I always have tried to keep on top of the latest technologies, but as I get older and more new "toys" come out on a daily basis, it becomes more difficult.  So when I discovered the concept of 3D Printing today I was amazed and astonished only to find out that half my friends and online aquaintences already knew about it.  (If you don't know what it is, Google it - there's some amazing YouTube videos on how the process is done)

Anyway, my first thought (obviously) was what can I have 3D Printed?  I first looked for a company that offers this service and found this one: http://i.materialise.com/

I haven't yet contacted them, but what they do is you can upload a 3D file (in specific formats like 3DS and several others) and they will "print" it out for you.

I was wondering if anyone has tried 3D Printing a Poser/Daz model?  And I wondered what the results looked like?  It seems they can get pretty detailed in their models, I saw a couple of examples of human figures and faces.  I would love to have a model of my AltaWoman character standing proudly on my office shelf!

AFAIK, you're not allowed to do that. Renderosity's terms when you buy a product are very specific on not being allowed to turn a 3d product into a touchable 3d object, and I'm pretty sure most other Poser sites do the same. It's someone else's mesh.

I might be wrong, but that's what I've always understood by the License that acompanies every product bought here.

I remember this came up a couple of years ago.   I even recall seeing an image of a 3d print though I can't recall if it was a commercial model or the modeler's own.   I would assume distributing the .obj or .3ds file they need to print it is against the license as that would mean the geometry could be extracted.

Here's a thread from back then discussing it.  http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?message_id=3579032&ebot_calc_page#message_3579032

Well okay if it's not allowed then I won't pursue it.  But in the link you posted, Kalypso, the thread didn't say anything about being against the license.  In fact one of the messages posted a link to a company's website forum where they were discussing the best way to prepare Poser figures for 3D printing.  The only mention about licensing came up with a concern about using 3rd party figures (like clothing) and only if you intended to sell the 3D print...which I don't.

Well I'll have to check it out further, so now I have two things to find out...one is if it's allowed and two if it's even worth trying.

Thanks for your responses, I appreciate it.

You could always just wait for the price of 3D Printers to become affordable and print your own statuary. Nothing against that in the license agreements.

Ask the question in the Copyright forum, they will know for sure there..

Don't some poser figures have holes in the mesh?  I know 3d printers don't really like that. 

I think it's a pretty sad commentary that a technical question instantly becomes a legal issue.  If you are having a 3D representation made for your own use, you are not redistributing the mesh any more than sending an animation sequence to a render farm is redistributing the mesh.  Note while that Rendo's EULA does specifically prohibit the production of a tangible replica without the Artist's express permission, others (such as Poser's EULA) do not.

As far as the technical issues, Poser models are infinitely thin shells, so for 3D printing the model maker must fill hollow areas and give free-standing clothing such as skirts and cuffs some thickness.  This would be done in software prior to printing, at some cost, I'm sure.  This wouldn't be as much of an issue for a 3D machining process.  Also you are likely to lose displacement/bump mapping...

Quote - AFAIK, you're not allowed to do that. Renderosity's terms when you buy a product are very specific on not being allowed to turn a 3d product into a touchable 3d object, and I'm pretty sure most other Poser sites do the same. It's someone else's mesh.

I might be wrong, but that's what I've always understood by the License that acompanies every product bought here.

Do it for your own use and there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it. 

I would also say RO's rules do not cover an agreement with the artist themselves. eg you ask me if you can make a 3D print. not RO. they did'nt make the item. I did.

I am interested in 3D printing but Poser is probably not the software best "designed" to do this - although STL export was encouraged at some time during the E-Frontier days of Poser. 

I recommend you consult an Attorney with EULAs in hand.

Quote - I am interested in 3D printing but Poser is probably not the software best "designed" to do this - although STL export was encouraged at some time during the E-Frontier days of Poser. 

From what I've read so far, it seems that for best results the Poser figure needs to be exported to another program (one of several) and then THAT program's exported file is the one used to make a 3D Print.  I still haven't figured out all the details because I've been sidetracked by this whole legal issue.

"I recommend you consult an Attorney with EULAs in hand."

The best Advice above.

I know that "STL"  is mesh Export and can be imported into other programs So any DAZ model distributed in this format is a Violation of thier EULA.

Cheers

Best consult with lawyers and creators.  

Creators should have their wishes upheld, the legal framework and the marketplaces being the environments which exist to protect or uphold their wishes, respectively.  So, The source of such intention should come from the creators of meshes.  If a creator says No Way, then so be it.  

I think some of the comments made sound absolutly insane! If you were proposing to make a production run, and sell the things, then there might be some sense to all this legalistic crap, but for one item to put on your own shelf? Come on folks get real!

Quote - I think some of the comments made sound absolutly insane! If you were proposing to make a production run, and sell the things, then there might be some sense to all this legalistic crap, but for one item to put on your own shelf? Come on folks get real!

I agree. But if the 3D Printing companies refuse to create these models because of legal issues it won't get me very far either.

And besides I'll barely have enough money to have a model made, let alone to go out and hire an attorney for something this insignificant.

I'm all for respecting artists' property and rights, but really is there a big difference if I print out a Poser/Daz character on a sheet of paper, hang it on my wall or print it out as a 3D model and put it on my shelf?

May I suggest more traditional techniques such as; an armature and oil base clay or even (cringe) sculpy. You'll learn a lot more and save 95%. Plus you'll have all the resolution you can put into it without paying extra. And you will not be limited by other peoples meshes and ulas. It will cost you less than 40$

Quote - > Quote - I think some of the comments made sound absolutly insane! If you were proposing to make a production run, and sell the things, then there might be some sense to all this legalistic crap, but for one item to put on your own shelf? Come on folks get real!

I agree. But if the 3D Printing companies refuse to create these models because of legal issues it won't get me very far either.

 This is very unlikely. To deny their service to you, they actually need to know that you actually are prohibited of creating a model. Otherwise it is not their problem and probably not worth their effort (this might depend on the price however, if such a print would cost, say $100.000 they might ask for a written statement, or ensurance or so).

Quote - And besides I'll barely have enough money to have a model made, let alone to go out and hire an attorney for something this insignificant. I'm all for respecting artists' property and rights, but really is there a big difference if I print out a Poser/Daz character on a sheet of paper, hang it on my wall or print it out as a 3D model and put it on my shelf?

Note: this is actually more personal opinion than real legal advice:

The exclusion statement ("...does not grant permission to create tangible objects...") is not for respecting the artists rights (although some artists probably think it is, and in some cases it even is); the reason is, that most 3d-models are models of real objects, and there usually is a market for those real objects, too. But this market of real objects is not the same as the market as for 3d-models, so you normally can simply create a 3d-model of a real object and sell it, without asking for permission. But when you create a real (tangible) model of something, you are moving into the market of real objects, where copyrights are held by other people or companies, so of course the creator of the 3d-model (or the reseller in case of renderosity) cannot give you explicit permission to create a model.
Here is an example: There is a 3d-model of a Ford Model-T in the RMP. You might get the permission of it's creator for creating a real (tangible) model of it. You go ahead and create a life-sized Ford Model-T lookalike, and sell it for many dollars. Now Henry Ford knocks at your door and says "Hey, you have stolen my car design". You answer correctly "No, Mr. Ford, i have a written permission of <name of 3d-artist> here.". Mr. Ford probably will not be satisfied with this. Was the 3d-model-creator be right to give you the permission? Henry Ford would likely pay <name of 3d-artist> an unpleasant visit to find out why he is giving licenses for producing Ford cars away. This is the main reason you probably will not get an explicit permission for creating real world items out of 3d-models from their creators. And even if you do, you should better be sure, that the 3d-model-creator actually has the right to do so; most often the creators of 3d-models do not have this permission themselves.
Since in your case the part where you sell the model is missing, i personally would just go ahead and try it out. If you want to be absolutely on the safe side, you indeed would need to get the permission of the original copyright holders (and of the 3d-model-creator, if you are polite) and/or a lawyer, and, of course, do not rely on what you read in an internet forum :-)

You could contact individual vendors and ask for permission to do this, explaining it s a decoration for your own private use. They might give you permission and then all you have to worry about is if poser models can actually be printed.

Quote - You could contact individual vendors and ask for permission to do this, explaining it s a decoration for your own private use. They might give you permission and then all you have to worry about is if poser models can actually be printed.

Yes, I think is the easiest and cheapest way to go about this.  And of course I would need to check with Daz to see if it's okay to 3D Print good ole Vicki.

The issue is distribution of the deriviative Mesh File. The Printing Company I used once required I sign an agreement stating I had the rights to distribute the provided file.

If you have the software and the printer, I am not sure there would be any issues, since on the surface it does not seem that the Printed Item is redistributing the files or derivatives of the files.. but I would check with an attorney to be sure.

Can you do it, yes... is it legal, check with an Attorney.

From a more practical standpoint, Poser meshes aren't "watertight". 3D printing is not yet at a common consumer level or work, so it's not designed to readily work with 3D meshes designed for artistic use. A 3D printer will fill in all closed meshes. If there are any openings, it will continue to fill in the areas outside the openings. A simple sphere or cube is straightforward because everything is closed off. The head of many Poser character has openings for the eyes and mouth that are filled in with other meshes for eyeballs and inner mouths. Poser hair is usually made realistic by transparencies. A 3D printer only looks at the mesh, not the transparency texture. Adding clothing and hair to a figure creates new meshes for a 3D printer to fill in separate from the main figure.

Before this can be a consumer product, software will be needed to quickly optimize a model for printing to close off a model, combine all objects so that there is only a single mesh, add thicknesses for the printer to minimize printing very thin meshes. Right now, there is a laborious process to prepare a model for printing.

I cannot swear to it, but I seem to recall a 3 inch model costing about $100. The process isn't cheap. The resulting model usually looks like a rough layered object that requires sandpaper to smooth out the model.

It's a cool process with great potential application, but it's not ready for consumer use yet. It's great for industrial applications to build prototypes because the CAD software is designing solid objects.

Buy your own 3d printer

http://www.reprapstores.com/catalog/complete-kits/hk