World of CAD: July 2016

Updated Oct 4, 2023
News Roundup August 2016

Welcome to World of CAD: Monthly News Roundup, Scan2CAD’s monthly look-back at the latest developments in the CAD industry. This month has seen the announcement of several new partnerships, and the unveiling of some exciting new products.

Firstly, we’ve seen Microsoft officially launch their collaboration with Materialise. Meanwhile, a number of major players in the CAD industry have announced tie-ups with 3DPrinterOS. There was also a boon for reverse engineering this month as HIPP 2016 became available for ANSYS SpaceClaim.

On the product side of things, 3D printing firm Ooznest continued their expansion into other maker technologies as they released the full kit version of Ooznest OX. We’re also covering the launch of the Rize One, a 3D printer that promises to eliminate post-processing work. Intrigued? Read on…


Microsoft and i.materialise launch joint 3D printing project

It’s clear that cloud-based software is beginning to have a major impact on CAD. Now, there are clear signs that the major players are sitting up and paying attention. Earlier this year, Belgian 3D printing company Materialise announced an ambitious collaboration with tech giant Microsoft. Through this partnership, Windows users were to gain access to i.materialise – a cloud-based 3D printing platform owned by Materialise. On July 26, the project was officially launched. 
Thanks to this project, users of Microsoft’s 3D printing software, including 3D Builder, are able to print their models directly through i.materialise. According to Alexandre Blondin, Project Manager of Microsoft’s 3D Builder team, the new partnership means that “you don’t need to own a 3D printer anymore to bring your designs to life.” The aim of the project is to streamline the ordering process, whilst still giving users maximum control.

To order a model from within 3D Builder, all the user has to do is select the 3D printing service option, and click “order online”. Users will also be able to choose from a wide range of different print options, including materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and gold. i.materialise also offers users over 100 different colors and finishes, meaning that high-quality, customizable prints are now available to everyone. To learn more, visit the 3D Builder and Materialise websites.

Want to find out more about customization in 3D printing? Check out our guide to multicolor 3D printing.


3D printing with no post-processing

Rize is a newcomer to the 3D printing market, but it’s already making waves. On July 19, it unveiled the Rize One, a 3D printer which has already been described as “paradigm-shifting“. What makes it so special? It promises to be the first 3D printer on the market that requires no post-processing work.

Rize One 3D printer

Rize One promises users 3D printing without post-processing, Source: Rize


One of the key stumbling blocks for the burgeoning 3D printing industry has been the need for extensive processing of parts. To date, it has been impossible to print a part that is ready for use straight away. If the Rize One is able to eliminate this issue, it could have a profound impact on 3D printing. Additionally, Rize claims that their machine cuts turnaround time by half whilst improving part strength. Though it’s only just launched, it’s clear that the Rize One has huge potential. We here at Scan2CAD will certainly be keeping a close eye on this one, and will keep you updated with all the latest.


Ooznest launches CNC milling machine

UK-based 3D printing firm Ooznest was launched in 2013 by Cambridge graduate Ryan Lock. The company’s stated aim is to “bring 3D printing to the masses”, but their focus is not singular. Recently, Ooznest have branched out from 3D printing into other manufacturing technologies. Enter the Ooznest OX: a user-friendly CNC milling machine intended for users of all experience levels and none.

Ooznest OX

Now available in a full kit version, the Ooznest OX is accessible to newcomers and hobbyists. Source: Ooznest


Whilst Ooznest launched the mechanical version of the machine last year, July 2016 saw the launch of the full kit. Ooznest OX is based on a CNC machine developed by OpenBuilds, and incorporates a number of 3D printed parts into its design. Prices for the full kit start at £925 ($1,220), whilst the mechanical kit costs just £650 ($850). The target market for the OX is the growing CNC hobbyist community. Newcomers to CNC are likely to be attracted by the machine’s ease-of-use and the reasonable price point.

The OX is open source, which means that more adventurous users will be able to fully customize their new machine. No matter their experience level, the Ooznest OX is sure to help users take their ideas from design to finished product. For the full OX specification, check out the Ooznest blog. Or, why not check out some other exciting new innovations in CNC?


3DPrinterOS announces new partnerships

Launched in 2015, 3DPrinterOS markets itself as “the world’s first operating system for 3D printers”. It’s cloud-based, free, and designed to work with a range of 3D printing systems. Its aim is to simplify the workflow associated with 3D printing and to reduce manufacturing latency. The OS is intended to be a user-friendly and hassle-free tool that helps designers collaborate.

3DPrinterOS dashboard screenshot

3DPrinterOS lets users print from anywhere – and now integrates with several major CAD platforms


Despite their initial success, 3DPrinterOS aren’t satisfied yet, and are aiming to be the universal OS for 3D printers. With this goal in mind, they’ve recently announced partnerships with several major players in CAD. In news that is likely to hearten business clients, 3DPrinterOS will now offer CAD to web integrations for Siemens, Dassault Systèmes, Autodesk and Onshape. The OS will therefore cover design tools such as SolidWorks, SolidEdge and Fusion 360. The move will make it simple for designers to go straight from CAD to 3D printing – no fuss required.


Combining 3D scanning and CAD for reverse engineering

The reverse engineering process has never been simple. In recent years, the use of 3D scanners has helped users create meshes of existing physical parts. Despite this, a user must still go through an intermediate file type to get usable data for use in CAD. Earlier this year, however, ReverseEngineering.com launched HIPP 2016. This standalone technology was designed to help users grab data during the scanning process, and produce outputs that can be easily used by CAD applications.

ANSYS SpaceClaim screenshot

ANSYS SpaceClaim now supports integration with HIPP 2016


Now, ReverseEngineering.com have announced that HIPP is available for use with ANSYS SpaceClaim. SpaceClaim is a tool that aims to speed up the workflow associated with reverse engineering. It does this by quickly and intelligently extracting surfaces from any scanned file.

The integration of HIPP into SpaceClaim means that a user can go from scan to modeling all in one application. The goal of this integration is to streamline the reverse engineering process and to lower software costs.


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