This blew my mind. I came across this announcement while surfing the web for recent CG industry updates. Ever since I was a kid, playing with clay and creating objects from scratch has always been a fascination. The challenge has always been that, I would create these nice clay and wood sculptures but I couldn’t replicate them. They were creations of a kind, which in itself adds value and uniqueness. However there were times when I wished I could create more than one, because my young brother and sisters always seemed to want to play with the things I created, and I desperately wanted to share, but I only had one of each creation.

Now imagine the possibilities that this new Printer offers to us the consumers, and especially those interested in making some cash from their 3D models and sculptures!! The possibilities are mind blowing. This, in my opinion, is going to open up a mini industry of sorts to every 3D Modeler and Sculptor who ever wanted to replicate their creations. I for one can’t wait for the day I can afford one of these puppies and take it to the races!!

I will be able to create cool 3D models and have the gleeful thought of “Man, now I can have people touch and feel my creations with their own hands” From miniature film sets, to product demonstrations and even gifts for Birthdays, Christmas and events!!”

Check out the full Release Below:

A Whole New MakerBot: Introducing Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer: Retail Price ~ $2199.00

MakerBot® Industries introduces the MakerBot® Replicator™ 2 Desktop 3D Printer, the company’s easiest, fastest, and most affordable tool yet for making professional-quality models. Designed for the desktop of an engineer, researcher, creative professional, or anyone who loves to make things, the MakerBot Replicator 2 features 100-micron layer resolution, setting a new standard in professional looking models and true-to-life replicas. In addition, the MakerBot Replicator 2 enables users to make big objects, up to 410 cubic inches in volume (11.2″ L x 6.0″ W x 6.1″ H).

Today we reached new heights. If you didn’t catch our livestream, MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis ran down a series of announcements, and we’ll do our best to highlight all of them on the blog. In the meantime, tweet your questions to @makerbot, email us at tips@makerbot.com, and leave all your comments and thoughts here on the blog.

Ladies and gentlemen of the MakerSphere, meet the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer.

We launched the original Replicator at CES this year, and since then we’ve been listening to the feedback of our incredible community. We’ve watched this community grow to include moms and dads, teachers, artists, and an exploding number of bold professionals. We’ve always been blown away by our users, but this latter group sparked new inspiration. We saw what the professionals were doing and set out to make a machine for their needs. It’s not a surprise that our own army of engineers understand these needs pretty well.

The Replicator 2 introduces the world of prosumer 3D printing. We made it stronger, faster, and finer than the original Replicator, and we optimized it to work with MakerBot PLA Filament. We also blew up the build volume without making the machine itself any bigger. The MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer is, as the name suggests, a desktop machine, not a it-needs-its-own-room machine. It’s going to fit nicely where you need it and look amazing while it works.

But what’s under the hood?

WHAT’S NEW

100-micron layer resolution – If you know our machines or 3D printing in general, you understand this advancement. The original Replicator was tuned for a 270-micron layer height. 100 microns is nearly three times finer than before, which means the layers are even harder to see and feel. For those keeping score, 100 microns is also a good bit finer than the output on some much more expensive machines.
Huge 410 cubic inch build volume – MakerBot desktop 3D printers have never had a build volume this big. When we learned more about PLA, which works beautifully with huge builds, we knew we had to increase the build volume. This is 37% larger than the original Replicator. You can make entire projects on one build plate.

Optimized for MakerBot PLA – Polylactic Acid, derived from corn, has been in our repertoire for a little while, but now we’ve discovered its full power. It doesn’t have an odor, it sticks without sliding, and it makes beautiful things. That’s all there is to it.
Sleek, sturdy steel – The powder-coated steel frame of the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer gives it all the strength it needs for high print speeds. Plus it’s resistant to changes in temperature and humidity.

Smart new parts — The acrylic build plate pops out for you to grab things easier, and the bearings are oil-infused so you spend less time on maintenance.

We’re Not Done Yet

Those are the basics of the MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer, but keep in mind that a world class 3D printer needs world class software. So our software department’s been pretty busy too. Introducing MakerWare, developed right here at MakerBot by people who know the ins and outs of the desktop 3D printing workflow as well as anyone.

Look how pretty and simple this new application is. Our UX team has tested the patterns of this process to put the controls in all the right places. Now you can open multiple STL or OBJ (yes, OBJ!) files at once, even if they’re totally unrelated. You can scale individual pieces together or separately, and save any number of items together as a THING file, our new file format for projects. The MakerWare interface is coupled with other important bits of software that let your MakerBot behave just like a 2D printer. This means you can set something to print in the background and let it go.

MakerWare also simplifies a lot of the decision making. For example, when it comes to choose print settings, you can select preset printing profiles for High, Medium, or Low quality. Finally, MakerWare includes the new slicing engine Miracle Grue, built by MakerBot software engineers. This algorithm prepares models up to 20 times faster (you read that right: 20X) than Skeinforge. For the super enthusiasts, Miracle Grue also defines a much more efficient toolpath, meaning there are fewer stops and starts in the printing process, which makes for more consistent prints overall.

PRODUCT RELEASE SOURCE: www.makerbot.com

Updated with new Renders ~ This is a recent 3D concept vehicle render I did in 3D Max and Vue xStream. The render is a combination of Global Illumination and Ambient Occlusion with an equirectangular map which adds a nice atmospheric touch to the composition. The camera is set to a 100mm lens with lens flare enabled.

Here is another render from a different camera angle. The 360 degree environment map can be seen in the reflection as well as the ground plate reflection.

another render with DOF applied.

This is the wireframe of the render inside of Vue xStream.

and the wireframe of the scene inside of 3DS Max 2013, using the xStream scene loading plugin.

Excerpt from Sports Illustrated: Since retiring in July 2011 from playing in the NBA for the Houston Rockets, Yao Ming has found a new passion, wildlife conservation, and has become a global ambassador for WildAid, one of the leading organizations working to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products.

Photo by Kristian Schmidt / WildAid ~ Yao Ming traveled to Africa for the first time to come face-to-face with some of the world’s most majestic species – the elephant and the rhino – and to document the poaching crisis these creatures are facing as a result of growing demand for rhino horn and ivory products.

Yao met Najin and Suni, two of the world’s remaining seven Northern White Rhinos – representing one of the most endangered species on the planet. The Northern White Rhino once roamed through Congo, Uganda, and Sudan, but now only seven remain, four of which are at Ol Pejeta.

Yao poses with a group of Kenyan Police Reservists protecting Ol Pejeta, an animal sanctuary in East Africa.

These are immense and powerful creatures. Yao Ming insight, “As one of them pushes me, I’m reminded of the immense pressure I used to feel when I had to guard Shaquille O’Neal. You knew that pressure while guarding Shaq, and you know it when a rhino leans on you.”

But this power is meaningless in the face of a poacher’s bullet or wire snare. To make them less of a target, they have been dehorned – a painless process removing the top of the horn, but because there is still a substantial nub they are still under constant threat.

It’s tragic to know these impressive animals are among the last of their kind, just because some people believe their horn, which is just keratin like our fingernails, has healing properties.

It would be a tragedy if we lost them.

Yao and British tycoon Richard Branson attend a press conference for a campaign against eating shark fins in Shanghai. Yao and Branson made an appeal Thursday in Shanghai against the consumption of shark fins to a group of 30 of China’s richest and most influential business people.

It’s so great to see Yao take on such an important role in the effort to conserve the African endangered wildlife. Thank you Mr. Ming.

Check out Yao Ming’s two-week tour of Africa (follow his adventures at yaomingblog.com), SI looks at life after retirement for one of basketball’s true global stars.

I knew this day would come, and I have been dreaming about it for quite sometime since I joined the industry 15 years ago, what I did not picture was the dramatic results that Realtime Rendering in a Game engine would bring to the souped up, Feature hungry gamers and 3D art world.

Graphics researcher Jorge Jimenez has cracked the problem of rendering what he calls “ultra realistic skin” in real-time with consumer-level computer and graphics hardware. It’s a breakthrough made possible by the process of separable subsurface scattering (SSS) which quickly renders the translucent properties of skin and its effect on light in two post-processing passes. The code is based wholly on original research using DirectX 10. Jimenez describes the achievement as the result of hours of “research, desperation, excitement, happiness, pride, sadness and extreme dedication.”

I came upon these 2 videos which demonstrate the arrival of a new breed of Realtime Graphics and effects processing combined with capable machines. I am watching this video, and I am thinking, dude, this right here is what I have been waiting to see for so long in a Video game engine and 3D applications like 3DS and Maya. Take a look and Feast Yur Eyes (think of a Brave, scottish accent)

This second video shows the results Achieved by using DirectX 11 in the New Crytek 3 Engine. This makes for a much richer gaming experience. I believe Hardware advances like GPU enabled graphics cards are going to drive the ever increasing demand for this type of graphics.

I can Imagine a world where there will no longer be a need to wait long hours for 3D scenes to Render ~ the Introduction of Directx 11 has definitely opened a door to that new world of Realtime Rendering. Take a look

A special thank you to the team at Faceware Technologies, Inc and ImageMetrics for their kind support of the Galiwango Film and My cartoon TV Series (https://www.sowl.com/2012/12/a-seed-for-nkoza-and-nankya/ ).  I am so excited about working with their talented team to help make the Galiwango film Characters even more awesome. I highly recommend their services.

Thanks Again Peter and the entire team. You guys rock, and thanks for joining in this effort of making the world a better place for endangered wildlife, especially the mountain gorillas, plus cheering on the selfless sacrifices of the rangers engaged in the protection of these great apes and their habitats.

I will be posting the behind the scenes of the Galiwango film Facial Motion capture sessions using Faceware’s Analyzer and Retargater. You can follow the Galiwango film production at this link: https://www.sowl.com/2012/02/galiwango-film-reload-3d-model-update and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Galiwango.A.Mountain.Gorilla.Film

Check out this video explaining the services provided by Faceware Technologies, Inc: http://www.facewaretech.com

This particular video shows the process in a more linear way and gives a visual example of how the Faceware technology works:

Faceware has been used on over 45 shipped video game titles as well as 8 feature films, with many more in production now. Both Analyzer and Retargeter are extremely battle-tested and have shipped thousands of minutes of facial animation and our Head-Mounted Cameras have been on hundreds of shoots with thousands of production hours logged. Take a look below at some of the titles our products have been used on.

Below are some of the Game titles: Check out the full list here: http://www.facewaretech.com/projects/

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Element3D ~ One word ~ EPIC!! ~ Andrew Kramer has just democratized Motion graphics design and 3D asset integration, giving every aspiring artist a fighting chance at getting a job doing a commercial. I think that Artistry and creativity is what’s going to separate the boys from the men!! lol!!! YIKES!!! ~ still shaking my head in AWE!!!