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It’s a new wave in the industry and there are lots of uses in gaming. It would be a nice spot for people to talk tech, give and get advice and to collect links for vendors and files.

That's a pretty sweet idea, although the issue that immediately comes to mind would be people asking for / sharing links to exact digital replicas of official stuff...

 RiTides wrote:
That's a pretty sweet idea, although the issue that immediately comes to mind would be people asking for / sharing links to exact digital replicas of official stuff...

Dakkadakka already has the no Chinese remaster policy, so I think a sticky with a no copy policy.

I think this is a very necessary thing. I have no 3d printer and have never 3d printed anything, but I'm seeing kickstarter after kickstarter for 3d printed models, patreons for digital artists, adverts on facebook, and more. It's not for me, but it has very clearly become a large part of the industry now, and it would be useful to have somewhere to discuss it.

I honestly think it’s a good idea.
Yes, there is the issue of shared replica files, but restrictions can be put in place.
There’s already issues with recasters and Dakka handles those well.

It would be a good place for people to get themselves out there as well.
Tons of people are making great stuff but it’s rarely seen.

Could also be a good place to get commission work too.
As someone that’s previously tried to find someone who prints, it’s not as easy as it sounds.

Files is one thing.
Trying to find someone that prints is a whole different thing.

Many avoid shapeways due to its unreliable quality and high shipping.



Could be a good way to boost a few small businesses.

I have mixed feelings about this.

I do a lot of 3D printing, so I would enjoy a forum to discuss it and show my work.

On the other hand,

If there is a kickstarter for someone selling 3D models for use as proxies in wargames, news & rumors still seems like the best place for that to me.

If you subtract the above, could it possible get enough attention to warrant it? You already can list your 3D prints in the Showcase or P&M blogs, you can discuss questions about them in painting and modelling, and so on.

I think it would be worth adding. News and Rumours would still get the "new 3D Kickstarter" information, just like how it gets news for new warhammer and other related products in it.

The difference is the 3D printing section would allow for people to chat about different printers, software packages -ergo all the technicalities of printing. It would also encourage and put all that general topic in one place for reference as opposed to it being scattered about the site or buried in the modelling section under piles of "normal" modelling topics like greenstuff and glues and other such topics.




Illegal requests like "how can I cast my own space marines" and such would, of course, be dealt with. Just the same as if anyone got into the modelling section and stated talking about how to cast their own models in traditional metal or resin casting processes. The difference being that 3D printers are more affordable and more engaged with in the community than standard metal or resin casting methods are.

 Ouze wrote:
I have mixed feelings about this.

I do a lot of 3D printing, so I would enjoy a forum to discuss it and show my work.

On the other hand,

If there is a kickstarter for someone selling 3D models for use as proxies in wargames, news & rumors still seems like the best place for that to me.

If you subtract the above, could it possible get enough attention to warrant it? You already can list your 3D prints in the Showcase or P&M blogs, you can discuss questions about them in painting and modelling, and so on.

I agree here.

I think the kickstarters should still stay in the N&R section, if for nothing else, the visibility. And once you take those out, how much is left? I’m still fairly new with my 3d printer, so keep an eye out on threads discussing them, and I honestly don’t see that many.

If you do start a section, I’ll frequent it, but I think it’s going to be pretty quiet.

Useful and nice to have, but probably not needed IMHO.

Glad my suggestion is seeing some more backing.

I would also think some of the groundwork should be laid out that Kickstarters for 3D that have already run could be collected in the sub forum as it would let people see options and clear up space in the News and Rumors sub forum.

I would hope that we could do a better job of holding sellers/designers to one thread which they need to update. The forums for “other” games is full of the same people who constantly pump out painting or gameplay videos and make multiple threads for their business. If we kept it streamlined to one thread each, then things will be easier to find.

A sticky for other sources of files would be nice.

Also a sticky with printing options (where to get files printed), split up by geographical region seems like a logical idea too.

 Theophony wrote:
I would hope that we could do a better job of holding sellers/designers to one thread which they need to update. The forums for “other” games is full of the same people who constantly pump out painting or gameplay videos and make multiple threads for their business.

So, as an aside, that's a different problem - vendors are not supposed to be doing that, and if they are, you should report the threads so a moderator can ask them to consolidate their updates. The expectation as I understand it they generally need to stick to one thread, especially if\when they are starting new threads frequently.

 Ouze wrote:

 Theophony wrote:
I would hope that we could do a better job of holding sellers/designers to one thread which they need to update. The forums for “other” games is full of the same people who constantly pump out painting or gameplay videos and make multiple threads for their business.

So, as an aside, that's a different problem - vendors are not supposed to be doing that, and if they are, you should report the threads so a moderator can ask them to consolidate their updates. The expectation as I understand it they generally need to stick to one thread, especially if\when they are starting new threads frequently.

Though I enjoy a bunch of the painting and gaming ones, some like GMG put up a new thread with each video they do. I enjoy them and Ash, but when I went looking in the alternate game section there are dozens of videos for all sorts of systems.

Yeah, bit of a tangent form the OP, but a lot of the non-GW sections are getting choked to the point of little else is visible. As much as a 3D print section could be interesting, I think a "Content" sub where all that goes is probably more needed.

A Discord server I belong to has this and it works pretty well.

OP's request has been put up for discussion, don't expect swift miracles, but this is something that will be seriously discussed over time, as I know a few of my fellow mods are also avid printers.

As for the vendors thing.. that's something I want to tackle in due time, when I have time again! Sadly, quite a few companies posting here ignore PM's, formal requests and eventual warnings sent their way with regards to sticking to a single topic / forum for their stuff, just pumping and dumping their content whenever they pop in.

Though I am glad with the time and effort we took to clean up the mat review thread a while back, removing all non-review posts made by mat companies who used it as another place to spam their stuff.

I have opened up the tangential discussion here in the current thread on moderation, can you please take any further discussion there.

On the 3d printer sub forum, I do wonder if it will generate enough discussion to be warranted. I see some threads now and again (other than those for buisness/kickstarter) and they tend to mostly be around helping out people new to it, sourcing .stl files or places to print things for you and people showing off stuff they have done (which is just as valid in P&M as it would be in a new sub).

I think that 3D printing is about to explode an DakkaDakka being on the front of it will make a big difference. Costs of printers is dropping’s and with waves of KS designs happening, more people will be getting into it. I’m just getting into it after seeing some KS, and I’m kind of jumping in blind.

And while that may be true, the concern would be that by starting a separate section for it before there is actually enough discussion happening to keep such a section alive, people see that there's no discussion happening and assume that this just isn't the place for it. And so it never actually builds up, because people look elsewhere.

As someone who has been slowly collecting 3D files and have plans to get a printer in the somewhat near future, I'd love to see a place to talk about different printers, settings, techniques and the like.

I oppose it. It’s too easily abused and exploited plus the damage it causes to the manufacturers only hurts people who are trying to stick with official models.

DeathKorp_Rider wrote:
I oppose it. It’s too easily abused and exploited plus the damage it causes to the manufacturers only hurts people who are trying to stick with official models.

The toothpaste is already out of the tube. 3D printers are out there and will become a new way for companies to reach their customers. Some games are already embracing this. It’s all about keeping your company flexible.

If your worried about people creating “recasts”, we already discussed a bit about policing and not allowing for discussing copying exact models. So no cheap forgeworld stuff. Those files will be online no matter what and some will think it’s acceptable, but we wouldn’t condone it.

 Theophony wrote:

DeathKorp_Rider wrote:
I oppose it. It’s too easily abused and exploited plus the damage it causes to the manufacturers only hurts people who are trying to stick with official models.

The toothpaste is already out of the tube. 3D printers are out there and will become a new way for companies to reach their customers. Some games are already embracing this. It’s all about keeping your company flexible.

If your worried about people creating “recasts”, we already discussed a bit about policing and not allowing for discussing copying exact models. So no cheap forgeworld stuff. Those files will be online no matter what and some will think it’s acceptable, but we wouldn’t condone it.

Okay, what about people making knockoffs just slightly different? They are always going to find ways to circumvent the rules. I say we stay out of the issue all together and leave it for websites dedicated to 3D printing.

DeathKorp_Rider wrote:

 Theophony wrote:

DeathKorp_Rider wrote:
I oppose it. It’s too easily abused and exploited plus the damage it causes to the manufacturers only hurts people who are trying to stick with official models.

The toothpaste is already out of the tube. 3D printers are out there and will become a new way for companies to reach their customers. Some games are already embracing this. It’s all about keeping your company flexible.

If your worried about people creating “recasts”, we already discussed a bit about policing and not allowing for discussing copying exact models. So no cheap forgeworld stuff. Those files will be online no matter what and some will think it’s acceptable, but we wouldn’t condone it.

Okay, what about people making knockoffs just slightly different? They are always going to find ways to circumvent the rules. I say we stay out of the issue all together and leave it for websites dedicated to 3D printing.

But how is that any different than buying from 3rd party companies? If I print a 'not-cadian' infantryman or buy one from Anvil, or Victoria Miniatures (or Mad Robot, or Shieldwolf or...) either way I'm still getting a sci-fi infantry dude to use as a guardsman.

My point exactly, the lines here are blurred enough already. Bringing printing into this may make the lines disappear all together.

DeathKorp_Rider wrote:
My point exactly, the lines here are blurred enough already. Bringing printing into this may make the lines disappear all together.

I guess I don't get it, there's a market for miniatures. Nothing is "blurred" here. If a person buys from a third party, or 3d prints, or makes paper cut-outs it's still their choice. No one else can tell them they're doing it wrong for enjoying the game.

Well forum or no, my Ender 3 arrived a few hours ago, first test print is going now.


Had the Mortal Kombat song on loop while I assembled it (well YouTube playing a 10hour loop of the song )

It has begun.

Let me know how that works for you. My friend has been having some teething problems with hers in terms of bed ahesion (flexible metal bed). /glassbedgang

I'm an Ultrabase baby, and it's always been pretty good. I just had cause to replace it (electrical fault in the bed heating circuit) and holy gak balls, this new one I think I could print on in space, while underwater, and upside down.

 Azreal13 wrote:
I'm an Ultrabase baby, and it's always been pretty good. I just had cause to replace it (electrical fault in the bed heating circuit) and holy gak balls, this new one I think I could print on in space, while underwater, and upside down.

My man! I have an I3 Mega S and sadly, just replaced my ultrabase for the second time this past weekend for the exact same reason. I added a drag chain and hoped that would fix the design issue but no, a year and a half later, there were were again - the power wire frayed.

This time I ordered higher quality wiring and will just rewire the "bad" base. But yeah the adhesion is phenomenal.

I was deeply irritated as mine was 11 months old, and Customer Support informed me that they only warranty the base for 6 months.

I mean, the one thing that everyone with an i3M knows is the base wiring is subject to cracking, and conveniently they warranty that precise component for a shorter time? They then offered me 10% off a replacement, which felt oddly more insulting than just offering to sell me one at RRP.

My replacement has a lot more of the individual wires protruding from the wrap though, so the four connecting wires can move about individually a lot more, so perhaps that'll help.

It has made me look a lot harder at Photon alternatives than I otherwise was for the DLP printer I'm looking to get though.

I have the Photon and the Photon S and if I were buying a printer today, I'd probably get the Elegoo Mars. I don't like that they are moving away from CBD boards - I liked some of the third party tools that I can still use with my OG photon.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Azreal13 wrote:
My replacement has a lot more of the individual wires protruding from the wrap though, so the four connecting wires can move about individually a lot more, so perhaps that'll help.

This is the drag chain adapter I installed, btw. While my wires did indeed fray despite that after about 18 months, I have run it nearly nonstop in that timeframe - 80 hour, 100 hour prints sometimes, with an hour of downtime before moving on to the next. So i'm not too salty, but it really is a design flaw.

That's partly why I'm irritated, I don't run mine that much, in fact I'd not needed it for anything in almost 3 months of the 11 I'd owned it. But I think that any attempt to modify it just moves the stress to a different place, I think I'll see how well this slightly modified one holds up, I'm not greatly motivated to invest huge amounts of effort into mods just yet.

The Mars is the obvious choice, I've also been looking at the Orange 30 and the Creality equivalent. Probably going to try and hold on until the Mars Pro becomes more readily available too.

Trouble is, the Photon keeps dipping below £180 while the others are all in the £220-250 bracket, and that's a lot of difference in price for little difference in ultimate function.

The Mars does have an extra few mm on its build plate though which keeps me interested, and the Creality has a perforated plate which apparently helps reduce suction on the print and therefore reduces some failures.