Owning a 3D printer can be a nightmare. Unless you’re ready to deal with overnight prints throwing a fit mid-way or stubborn plastic debris, you’re better off outsourcing the job to someone else. The good news is, you can. Four young graduates from the Royal College of Art have been pushing hard on 3D innovation for awhile. Knowing how frustrating existing software can be, they have opened a second window to a much friendlier world of 3D printing.
The best part is you don’t even need to be equipped with an engineering degree. Gravity Sketch, their new app for the iPad, helps bring the darkest recesses of your imagination to life. Whatever you draw, the app will render it in 3D, and built-in tools allow for symmetrical objects and various finishes. On Gravity Sketch, what you see is what you get. Order your print off the app, and its partner Shapeways will have your work delivered the soonest possible. Of course, shipping depends from country to country.
You won’t be disappointed with the results. Shapeways is a 3D printing industry leader, and according to co-founder Pierre Paslier (the same guy who co-founded the edible water bottle), their prints are affordable and of high quality. Plus, your prints aren’t limited to plastic. Think stainless steel, gold and even ceramic (below). That said, you can always export your sketch via your desktop 3D printer or favourite local 3D printing shop.
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Says Paslier, “Gravity Sketch is on a mission to lower the barriers to 3D literacy, the ability to create and manipulate 3D content. With the lowering price of 3D printing, the rise of virtual reality, our team really believes that 3D literacy is the key to the future for science, creativity and entertainment… These tools could help dreamers become innovators, take that leap of faith to materialise their ideas, communicate them to other people and bring them to reality.”
Gravity Sketch is a game-changing, idiot-proof device, and we like it. Now available on all iPads and iPad Pros for free.