Sep 16, 2014
It's that time of year again. Each year SOLIDWORKS releases a new version of its flagship product. Last week, SOLIDWORKS 2015 is released. More correctly SOLIDWORKS 2015 is out of Beta and Pre-Release 1 is now available. In addition to many exciting enhancements in this release, the new version brings in a brand new feature: 3D printing.
Image credit: SolidWorks
Running SolidWorks 2015 on a Windows 8.1 device, you can print directly to a 3D printer from the SOLIDWORKS software, without the need for any additional 3rd party software.
After you finish your design in SOLIDWORKS, you can click File > Print3D to access the 3D print dialog box. Just select your 3D printer from the drop-down list and you get a preview of the print bed and the model's location. You can modify settings such as print resolution, the optional addition of supports and rafts, volume fill percentage etc.
You can also export part and assembly files to Additive Manufacturing File Format (AMF), an open XML-based format designed for describing objects for additive manufacturing processes like 3D printing. In addition to the model geometry, an AMF file can contain information about the color and materials of objects for 3D printing.
With the SOLIDWORKS 2015 you will be able to print a 3D model directly to a 3D printer simple and fast. To learn more about SOLIDWORKS 2015, check out the launch page of the software here.
Thanks to Kris for the tip!
Posted in 3D Software
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