Would you use this service?

[Fueldrop]

I've been having a lot of fun with Heroforge lately. For those not in the know, it's a system that allows you to create your own character on the interwebs, then the company will 3d print it and send it to you.

I was thinking that a GW service to create HQ models using more or less the same concept: You go onto the GW site, pick your base character, muck around with all the options, pose them, then GW prints it and sends it to you.

I figure that this would be fantastic for units with tons of options, giving far better options than the Clam Packs that GW has been putting out these days.

Thoughts?

[Alaric]

I think you may be telling the future. That seems like something they would do. I have a feeling though that 40k players would run out of limbs and organs quite quickly.

Seriously though. I would would most definitely use it. I cant sculpt worth a damn and bits are more expensive to accumulate now for me personally. Build a Bear 40k style.

[Fueldrop]

I think you may be telling the future.

Well, I did train as a Farseer.

[Arkhan Land]

It would be pretty cool, but I think it would totally sap their modelling/collectibility routines theyre working right now and also switiching too or spending too much money/time/assests on something like this would be a short lived cash grab, as time goes on people will have increasingly better access to increasingly better printers, and with the help of internet piracy, are one click away from models that are essentially indistinguishable from those sold legally on any discernable level besides near gestapo level validation and enforecement techniques

[Mr Mystery]

Depends....

1. Quality of the end product would have to be as good as their current plastics.

2. Would have to be cast in plastic. Not a fan of the shonky rubbery nightmare type materials (such as that used in FFG's Descent. Nasty stuff!)

3. The level of customisation available would have to be very, very high. High enough to make it worth me not just digging around in my bitz box or poncing the odd bit of my mates. And that's stupid high

[Fueldrop]

Play around on Heroforge for a bit and decide if that's stupid high customization enough. https://www.heroforge.com/

I'd suggest that simply licensing out to Heroforge would be a way to get around a lot of the tech investment costs, but we're talking about GW here so that's never going to happen.

[Mr Mystery]

Well, we know they're currently looking into 3D printing, and make use of rapid prototyping (I'm not 100% sure if this is the same thing. I suspect the answer is 'kind of').

For mass production 3d printing, they're not terribly impressed with the current tech, as it's either poor resolution on the finished product, or prohibitively expensive.

[Path Walker]

I bought one of the paintable models from Heroforge, still had noticeable stepping and arms snapped off within 20 minutes.

3D Printing isn't there yet, never mind that it cost is ridiculous. Maybe one day it would be viable but right now it really isn't.

[Erik Setzer]

If it was good, I'd use it.

I don't ever see GW doing it, though. Such models are typically geared toward gamers. And you might have noticed the recent trend to make character models even more singularly posed (and ridiculously hard to re-pose, if at all possible), with maybe one or two options if any (most seems to be coming out with zero options). They've been stripping options off the models to make sure they approve of the pose... or something. (Maybe it's cheaper?)

Considering they'd probably charge a super-premium on such a service, I doubt I'd ever use it with GW.

Someone like Heroforge, though... sure.

[YorkNecromancer]

I wouldn't ever, but that's only because I bloody love sculpting and making my own. I had a look at their stuff; seemed fine, just not for me.

[Cactus]

I'd use it if the quality was better than Hero Forge... but I'd definitely use it. Especially if it included the ability to apply Space Marine chapter logos and other markings.

[SandWyrm_40K]

Well, we know they're currently looking into 3D printing, and make use of rapid prototyping (I'm not 100% sure if this is the same thing. I suspect the answer is 'kind of').

For mass production 3d printing, they're not terribly impressed with the current tech, as it's either poor resolution on the finished product, or prohibitively expensive.

You need to check out this article from last December then:

http://theback40k.blogspot.com/2014/12/3d-printing-is-now-ready-to-compete.html

The quality is here, and better than injection-molded plastic in many ways (a bit worse in others), and the price is competitive with current GW kits.

[SandWyrm_40K]

Well, we know they're currently looking into 3D printing, and make use of rapid prototyping (I'm not 100% sure if this is the same thing. I suspect the answer is 'kind of').

For mass production 3d printing, they're not terribly impressed with the current tech, as it's either poor resolution on the finished product, or prohibitively expensive.

You need to check out this article from last December.

http://theback40k.blogspot.com/2014/12/3d-printing-is-now-ready-to-compete.html

The quality is there (and then some), and the price is competitive with the kits GW is selling these days.

[daboarder]

You need to check out this article from last December.

http://theback40k.blogspot.com/2014/12/3d-printing-is-now-ready-to-compete.html

The quality is there (and then some), and the price is competitive with the kits GW is selling these days.

Thats Champion once painted?

and its shapeways resin? looks fine to me, I was looking at heroforge a while ago to do some infinity civilians (un-armed Scii civvies are super hard to find)

[Erik Setzer]

Shapeways has been used for putting out some nice stuff. The X-Wing Miniatures players have had a great time with the minis available on Shapeways. The quality's definitely getting up there with 3D printing.