Great Kick Off!

Hello, and welcome again to the Elemental Village Kickstarter.

We're off to a great start towards reaching our goal, and today I want to share with you a little more about the Elemental Village models and about the Kickstarter.

The Models

We've had some inquiries about the exact dimensions of the models, like their height and what kind of footprint they have on the table. Below is a list of each of the two buildings in each Element Pack, and a few of the Fortification pieces, with Height and Footprint measurements to give you an idea of their dimensions.

All measurements are approximates.

Arcane

Library - Height: 11.8in, Footprint: 4.4in X 4.9in

Temple - Height: 5.6in, Footprint: 4.4in X 5.2in

Earth

Tavern - Height: 6.3in, Footprint: 6.4in X 6in

Dwelling - Height: 3.8in, Footprint: 4.3in X 5.2in

Fire

Forge - Height: 4.7in (main building), 5.8in (chimney), Footprint: 6.6in X 7.8in

Dwelling - Height: 2.9in, Footprint: 5.5in X 3.8in

Water

Mill - Height: 5.1in, Footprint: 8.8in X 7in

Dwelling - Height: 3.6in, Footprint: 3.5in X 3.3in

Air

Town Hall - Height: 6.5in, Footprint: 7.7in X 6.4in

Dwelling - Height: 10.3in, Footprint: 4.3in X 4.3in

Fortifications

Tower - Height: 9.7in, Footprint: 3.1in X 2.9in

Gatehouse - Height: 6.1in, Footprint: 7in X 1.7in

Long Wall Section - Height: 3in, Footprint: 6.4in X 1.1in

On Printing the Elemental Village

We have also received some questions about print costs for those wishing to use their own 3D printers at home.

Print costs per item are difficult to estimate for anyone else due to the nature of the filament(s) being used and the cost per spool (per kg) of each filament.

Other factors that go into figuring the costs of 3D printing models have to do with how much infill (internal structure) and how many wall layers you want for your prints.

One of the other great things about 3D printing these models is that you can use your slicer program to change the scale and size of your personal models, which will also either increase or decrease the amount of filament used to print them.

With all of these factors to consider, it is difficult to say, "It will cost you X amount to print your own model."

In general, the value of 3D printing your models is more about the process than the end result.

Social Goals

Towards the bottom of the campaign page is a list of Social Goals and Rewards that we're hoping to achieve.

Social Goals help spread the word about a campaign, and we need your help to make that happen. The more people who see and read about the Elemental Village, the more it will succeed, and we want to give back something neat to everyone who helps us out.

We're close to achieving a couple of the starting goals already, so please help us boost the signal.

Together we can help make the Elemental Village a great Kickstarter and expand it in the future!

More on 3D Printing Options

The questions have been rolling in about 3D printing and how useful the STL files are for those who don't have a 3D printer.

Well, the truth is that even if you don't have a 3D printer of your own, you have easy access to thousands of them. You just might not realize it.

Shapeways

Probably the most well known and popular 3D printing service site out there, Shapeways is a great place to start if you have a file that you want to get printed.

Shapeways has a huge printing facility and offers services using just about any kind of filament in the market today.

Their interface is relatively easy to use, and you can get a quote in just a couple of minutes.

A word of caution, though, about Shapeways. The quality and service come at a price. I have generally found their quotes to be among the highest out there, so you may want to shop around a bit before you order a print from them. I do not mean this to be disparaging towards them in any way. I just want you informed.

UPS Stores

A fairly new entrant into the 3D printing services market, The UPS Store has recently started offering services at several locations nationwide.

Right now the stores that offer the service appear to be located around major metro areas, but if you live near one, it might be worth it to check them out.

3D Hubs

3D Hubs is a different kind of services site. Not a centralized facility, 3D Hubs is instead a network of local printers from your very own area who will compete for quotes to get you the best prices on what you want printed.

The interface to get a quote is one of the best I've ever seen anywhere, and the turn around time is usually in the days rather than the weeks. A great option if you want to support the local economy and establish connections for long term projects or repeated orders, 3D Hubs may be the best option for most people.

Many Others

There are a lot of other options for 3D printing services out there, far too many to cover in a Kickstarter update. The key is searching until you find the one that gives you what you are looking for, whether it be a specific price point, a material type, a turn around time, or whether or not they are local.

With so many options out there, 3D printing is far more economical and accessible than most of us realize. It's getting to be that such services are just about everywhere. You just need to know what you're looking for.