Farewell STLs, Hail to the 3MF Revolution with Duann Scott

In this conversation, Joris Peels and Brent Wright interview Duann Scott, the head of the 3MF Consortium, about 3D printing, software, and the future of file formats. They discuss the benefits of the 3MF file format, its security features, and the implications for the 3D printing industry. The conversation also covers lattice structures, implicit files, and the importance of data communication in 3D printing. The conversation delves into the use of implicit modeling and lattice structures in 3D printing, the benefits of bypassing the meshing process, and the potential for streaming slicing. It also explores the concept of systems-level approach in design, the role of computational workflows, and the importance of seeking expert advice. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the speed of iteration and the liberating nature of additive manufacturing.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsors: Advanced 3D and LimbGuard

Keywords
3D printing, 3MF file format, software, lattice structures, implicit files, data communication, security features, 3D printing industry, 3D printing, implicit modeling, ladder structures, meshing process, computational workflows, additive manufacturing, expert advice, systems-level approach, speed of iteration

Takeaways

• The 3MF file format offers significant advantages over the traditional STL format, including smaller file sizes, color and texture preservation, and the ability to carry metadata and manufacturing information.
• The 3MF Consortium is an open-source initiative that aims to standardize 3D printing file formats and ensure interoperability between different software and hardware systems.
• Security features in the 3MF file format allow for restrictions on file access, printing permissions, and machine-specific usage, providing greater control and protection for 3D printing files.
• Lattice structures and implicit files offer efficient ways to describe complex geometries in 3D printing, enabling smaller file sizes and more elegant data communication.
• The conversation highlights the need for the 3D printing industry to mature in terms of data communication and file format standards, emphasizing the importance of proper data flow and scalability. Implicit modeling and ladder structures offer an efficient and powerful way to create complex geometry in 3D printing.
• Bypassing the meshing process and streaming slices can improve the speed and efficiency of the 3D printing process.
• A systems-level approach to design, along with computational workflows, can lead to more robust and flexible solutions.
• Seeking expert advice and surrounding oneself with knowledgeable individuals is crucial when navigating the complexities of additive manufacturing.
• The speed of iteration and the liberating nature of additive manufacturing offer new possibilities for design and production.

Chapters

00:00
The Future of 3D Printing: Exploring the 3MF File Format

06:09
Security and Interoperability: The Role of the 3MF Consortium

25:10
Optimizing 3D Printing Workflows with Computational Approaches

28:55
Expert Advice and Systems-Level Design in Additive Manufacturing

32:09
The Speed of Iteration and the Liberating Nature of Additive Manufacturing

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:08

Hey, yours, I'm doing well, man. Hey, we're inching up closer to that 100th episode. Well, and congratulations to you on the 200th episode of the 3D Pod. I mean, how cool is that? Hey, uh, uh hehehe, hehehe, hehehe, hehehe hehehe, hehehe, hehehe, hehehe hehehe, hehehe, thank you.

Speaker 1 1:45

Well, yeah, I mean. So we actually have known each other for uh quite a while, probably uh 2017, 2018. I think we connected at a show and he's like you really need to start looking at some computational design stuff. I didn't even know what he was talking about and stuff back then was a little bit rough and I was like man, it is over my head. But we've stayed in contact over the years and we've actually had now some overlap on some things and we've connected at shows and such.

Speaker 1 2:15

But I just appreciate what he's doing, specifically not only trying to share the difference between ai and what computational design is right, but then also the 3mf consortium, and I think this is where things get really interesting for o and p, and why it's so important is because, uh, stls don't, don't, do not have units of measurement. So when, when you, when you bring Well and we run into this all the time we get files, standard, metric and, depending on, is it a US-based company or do they have headquarters somewhere else, and so you think that you're printing the right thing, and as a contract manufacturer, you think you're printing the right thing and it's just a complete disaster. So that's one benefit of the 3mf. But the other benefit is that it also holds the color and textures in one file, so like if you with an obj, you usually have your color file and a texture file, and so you've got these three files that are kind of trying to float along uh together and us when we're printing color, uh, it's just super important that it's all together in one file because so many times it can break and so, and the 3MF file is smaller too. So I mean there's a big benefit to us and I don't know that all the ins and outs. So I'm looking forward to hearing some of that.

Speaker 1 3:40

But just from my, you know, mountain North Carolina boy perspective, those are a lot of the benefits of the 3MF. So I appreciate Duan, you know, really leaning heavily into that and no-transcript. So I'm always curious about that part because I think I shared. I've had two parts that were unauthorized showing and printing recently happen and I was like man, how can I avoid that? Yeah, thank you. Well, that's pretty, that's pretty cool. Yeah, I'll definitely have to look into that side of things and I think I think that's that's interesting, especially when you're starting to get into some of the manufacturing and, uh, even dialing it down into the serial numbers of the machines and such. That's pretty neat. I can see why you get excited about this kind of stuff.

Rapid Prototyping for Prosthetic Limbs

Speaker 1 15:31

Thank you right, and I'm super curious. You know the lattice structure thing is very interesting in the 3mf because I do a lot of that, but can you share a little bit about what the difference between that aspect and the implicit is for our audience? I mean, I know that implicit files are smaller and it's a mathematical formula, but that's about as far as my knowledge goes right. So can you explain that to us? Sure, so can you explain that to us? Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you you. Well, I think that's super cool, like being able to go straight to the machine. I can't tell you how painful it is like, especially with the machines that slice on the machine itself. You know you're not talking about a supercomputer doing these calculations, you're talking something not great, and so sometimes if you've got some bigger files, I mean you're just waiting a while for the machine. The machine's not running until this thing crunches through the data. So I love that being able to go implicit all the way through. Thank you, that's not good for sales though, is it no-transcript? And I think you know? I would say, and I appreciate the endorsement there, but I would say like, for me it's important to surround myself with people like Duan and others that are in the space, because I am not naturally, like you know. I enjoy the engineering side. I'm not an engineer. I enjoy the design side of things. I'm not a you know, a quote unquote CAD designer and I think one of the things for me when I would answer that same question I like how Duann answered it was seek them out and get some information. And one of the first questions that I typically will ask is what does somebody like an expert think about this? And you get a lot of feedback on the way they answer it. Do they go straight negative or do they actually have a thoughtful response of like hey, that's a good idea. I don't know if it would work, my experience is in this, but that's very interesting and I think that's how you can tell a true expert, especially in the additive side, because there are so many unknowns and you want to keep an open mind, have your expertise, but you never want to down something because it may actually work at some time. No-transcript.

Speaker 1 41:28

A friend of mine. I was actually on a call with him and he had there was a specific wrist unit for an above or below elbow amputee that I didn't have, but I didn't also have the. I didn't have the file for, but I didn't have the actual model to reverse. He had a set of calipers and I'm literally on the phone with him, 15 minutes maybe, and I he takes the measurements and tells me the whole pattern, where things are. I draw it up, I send them for a test fitting and literally within an hour and a half we have you know five or six different iterations and we find one that works. We were just kind of taken aback by that because years ago that wasn't even possible. That would be a long-time process. The cool thing is now that file stays forever. When somebody needs that wrist, then we've got it. No-transcript.