It’s certainly no surprise that Microsoft finally dipped their feet into the water with 3D printing technology. They developed their 3D Builder app about a year ago, with a product that allows you to 3D print with ease, whether you are downloading designs or creating something new and original.
Available at the Windows Store, 3D Builder allows you to load, view, manipulate, and print 3D from your PC running Windows 8.1. But wait! There’s a one-two punch going on with 3D Builder: now you can get really innovative and original with creations due to Microsoft’s innovation of Kinect for Windows v2 sensor into 3D Builder, allowing you to perform DIY full body color scanning.
Novices can scan and print items in full color with the capabilities of 3D Builder and Kinect. For example, if you are having yourself scanned, you would need someone else to do the scanning, which is very user-friendly. You just have to stand very still while being scanned by the Windows Kinect, and quickly you will see yourself in the 3D Builder app, where you can refine the image and then send it to be 3D printed.
3D Builder allows you to:
- Scan in 3D color using a Kinect for Windows v2 sensor.
- Refine and repair models automatically before printing.
- Automatically repair models to make them printable.
- Print directly to your 3D printer or order your model through 3D Systems.
- Emboss any model with text or images.
- Merge, intersect, or subtract objects from each other, or slice them into pieces.
While we are most excited and focused on the Kinect integration with 3D Builder that allows you to scan yourself and your friends, with the update, Kinect Software Development Kit 2.0, Microsoft offers over 200 new functions to make Kinect more user-friendly and accessible, with developers able to make their Kinect apps available in the Windows Store, including:
- 3D Builder
- Nayi Disha – interactive childhood education apps
- YAKiT – a 2D/3D character design app
‘This was a frequent request from the community and we are delighted to enable you to bring more personal computing experiences that feature gesture control, body tracking, and object recognition to Windows customers around the world. Access to the Windows Store opens a whole new marketplace for business and consumer experiences.,” said Microsoft officials, regarding accessibility of Kinect-integrated apps into the Windows Store.
Microsoft does recommend that you run 3D Builder with a Kinect for Windows v2 sensor for better results.
Everything is free to download, except for the Kinect adapter to hook up your Xbox One Kinect to your PC, through a USB 3.0 port. Available for $49.99, the adapter should be available to you anywhere.
The new Kinect Adapter for Windows also requires a USB 3.0 port, is priced at $199, and won’t work with the Kinect sensor for Xbox 360.The Kinect for Windows software development kit (SDK) 2.0 is available today for free download. There are no fees for runtime licenses of commercial applications developed with the SDK.
Slice objects in 3D Builder
Have you been using 3D Builder? Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the Microsoft Integrates Kinect into 3D Builder forum at 3DPB.com.
