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Interesting...in that they are using Shapeways materials to print the miniatures but have built a "model maker" software program to make creating custom figures more mainstream. The materials themselves have been around for some time now. It's the model maker software that makes this more mainstream.

I've used Shapeways extensively and initially i didnt view them as a source for action figure parts due to the rough surface of the White strong and flexible material and the delicate nature of the ultra detailed material. Decades of injection molding quality has spoiled me. However lately i've been looking at some models made of the stronger but cheaper WSF material and , maybe i'm compromising but, i'm willing to make the trade off in surface quality if i'm printing models that are OOAK. I mean **** if you customize figures and or build models you're sanding anyway often.

The question i think many will ask themselves in the action figure customizing community is:
Why pay more for a rough surface head print when you can buy an entire injection molded figure for the same price with weapons to boot and use that figures head as the base piece? *or for that matter buy a smooth surfaced resin cast head for the same price or less as a 3D printed head?

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ive said it before, I wish I could have scanned myself 15 or 20 years ago. I wouldn't want to look at a figure of me now.

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http://developers.shapeways.com/

This looks like the wholeseller for 3D models

There is also this:

http://www.thatsmyface.com/Custom-Actio ... ducts.html

I've tried to stay out of this thread because I don't want to be 'that guy' -- the one who always has to pipe up when a pet topic comes up, but this is exactly the sort of thing that drove me to get my printer to begin with. For a few hundred bucks, I got a tool/toy that can do so many things. Plus, being a customizer and gadget guy, if I'm not happy with the quality of prints I get, I can tweak the printer with mods and hacks to make it work better.
Couple what's already available with things coming down the pipes, like this, and I think in a few years we'll see custom action figures that are as good as or better than factory made.

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