Microsoft About to Introduce New 3D Printing File Format
Microsoft along with a brand new 3D printing consortium which we know includes HP, will be introducing a new file format specifically for 3D printable models next week at the Build Developer Conference in San Fran. The new format looks to replace the traditional outdated .STL format which was first introduced way back in 1989. More details on Microsoft's intentions for this new format can be found here: http://3dprint.com/60863/microsoft-3d-print-file-format
What do you guys think? Is a new format necessary? What should be some of the specs of the new format? Will Microsoft see success teaming with this new consortium to roll the format out to Windows 10?
http://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/m42.png
Is 2D graphics language printing evolving to into 3D?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Brian_Krassenstein
Microsoft along with a brand new 3D printing consortium which we know includes HP, will be introducing a new file format specifically for 3D printable models next week at the Build Developer Conference in San Fran. The new format looks to replace the traditional outdated .STL format which was first introduced way back in 1989. More details on Microsoft's intentions for this new format can be found here:
http://3dprint.com/60863/microsoft-3d-print-file-format
What do you guys think? Is a new format necessary? What should be some of the specs of the new format? Will Microsoft see success teaming with this new consortium to roll the format out to Windows 10?
http://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/m42.png
I was told that early drop-on-demand 3D inkjet printers used HPGL files to generate XY plotter data that could be printed repeatedly over itself to produce a 3D model (Pre-1990). Early STL files produced similar data but both of these techniques ignored the fact that some 3D models needed support structure. Another 2D to 3D file format was produced by writing vector lines by hand with AutoCad (1992). The plotter followed each vector line and printed it in a single material. A 2nd printhead with support material had its own vector lines offset by the drop diameter on the model perimeter or in regions where support was needed. This satisfied the support requirement in the first commercial drop-on-demand inkjet printer, the Modelmaker 6Pro in 1994. But all 3D printing companies prior to 1992 or later had to license the support patent to make 3D models. In the early 1980's machine language was written to produce text files. Early "raised" text was nicknamed 'alphabet soup" by the team seeing the overprinted "raised" inkjet text characters around 1982. No one called "raised" inkjet printing 3D printing until much later. Based on this I can see a new language HP or old 'revisited' language may appear.