Is 3D printing the future?

[Easy E]

As someone who owns a 3D resin printer, uses it, and is far from an expert..... I will say no. 

Why?  Because it is still much easier to go and buy a plastic box or have it sent to you ready to be assembled and go.  Especially at the larger 20 to 32mm scales.  It has great uses for smaller scales, bases, heads, weapons, etc.  However, without some skill and knowledge it can be a struggle for a novice to master and do bigger items.     

There is a lot of prep time, clean time, and the like to go from STL file to successful finished printed.  In addition, there is still a lot of wastage and mis-prints for your average at-home, hobby 3D printer user. 

Finally, it is hard to do "printing" to scale.  I.e. large amount of items.  I have been working on a fleet of 1/2400 triremes from a simple design.  Between the equipment, waste, prep, and cleaning the models I can not say for sure I have saved any money on the process.  It is a lot harder than simply popping open a blister, cleaning the flash, and getting to painting. 

That said, as the technology improves and is embraced I can see it becoming a larger niche.  However, many people simply will not have the chops to get over the barrier of entry to make 3D printing huge.  It is still more convenient to buy a blister or box from a manufacturer.   

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Dear Fred,

I do have a dedicated space for the printer and wash machine.
I have an Ikea Ivar shelving unit. One shelf 80cm x 50 cm is at desk height with the printer and wash machine.
They sit on a silicone rubber mat.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Silicone-Waterproof-Pet-Food/dp/B07BLB1MMH/ref=sr_1_11?crid=JF7JYIU9JUYT&keywords=silicone%2Brubber%2Bmat%2Bpet&qid=1650911216&sprefix=silicone%2Brubber%2Bmat%2Bpet%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-11&th=1

I have a dispenser for paper towels and a dispenser box for nitrile gloves next to the printer.
The smells do not bother me but my wife hates the smell of the 99% isopropyl alcohol.
Noise is not a problem.

3D printing is almost a hobby in itself. You do have to study it to be successful.

Mick

[fred]

Thanks Mick - so not a huge amount of space needed

I think your last sentence is key! I’ve barely got enough time for painting and gaming so adding 3D printing in seems impractical for me. Feels its perhaps the thing that 1 person in a gaming group may get into and then hopefully will be able to print stuff off for others in the group - if they cover material costs.

[Hummster]

I think it will still stay a niche and the enthusiasts that I've run across going on about how cheap the miniatures can be, ignores the issue of needing time to paint and base them as well as ignoring the lead mountains and plastic piles many of us have to deal with already.

For RPG players, 3D printing is the only way to have a model that looks "like my character" if you have a character that wears unusual clothing, weapons, familiar, etc. Most gamers don't care about non-gaming appearance, but some RPG'ers have been playing their character for years and can spend $40 on one model, because it's the only model they will play.

Some miniature skirmish games have different stats for different weapons and armor. For example, for Lasting Tales, I have an elf ranger with a spear and crossbow. Not a classic pose. Multipiece or magnetic miniatures with interchangeable parts works, those lose the dynamic pose conventional miniatures have, and the cost of the pieces and magnets is high. So 3D printing would fit though, again, many gamers don't care much if the miniature looks slightly different than the stat block.

It has always been possible to create a unique character figure using an existing metal or plastic and converting it though it does require skill and patience so 3d printing doesn't really offer anything new in that, except a different means of doing so.

[Daeothar]

I find it interesting that so many have so much struggles with getting their printer to work properly. I may be an extreme outlier on the plus side, but I simply unpacked my Mars 2 Pro, filled the vat with resin and got to printing. No fiddling with settings, no mechanical tinkering, just printing right out of the box.

So far I have not changed anything to my settings or setup and it has worked every single time. The one (very slight) mishap was caused by my extremely limited 3D designing skills, and even that was easily overcome with some old school crafting techniques. So; not a single misprint, and I've had 0 experience with 3D printing before that...

Just thought I'd chime in with a story from the other side of the spectrum...

Now; knock on wood that things remain like this, and I have not printed all that much since I got it (December last year), but I have found the entire experience very enjoyable and carefree so far.


I think 3D printing is opening avenues not extensively explored before, and it opens the miniature realm to people who may before not have been exposed to it, or found it daunting. I remember, back in and before the naughties, that a very many people found the gatekeeping communities in game stores hugely off putting, and they would actively avoid entering those dens of unwashed nerdiness. And many of those people were at least somewhat interested in miniatures. With the advent of online stores, this barrier largely disappeared (along with the brick and mortar stores, I might add). And now, with 3D printing, things have gotten even easier.

It will eventually develop into a whole new environment, where the rules of current value, as determined by materials, casting, limited editions, packaging, retail points and the ebay ecosystem, no longer apply. This will mean a devaluation of miniature prices. STL files, that is, compared to old-school mediums like polystyrene and pewter. Those manufacturers that do not adapt, will eventually be overrun. And going by past experiences, GW for instance might well be in for it this time around.

Strange and unprecedented things are happening to collecting as well. A good friend told me of a bloke he saw online who announced that he is now exclusively into collecting STL files, as opposed to physical models! That is a concept that my archaeic mind cannot grasp. But it is true that once one gets into 3D printing, one accumulates much, much more files than one would ever (want to) print. It still surprises me how these companies can exist, releasing many dozens of miniatures (often very large ones, such as dragons etc) per month, often in amazing quality too! It appears to me that these designs are more than one person can produce in a month, so more than one person is making their living off these monthly subscriptions. Just imagine how many people must be subscribed to make this a viable business model!

I for one, can only hope though that polystyrene will not be phased out, although I find this to be very likely, when looking at the 3d printing rise, oil prices, environmental issues and declining interest in modeling in the younger generations. As much as I love the metal(s), my favourite hobby material still is polystyrene, and it has been for almost 40 years now. And this is the only down side I see to 3D printing...

[zemjw]

It will eventually develop into a whole new environment, where the rules of current value, as determined by materials, casting, limited editions, packaging, retail points and the ebay ecosystem, no longer apply. This will mean a devaluation of miniature prices. STL files, that is, compared to old-school mediums like polystyrene and pewter.

It would be nice if that turns out to be true, but I suspect it won't.

Look at PDFs, digital music and videos etc. They cost pretty much the same as the physical versions, despite the reduction in manufacturing, storage, transport etc costs.

Companies like GW ran screaming from metal because it was too expensive and we now have single 28mm figures that cost over £20 in supposedly plastic and resin.

People are used to paying a certain price for something. If a company thinks it can get away with keeping it at that price then they will.

The digital marketplace means you have a worldwide audience for your product. You should be able to sell it cheaply and still make a living. There are no moulds to wear out, no consumables to buy. Heck, if you're willing to give a (large, but that's another issue) cut to places like MyMiniFactory, DriveThruRPG, Gumroad etc, you don't even have storage or money handling hassles to worry about.

I think it will augment the hobby, allowing for the production of figures that just aren't economical to release as physical products. I don't know if it will replace metal and plastic, not until we get proper Star Trek replicators

[Daeothar]

All well and true, but in my experience, when something ends up on the web, it'll stay there forever, for anyone to download.

So when GW sells their precious new big model STL for the same amount as they would have charged for the physical model (which I'm sure they'd love to do), they'll sell a handful before it gets distributed on the web for free, resulting in most people not buying the file, but downloading it from whatever platform will be created to 'share' STL's.

If big companies want to move forward and stay in business, they'll have to move towards a model like Spotify for instance, where for a small fee, models can be downloaded without limitation. There are many small and upcoming miniature creators doing exactly that through Paytreon or other, similar channels.

As much as I dislike the concept, the subscription model is the way forward right now.

[OSHIROmodels]

It still surprises me how these companies can exist, releasing many dozens of miniatures (often very large ones, such as dragons etc) per month, often in amazing quality too! It appears to me that these designs are more than one person can produce in a month, so more than one person is making their living off these monthly subscriptions. Just imagine how many people must be subscribed to make this a viable business model!

I honestly can not believe that the vast majority of these Patreon, KS, bijou, fly by night companies actually make a viable living from it/have it as their sole income.

Competing with all the free stuff out there can't be easy either.

I've been doing OSHIRO since 2007 (part time to begin with then full time four years ago) and it's not easy. Understandable they want to make a bit extra on the side, who doesn't of course, but the multitude of them out there are seriously diluting the market.

I'm just hoping that's it's fad enough that people still want just to buy physical models 

[Silent Invader]

I honestly can not believe that the vast majority of these Patreon, KS, bijou, fly by night companies actually make a viable living from it/have it as their sole income.

Competing with all the free stuff out there can't be easy either.

I've been doing OSHIRO since 2007 (part time to begin with then full time four years ago) and it's not easy. Understandable they want to make a bit extra on the side, who doesn't of course, but the multitude of them out there are seriously diluting the market.

I'm just hoping that's it's fad enough that people still want just to buy physical models 

There’ll always be a market for ‘miniature art’, though it will experience peaks and troughs.

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[zemjw]

The current 3d printing Patreon thread on the Reaper forum is 134 pages long - link

D&D type players are a big target. I have no idea how people would get the figures painted in time, so perhaps some are just the unpainted prints.

It's not just small stuff either. Some of the pieces look like they would need to be printed overnight.

[Shahbahraz]

generally speaking, I will still buy metal or plastic for 15-28mm figures. I generally play smaller skirmish style games like Sharp Practice so the cost advantage for figures is minimal, since I won't want 50 of each.The exceptions are things like Jeep crew or similar, where a small outlay gets me readily re-usable figures.

I do print virtually all my vehicles now. 1/150 WW2, 28mm WW2 (1/56), 15mm (1/100) Cold War. I have 3d printed literally hundreds of aircraft, in 1/144 for WW1 and 1/200 for WW2 (the files i get for free).

I have a single resin printer. It can be messy, and there are occasional misprints where I have mucked up supports, but generally, I can print most things 100% first time. Most things. Most recently I have printed 2mm ancients for the Reisswitz Press 'Strength and Honour' rules, and some 28mm helmets to replace the globe hats on my A&A Persians.

I think it's a very useful tool.

[eilif]

Sadly Yes, but not until 3D resin printing is true "plug and play", No need to mess around with printer settings, supports, slicers, fixers, curing solutions or anything like it.
Switch it on load the print file and select the scale you want then wait for a guaranteed perfect and paint ready resin or rigid plastic miniature to appear. At that point you don't need a manufacturer any more.

My thoughts exactly. Follow the adoption and progress of cutting machines in other craft areas and you can get a pretty good idea of the path forward for 3D printing. I estimate 3D printing is only 5 or so years behind that.

 I already see their adoption among friends of friends and it's only a matter of time before someone in my group gets one. I estimate within the decade it will be affordable and idiot proof enough that I will own one myself. I still prefer hand sculpted stuff, but seeing what folks like Naismith are doing has convinced me of the artistic merit of the process and the ability to print terrain, vehicles and miniatures parts is way too tempting to resist forever.

[NotifyGrout]

I'm with robh and eilif.

Is 3D printing hard? I'm not the best person to answer that question. My family has a history of being tech dorks with American football player builds, and I'm no exception . I've also been living a charmed life in the FDM printing world; I've had a few prints go wrong but nothing too terrible- certainly nothing like the horrible problems that comprise 80% of the subreddit r/3Dprinting.

The thing is, while it's not too hard for mechanically or technically inclined folks, robh is correct. 3D printing is currently analogous to the Palm/Blackberry era of phones; once the 3D print equivalent of the iPhone comes out it's going to be a large share of the market. There will still be a market for polystyrene, cast resin, and metal miniatures, but they will be like records are today.

For larger companies like GW, I think it's a matter of what Daeothar said- they'll develop a proprietary 3D model format that's encrypted and only works on their printers, with physical watermark-type bits on the print that show it's legit and not a recast. Their printers will require an account and an internet connection to their servers to work, and won't handle anything else. The printers will be expensive because this is GW we're talking about here, and as an alternative, players can order pre-printed product.

The one upshot of this is that GW would no longer have any excuses with respect to carrying older models.

[The Voivod]

I've been messing around with my mars 3 the last weeks and it's pretty much plug and play, in my eyes.
There's been a learning curve on how to place supports and there's some information on maintainance you need to absorb, but I've accumelated way  more information about about modelling and painting over the years.

I'd say it doesn't take more time to learn to use a resin printer, with pre-supported models, than it takes to learn to prep a miniature properly. I also had to learn about mouldlines, primers, what glues to use...
Once I got going, I started diving deeper into the techniques.

Will it replace the rest of the hobby? Not for many. I still prefer making most of my scenery by hand, because I enjoy the craft.
I do print out embellishments and stuff I need a lot of. I won't mind printing that window I need 20 off or furniture.
Maybe that cool little altar, but I could have bought that online as well.
I have a small collection of mantic's terrain crate. Nice stuff, but I'll probably print the rest, if I ever need some.

Will it replace mini's? Not for a while, if ever. There are some ranges that come with good games that I want to continue and I do still like metal. Bushido risen sun come to mind.
I pledged for the monsterpocalypse boardgame, as I thought it'd be fun, but there's some awesome painting projects in that box.
I also pledged for lasting tales, which will come with a huge box of fantasy mini's. Plenty of free stl's for that, but it is kinda nice I don't have to print all that.

I'm not really convinced by many patreon's that are on offer. Really cool sculpts, but I don't feel like paying 120 euro's a year for a random selection of models. I may print a lot, but I tend to search for specific models.
And that's another thing: many STL's that are very nice aren't cheap. I don't mind paying 8 euro's for a furniture set I'll print several models 10 times, others 5 and so on. But plenty of character models I've seen go for 6 to 20 euro's for the big ones. I'f I'll only need one, I'd prefer to pay a bit more for a physical object rather than a digital file. For that momey: give me plastic or metal.

Yeah, I think it's the future, somewhat. Some companies really need to adjust there buseniss models. They'll need to find a way to stay relevant: consumerfriendly, creating loyal costumerbases and have something on offer that wil convince buyers that there's a reason to buy physical products. But I think there will remain plenty of room for that in the long run and plenty of people will still enjoy crafting with their hands.

[Tactalvanic]

I find it fairly straightforward process to setup and run either printer, some errors yes, but still thats part of the interest, but the resin prints mostly very reliable results, and there is already plenty of choice available.

Yes as Voivod says, learning curve as with anything. look forward as always to see how the tech develops. But don't see it replacing everything else for a while yet. either, rather its adding more options.

I can fully see GW of the future, going the "coffeepod loyalty method" at some point if they identify a way of incentivising and locking in the customer base for a generation or two, once a printing method comes along that safely eliminates any hazardous materials/stages.

short print run licences or resin " pods" for your GW only compatible pods printer.

Short walk from "fail-cast" to "fail-print".