https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heroforge/customizable-3d-printed-tabletop-miniatures

This campaign is only 7.5k away from unlocking Cyberpunk.

Let's give them a last hurrah!

This concept would be much more interesting if they were merely developing the models and software for people to print their own miniatures. I could see myself buying a 3D printer and printing my own minis. I'd even buy the software/CAD models these guys are developing so I wouldn't have to develop my own models. As it is, $20 is steep for a single miniature.

Would be nice to use the 3d mini files this program creates with that new tabletop simulator on kickstarter. Perfect match for a 3d virtual tabletop rpg experience.

They got my money a few weeks ago. While I don't see me buying to many minis from them, a 'free' representation of Gand would be nice to see these guys get things going.

Yep, I backed them a couple of weeks ago, I think it's a great idea for a business and I'm looking forward to getting at least a couple of figures from them!

This concept would be much more interesting if they were merely developing the models and software for people to print their own miniatures. I could see myself buying a 3D printer and printing my own minis. I'd even buy the software/CAD models these guys are developing so I wouldn't have to develop my own models. As it is, $20 is steep for a single miniature.

3D printing isn't cheap, and building the models isn't easy. On the other hand, compared to getting a custom miniature injection molded, $20 is dirt cheap, and compared to finding the right base miniature, and finding someone who can modify it to be 'just right' it'll be pretty darned fast once they're up and running.

3D printing isn't cheap, and building the models isn't easy. On the other hand, compared to getting a custom miniature injection molded, $20 is dirt cheap, and compared to finding the right base miniature, and finding someone who can modify it to be 'just right' it'll be pretty darned fast once they're up and running.

Prices for 3D printers and materials have both fallen dramatically in recent months/years. I suppose I'd need your definition of the word "cheap," but a rep-rap printer isn't going to cost more than a few hundred dollars at the most, and you can print as many miniatures as you want. No, the quality probably isn't going to be as nice as an industrial printer (for now), but as technology improves and prices continue to fall, printing a couple of custom minis is going to be something anyone can do in a couple of years.

As I said, I know developing the models is not "easy," (though not nearly as difficult as some would have you believe) and something I would perhaps be willing to pay someone else to do. What I'm not necessarily willing to do is to pay someone $20 for what amounts to pennies of ABS plastic. Their service does not contain the necessary value for me to spend my money. I'm not comparing the cost to paying someone else to customize a miniature for me, I'm comparing it to the cost of me simply buying a decent quality consumer printer and developing and printing my own miniature.

Obviously, injection molding is 'expensive' if you're making one miniature, but most of that cost is associated with the creation of the molds. If you're not producing thousands of identical miniatures, then of course the cost per unit is going to be unacceptably high. With this program, on the other hand, the printers and models are largely startup costs and afterwards the cost of electricity and replacement materials is going to be relatively cheap.

It's not my money, so clearly I don't care what you spend it on, but I'd challenge your notion that 3D printing isn't "cheap," once your (increasingly insignificant) startup costs are out of the way. The idea of buying and downloading thousands of customized CAD files (maybe in "packages" of themed parts) and printing the miniatures myself is much more appealing to me. Then again, it would also mean far less profit for the people trying to sell you a $20 miniature, startup costs notwithstanding.