| Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27375] Thu, 12 May 2011 08:35 UTC |
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Is it planned that FUD will finish for a while at the end of the trial period or will we go go straight to a production version?
If it goes what will happen to models only available in it ? - I assume they will become unobtainable.
I've been re-jigging some of my designs to take advantage of the thinner walls in FUD, but this has made them unprintable in other materials.
Tom
[Updated on: Thu, 12 May 2011 08:36 UTC]
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27376 is a reply to message #27375 ] Thu, 12 May 2011 08:40 UTC |
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A similar thread was started 2 days ago - http://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=5206&a mp;start=0&
To quote Ana - "One of the factors that decides whether or not we keep it on is simply how much the community likes it/buys it. Another factor is how reliable of a material it is for the community's designs. We're making sure its a viable long term solution for the community, but we're well aware of how excited everyone is about it. "
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27427 is a reply to message #27375 ] Thu, 12 May 2011 21:00 UTC |
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@stop4stuff Cheers!
@tebee The materials and operations team is still figuring out what things will look like, although my guess is that if FD/FUD stay on in the materials portfolio, they'll remain uninterrupted. You raise a good question about what happens to models which are only available in FUD, if FUD goes away. We'd have to make sure to give you guys a good amount of advance warning to alter your models as need. Do you think 2 weeks would be sufficient?
Community Manager | Shapeways
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27433 is a reply to message #27427 ] Thu, 12 May 2011 21:34 UTC |
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Some things like this: http://www.shapeways.com/model/253523/planetary_die.html just could not be done in any other material. If you take it away then the model just can't be sold until you make available again or another material that can except such small gaps without fusing.
Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/mctrivia or my blog at http://4ddice.blogspot.com/
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27514 is a reply to message #27436 ] Sat, 14 May 2011 04:41 UTC |
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If you make FUD available permanently, then I'd end up eventually re-designing almost every model in my shop to be available in FUD only.
It's not practical for me to begin that process yet.. because of the possibility that the material might go away, jump drastically in price, or heaven forbid, be required to be thicker.
At this time, with the exception of new stuff I'm adding, I'm advising customers to buy (old) things in FUD for the smoother finish, and that I'll get to work adding finer details to my designs once FUD is permanent.
Can we get an early report on what issues the production team is running into? Breakage? Excessive Reprints?
Let's go Elmer!
[Updated on: Sat, 14 May 2011 04:42 UTC]
Patience, Persistance, Politeness - the 3Ps will help us get us to Perfect Printed Products
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #27527 is a reply to message #27514 ] Sat, 14 May 2011 14:06 UTC |
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one issue is parts being smooth on only half the print. there are a few reports in the It arrived section.
Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/mctrivia or my blog at http://4ddice.blogspot.com/
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28360 is a reply to message #27527 ] Mon, 30 May 2011 12:20 UTC |
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At the moment I am not producing models to sell in FUD, afterall there is no point designing the models in FUD until it has been confirmed as a full time material.
I would guess currently 90% of orders are just test prints being done by designers and no doubt sales will increase 10 fold once people are designing models exclusively in FUD and making them available in their shops.
Regards,
Jack
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28756 is a reply to message #27375 ] Wed, 08 June 2011 10:31 UTC |
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Would be bad for my project I am working in currently because I designed it with a detail level only FUD can reproduce. Any idea how long it will dissapear??? I would vote to make it a standard material!
Regards,
Leon
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28790 is a reply to message #28756 ] Thu, 09 June 2011 03:26 UTC |
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Hi guys,
the most important factors for us to decide are:
- is it possible to make it available at a price everybody likes? Our trial period helps us in assessing whether we can sustain the current price, can lower it or (hope not) have to increase.
- is there enough demand -> clear!
- is the technologyreliable enough
So we are working on assessing cost. Hopefully we can keep it permanently and perhaps over time lower price even.
Reliability of the machine and predictability whether we can make things seems ok.
Keep you posted.
Pete
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28795 is a reply to message #28790 ] Thu, 09 June 2011 04:44 UTC |
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Thank Pete, I think you have made it clearer what some of the issues are from you point of view with FU/FUD.
From our point of view , as designers, it would be helpful though if we had a little more feedback on how things were going with it.
For a start are the delays with production just due to capacity problems - I assume it's a slower process - or are you having production problems - lots of models failing and having to be redone which results in both a waste in material and machine time.
I think it's a material which is an answer to many of our prayers but it's a bit worrying knowing how much of our resources to devote to it while we are still uncertain of it's future.
I personally now have about 30 models that wlll only work in FD/FUD. If it goes a large chunk of my current future strategy goes with it. But I'm at the point were I am reluctant to devote too much of my own scares resources - time and money in my case - to it without having more feedback on how it is going and what it's future is likely to be.
I realize you cannot give us assurances at this point, but any hints would be be gratefully devoured and help to reassure us!
Tom
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28796 is a reply to message #28795 ] Thu, 09 June 2011 04:58 UTC |
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Hi Tom,
We love the passion in the community for FUD and we want the material to stay.
The reason we are slow is due to capacity issues, we simply had not anticipated this much demand. We have 2 machines printing for us at 24/7!!
Actually the material seems to be easier operationally than the Details materials from Objet. So that is not the issue. Considering demand FUD is likely to stay, the price is the biggest unknown, but we are working on it AND committed to keep driving prices down!
Pete
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #28799 is a reply to message #27375 ] Thu, 09 June 2011 05:24 UTC |
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Thanks again Pete - I feel a lot more confident now !
Now where is my last FUD order? - this is my first production batch, i.e. stuff for re-sale rather my own amusement.
Tom
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #29282 is a reply to message #28799 ] Sat, 18 June 2011 15:03 UTC |
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Just joined the community with the aim to do models for 1:5000 spaceships and 1:300 sci-fi gaming, I already suspect that this material is going to be pretty much my main type. Looks like I will hold of for a while until I know what the future holds.
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #29337 is a reply to message #27375 ] Mon, 20 June 2011 09:43 UTC |
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How far behind are the FUD orders? I'm still waiting for some parts from 30th May.
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #29338 is a reply to message #29337 ] Mon, 20 June 2011 09:55 UTC |
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Well I've got one from the 18th May - any advance on that ?
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| Re: Is FUD going to dissapear for a while at the end of the trial period? [message #29392 is a reply to message #29338 ] Tue, 21 June 2011 08:59 UTC |
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Hi Guys,
All late orders from May will be sent out before the beginning of next week!
Regarding the trial period, this is what our blog states:
The demand for Frosted Detail and Frosted Ultra Detail has been overwhelming, and we hear your enthusiasm! We have learned a lot running the trial for these 8 weeks--much about design limitations, material properties, and most importantly how talented our community is at designing amazing things.
We are extending our trial period for an additional week until the end of next week. Over the course of the next week we will be doing a thorough evaluation of the entire trial. Rather than stopping to trial to evaluate, we want to continue ensuring that your designs can be 3d printed while we look back and plan forward. We are doing the utmost to ensure your demands for high detail materials and prints are met, and we hope to find clever ways to make this material a permanent part of the Shapeways material family while maintain great quality and lead time. In the meanwhile, we will also be working hard to get late orders out and to better manage lead times going forward.
We hope to have some good news for you next week, so until then--please hang tight and we look forward to helping you create!
Shapeways International Customer Service Manager
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