print.

It may also have extra time in transit, sitting around while people talk.

I don't think we're talking about much glue for a 1/144 crater. 2-3"? Diameter. I'm assuming a base of figures would sit inside?

I think people are just getting lazy.

3d printing is its own hobby.

It's interesting that computers try to push their nose in everywhere, film, photography, publishing.

All it does it replace many and varied skills sets with one.

Then people usually come around and wise up.

This is evident in the renowned popularity of such things as dumb phones, records and CDs, optical archiving.

While I don't believe traditional miniatures manufacturing will ever go away, I also believe that 3d printing will not achieve full coverage with many buyers reverting to traditional methods.

My two friends in Montgomery each have a printer.
I was stunned to see two of my friends and competitors from Florida bring a vast supple of terrain, WW2, and Battletech to the Bayou Wars show. Over the past year while I was in the hospital, one guy had installed 10 printers and the other guy has 12 printers.
Just Wow.

I have 12 myself :)

Can we assume that's for some sort of business venture?

If not, it does fly in the face of the idea of everyone eventually having a printer, if you need 12.

And if you don't need 12? Then why do you?

Unless it's just because the other 11 are older models and you keep upgrading?

People won't be interested if they require the space for 12 and associated kit.

Far easier to simply order what you need and not give up any valuable space.

And I only have two! . I am clearly failing in who is the coolest 3D printer contest.

I can say in my defence I have an "Upstairs" printer and a "Downstairs" printer. Who wants to walk up and down the stairs just to geyt to a printer, it would be like having to get up to the TV to change the channel, how terrible would that be.

Asking how many printers does a wargamer needs is as daft as asking a traditional wargamer does he need yet more figures despite having 3 liftimes of painting in the exsisting lead pile.

More printers aren't neccessary but you still need them, think of them for some folk as the need for a lead pile, pointless but necessary.

"I am clearly failing in who is the coolest 3D printer contest."

A printer has a hot head, and goes back and forth dribbling…

But cool? No, not cool.

I would question needing one printer, especially with services available.

Unless your into computing and want to deal with them out of hours, I can't see the interest. Add the mechanical engineering side and you just put more people off.

A hard core niche group, 3d printing is, but it doesn't penetrate the wider wargaming hobby in itself.