Being Able To Print Toys At Home? Future Is Here

[jvcarroll]

Rapid prototypers are just that - machines that rapidly make prototypes. Once that prototype is made it must be tooled, molded and put into the manufacturing process like any other product. There's no way that it can recreate a Palisades Zoot with the paint aps, articulation and materials. There are machines, that can scan his action figure and create a very nice statue representation that would still require a bit of an artist's fine-tuning. I'm not sure how these new machines plan to apply the color.

 

[beaker]

Okay, I have to be honest, the article really doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but trying to understand what you guys are saying, are they SERIOUSLY talking about an actual printer that can bring products? Sounds too good to be true.

3d printers have been around since the 80's. And several years ago the ability to print
fully formed painted figures existed. This is from 2009

The technology is much farther along, and it's now consumer(albeit still a high price)

But it's beyond that. They're now able to created and print human organs, and the army has developed printable human skin that can be custom fit for any wounded soldier's wound size. If you look on youtube, there's thousands of recent 3d printer demonstrations and specials. Car parts, computer parts, anything can be made. Metal, plastic, etc.

 

[beaker]

Rapid prototypers are just that - machines that rapidly make prototypes. Once that prototype is made it must be tooled, molded and put into the manufacturing process like any other product. There's no way that it can recreate a Palisades Zoot with the paint aps, articulation and materials. There are machines, that can scan his action figure and create a very nice statue representation that would still require a bit of an artist's fine-tuning. I'm not sure how these new machines plan to apply the color.

it's way advanced by now. With figures you simply have the disassembled figure molds if you don't want a solid figure. However a machine can print many different materials, so you could in essence create thousands of rubbery M.u.s.c.l.e. type men or Kaiju type figures. My friend in Oregon works at a shop where they use these things on a daily basis to create intricate metal parts for racing cars. There's already the ability to print out automatic weapons.

I mean, pretty sure Palisades figures are pretty low on the totem compared to what can be done with these bad boys

 

[beaker]

I haven't read the article yet, but this whole thing sounds like a belated april fools joke to me.

Pretty much ANYTHING can be printed from mere powder.
Here's a fully formed and functional bicycle printed out of thin air practically

 

[Drtooth]

it's way advanced by now. With figures you simply have the disassembled figure molds if you don't want a solid figure. However a machine can print many different materials, so you could in essence create thousands of rubbery M.u.s.c.l.e. type men or Kaiju type figures.

Liked for reference to M.U.S.C.L.E.

It'd probably be a fortune to copy those little guys, though... otherwise I'd want a plastic copy of my most prized M.U.S.C.L.E.

The Japanese Kinishi figure of Kinnikuman super deformed Kinnikuman wearing a kimono from the third ending of the cartoon series. That's literally buried in a box in a box in a closet. So precious I know of my possession of it, but rarely look at it or handle it.

Still... I wonder how easy this is going to be for action figure manufacturers.

Could someone essentially take a 3-D CGI model and just make a prototype of that?

 

[beaker]

Liked for reference to M.U.S.C.L.E.

It'd probably be a fortune to copy those little guys, though... otherwise I'd want a plastic copy of my most prized M.U.S.C.L.E.

The Japanese Kinishi figure of Kinnikuman super deformed Kinnikuman wearing a kimono from the third ending of the cartoon series. That's literally buried in a box in a box in a closet. So precious I know of my possession of it, but rarely look at it or handle it.

Still... I wonder how easy this is going to be for action figure manufacturers.

Could someone essentially take a 3-D CGI model and just make a prototype of that?

Oh gosh yes. Especially if they had the 3d file from whatever computer toy prototypers use. Or you could 3d scan a figure either posed or disassembled. But normally it'd be from a file. I'm really surprised most people haven't heard about things...you'd think this was people thinking it was black magic from the way some are responding. I follow a lot of trending/future tech stuff, and 3d printing is actually pretty low on the totem pole as far as 'holy crap my mind is blown' stuff I come across.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygre...dad-and-his-3d-printer-aim-to-liberate-legos/

Lego seems unhappy that people are uploading files to print legos and lego like stuff at home(Lego doesnt go after the flooded market of Lego ripoff companies legally sold at stores tho)

And here's Paramount suing people uploading 3d printer files for toys
http://toddblatt.blogspot.com/2011/06/cease-and-desist.html

It's very simple. There are printers advanced enough to pretty much create anything
from liquid metals, liquid plastic, powder, even bio organic compounds.

!

 

[D'Snowth]

Aw great... these things aren't available for home use yet, and already the concept of 3-D printing is drawing firestorm and controversy, because now people are all scared about psychos using them to print their own firearms, and go around killing people.

 

[RedPiggy]

The sad thing is, I didn't think of guns. I truly thought the first logical step would be 3D playboy stuff, LOL.

 

[D'Snowth]

Yeah. Not like I was going to print out anybody in particular or anything...