The Next Web

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Shapeways just got a whole lot easier

Shapeways just got a whole lot easierRemember Shapeways, the awesome Dutch company that introduced us to fabricate 3D items really easy? They improved their service last week.

Since our last post, Shapeways made their services amazingly easier. Check out their latest service called “photoshaper”, a tool that prints your photo’s in 3d. 3d modelling skills are not required anymore.

Also, one can make nifty napking ring poems, with the ringpoem maker. Choose a font and Shapeways will do the rest. Excellent for that special event (marriage, conference whatever), these rings are about $50.

Granted, creating custom mousepads, tshirts or photoalbums can be fun for the family, but Shapeways offers an online service to create your own objects, how cool is that?!

Create 3d objects from your drawings with webservice (we have invites)

Create 3d objects from your drawings with webservice (we have invites)We have seen online services for T-shirts, mousepads and tea. Techcrunch pointed us to a new Dutch webservice that can create 3d sculptures, the service understands various forms of CAD drawings, “print” them in 3d, and ships them globally within ten working days. Ever wanted to create advanced objects yourself, organizing an event and looking for cool custom awards? Now it’s possible!

How it works

Shapeway offers an online service with a community, users can find drawings and upload their own. After the user selects a model, the online service verifie if the model can be made, and provides a realtime cost estimation. Shapeways will tweak and print the model, and packs and ships it globally within 10 working days. The average cost of an 3d object is $50 – $150, objects are created one by one, so there is no “batch discount”. On the other hand, the service is cheap and costs per object might leave the creativity to create variations for your production. (more…)