Jul 26, 2016 | By Tess
Two months ago, Belgian 3D printing company Materialise announced an exciting partnership with the Microsoft Corporation that aimed to make 3D printing and 3D printers more accessible by allowing Windows users to directly access i.materialise’s 3D printing service through a cloud-based platform. Now, the ambitious collaborative project has officially launched, meaning that users can now easily send their 3D models from Windows applications like the integrated 3D Builder app to i.materialise for on-demand 3D printing.
i.materialise expressed excitement about the collaboration on its blog saying, “We are really looking forward to realizing the designs of the Windows community and to working with the Microsoft team to further improve how people experience 3D printing.”
Essentially, the recently launched feature means that makers and 3D designers working with Windows 10 based applications no longer have to deal with external 3D printing services to have their designs realized. By simply selecting the 3D printing service option and the “order online” button in 3D Builder’s menu, 3D models are automatically uploaded to the i.materialise platform, effectively streamlining the ordering process.
From i.materialise, makers will be able to choose from a number of different printing options, including 20 different materials (such as stainless steel, titanium, silver, gold, and ceramic), and over one hundred different color and finish combinations. So, even if you have a desktop 3D printer handy, having the integrated online service makes a wide range of different printing options available at the click of a button.
The Windows 3D Builder app, for those unacquainted with it, is an integrated application for Windows 10, which allows users to easily view, capture, personalize, repair, and ready 3D models for 3D printing. The program comes with a database of pre-designed models which users can print or modify, or users can upload any models from online databases. 3D Builder supports all standard 3D printing file formats, and can even transform webcam photos into 3D printable models.
In an earlier press release about the partnership, Adrian Lannin, Group Program Manager of Microsoft said: “At Microsoft, we are developing the Windows 3D Printing Platform to improve the ease with which people can download designs or create something new and original. By working with Materialise, we aim to further improve the 3D printing experience of our community by giving users easy, direct access to the multitude of high-quality materials and finishes available through i.materialise.”
Posted in 3D Printing Service
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