Who does 3D modeling?

Use Pro/E at work and have Catia on my system although I have gotten quite rusty with it.

I am an EIT ME and we have a drafter at work that is the bomb. Looking to start our own company.

Got any buisness?

ProDarwin wrote:

SVreX wrote: Inquiring minds want to know.

So, who are these inquiring minds, and what do they have planned?

Haha!

Some of you really can't stand the suspense, can you?

I was mostly trying to gauge how integrated 3D modeling is in a community like this. Bigger response than I expected.

I am trying to develop a business model that would make available some high tech manufacturing processes on a small scale to designers who want to see their ideas come to fruition. Precision laser cutting and etching, 3D printing, CNC machining, 3D laser, etc.

The idea is to be a small scale manufacturer focused on protecting the integrity of the designer's intellectual property, but enabling small production runs and marketing of finished products (with appropriate commissions, etc. going back to the designers). Hopefully we can make some of the tools available that average folks can't afford at a reasonable cost. We'll be contracting with hackerspaces, producing limited edition runs for artists, small manufacturing, etc.

So, designers can focus on design, while we make their stuff, develop websites, manage the customers, and sell their products (or augment their existing sales efforts). Good opportunity for networking with small businesses, but also for designers to develop some of their ideas on the side without quitting their day jobs.

I don't actually want a staff modeler/ designer. I want to develop relationships with people who want to see their designs made and sold, and who want to network with people looking for contract designers and small manufacturing.

Probably quite a few automotive applications.

SVreX wrote:

ProDarwin wrote:

SVreX wrote: Inquiring minds want to know.

So, who are these inquiring minds, and what do they have planned?

Haha! Some of you really can't stand the suspense, can you? I was mostly trying to gauge how integrated 3D modeling is in a community like this. Bigger response than I expected. I am trying to develop a business model that would make available some high tech manufacturing processes on a small scale to designers who want to see their ideas come to fruition. Precision laser cutting and etching, 3D printing, CNC machining, 3D laser, etc. The idea is to be a small scale manufacturer focused on protecting the integrity of the designer's intellectual property, but enabling small production runs and marketing of finished products (with appropriate commissions, etc. going back to the designers). Hopefully we can make some of the tools available that average folks can't afford at a reasonable cost. We'll be contracting with hackerspaces, producing limited edition runs for artists, small manufacturing, etc. So, designers can focus on design, while we make their stuff, develop websites, manage the customers, and sell their products (or augment their existing sales efforts). Good opportunity for networking with small businesses, but also for designers to develop some of their ideas on the side without quitting their day jobs. I don't actually want a staff modeler/ designer. I want to develop relationships with people who want to see their designs made and sold, and who want to network with people looking for contract designers and small manufacturing. Probably quite a few automotive applications.

Cool!

<- have a business plan in process for something similar. More like a combination of being a 3d designer myself and purchasing some tools to do both high-tech prototyping and reverse engineering. :)

You should contact me when you know more. A partnership with a business like yours sounds like a good idea. A large part of my startup capital was going to be sunk into a 3D printer.

strange seems many of us are working in the same direction.

We should pool total resources and call it

Machining Integrated Assitance with Total Area Guaranteed Results Manufacturing

or MIATA GRM for short

I could be convinced to be a customer of such a business! I have a bunch of ideas for random consumer products that I never end up starting my own business around because I'm too busy with my "real" business of designing medical devices. If somebody else will actually do all the footwork of actually manufacturing andselling the stuff, I would totally give them most of the profits...

One risk: How do you plan on handling situations where it is unclear whether the designer/you have the freedom to operate from an IP point of view?

(PS I'm a Solidworks man myself although I did start with 3D Studio Max back in the dark ages -1999)

ProDarwin wrote: A large part of my startup capital was going to be sunk into a 3D printer.

I bought my Makerbot (kit) for $1200.

The new twin spool unit is under $2000, fully assembled. Excellent online support community too.

Printing Yoda

Paul,et al, have you seen this?:

http://www.123dapp.com/makeit/about

aeronca65t wrote:

ProDarwin wrote: A large part of my startup capital was going to be sunk into a 3D printer.

I bought my Makerbot (kit) for $1200. The new twin spool unit is under $2000, fully assembled. Excellent online support community too. Printing Yoda

The makerbot and similar hobby kits SUCK compared to a real 3d printer. I owned a BFB 3000 for a few months vs. I worked with a Dimension SST 1200.

Neat hobby toys, but certainly not on-par with what I need to do with it. There is a reason one is $45K and the hobby crap is $2K.

I do architectural visualization, using Lightwave, 3D Studio, Maya, Sketchup, and Revit. Also dabble in car stuff.

http://www.chrisv-design.com/

madpanda wrote: One risk: How do you plan on handling situations where it is unclear whether the designer/you have the freedom to operate from an IP point of view?

Describe your concern a little better.

I work for a chemical company in which we deal with IP issues all day, so I am familiar with the territory.

My take is that the designer needs to warrant copy rights, or we work within an agreement under license with the owner of the design.

I already do some laser work under license for a couple of nationally known artists.

Give me an example of the problem you are envisioning.

bluej wrote: Paul,et al, have you seen this?: http://www.123dapp.com/makeit/about

Thanks! Good link.

I've seen several sites (like Shapeways, etc) that get close to what we are doing, but not quite.

Let's say, for example, a designer has come up with a neat cable holder for the iPhone headset. You start making it for them, invest some money in tooling, building the website etc. and then one month into sales someone who holds a patent to a very similar cable holder sends you a cease and desist letter.

Are you going to also invest the time and money to do a patent search before you start work on the project? Would it be the designer's responsibility? In some cases it will probably be an innocent case of multiple people inventing the same thing at the same time, in other cases you will probably get some "designers" who are just stealing other people's products and trying to make some risk free money (since you take on all the risk).

I guess one solution to this is that you have the designer put up the up-front money to get started.

Chris_V wrote:

This is amazing!

In reply to madpanda:

I see where you are coming from.

There is a direct correlation between my exposure and the amount of effort I would put into a patent search.

My first level of defense is that I expect designers to be fully responsible for their designs and the related patents and/or copyrights. I am building long term relationships with customers. Anyone who thinks they will make a lot of money off me by stealing other people's work won't last long.

Secondly, a basic search for prior art is not that difficult. I would be foolish not to do my due diligence.

I am investing in specialized tooling for customers, but the extent is related to the size of the contract and the quality of the relationship. If it is a really big contract for a really good customer, I may be willing to invest in a big way, but that type of deal would certainly involve appropriate legal protections.

My tooling is varied enough to cover many projects without additional significant investment in tooling. A cease and desist letter is sometimes (unfortunately) part of business. Sometimes (as you noted) it happens by accident. If I get one, we will cease, and attempt to develop a relationship with the owner of the IP.

I am trying to develop good ongoing relationships with quality customers and vendors. I don't want to work with every fly-by-night that comes in, and I won't work with thieves. I don't need vast numbers of customers to make this work. Just a few good ones.

Great input! Thanks for watching my back!

SVreX wrote: Great input! Thanks for watching my back!

Thanks and no Problem! It really sounds like a good business opportunity.

madpanda wrote:

SVreX wrote: Great input! Thanks for watching my back!

Thanks and no Problem! It really sounds like a good business opportunity.

It is.

I had no idea there was such a big community of 3D users here.

I'm a professional graphic designer for print and web, but I dabble in sci-fi 3D modeling and animation as a hobby. My work isn't really product-oriented, but if you're giving me an excuse to post it here goes:

More at mbdesignlab.com (which is somewhat out of date).

Solidworks for 3-D sales drawings at work (mech. engineer for a utilities-service-truck manufaturing company).

Don't have a decent computer at home, or I would have SW on it for hobby/home project use.

Matt B wrote: I had no idea there was such a big community of 3D users here.

Me neither.

Glad I asked!

Matt B wrote: My work isn't really product-oriented...

True, but some of it would look awesome laser etched into stainless steel, black granite, fire polished acrylic, or glass!

Let me know if you'd ever like to give it a try!

Nice work- thanks for sharing!

Not sure where you get your acrylic from, Paul, but Lightblocks has been great to deal with for our projects. Cheaper than 3form and hi qual.

That's good to know!

What products do you make from acrylic?

SVreX wrote: That's good to know! What products do you make from acrylic?

Anything you might see in a museum.

Nice job description.

So, Paul, you open yet?

I actually may have a need for some volume production of what should be a pretty simple part. I'd probably be looking for 80-100 at a time of a piece that could be made from probably a 1 x 3 x 5 piece of aluminum. Maybe even 1 x 3 x 4. The size isn't super critical. It's something that's got "CNC Machine" written all over it, but I have no idea where to even start looking for someone to produce it.

Help me Obi Wan Fennobi. Or anyone else in the CNC industry.

Also, someone from this thread is probably going to get an email at some point to do the actual design. Who likes simple freelance projects?

jg