Vijay then turned these designs into 3D models. We hope to see the results soon!

Vijay is not the only ones letting children in on the 3D printing game. Ivo Beckers (Ibec)has let his kids design a number of things.

Meike, who is 7, had her signature drawing turned into a great pendants that were 3D printed in plastic, color and metal. You can check out her Head Heart model here. 

Another daughter Esmee, 10, used a neocube magnetic puzzle to design a ring. Her dad then 3D modeled that design to make a metal 3D print.

The kids also used paper cut outs to design these wonderful flowersticks.

Opening up alternative ways for people to design really lowers the barriers to entry to 3D printing. We really want "everyone" to be able to 3D print. Vijay and Ivo's innovative approaches illustrate the path to the future. Design by proxy, design by explanation and design using existing tools are three key ways in which design and with it production can be democratized. Over the coming weeks we will show you some of our own work in allowing more people to get into the design game. 

A few weeks ago we introduced glass 3D printing. Today we're shipping the first glass 3D printed models. The results so far are encouraging but we do have to mention once again that this is a very new and very experimental process. Below are some pictures of some of the newest test models We hope that you guys share your glass creations with the world once they get to you!

The Splash Ashtray/tealight holder by Dimmulain.

Another tealight holder, this time a customizable one.

Tony Bignell: To talk about the stereo macroscope, I really must talk about the whole 3-D twin-rig camera system, most of which uses parts printed by Shapeways.  It starts with the camera base.  This allows me to trigger both cameras simultaneously, using the USB socket (and an ingenious camera software hack called Stereo Data Maker), and a set of batteries-and- switch contained within the printed baseplate.  I use this setup for taking 3-D photos, but there's a limitation: I must be a minimum of 2 meters from the nearest part of the scene or there will be too much stereo differential.   

The Stereo Macroscope works like a pair of sideways periscopes, and reduces the minmum distance to about 600 millimeters; this, plus a little bit of zoom-in on the cameras' lenses, allows me to take some of the macro 3-D photos I love taking.  Here's a sample of one of the photographs.   

In addition to this, I love wide-angle lenses for scenery photography, and here they are on Shapeways.

This also uses a couple of other Shapeways-printed parts. The Twin Wide Angle Lens Cap and the twin rear lens cover. 

I have also made a 3-D camera for my wife Robin. The reason for setting up camera upside-down is to get the lenses closer together than on my own rig, because Robin take more social photos, and getting a bit closer is desirable, and possible thanks to the closer lens spacing. 

A few of her photos are posted on her page, scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the 3-D photo sets.

Tony, thank you so much for sharing your great project with us!

Pekka Salokannel hails from Finland and is doing some amazing 3D printing product design right here on Shapeways. 

He has these beautiful tulip earrings for example.

Or what do you think of this bracelet?

Or this 3D printed ruler.

Pekka has  now made a 3d printed case/cover for Apple's Ipad.

He designed it and printed it weeks before it came out. Some friends quickly bought an Ipad in the States and brought it to Finland. Pekka was the able to test the plug holes and the buttons to see if the 3D print & his design were correct.

There were some issues with his initial design but he corrected them and now he is able to put an Ipad compatible accessory on the market worldwide. Pekka has the product design skill, he prototypes using us and then we provide him with a scalable manufacturing infrastructure so he can sell a product worldwide while we do the shipping production and all other things boring. You know what, the more I think about it the more I am beginning to believe that there might be something to this whole 3D printer and 3D printing hype after all. Pekka's 3D printed case for the Ipad cost $50 and you can get one here.

There is a lot of hype currently about desktop 3D printing. A lot of people are saying that the dream is to be able to make anything with desktop 3D printers.

I love the entire "be able to make anything." But, why "desktop 3D printing"? Why is the predefined form factor part of the dream?  

• Is it because paper printers went from large expensive things to cheap desktop things? Are we stuck in this allegory?
• Is it because when you're making a 3D printer it is much easier to make one with a small build volume than a large build volume? Is it therefore because making a desktop 3D printer is so much more achievable than a larger one?
• Is it because a cheap printer is important and so smaller ones are advantageous in this regard?
• Is it because the Star Trek Replicators are desktop sized?
• Is it because this is a good size for a consumer electronic device?
• Is it because of the development of cell phones and other technologies that seem to indicate that small is more advanced?
• Is it because making them this size would increase the adoption rate because more people could fit them in their homes easier?
• Or is this desktop somehow in some other way important? Somehow crucial to the entire endeavor?

What am I missing?

My fridge is not desktop sized. My washing machine is not desktop sized. In fact my washing machine would be near useless if it were desktop sized and it could only wash two socks at a time. My dishwasher would be less efficient as a device and less useful to me if it were smaller. Bicycles & ovens would also suck as a smaller devices. I'm not saying that someone will not find a use for a tiny fridge or tiny oven: just that the most useful versions of these devices tend to not fit on your desktop.

We operate on a human scale and so the things we will print will be in this scale too. We make small things with 3D printing currently because big things are expensive. But, I totally want to make big things too: houses, couches, cars etc.. I want to be able to make anything. So why should the technological development of 3D printing be limited by a seemingly arbitrarily chosen form factor? Would "backpack portable" 3D printing or fridge sized 3d printing not be easier or better?

Creative Commons, Attribution Le Vent Le Cri.

We now got to interview Dr. Sivam Krish, the Co-founder of Genometri. Sivam studied aerospace engineering and architecture and became a university lecturer. The next logical step was of course to found Singapore based Genometri a software company that sells generative design software. Whereas a lot of companies are starting to get into personalization and coming up with mass customization tools Genometri is ahead of the curve and wants to be a vendor that supplies easy to use mass customization to companies by using generative design software.

Joris Peels: What is Genometri?

Sivam Krish: Genometri is about genes and geometry. I believe that the future of design is going to be based on biological models. We developed technologies that will help designers create genetic representations of design that may be used for generative design or mass customization.

Joris Peels: So you sell software? What kind of companies do you sell it to? Who do you expect will be your customers in the future?

Sivam Krish: We were one of the first movers in generative design. We were a bit too early. We had to explain to people what generative design was all about and we found designers to be very resistant. That has changed now, especially in architecture. We made a mistake of focusing on product design. What has taken off in the last few years is parametric design (not generative design) Parametric design  is an essential step for generative design. Generative designs will allow computers to spew out thousands of designs and let designers select and improve them. This is not happening yet, but it is about to. This technology has now reached adolescence – but is not producing babies yet.  The time is now right for the technology we have developed. We are currently revising our strategy to focus on design education and make our technology widely available.

The Genometri team, Sivam is on the far right.