df3d Launches eXtrud3it 2D-to-3D Tool — Turn 2D Images into 3D Printable Files

Df3d is a 3D printing and design platform which aims to encompass the entire scope of the 3D printing community. The company has slowly been rolling out a number of useful and unique features which provide the 3D design and printing community with something to cheer about.

Whether it’s their 3D printable model marketplace, or their various plugins to help you integrate and launch a 3D printing business, df3d seems to be growing, innovating, and adapting to the ever changing environment of 3D modeling and printing. Today the company announced yet another very interesting free offering called eXtrud3it.

What eXtrud3it does is allow anyone to take a regular 2D image and within seconds turn it into a 3D model which can then be sent to your own 3D printer, or to df3d to have them fabricate it for you. To get started, simply go to the eXtrud3it page. Here, all you need to do is select the depth of the image (between 2 and 20 mm), the scale of the output file (between 20 and 200 mm of which the width/aspect ratio is maintained), select the type of file being uploaded (image file or pattern), and then upload the image.

Within seconds that 2D image will become a 3D model viewable in a special web app made available on the site. You then have the option to download the file and use it as you choose.

I have tried the tool out a bit and have to say it’s decent, but some work could be done to make it a bit more useful. Not every image will work, as images with a lot of noise in the background will likely turn into a 3D mess. Logos, simple images, and less intricate shapes, however, turn out quite well. The problem comes when the application has to decide on which areas of the image should be raised and which should be set back. It seems as though images with a white background, like that of the df3d logo above, work the best. It’s also important to remember that dimensions of the 2D image should be in the range of 128 x 128 to 512 x 512 pixels, and the image should be in JPG or PNG format.

In addition to making this tool available on their own site, df3d will allow individuals to embed the tool on their own website. Those interested in doing so can contact the company at contactus@dfthreed.com and request the code snippet for embedding.

Let us know if you have used this tool, and what your thoughts are. Discuss in the eXtrud3it forum thread on 3DPB.com.