I knew nothing except what the printers looked like and what output they could produce before I started the course. I did not know the players in the game nor the major users of the technology. I did not know how to get started with the process. I did not know that CAD modelers were integral to the process. I did not know that individuals could get their products made through the major 3D printing companies. I did not know about the software that was available for the users. I did not know about the .stl and other files that were needed to be “read” by the 3D printers. I did not know that the printing companies would also handle order taking and shipping fulfillment for products made through them.
I did not know there was a community of designers available to create 3D models for your projects. I did not know about 3D scanning. What I learned, I shared with the class on the final presentation:
1. Software knowledge is King/Queen!
2. There will be more issues then you plan for.
3. 3D designing will be harder than you think.
4. Don’t get too attached to your design, you may have to change it.
5. Make sure you have time to process and fix your design.
6. Put your design through the software that will highlight the mistakes before you go to print.
7. The open source community and culture has many benefits. It provides opportunities for design help and problem solving.
My strengths were that I understood traditional manufacturing so I had a good basis of comparison and it contributed to my amazement with this course.
The advice I would give myself is to not try to be a designer. When I had my toy company, I hired designers. It is not a skill or talent you can learn easily and it is not a talent I have. I appreciate designers and know how to work with them. But, CAD design is extremely complex and requires a tremendous amount of knowledge, craft and time to develop.
I see creating an online 3D course. I am looking at Udemy.com for developing a short course. I also see myself having a 3D printed toy line by 2014. If that goes well, I will develop other products.
