Assessing Value vs. Absolute Capabilities

I've been hard at work designing, what for me, is probably my most exciting Cube project to date... an iPhone to Microscope adapter.Along the way I have had to address various design issues within the capabilities of my first generation Cube.At the same time, Chris and Mike, two extremely astute Cube users, have been doing their own research into the behaviors of their Cubes and we've been carrying on dialogs via email or through comments on this...

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Warning to Curious Cube #1 Users

While the new Cube Client can be used with both First-Gen Cubes and Next-Gen Cubes, and some Next-Gen features might safely be experimented with on First-Gen Cubes, using PLA is NOT one of them.I am NOT planning, under any circumstances, to test printing PLA in my First-Gen Cube until someone at 3D Systems confirms that it is OK.  And, I do not think that is likely.Frankly,  I can't think of any good reason for doing so.  ABS is stronger than PLA and we have a heated bed.No one at 3D Systems has confirmed my theory; but, my experience...

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Thaw Iced Cubes Carefully

This comes under the heading of "What NOT to do with a Cube".I managed to short out the control board or power supply on my Cube due to condensation that formed when I left my Cube in the trunk of my car overnight in sub-freezing temperatures, brought it into a warm room and immediately tried to start it.Bad idea.I should have known better.  Back in my years of video production with reel-to-reel video recorders I learned that condensation instantly can form on cold equipment when it's brought inside.  The tape would actually stick to...

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Chris Crowley Spots New Cubify Software!

I just got an email from Chris Crowley alerting all of us to the fact that there is a new unified version of Cubify Software.  It works with both the original Cube and the new Next-Gen Cube.Cubify Software 2.0He tells me that some features are only available for the new Next-Gen Cube and are greyed out when paired when the original Cube is selected.More as we are able to test it....Since I fried my Cube at Hagley, Chris will be looking for any...

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Hagley Invention Convention - Visitor's Perspective

What keeps you pumped up for three full days and hours on end at an event is the people you meet.  And, Hagley's Invention Convention was a prime example of this.  I had a wonderful time.  But, I was working the table.  How was it for the visitor that came by the Cube table to learn about 3D printing and see the new Next-Gen Cube.The following photos give us a bit of a hint.  They were taken by Joe Pulcinella, a parent and...

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1st Generation Cube in Light of 2nd Generation Cube

Christmas is less than a month ago.  And, perhaps. you purchased or received a 1st Generation Cube only to learn that the 2nd Generation Cube ("Next-Gen Cube") has been announced.  I suppose that one might feel justified in wondering if you made the right decision to be a very early adopter.I just spent 2 days with the new Next-Gen Cube at Hagley with members of the Cubify team.  It's a marvelous printer.  And, the response was...

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See the Cube at Hagley Museum this Weekend!

Members of the Cubify team will be at the Hagley Museum in Wilmington, DE this weekend!  I am very excited to see this.  It is one of my favorite places to visit and the Invention Convention is one of my favorite events at Hagley.Here is a news story from a past Invention Convention.  It is an AMAZING event! Watch First for Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 on PBS. See more from First.The Cubify team will be there with the new 2nd-Gen Cube on Friday and Saturday.  And, I will be there with my well-traveled Cube on Monday.  I would...

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2nd-Gen Cube Wins Kids At Play Award for Innovation!

One of the great things about having a 3D printer is that it enhances our abilities to achieve better designs through iteration... beginning with one design, analyzing it to see if it meets our goals and coming up with an even better design.Well, apparently, 3D Systems has applied that same design philosophy to the Cube 3D printer.And, the proof is in the form of a very cool award.  The KAPi Award for Innovation in Children's Media!KAPi Award...

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The Vexing Issue of FDM Edge Accuracy

I opened my email this morning to find this plea from a Cube owner." I was wondering if you could help me with a problem – every time I print something with my Cube it turns out a little bit bloated. That is 10mm holes turn out to be 9.5mm, and 10mm shafts turn out to be 10.5mm. This means that printing things like gears requires a lot of sandpaper work – I printed a small planetary gear system from Thingverse and it took me 5 hours to make it even...

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A Gem from one of our YouTube Subscribers

I am very thankful and pleased to be able to say that each day brings more and more viewers that subscribe to my YouTube channel.   While there is generally no way to directly communicate with a subscriber, I at least try to check out the subscriber's own YouTube channel.Most have not uploaded a video of their own.  Even so, it is interesting to see the other things that people are interested in that are also interested in 3D printing. But, sometimes, the new subscriber is an active upload contributor to YouTube.  And,...

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3D Printing is about Growing Creative Brains

Anyone that thinks 3D printing is simply about printing plastic things, is so off target that it makes you believe that if anyone needs one, it's them!  LOL!Ask ANYONE that has a 3D printer and you will quickly learn that what 3D printing is really all about is unleashing the creative potential that lies in every single human being's brain.Yes, this blog is about the hardware and the tricks to designing and printing better pieces of plastic. ...

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Cubify Draw and Cubify Sculpt

Sometimes, like Hansel and Gretal's bread crumbs, little gems can be found in unexpected places.Take a look at this quote from the Cubify Blog..."On display were the new 2nd generation Cube printer, the CubeX printer – (capable of printing an item up to the size of a basketball, and in up to 3 colors at once) and an array of 3D new technology like Cubify Sculpt,  Cubify Draw and many more exciting things to see."Now, I have not idea how to find...

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AppCreate and Cubify API Announced

CES is certainly bringing a flurry of announcements related to the Cubify.Com portal!Here are two more announcements that can be found on the 3D Systems news pages.UPDATE:  The Cubify Blog Has Released More Specific Information HERE. AppCreateFrom what I can tell, AppCreate appears to be a service that will let designers create their own designs and then walk through some steps that covert that design into an app that includes some designer specified options.  But, how it's going to work would just be conjecture on my part.  I also...

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Cubify Capture Announced - Image to 3D

I almost missed this one in a timely fashion because I have been focused on the Cubify Blog.  But, it was released on the 3D Systems news page.  The press release is titled...3D Systems Announces Beta Release of Cubify CaptureWhile I hate simply cutting an pasting any press release, I have to at least post some snippets of the release because it contains some very intriging information about a process that is similar to something I have used before.  I'll explain after cutting and pasting... "ROCK HILL, South Carolina –January 9,...

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Welcome Improvements in the Cubify Site

It will have been one year ago, the first week of February, that I trekked from Kensington, Maryland to Rock Hill, South Carolina to see the Cube for myself.  By that time, I'd had a chance to try out the Cubify web site and had a lot of questions regarding the direction in which they appeared to be going.In particular, I know that most, if not all, of 3D Systems core expertise was in business-to-business marketing.  My fear was that they, like many companies with that limited core expertise, were going to find it tough going in the consumer...

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Guest Post - How The Cube Has Changed My Daily Workflow

Editor's Note:  I met Chris Crowley because he and his Cube had a rocky first  meeting.  His Cube had been damaged in shipment and he asked for some  advice.   I quickly became an admirer of his analytical skills and the  more we interacted the more I wanted others to hear from him.  Obviously, those initial problems were resolved and, as you can see,  Chris is clearly a Cube fan! So, here is Chris' first...

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