Quote Originally Posted by curious aardvark View Post
best all round bang-for-buck dual extruder is probably the flashforge creator pro. and can easily handle that size print. Heated chamber, heated bed, lots of upgrades over the basic creator (what i have) and from I've seen from users on here - a very good machine.
http://www.flashforge-usa.com/shop/3...d-printer.html

I'd add simplify3d to your shopping list. All software is not the same :-)
http://www.simplify3d.com/

While you can use two different materials - mixing them to form different textures, while technically possible, would take some seriously complicated cad.
The fact is you just cannot do exactly the same things with a $1300 printer that you can do with a $200,000 machine. They're not just charging for a big metal box :-)
That said you'll be surprised at just what is possible with a little imagination and some of the latest hi-tech filaments and a standard fff machine.

The markforged printer blends two different processes to make some remarkable materials with kevlar and carbon fibre. They didn't have anything flexible that i can recall. But worth looking at maybe.
https://markforged.com/

My advice - and probably most other people's as well. Would be to buy a printer, invest in a roll or two of ninjaflex or filaflex and start experimenting.

IT might also be worth considering one of multi head machines around. They can not only print with plastics, but just about any othe kind of extrudable material you can think of - including silicon.

Check out the hyrel range of printers:
http://3dprintboard.com/forumdisplay...-Printer-Forum

More expensive and even more versatile is the zmorph
http://zmorph3d.com/3d-printers/

Basically, No matter what you're making there is a machine out there than can probably do it.
I swear you work for Simplify 3D the way you pedal it