Until recently, flying with something was only for dreamers or those who had the means and training to operate an expensive (and dangerous) vehicle. All this is changing with drones, and leading the charge is the Drone Racing League.

Utilizing FPV drones built from their own custom technology, the Drone Racing League is turning FPV drone flying into a Formula 1 level race. They just released the first set of qualifying races from their latest race in Miami, and the races are super fun to watch and are reminiscent of futuristic neon rush!

For those unfamiliar with drone racing (also known as First Person View or FPV), think of every cool sci-fi film racing scene, from the Light cycles in Tron to Podracers from Star Wars Episode 1. Now imagine this happening for real using drone quadcopters. In FPV racing each drone has a small camera in the front that transmits a video feed back to the pilot who controls the aircraft remotely. Pilots wear special goggles similar to the Oculus Rift, giving them a sense of immersion and allowing for unparalleled levels of speed and control over the drone.

So how does 3D printing come into this sport?

Drone customization!  Contact Shapeways and find out how our 3d printing solutions can help you customize and manufacture the fastest and lightest drones around.

 LEARN MORE

*Edited by Darren Ho

The post The Wild Drone Racing League and the Future of 3D printing in Flight appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The year is 2017, the same year Blade Runner is set in, and here we are tossing dice and cards like it’s 1982. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Surprisingly, the tabletop renaissance is in full bloom, all thanks to the internet. Instead of rogue androids, we’ve got Kickstarter and print-on-demand fueling ambitious new tabletop games, and you can catch the best of them at Gen Con. Hard to believe it’s just two days away!

There’s nothing quite like Gen Con. While there’s an incredible wealth of great gaming conventions in the US these days, Gen Con feels like the most wholeheartedly focused on getting new and veteran gamers around a table to experience the best in tabletop. Walking the Vendor Hall, you’ll be overloaded by the sheer number of gaming possibilities.

You’ll find plenty of friendly faces on the floor ready to introduce to you to everything from the freshest take on Werewolf to the kind of strategy games that take all day! Outside of simply demoing every game that catches your eye, here are some of my favorite picks for Gen Con 2017.

Homebrews in the Gaming Hall

Did you ever wonder what kind historical miniatures games a historian might create? Look no further than the Gaming Hall at Gen Con. You can find all sorts of incredible games here, from giant-sized Catan matches to MTG tournaments all day, but the hot ticket here is the homebrew games. Walking the hall, you can check out some custom made castles and armies, strike up a conversation, and before you know it you’re playing a game like no other. And often these kind of games are free because you’re helping to playtest!

Battletech Beta and Pods

Full disclosure, I first attended Gen Con in 2014 with Harebrained Schemes and had an absolute blast sharing their games and making new friends. The Battletech Beta is here and you’ll have a chance to test it out before launch. Video games at Gen Con? Yep, that’s right. Time to break the rules and recommend one game that’s taken all the strategic fun of one of the most intense tabletop games and transported it to the digital realm.

Outside of HBS, there are also Battletech Pods in the gaming hall where you can hop in and get in on a first person ‘Mech destruction! Not to be missed. It’s like hopping into a time machine that takes you to the past and the future all at once. I keep returning to these pods each year because there’s nothing quite like them. They’re filled with knobs, levers, and pedals that actually function and need to be mastered if you want to stand a chance in the free-for-all. This is as close as you’ll ever come to actually piloting a ‘Mech!

The GM Improv Showdown

The number one event I’m looking forward to this year is the GM Showdown hosted by Open Legend, featuring Matt Mercer (Critical Role), Satine Phoenix (GM Tips, Maze Arcana), Shanna Germain (Monte Cook Games), Andrew Armstrong (DawnforgedCast), Brian Feister (Open Legend), and myself (Open Legend)! What can I say, I’m a little biased, but getting these many amazing storytellers and performers in one room and challenging them to run an adventure blind, with no preparation, is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Anything could happen! Expect the unexpected as each GM takes a round trying to control the chaos made by other players. Who will win it all in the first ever GM Showdown? Even if you can’t be there in person, we’ll be streaming the entire event for the gamers at home! Check it out here on August 17th from 3 – 4 PM EDT. And be sure to check out the Shapeways minis we get to use for all our events during the best four days in gaming!

True Dungeon

Every single year I’ve been to Gen Con, my biggest regret has been missing True Dungeon. I plan to fix that this year. There are few other events that are so completely unique to Gen Con. You embark on a live action RPG adventure with friends and strangers alike. I’ve heard it’s best if you can bring your own group, but it’s still worth checking out solo because of the sheer scale and madness of this dungeon delve.

You have to pick actual locked boxes, complete puzzles as a team, and memorize the planes themselves to succeed. There’s nothing this immersive anywhere else in the world. If you’ve ever wondered, how you, not your character sheet, would handle the perils of a fantasy adventure. With accolades from Patrick Rothfuss, Wil Wheaton, and Gary Gygax himself, this is a must-play experience.

Caffeine, Brews, and Bites

Last, but certainly not least, if you can, avoid the food inside the convention center. Head outside to Georgia Street and grab great bites and brews from local food trucks. And stay caffeinated with Bee Coffee Roasters. They’ve got fun themed drinks, awesome costumed staff, and the most solid good ol’ fashioned coffee near the convention. I could never handle all the hours of gaming without them!

And if you’re feeling real adventurous and looking for some late night activities, bring your friends out to the Cadillac Ranch to ride the mechanical bull and witness (or join in on) the line dancing!

There are near infinite games to discover at Gen Con and I wish I could include them all here, but be sure to wander the floor and share your findings. What are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments.

If you’re going to Gen Con 50, be sure to stop and say hi if you see me! I’m a master of taking blurry selfies. Here’s to 50 more years of gaming!

Shapeways will be in the Miniature Hobby Events section on Sagamore Concourse, giving away free miniatures for the Paint & Take and holding daily contests. See you in Indy!

See you at the Shapeways booth!

The post Gen Con Insider’s Guide: 50 Years of Gaming, and Growing Stronger appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

EU: Recon G6 Belgium

Remember the Tamiya F-350? We’ll drive it at Recon G6 with some nice new 3D printed add-ons!

Tijs and I already took a leap into RC crawling when we participated in Walk the Trial. Recon G6 is different in that it lasts the whole weekend, offers a range of classes, and isn’t a competition. It’s more about tackling challenging terrain. The awesome (and reliable) Shapeways Tamiya F-350 will be our car of choice. G6 legend Brian Parker, the organizer of the event, sets up intense RC crawling courses. We can’t wait to crawl them, but we’re also looking forward to meeting an icon of RC crawling.

U.S.: Conquer the Giant

Lise and her Traxxas TRX-4, ready for the weekend.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, don’t miss my colleague Lise and her adventures with her new Traxxas TRX-4 in our Learning to Crawl series. Her initial test-drives were a little rough, but crawling in Fredericksburg, Virginia and Upstate New York has allowed her to prep for the challenge in Hamden, Connecticut. She and partner in crime Andrew will head to Sleeping Giant State Park for Conquer the Giant, the largest scale competition in Connecticut, which is hosted by CT Scalers. Don’t forget your bug spray, Lise!

The post This Weekend, We’re RC Crawling Across the World appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

As you may have noticed via all our social posts, the team and I spent last weekend in Schaumburg, Illinois for AdeptiCon, one of the leading wargaming conventions in North America. It was my first time going, so I didn’t know quite what to expect, but the weekend turned out to be chock-full of adventures and friends.

Our trip kicked off with an evening Games Workshop studio preview where we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at what the team has planned for the upcoming year. We’re not big on #spoilers but they announced the rollout of a new game called Shadespire and discussed ways in which they were going to become more community-focused, even adding tools created by fans to their site. All of the updates were received with hearty cheers, so they’re all things fans seem to be particularly excited about.

The next day the convention opened, where Andrew, community member Matt from Pop Goes the Monkey, and I manned the Shapeways booth. It was exciting to see all of the prep we’d done for the convention ready and in use. The terrain displays looked incredible (more on that in a future post!) and it was great being able to speak with everyone from existing Shapeways customers to people who hadn’t yet heard about us. Giving people the opportunity to see the bits Matt had designed in real life was exciting because it’s the ultimate “ah-ha” moment that you don’t necessary have when looking at something online. Seeing people astounded at the quality of the prints was definitely one of my favorite parts of the convention.

As for the second part of our crafting day, my cosplay also fit right in —  I even found some cosplay twins at the Eagle Ordinary booth! It’s always inspiring to see the ways in which other people create their cosplay. It was a good reminder that there’s always so much room for improvement!

#AdeptiCon was #Cosplay

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 26, 2017 at 4:40pm PDT

We also had a great time interviewing some of the cosplayers around the convention  including Christine Yoo Millar who was dressed as a Sister of Battle to match her army. Her armor was comprised of foam and 3D printed PLA embellishments — from symbols like the Fleur-de-Lis to her intricate high heels! While Christine has made 34 costumes, she’d never won a contest (which is BANANAS) so we were beyond thrilled to witness her winning Best In Show at Adepticon 2017’s cosplay contest.

Also of note were the orc rock band called Da Gof Rockerz who were kind enough to enquire if I “wanted to be killed” when I requested a photo with them. Apparently they actually play gigs, so keeping my fingers crossed that I’m able to catch one of their shows soon.

Your girl’s at #AdeptiCon, in #cosplay, hanging with orcs.

A post shared by Lise Keeney (@ladybuglise) on Mar 25, 2017 at 2:40pm PDT

Throughout the convention, Andrew and Matt also had the opportunity to sit down for some podcast recordings with the BeerThralls team, Forge the Narrative, and Combat Phase. We also had a chance to hang out with some other great folks like Uncle Atom of Tabletop Minions, Teri from ThatTeriGirl and Mark Z of Dice Tower.

For more in-depth coverage of AdeptiCon, we’d suggest reading the recaps written by our new friends over at SpikeyBits!

Have I mentioned how excited I am for next year?

The post #Winning at AdeptiCon appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Having visited Comic Con in Dublin last year, I kind of knew what to expect. However, I wasn’t sure if the Dutch audience would be ready for the cosplay. The photo below tells a different story:

Dutch Comic Con organized a costume contest in which visitors could participate in various categories.

Amongst the exhibitors I ran into was Wayne from Wayne’s Workshop. He makes huge costumes from foam and finishes them with effects such as CO2 jets. I’d recommend checking out the tutorials on his Facebook page. While Wayne still makes all his parts by hand, I can’t wait to find out what he will unleash with 3D printing.

Former Shapeways intern Florent (owner of Proptimum.nl) and Wayne next to his self-built Iron Man Starboost suit.

Many other known characters were portrayed. Here’s a roundup of what seemed to be the most-cosplayed characters last weekend:

• Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad (spotted 6 times)
• Link from The Legend of Zelda (spotted 5 times)
• Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones (spotted 4 times)
• Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of The Carribean (spotted 4 times)
• The Joker (based on Jared Leto’s impersonation) from Suicide Squad (spotted 4 times)
• Lexa from The 100 (spotted 3 times)

I really enjoyed walking through the Lord of The Rings landscape filled with elves, the people of Gondor, and the Ringwraiths. Crawling over the exhibit floor and even creepier than the Nazgûl, was this girl dressed up as Samara from The Ring.

Nope, nope, NOPE.

Are you a cosplayer and planning to use or already using Shapeways for your costume? Drop a note below for a chance to be featured.

The post Exploring Dutch Comic Con appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

I went full cosplay

To give you an idea of the scene, there were tens of thousands of people in the Boston Convention Center, dozens of panels (ranging from how-to video game creation to tips on creating the best D&D campaigns), cosplayers galore – even the signage was in character:

PAX rules

Getting pixeled

We checked out a bunch of tabletop games and booths of designers who use Shapeways for prototyping. It was pretty incredible seeing how Shapeways enabled these designers to bring their tabletop games to life, letting them physically conceptualize the games before moving toward mass production. We spent some time in particular with the Dragoon and H.E.A.D. Hunters teams — stay tuned for interviews with both.

H.E.A.D Hunters

While Andrew and I are no strangers to cosplay (trust me, just click the link), this time, I wanted to wear something that really showed the magic of 3D printing. In my quest, my knight in shining armor was Lumecluster’s Melissa Ng, who let me borrow eight pieces of her Sovereign Armor. This was enough that I could mix and match the parts to create different looks, all easy to travel with. Thanks to Melissa I, got to cosplay like the best of them (and I did – check out my dance with the Yip Yip aliens).

muppet cosplay time with @ladybuglise #paxeast #pax #paxeast2017

A post shared by shapeways (@shapeways) on Mar 11, 2017 at 2:46pm PST

On the subject of dressing to impress, Andrew and I ran into some cosplayers we’d met at 2016’s New York Comic Con. Among the friendly faces was Thomas DePetrillo of Extreme Costumes, wearing his Reinhardt cosplay from Blizzard’s Overwatch. We met Tom at Kotaku/iO9’s Cosplay Ball last year (where we scanned him). We learned some amazing things about the Reinhardt costume:

• It measures 9’6” / 2.89m and weighs 85 pounds / 38.55 kgs.
• It took three people working nine weeks to create it.
• The original costume was seven feet tall, but it’s since been rebuilt four times.
• The only parts that remain of the original are the top part of the skeleton, the upper half of the external chest, the hammer, and the feet.

Tom DePetrillo’s Reinhardt cosplay

We met another member of Tom’s Extreme Costumes team, Nick (of Squiby Props fame), and he joined us for a Facebook Live, where he shared how he used 3D printing for his Ornstein from Dark Souls cosplay. He 3D printed his mask by himself, which took a whopping 200 hours.

Nick’s Ornstein cosplay

Andrew was also interviewed during a Facebook Live with GeekMom’s Karen Walsh, who was covering PAX East. She even shouted out Shapeways as one of her favorite things at the convention!

There were so many things to see and do, we could never have done it all, but we met some amazing cosplayers— many using 3D printing in ways that blew our minds. Let us know in the comments if you use 3D printing to bring your cosplay to life.

On the floor at PAX East — until next year, Boston!

The post We Cosplayed at PAX East appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

We made amazing projects!

Lumecluster created the Dreamer Regalia Armor for Felicia Day and showed what it takes to use Blender to create custom-fitting cosplay gear.

Our community grew closer, and through members who love 3D printing scale models, we made new friends around the world. The Kogashima Streetcar is a testament to how 3D printing can bring people together across borders.

Winter finally came, and along the way we got to see some incredible props printed by Shapeways for (my personal favorite) HBO series Game of Thrones!

We launched new materials and tools!

We introduced the strongest and lightest ever material at Shapeways, DMLS Aluminum! We saw it used to create working mountain bike prototypes and an amazing FPV drone!

For those who are prototyping and iterating on their designs, Shapeways started offering PLA to provide a quick turnaround.  Shop Owner Bhold showed us how she uses her own printer to iterate on her concepts and come up with the final product she sells on Shapeways.

One of the best parts of printing with Shapeways is being able to create products that couldn’t be made without 3D printing. Building on these remarkable products, we launched innovative Interlocking Metals. For the first time ever, we can print complex geometries in precious and semi-precious materials.

At Shapeways we’re all about being responsive to our community. One feature designers have asked for was the ability to determine the orientation of of how the machine prints their model. So, we released the print orientation tool so makers can better control aesthetics and accuracy when printing with Selective Laser Sintering.

Above all, we had fun together

The best part of Shapeways is being part of an amazing community. This year we got to meet so many of our designers and Shop Owners in their own element.

We talked to Model Railroad enthusiasts about the best way to design a 3D printed N Scale train.

We played games together at Gen Con using the amazingly artistic dice created by Shapeways designers.

We teamed up with DJI to challenge the Shapeways community to help first responders save lives with augmented drones.

We saw old friends and enjoyed great math puns like the Klein Bottle opener created by Bathsheba.

Finally, we joined forces with Fat Cat Fab Lab to sell designers’ unique jewelry and home decor as last-minute gifts for the holidays.

We had an incredible time in 2016, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all in 2017!

The post Our Community in 2016 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

You can join for snacks, music and merriment on Sunday, December 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at  224 West 4th street, 2nd Floor, right off the Christopher Sheridan 1 & 2 MTA train stop.

We’ll see you there!

The post Come Meet Our Makers at the Fat Cat Fab Lab Holiday Market! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Shapeways’ Community team was there to greet panel goers and give them a chance to get their hands on some of the 3D printed materials and products available in the marketplace.

The conference also included a hackathon and some amazing performances. Below is a moment from audio/visual artists the Holladay Brothers during the opening ceremonies.

#hackingart2016

A video posted by Andrew Thomas (@andrew.s.thomas) on Nov 19, 2016 at 8:40am PST

The Hacking Arts Conference was also a great opportunity to see old friends. Artist and Shapeways Shop Owner Bathsheba Grossman came by to play with some of her math-inspired Klein Bottle openers, printed in a variety of materials.

We had a great time talking to hackers, artists, and lifelong learners at the Hacking Arts Conference. Are you a student combining design and technology? You can sign up for our education program here.

The post Hacking Arts Conference 2016 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Keep reading for a rundown of how you can join the fun at Dutch Design Week.

Visitors to Shapeways’ Eindhoven factory during Dutch Design Week 2015

Shapeways EXPO | Shapeways Factory | Oct. 22-30

Every day, we’ll be inviting visitors into our factory to explore how our community of independent designers is using Shapeways to break new ground in product design. We’ll also be offering:

• A 3D scanning booth to bring more fans into the world of 3D Selfies. (11 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily)

• Community Workshops and Presentations to connect visitors with Dutch designers and the products they’ve brought to life with Shapeways. (1 p.m. – 3 p.m. daily)

• Factory Tours that provide a rare glimpse into how files are turned into finished products. (10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. weekdays; registration required)

A winning design from our 2015 Helsinki Design Week CHIL-DISH Project

Shapeways Presents: CHIL-DISH Project | Yksi Expo | Oct. 22-23

After our successful event with CHIL-DISH at Helsinki Design Week, we’re partnering up again to unleash kids’ creativity at DDW. At the CHIL-DISH Project:

• Kids will be invited to reimagine everyday objects using paper and crayons.

• We’ll then choose 10 designs to be 3D modeled by CHIL-DISH designers, turning the kids’ drawings into 3D printed porcelain objects. (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Oct. 22-23)

Wired Life Tiger by Shapeways Designer Dot San, on display in our Eindhoven factory

Shapeways Presents: Community & Materials Exhibit | Yksi Expo | Oct. 24-28

• Come explore some of the materials we use and check out how our designers are exploring these unique and versatile media. (Oct. 24-28, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

A group of 3D Selfies

Shapeways Presents: 3D Scanning | Yksi Expo | Oct. 29-30

• Don’t miss your chance to get scanned for a 3D Selfie.

• We’ll take a scan of your head and shoulders using Occipital’s Structure Sensor and an iPad. Then, you can easily order your mini likeness through Shapeways. (Oct. 29-30, 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.)

If you make it to Dutch Design Week, be sure to come to one of our events and say hello! And if you can’t make it, keep an eye on the the blog, where we’ll be highlighting talented Dutch Shapeways Designers throughout the week.

The post Shapeways at Dutch Design Week 2016 appeared first on Shapeways Blog.