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Formlabs releases PreForm OS X software for its 3D printer
3D printing is set to make the printing industry sexy again for the first time ever. In the next decade, the technology will change the way we acquire simple objects. Earlier this year, Formalbs made waves by raising US$2 million on Kickstarter for its high-resolution Form 1 printer. At the time, the companion software was Windows-only, but now the company has released an OS X versions of the PreForm software, as noted by Engadget. Formlabs made the announcement on its blog: The day has arrived! We've had many requests for a Macintosh-compatible version of our PreForm software, and here it is. Head over to our software page to check out our new OS X-compatible version of PreForm 0.8.4. PreForm on Mac OS X is a first-class citizen and we're releasing it with complete feature parity with the Windows version. Heading forward, we'll release OS X and Windows-compatible versions of PreForm simultaneously. This is our first Apple release and we're still making it better. Help us by reporting any issues, requests, or bugs to support@formlabs.com. The PreForm software is a free download that you can play with now. A Formlabs Form 1 3D printer will set you back $3,300 and ships in November.
Formlabs debuts Mac software for Form 1 high-res 3D printer, adds mesh repair
Somewhere out there a handful of Form 1 high-res 3D printer backers are jumping for joy now that Formlabs has launched a Mac version of its PreForm software. You might remember Form 1 as that project that made a killing on Kickstarter in 2012, raking in over $2 million, or more than 20 times its goal. The 3D model creation program was initially available only for Windows, but the firm will now simultaneously publish updates for both operating systems, starting with this latest release. In addition to support for Apple hardware, version 0.8.4 comes with the capability to automatically patch up holes and irregularities on 3D models, so they can be printed out quickly and smoothly. Both flavors of PreForm are up on Formlabs' website, where the 3D printer itself is available for preorder with a $3,300 price tag and a November 2013 shipping date.
Formlabs ships first Form 1 3D printer, Kickstarter backers should see theirs next week
Some might say it's been a long, long while since October -- with "some" referring to the swath of Kickstarter backers who've been waiting oh-so-patiently for a Form 1 to call their own. Formlabs has just confirmed via a company blog post that the very first Form 1 3D printer shipped out today, as the Collector's Edition Form 1 and half of the Initial Formation tier of pledges hopped on a variety of delivery trucks. The rest of you backers can expect to begin printing "by the end of next week." For those keeping count, the Form 1 is actually a few months behind schedule, but in all honesty, that's pretty good considering the up-and-down nature of crowdfunded projects that manage to find the limelight. The outfit is reminding folks that Form 1 units are shipped as they're produced, fulfilling Kickstarter rewards and preorders by priority. Specifics on group deliveries won't come for a few more weeks, but those in the Bay Area can swing by Maker Faire (or ICFF if you're in the Big Apple) to catch an early glimpse. Oh, and if you're just now hearing of this thing? You can place a $3,299 order right now, but you probably won't get it until July. Them's the breaks, kids!
Formlabs FORM 1 high-resolution 3D printer spotted in the wild, we go eyes on (video)
Last time we checked in with the 3D printing upstarts over at Formlabs, their Kickstarter was doing splendidly, having over doubled its initial funding target. Well, less than a month later, and with the money still rolling in, the current total stands (at time of writing) at a somewhat impressive $2,182,031 -- over 20 times its initial goal. When we heard that the team behind it, along with some all important working printers, rolled into town, how could we resist taking the opportunity to catch up? The venue? London's 3D print show. Where, amongst all the printed bracelets and figurines, the FORM 1 stood out like a sore thumb. A wonderfully orange, and geometrically formed one at that. We elbowed our way through the permanent four-deep crowd at their booth to take a closer look, and as the show is running for another two days, you can too if you're in town. Or you could just click past the break for more.
FORM 1 delivers high-end 3D printing for an affordable price, meets Kickstarter goal in 1 day
A $2,300 3D printer isn't really anything special anymore. We've seen them as cheap as $350 in fact. But all those affordable units are of the extrusion variety -- meaning they lay out molten plastic in layers. The FORM 1 opts for a method called stereolithography that blasts liquid plastic with a laser, causing the resin to cure. This is one of the most accurate methods of additive manufacturing, but also one of the most expensive thanks to the need for high-end optics, with units typically costing tens-of-thousands of dollars. A group of recent grads from the MIT Media Lab have managed to replicate the process for a fraction of the cost and founded a company called Formlabs to deliver their innovations to the public. Like many other startups, the group turned to Kickstarter to get off the ground and easily passed its $100,000 within its first day. As of this writing over $250,000 had been pledged and the first 25 printers have already been claimed. The FORM 1 is capable of creating objects with layers as thin as 25 microns -- that's 75 percent thinner than even the new Replicator 2. The company didn't scrimp on design and polish to meet its affordability goals either. The base is a stylish brushed metal with the small build platform protected by an orange plastic shell. There's even a companion software tool for simple model creation. You can still get one, though the price of entry is now $2,500, at the Kickstarter page. Or you can simply get a sneak peek in the gallery and video below. %Gallery-166660%
