Their latest endeavor Dice Miner is a dice-based game that was pre-sold through a Kickstarter campaign. Because of the high expectations Kickstarter funders have, an early visual of the product was necessary to show off the new game to potential backers.

In order to create these visual components, Atlas Games sought out our 3D printing services to prototype the game pieces they needed, and were able to utilize 3D printing for fast and cost-effective solutions from early prototyping to final-stage designs.

Jeff Tidball, Chief Operating Officer of Atlas Games, has a deep passion for games. For a look behind the scenes at Atlas Games’ newest creation, we interviewed Jeff to find out how the advantages of 3D prototyping was critical for Dice Miner’s Kickstarter success.

Could you give us a quick summary about Atlas Games as well as your latest game, Dice Miner?

Atlas Games is a tabletop game publisher with a 30-year history and deep catalog of board, card, and roleplaying games. We’re best known for card games like Gloom and Once Upon a Time. Dice Miner is a dice drafting game with 60 custom dice and a unique mountain component that organizes the dice across each game’s three rounds, showing which dice are available to choose at any given time as the game unfolds.

What was the purpose of using Shapeways to make prototypes for Dice Miner?

Dice Miner’s Deluxe Edition will have a plastic PVC mountain, so we used Shapeways to prepare early prototypes of that component. We used Shapeways for two purposes. First, to playtest using components as close as possible to the final version, to make sure they performed as we expected at the table. Second, to evaluate their producibility while holding physical objects, as opposed to needing to evaluate them only on screen, or in our imaginations. 

How did you come to the decision to use 3D printing instead of other manufacturing methods?

Other manufacturing methods, to produce only one or two copies of a component like Dice Miner’s Deluxe Edition mountain, simply do not exist. (Maybe we could have hired someone to hand-sculpt one? I don’t even know.)

Did you already have technical knowledge in 3D printing? If not, was there a learning curve to getting into this technology?

Prior to Dice Miner, I had done very little 3D printing for a previous game’s miniatures prototype, also with Shapeways. However, we had the help of a consultant we had hired to create our plastic components, so we were able to use his model directly to produce the prototypes we used. So there was not much of a learning curve, but that’s because we had hired folks to help us already.

What material(s) do you print in and why?

We went with [Versatile Plastic, which are] cheap and fast for our game components. We were looking solely at form and function, rather than having any particular materials requirements.

How much time and/or cost were you able to save by prototyping with Shapeways versus using another method?

I don’t really have anything like that [to compare], since the other options don’t really exist. I suppose you could think about the complete disaster that would arise if a $3,500 mold was created wrong — having a physical prototype can help avoid that instance. Although it’s a small change, spending one or two hundred dollars to hedge against that downside seems pretty reasonable. Creating early prototypes also helped us get an advanced copy to an outside previewer, which helped illustrate to potential campaign backers how the game is played. Waiting for copies of the game from the production line would have simply been impossible. Without a preview of the game, I suspect fewer backers would have been comfortable joining the Kickstarter. Again, no hard-and-fast metrics, but I suspect we’d have left money on the table without being able to preview the game in that way.

Not only was Atlas Games able to succeed on Kickstarter, but they surpassed their goal by almost $80,000. Our 3D prototyping solutions were instrumental in this process by providing a simple and cost-effective means to creating a visual preview of the game.

And more importantly, game fans would now be able to “draft the dice” in Dice Miner with the empowerment that they helped make the game happen by supporting it on Kickstarter!

Are you creating a new game or product for an upcoming Kickstarter campaign? Find out how Shapeways can help with your rapid prototyping needs today.

The post How 3D Printing Helped Atlas Games Achieve Kickstarter Success appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

3D printing allows artists and designers access to a higher level of creative control where they might have been limited by traditional manufacturing in the past. Here are just a few ways 3D printing facilitates the process of board game creation:

Fast and Professional Prototyping

Once you have developed the concept of your game, you can start bringing each part to life by creating prototypes of your ideas. Creating a 3D design for the board, pieces and accessories not only means they can be easily reworked and refined but also reprinted any number of times. Creating prototypes will allow you to communicate your ideas to play testers and investors while you continue to develop and refine your game. And the faster you can produce the prototypes for your ideas, the faster you can improve and perfect your design. You can also test your design in multiple materials, anywhere from plastics to metals, to find which one suits your game the most.

Creating the Board

The landscape of your game can be as simple or complex as your game needs it to be. 3D modeling easily allows for forming geometric shapes or creating pattern-based boards, and using 3D printing gives you greater freedom to explore more intricate details. The board can be designed with interlocking pieces, structure and scenery models, and can even integrate electronics. Depending on your needs, 3D printing allows for the aesthetic and functional ideas to come together smoothly with a polished appearance.

Creating Original Game Pieces

There are a multitude of custom game pieces available for download on 3D model websites, but an original game idea requires original pieces. 3D printing makes it possible to create completely unique pieces in any printable materials. You can pair your game aesthetic to one or multiple materials for a uniformed design. Or create collector’s versions with game pieces printed in different materials. If you want to learn more about key features of game designs that have withstood the test of time, check out our article on game design here.

Play Testing & Sharing

Because creating prototypes with 3D printing is much faster than using traditional manufacturing techniques, the process makes it much simpler to create playable versions for play testers. 3D printed parts can make the experience of playing the game smoother and clearer to people who are exploring it for the first time. Your play testers will be able to test your game idea by using real, physical objects, leaving less room for miscommunication during the feedback process. Having the digital files for all of the game’s printable pieces also means you can share your game with anyone anywhere in the world as they can upload the files and print their own through Shapeways.

Lower Start Up Costs with 3D Printing

The start up costs for creating a board game from scratch can be daunting if you’re adding in new equipment and materials. Crafting a board game by hand that looks professional requires a considerable amount of time especially considering the likely need to create several versions before arriving at a final design.

Making use of 3D printing technology and directing your manufacturing needs to Shapeways will allow you to cut down on those costs and put your efforts directly into designing and creating your final product. Ready to start building your own original game? We’d love to help!

The post How to Create an Original Board Game Using 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Whether your game time involves traditional board games like Monopoly and Clue or you are an RPG (Role Playing Game) enthusiast engaged in dice-based fantasy like Dungeons and Dragons; the application of 3D printing can be a perfect fit.

Let me explain!

Perhaps you are a game designer looking to find ways of adding unique playing pieces to you game prototype. A quick review of existing board games provides a clear insight into how 3D printing can offer a great path to success.

The Aesthetics of Game Piece Design

No matter the board game, playing pieces have two key features that make them ideal for 3D printing:

1) Game tokens are never articulated

2) They are always a single bright color

Why is this? Functionally, these two design parameters have been part of the manufactured gaming category for decades because both design choices make the playing pieces simple to move around the board and visually stand out to each of the players.

Whether one is looking at the “pawns” of Sorry or the silver object pieces of Monopoly, the essential play pattern of a board game requires players to easily identify all of the objects on the board (or “field”). And because board games require a higher cognitive level (compared to building blocks or action figures/dolls) the market is almost always an older child or adult, removing much of the risk of toy safety issues.

Not Just Classic Games, But Ancient Games!

Even going back to ancient games like Chess, the success and popularity of the board game was directly dependent on players being able to quickly recognize both their own pieces and their opponents. Likewise, visual identification within your own pieces is just as essential. Reviewing a Chess set, while the material for the pieces can vary from metal, porcelain, wood to plastic; the shape of the individual pieces are unique.

Like the colors of the two opposing “armies,” shape in game pieces like Chess help players (and spectators) to quickly identify each type of piece and likewise their unique abilities/moves. A queen’s silhouette looks nothing like a rook, and good luck mixing up a knight and a pawn visually!

An even more simplistic example that also supports the need for uniform shape and color is Checkers – or even Chinese Checkers. Both games consist of “armies” of a single color attempting to outwit the opponent’s pieces and move across a game field. Unlike Chess, Checkers in all of its forms has one unified shape for all of the pieces. Color is the single factor used to identify your team versus your opponents.

In modern manufacturing and licensing, there have been a fantastic amount of Chess and Checkers sets that break these basic visual rules, and to be honest, doing so often leads to versions of games that are surprisingly more difficult to play.

As an example, in licensed Chess sets where the traditional-shaped pieces are replaced by characters from a specific intellectual property (i.e. Star Wars, Super Heroes, Harry Potter, etc) adding colors and unique shapes to every piece may make them visually fun to look at for a fan, but at the same time it makes them exponentially more difficult to identify during play. While these sets are fun to collect and display, attempting to play out a game with multi-colored, multi-shaped pieces adds to the difficulty of playing the game itself.

Why Simplistic Design is Needed for Game Pieces

The goal of a board game is to win, and winning takes more than strategy, skills or luck; it also takes focus and concentration. Simplifying the game token shape and using uniform single colors is a proven tactic for successful game design. This is the reason that manufactured games for the last 80 years have embraced this aesthetic technique. Likewise it is the reason handmade game sets going back thousands of years have also utilized this concept.

The human eye is instinctively drawn to color and shape and those are two of the major advantages to 3D printing game pieces with Shapeways.  3D printing is maximized when a single color and single shape are generated. The board game category is literally dependent on this design choice.

And 3D prototyping is in no way limited to designing playing pieces. Take a quick look at almost any board game and you will note that almost every part of the game that is not “the board” (usually made of cardboard or mashed pulp) is also a simple shape molded in a single color.

From the hotels and houses of Monopoly, to the large white spinner of Life. The list goes on and on. Weapons in Clue, avatars in Dungeons and Dragons, question pie pieces in Trivial Pursuit. Even the dice used in board games are in single colors and basic shapes. The very nature of board games and the need to quickly identify all items on the field invariably call for the use of single colors and easily identifiable shapes.

Both of these design aesthetics are maximized with the power of 3D printing. And because no two games use the same tokens, pieces, avatars or spinners, there is a constant need for new design cues, visuals and shapes in the game category. Every game created needs its signature icons. And the very nature of playability requires these icons and pieces to be single colored and simple in shape.

3D Printing’s Core Competencies are an Ideal Game Design Solution

The flexibility and customization of 3D printing has empowered designers using the technology to see their imagination take physical shape. In a product category like gaming, the ability to prototype unique single-color pieces and game tokens is not only an advantage, it is essentially required.

So, if you are a game designer looking to inspire and wow players or potential retailers, Shapeways’ 3D printing technology not only provides an easy-to-use prototyping solution for unique game pieces, but is one that embraces and maximizes the very design ascetics that have made board games popular and fun to play for thousands of years!

The post Game Design and 3D Printing – A Perfect Partnership appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Games give players the ability to inhabit other worlds and so their characters in these worlds are completely unique and subject to personalization. 3D printing allows for a new level of freedom in customization from the original design of the character to creating one’s own props, accessories and consoles. It also facilitates prototyping in the development of original games and has the option of being easily shareable with people all over the world via digital files. As the gaming industry evolves, customization is already a crucial component to immersive gaming experiences and 3D printing makes that possible at a never-before-seen level of efficiency and precision.

1. Custom 3D Printed Miniatures and Game Pieces

Customizing one’s character for any game is the first step in creating an experience that is unique to the player. You can have a say in your 3D printed miniatures at any stage in the design process whether you know how to 3D model or not. There are companies that offer customization services through digital scanning that could infinitely expand the possibilities. For example, Miniature You developed an app that allows one to scan his or her face and print it straight onto one of the hundreds of figurine options in the application library.

You can also choose from a multitude of open-source downloadable designs to work from. Or if you’d rather design the character yourself from scratch, you can always try modeling at a beginner level with programs like TinkerCAD. Owning a 3D printer isn’t necessary as you can prototype and print designs through Shapeways. You can have the same character in different positions, seated or in fight mode, for example, and that character can evolve as the player sees fit. This also goes for your character’s props, and the landscape of your gaming world. The possibilities in customization are endless.

Whether you need one game piece or 10, with a 3D file you can print the exact number of pieces needed and continue to reprint them as many times as you’d like.

2. 3D Printed Gaming Mods and Accessories

            Customization isn’t limited to personalizing the world of the game, but also can be used to enhance the context and comfort of the game play experience. There are hundreds of innovative and functional 3D printable bracket mounts, console add-ons, controller chargers and stands and much more. Add-ons like controller grips that help make the controller easier to handle or add style and fun to its original function are popular products. With new gaming devices regularly out in the market, gamers will continue to look for creative solutions to enhance their gaming experience. Because 3D printing allows for so much flexibility in creating unique accessories, every gamer’s needs can be catered to much more easily.

3. 3D Printed Ergonomic and Accessible Pieces

            The use of 3D printing also means it is easier to make gaming more accessible to people who have specific physical needs. The DOTS RPG Project produces 3D printed tactile symbols and braille dice for the visually impaired, so that they can participate in games independently. Any tabletop or board game and its accessories could potentially have versions catered to different special needs allowing for even more people to enjoy and participate in these games.

4. Creating Original Games with 3D Printing

            3D printing is a multi-faceted resource as it not only allows for boundless customizing but also for the prototyping and production of completely original game ideas. You can create your own chess set with your version of the pieces, you can also create your own game completely from scratch and share it with the rest of the gaming community by making the files accessible for others to print and try out.

The gaming industry is a constantly evolving world and the needs of gamers evolve with it. The versatility of 3D printing means that solutions for these needs are more accessible than they have ever been. Already building a new game and ready to test the market? Let us know how we can help with your prototyping and customization needs.

The post 4 Ways The Gaming Industry is Evolving with 3D Printing appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Both game and gamer are only going to continue to grow more complex. Graphics never dreamed of in my childhood with pixelated Kool-Aid Man on Atari are showing detailed worlds with individually configurable characters. And with so many hours spent building, developing, and leveling up those characters, of course players are becoming attached to them.

So attached that it’s becoming only natural to want to bring those 2D characters into the third dimension.

3D Printing From A Game

To date, most 3D printing of video game characters has been up to individual efforts and pretty labor-intensive. Shapeways has developed tutorials on how to export game files into 3D software to clean up, make watertight, and 3D print. Here’s a look at how ZBrush can help there:

More and more, we’re seeing tutorials arising among the community as well to provide detailed instructions on how to make a game character 3D printable. Conversations about the merits of 3D printed game characters abound, as for the last several years video games and 3D printing have both been growing, with significant overlap between these digitally-minded communities.

The messaging in all this is clear: having your specific avatar 3D printed to match your carefully crafted adventurer is something you as a gamer are interested in making work.

What’s also clear? Making 3D characters 3D printable is pretty painstaking work, especially for those better versed in gaming than in modeling.

From rendering a watertight 3D model from a generally-not-watertight 3D game design to physically 3D printing the character to the post-processing and painting needed to finalize the character’s full look in three dimensions, the detail work is pretty intense for a casual DIYer. That’s definitely not to say it’s not possible — all the TLC going into each character is also a physical manifestation of the digital work already done to craft the original look in-game. There’s also a sense of zen that comes with painting a gaming mini, familiar to many a tabletop gamer.

If you’re driven in the desire to have a figure of your character but don’t know where to start, Shapeways offers design services through a partnership with ZVerse. If you really want to do it yourself, design tips on ensuring printability of a file are also available.

These options are pretty tough to scale, though, for more than the occasional one-off character print — and that’s where game designers’ conversations are getting really interesting.

Online design repositories already offer many printable models of popular video game characters, but obviously they don’t have your specific character creation. So what if the games themselves offered the option to directly export your character and, without having to go through the hullabaloo of cleanup, checking meshes, scaling, and perfecting, just gain access to a 3D printable model?

Game Designers Look Ahead With 3D Printing

Increasingly, game designers are exploring the use of 3D printing to allow gamers to design and 3D print their virtual characters directly from video games.

It’s been a hot topic for game studios big and small as they see the fervor with which players customize their characters. Dozens or hundreds of hours of game play can create a real bond between player and avatar, and it’s not gone without notice that those players would love a way to make their characters even more real — by bringing them into the real world.

Of course, the technological differences between software design, where even the most three-dimensional characters still live in a very 2D screen, and 3D printing are many. Collaborations are key to bringing these renderings into the physical world, and that’s where the conversation lies today.

Are you a game designers looking to start 3D printing? Offering end-to-end 3D printing manufacturing and fulfillment services to 130 countries, Shapeways offers a base to start your gaming 3D printing journey.

The post 3D Printing Your Video Game Character appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

He started out as a fan of Roleplaying Games (RPGs), which are decidedly more than just games. They allow players to participate in a collaborative storytelling environment. Players are given agency in creating their own characters, while connecting with a larger community. Its unique narrative structure creates more than mere escapism into fantasy worlds. It builds bridges between different cultures, fortifying social skills and forging strong friendships.

Berberette was inspired by a friend, De Juan Daniels AKA “D”, to make Roleplaying Games more accessible to the visually impaired. “Roughly nine years ago, I attended my very first gaming convention in Richmond, VA. I signed up for a Changeling role playing game session, and that’s where I met D.,” says Berberette, “D absolutely blew me away with his amazing storytelling ability and fluidity with the game rules. Man, he was one of the best game masters I’ve ever played under… and D was completely blind.”

Through his bourgeoning friendship with D, Berberette learned of the challenges that visually impaired players face. There were no accessible roleplaying books available, and most of the game book PDFs were not properly tested for accessibility.

As Berberette explains, “I taught myself braille and raised money for a braille embossing printer and translation software. And I began translating small gamebooks and other gaming aids into braille. This was a great start, and was definitely raising awareness, but I discovered that braille dice weren’t really available. And let’s face it… gamers need dice! So, I started designing dice and my 3D model guy, Sterling Pittman created the files needed for 3D printing.” And the DOTS RPG Project was born.

The project is a labor of love for Berberette, and it shows in the clean design of the dice. The DOTS RPG dice 3D model files are available on Thingiverse and there’s no markup on the dice in his Shapeways shop. “This is a purely altruistic project… I don’t make a single penny of profit, and honestly have no desire to,” he says, “I don’t have the funds readily available to go through the injection mold process to mass produce the dice. But, I still needed a means to make high-quality dice.”

“I taught myself braille and raised money for a braille embossing printer and translation software. And I began translating small gamebooks and other gaming aids into braille. This was a great start, and was definitely raising awareness, but I discovered that braille dice weren’t really available.”

Though he lacks 3D printing experience, Berberette was able to bring the project to life through Shapeways. “Shapeways made it so easy to upload and sell 3D designs. So, I uploaded our first set and placed an order to see how they would turn out. I was shocked, in a good way, when my dice came in. If someone had handed these to me out of the blue, I never would have known that they were 3D printed… I mean, the quality is amazing! The other great thing about Shapeways, is they have great support, and a wonderful community that makes designing and selling things very easy.”

The Shapeways green d20 die is noticeably cleaner than competitor’s prints.

And the dice have been thoroughly tested by Berberette, even to the point of comparing the accuracy of rolls with a traditional injection-molded die.

“Basically, I rolled the Shapeways printed d20 and a Game Science d20 500 times each through a dice tower,” Berberette states, “The results were pretty amazing. There is a 5% chance for a d20 to land on any side, and based on my rolls (which are not scientific) the Shapeways dice (probably due to a larger surface area) deviated from the 5% by only 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Game Science d20 deviated by 0.82%. Again, I’m sure the Game Science die is way more precise, but the Shapeways die performed really well.”

“Shapeways made it so easy to upload and sell 3D designs. So, I uploaded our first set and placed an order to see how they would turn out. I was shocked, in a good way, when my dice came in.”

Berberette’s hard work is really paying off, as a blind player attests: “These dice are fantastic! I’m totally thrilled with the amount of time and effort you put into the designs. I’ve got a couple of blind buddies of mine who play various RPG’s, and I’ve been introducing them to your dice as well. This is really groundbreaking stuff you’re doing!”

The response from visually impaired gamers has been overwhelmingly positive. This tweet was retweeted over 7,000 times and got over 9,000 likes!

Sadly, D passed away in February. But Berberette is helping to keep his spirit alive through DOTS and helping other visually impaired players. “I am extremely grateful that before he passed, I was able to place braille gaming books and dice in his hands for the very first time.”

And as for the future of the DOTS RPG Project? “Currently, our main goal is simply raising awareness. I’m hoping to get the news out to the entire gaming industry that there is a huge need for accessible gaming materials,” says Berberette, “I want to create accessible materials and tools that enable visually impaired gamers to play roleplaying games without the assistance of a sighted player. The key to that goal being accomplished, is raising awareness so that making accessible products becomes part of the normal game design process.”

Berberette is working hard to take DOTS to the next level… “We are currently on our third revision of the braille dice based on feedback from visually impaired testers. And we have some incredible design ideas from my friends Joe Iovino and Jess Dempsey.”

“I’m hoping to get the news out to the entire gaming industry that there is a huge need for accessible gaming materials.”

Want to help? Do you know a visually impaired player that could use some dice? Berberette says he’ll do whatever he can to get them out to them. “We have a Dice Sponsor program. Through this, people who would like to sponsor dice can simply order dice from our Shapeways shop. And they can mail them directly to me, and I will get them to those on the waiting list. We also take PayPal donations and any funds we raise will go to the design, purchasing, and distribution of accessible gaming materials.” Details can be found on the DOTS RPG Project “Heroes Wanted!” page.

For more information on DOTS:

DOTS Dice Shop at Shapeways

Twitter & Instagram: @DotsRPG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DOTSRPG/
Website: dotsrpg.com

create something new

The post Helping the Visually Impaired Get in the Game appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

The Polycount contest categories are:

• Sculpture
• Jewelry
• Toys
• Gadgets
• Props and cosplay

Submission Guidelines:

4 steps to follow:

1. Design a Dota® 2-themed model to be printed.
   Using your favorite 3D modeling software, design a character, product or hardware based on Dota® 2. Check out these for inspiration.
2. Upload your design to Shapeways and make sure that it’s ready to print.
   Sign up for a Shapeways account, open up a free Shapeways shop (if you don’t already have one). Here’s a tutorial that will walk you through the process.
3. Describe and tag your design to enter the Valve License agreement
   In your model’s ‘Description’ field, tell us about your Valve product. Enter the tags ‘dota 2’ and ‘polycount’ then read and accept the licensing agreement. 
4. Share a WIP (work-in-progress) thread in the contest category forum you’re entering in. A WIP thread must be made and maintained in the contest sub-forum for your discipline to show progress and avoid pre-made designs being used, including a link to the final product on Shapeways.

A note from the Shapeways team: While it is not required as part of your entry and will not impact your chances of winning, once you’ve entered let us know by sharing your entry on Twitter or Instagram with @Shapeways. We’re excited about seeing your entries and want to help spread the word as you finish them!

Head over to Polycount now to get started.

ENTER NOW

Sniper from DOTA 2 by designer Bilal Khan of Miniature Den

General rules:

The contest starts once announced on Monday, February 19th, 2018.

The contest ends on April 29th, 2018 at 11:59 PM PST.

All winners will be announced within two weeks of the contest end.

Shapeways is the sole judge of the contest and their judgment will be final.

Winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:

• Printability – Getting a good 3D print takes a more than just sculpting up a great design. Study the guides Shapeways offers to give you the extra details you’ll need to know when setting up your entries.
• Creativity – The potential for designs and objects is endless. Surprise us all with a great idea and you may find yourself a winner.
• Artistic merit – A great idea and printability are important but how well your design is executed and presented will be judged as well.

To be eligible to win:

1:  All participants must be registered to both Polycount and Shapeways websites before the end of the contest.

2:  A WIP (work-in-progress) thread must be made and maintained in the contest category sub-forum on Polycount for your project, with the final version linked to your Shapeways shop:

• Sculpture
• Jewelry
• Toys
• Gadgets
• Props and cosplay

3:  You’ll be asked to opt into the Valve license agreement as these designs can be sold to the public from your Shapeways store.  Shapeways is an official partner with Valve and have set up a page that will probably answer a lot of your initial questions; all the nitty-gritty details of how the license works are there.

Please note: Current partners, contractors, and employees of Shapeways are not eligible for participation in this contest. For the official contest rules, please follow this link.

Prizes:

There will be a winner and runner-up in each contest category.

The winners will get a Wacom Intuos 3D (which includes the fabulous ZBrushCore for free), $250 in 3D printing credit to Shapeways, and an awesome trophy.

Runners-up will receive $50 in 3D printing credit to Shapeways.

Resources:

How to make your 3D model 3D printable

FAQ for Model uploads

How to open a shop and place your model for sale

YOUR PRIZES AWAIT

Tinker from Dota® 2 by Mostly Jewelry

The post Announcing the Shapeways Dota® 2 3D Printing Contest on Polycount! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Last week we were at the Las Vegas Open, a premiere tournament for the most popular tabletop wargames. We called on community members to stop by and show us their coolest custom minis, and you did not disappoint!

Here are a few of the best 3D printed bits we saw at LVO:

Our Contest winner was this incredible steampunk tank painted by Quentin Ponath. Vehicle insignia by Pop Goes the Monkey.

Some scary/amazing Knight Titans by Christopher Price, with Gadgets + bits.

Space Marines with custom insignia, painted by Michael Linke, with 3D printed bits by Pop Goes the Monkey.

A spectacular recreation of the Dota® 2 battlefield, printed by our partners Whiteclouds in full color sandstone as part of the Valve + Shapeways licensing partnership.

The Shapeways Crew!

Inspired? Create your own

The post These Were the Coolest Custom Minis at the Las Vegas Open appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

These first-person puzzle games took an innovative concept and meshed them brilliantly with a tight, well-written story that was equal parts disturbing and hilarious. While the first Portal® would have been a simply fresh idea at the time, the sardonic tone the game is known for is mainly the result of the game’s antagonist, the AI GLaDOS. This artificial intelligence with a complete disregard for human life but ultimate regard for science and sick burns made her — and the game — an instant classic. It’s such a fixture in the gaming sphere that fans of it in our creator community have wasted no time in bringing the most memorable characters and symbols from the game into the third dimension. Check out some of the most interesting, clever, and fan-art-tastic Portal® merch Shapeways designers have to offer.

Approved Aperture Science Decorative Apparel

Portal Companion Cube Cufflinks by Sandman Artistry

The Weighted Companion Cube will never try to stab you…

If GLaDOS was the embodiment of all that is evil in the Portal® universe, then the Weighted Companion Cube was the singular ray of hope. The one shining example that things might be alright for Chell, the game’s protagonist. Then GLaDOS made you incinerate it.

Regardless, this little cube is unanimously one of the most ubiquitous Portal® creations seen here on Shapeways, and it just makes sense that we’d start off the best Companion Cube wearables we could find, like these cuff links from Sandman Artistry. They’re available in a variety of different precious metal platings, the above picture showing off their looks in 14 karat gold. Whichever one you’d pick, you’re getting an incredible amount of detail that will give you that hint of gamer bling for the next time you want to get all fancy.

design for valve

Weighted Companion Cube Pendant by NiqueGeek

…Also, it cannot speak.

Sure, having a great pair of cuff links to celebrate the love between human and weighted cube is nice, but cuff links aren’t a solution for those who want to profess their love for the cube every day. For those people, NiqueGeek has given them this beautiful pendant. Like Sandman, Nique has made this piece available in several different metal finishes, but the stainless steel pictured here really gives it the most character, looking like it does at the end of Portal® 2. However, this version is condensed into a much more manageable size that you can carry around your neck every day. And you will definitely feel its weight — it comes in several solid metal finishes, giving it heft just like the companion it’s representing. Truly a celebration of love.

Aperture Science Laboratories Pendant by Andrew Bougie

Does not qualify as an official badge.

The Aperture Science logo. Simple. Perfect. Bringing it into jewelry just makes sense, and this piece by Andrew Bougie shows just how beautiful that simplicity can be. Available in a wide variety of materials, this piece is better suited to reminiscing about your fond times with the game than it is showing your pride in a company like Aperture Science. You know, the company that created lemon grenades? That consistently demonstrates the dangers of technology? You can’t trust them any further than you can throw them (without a gravity gun, of course).

Seriously, the center of their symbol is an octagon — just like a stop sign. Maybe take the hint and don’t sign up for an extended stay at the Enrichment Center, no matter how much cake you are promised.

GLaDOS Earring by Prexus

Making a Note Here: Huge Success

After all the hell she put you through, GLaDOS still does remain one of the best-written, most intelligent, and funny villains of any video game, ever. She’s the guiding, mocking force that consistently reminds you how replaceable you are, even while she tries to bolster your courage (giving you advice and trying to kill you aren’t mutually exclusive, you know).

This earring, brought to us by Prexus, is a perfect replica of the hanged lady herself, brought to life by the wonders of 3D printing. We’re not sure what she’d have to say about it, but we’d like to think that she wouldn’t immediately incinerate it.

inspired? try it yourself

Approved Recreational Materials

Companion Cube Dice Set by Tiny Tokens

They are sentient, of course. We just have a lot of them.

Dice are a prerequisite for any fan of tabletop gaming. And Tiny Tokens makes a set of dice for those DnDers who are also Portal® fans! Seven dice, each made to look like a companion cube. How perfect is that? They all look like they would fit in at Aperture as well, but unfortunately, the only shape that makes any kind of practical sense is, of course, the cube. Can you imagine trying to stack icosahedrons on top of one another?

Anyway, these dice are available in a range of materials from the metallic plastic pictured here to a wide range of colored steels. And in case you were curious like we were, the heart represents the highest number on all of the dice except for the d4.

Portal Gun by mingles 3D:

Do not look directly at the operational end of The Device.

Making 3D printed custom LEGO-compatible toys is a thriving business for creators on Shapeways. As such, people like Michael Inglis have decided to make some truly awesome custom pieces with it. Case in point: this LEGO-sized Portal® gun. Playing with LEGO minifigures always made you feel like you were some kind of overlord, be you good or evil. And now you can send your own version of Chell into the twisted hallways of Aperture Science. But this time it’s with LEGOs and your imagination. It’d probably be a good idea to skip that whole incinerator thing, though. Plastic and uncontrolled blazing fire don’t necessarily mix well.

The detail on this piece is wonderful, even though it’s so small. It’s as exact of a replica as you can get at this scale, and giving it a paint job worthy of the piece itself really makes it pop.

Portal ID Card Holder by MyGadgetLife

Aperture Science: We do what we must because we can.

And finally, for those who need a security lanyard to profess their love for their favorite soulless scientific corporation, MyGadgetLife has you covered. This little snap-in card holder fits a credit-card-sized badge perfectly, with the Portal® logo on the back. It’s a perfect combination of modern-era security systems and nerdy accoutrements. Also, props to MyGadgetLife for mocking up the best fake photo ID as possible to fit in on this piece. It almost looks official, until you realize that GLaDOS would rather dip her circuits in acid than give Chell any kind of recognition that she’s a member of Aperture Science, even if she’s a glorified lab monkey.

Science to Be Done

The future looks great for the Shapeways + Valve partnership. The well of innovations and ideas from the Shapeways creator community never runs dry, just like their love for their favorite games. However, there’s one thing we can’t help but notice didn’t make our list — your model!

This partnership is still a new thing to us in general. So if you’ve created something based on a Valve property, share it in the comments! It just might make it into an article like this one. Until then, happy creating!

start making

The post The 7 Coolest Portal® Creations on Shapeways — For SCIENCE! appeared first on Shapeways Blog.

Welcome to Tutorial Tuesday! This time we’ll get a little more technical, focusing on some of the more specialized issues that arise when designing, exporting, and printing 3D models. If you’re already a designer or 3D modeler and need technical advice on how to convert and export your designs and animations for 3D printing, then this week is for you.

3D Printing in Full Color

There are lots of options for 3D printing in one color or finish at a time, but just one if you want to print multi-color objects at Shapeways: Full Color Sandstone. The printed colors of your 3D model can be determined by a detailed UV texture map that you upload with your design, or by adding colors to the faces of your design in some 3D modeling programs. With full color printing, you can create some amazing models like those shown above.

Get started printing in full color by reading the step-by-step Shapeways tutorial on Exporting to VRML and X3D for color printing. Full color printing is especially great for printing 3D character models from video games or animations. But not every 3D character design is suitable for 3D printing; what looks good on the screen might have areas that are too thin for printing successfully, or the mesh of the digital model might have problems that affect printability. Not only that, but a digital 3D character model doesn’t have to worry about gravity or balance, but a physical, 3D printed version of that model might not be able to stand up without falling over, due to tiny legs or an awkward pose. Learn how to convert your favorite video game and animation designs into 3D-printable models with the Shapeways tutorial Tips and tricks for character models.

ALL SET? GET PRINTING

Advanced Character Printing

Even if you’re a professional 3D modeler, it can be difficult to convert your digital models into ones that are suitable for 3D printing. Shapeways member BhushanArekar is a ZBrush sculptor who has created many 3D printed full color designs, including this model of Xev from The LEXX:

The following detailed two-part Shapeways tutorials by Laurie Berenhaus will help you turn your intricate characters into real-life printed models: Part 1: How to Prepare your Render/Animation Model for 3D Printing, and Part 2: Adapting your Character or Animation Model for 3D Printing, which includes a video.  If your model has articulated or mechanical parts, then you may also appreciate the tips in the Shapeways tutorial Designing mechanical parts for 3D printing.

Ready to print your full color model? Get started here.

PRINT YOUR DESIGN

The post Best of Tutorial Tuesday: Full-Color Printing and Character Models appeared first on Shapeways Blog.