Print3D Unveils New Plug-In

Free plug-in brings a pricing engine to CAD applications.

Print3D v1 is offered as a stand-alone PC application, and as a plug-in for several major CAD systems. CAD users receive real-time, guaranteed quotes for plastic or metal prototypes, and can customize their orders through the integrated interface, adding paint and finish options. Users can also send requests to rapid-prototyping facilities directly from their 3D modeler.

"Just from a day-to-day perspective, designers get more sophisticated pricing and greater control over the quality of the orders in far less time than they would exporting and uploading each part to a website," said Print3D CEO Ron Barranco. "For these reasons, we expect Print3D to quickly become the preferred rapid-prototyping vendor across the CAD industry."

The plug-in is specifically programmed for AutoCAD, Rhinoceros, SolidWorks, Solid Edge, Alibre Design, and SpaceClaim. The stand-alone v1 accepts 3D models from several vendor-neutral formats including IGES and STEP. Print3D plans to release seven more plug-ins in the coming months for Pro/Engineer, Revit, Maya, 3DMax, IntelliCAD, IronCAD, and KeyCreator.

"In the past, customers would have to pass their intellectual property through the World Wide Web just to receive a price quote," said Print3D chief technical officer Deelip Menezes. "With Print3D, you can check the price at any time and your design data never leaves your computer. When it comes time to order, Print3D automatically packages your design into a password-encrypted data stream directly to our secure FTP site. Print3D is without question the most secure way to order prototypes."