Tridimensia Marketplace Takes Guess Work & Error out of 3D Printing for Novices—and All

In a society that’s become adept at using technology on most fronts, requires efficiency, and expects most everything now, now, now, it’s not realistic to expect many of us to try something that’s not user friendly. You’ll often hear technologically-handicapped adults saying that their kids know how to do ‘all that computer stuff.’ Often that is the case, because new systems and equipment are designed by geniuses who can present a platform that is seemingly very simple. You don’t always need to know what is running in the background. Thus, the generation of plug and play is born.

Our society is trending directly toward streamlined minimalism that offers maximum performance. In the 3D printing market, most machines display this concept just in their aesthetics, offering austere but classic elegance in shape and design—and simplicity in operation—while producing complex designs that have the ability, in some cases, to change lives—and the world as we know it. Operating and producing something should be as simple as it looks.

Tridimensia is centered around dispelling negativity surrounding 3D printing. Aware that some consider it to be too complicated, too expensive, and too time-consuming, Tridimensia wants to educate the public on the process—and how simple it can actually be—not to mention fun, productive, and rewarding. Offering services and content for desktop 3D publishing, their motto is “Whatever you want. Plug and print.”

“Tridimensia is a global provider of digital content and services for the domestic manufacture of three-dimensional objects operating under the premise that the user can simply and directly get to the model they want and print without problems,” Juan Francisco Pagés of Tridimensia told 3DPrint.com.

Simulation mode

The team at Tridimensia has really hit the nail on the head as to what is intimidating about 3D printing, and devised a solution for everyone worried about failing at the process.

“Tridimensia focuses on the plug and print philosophy, allowing the learning process based on trial and error for novice users to be reduced to the minimum, facilitating access to this new way of producing and gaining items and goods that is 3D printing,” Pagés told 3DPrint.com.

“Also as a global supplier we offer now free search services, virtual simulation printing integrity verification of the models, and where appropriate, on-line automatic repair of detected errors in them, allowing all types of user experience simplicity and ease in using 3D printing.”

With their streamlined marketplace that has a system in place for checking your models before you print, you know what you are getting into before anything goes awry.

Tridemensia relies heavily on validation. If the user receives a check mark or if a listed model displays one, it’s all systems verified and good to go. If they receive or see an ‘x’ by a model, then it’s time to take note. At that point, due to errors being detected, problems like surfaces that are not enclosed or oriented correctly can be pinpointed, and specific repairs recommended. The validation process also checks for “degenerate faces,” which may slow down and complicate printing due to triangles which actually lack a surface area and are unnecessary. The process shows:

• The number of holes
• Boundary edges
• Flipped triangles
• Bad edges
• Overall length of boundary edges
• Shape and orientation of part

Once problems are detected in the mesh of a model, Tridimensia goes to work at trying to repair it for you. You can then close holes and connect triangle edges. The program corrects most problems with triangle boundaries and edges automatically. Flipped triangles and closed trivial holes are fixed automatically as well.

Through model simulation, Tridimensia is able to establish the production process and then vary parameters if needed based on the following information they are able to get from your model, such as position for printer, volume model occupies once printed, as well as mass. Once the model is analyzed, you will be apprised of:

• Length of the pattern print
• Speed parameters of impression
• Cost for material
• Weight
• Mean thickness of layers

Tridimensia offers free downloads in their marketplace for a host of 3D printable items, as well as a wide variety of files for purchase, from tools to balloon-powered helicopters. Instructions, tips, and warnings are applied to each model in case there is anything you need to know before 3D printing, like watching out for invalid mesh or incorrect data.

Does Tridimensia offer services you are interested in exploring? Tell us about it in the Tridimensia forum thread over at 3DPB.com. Check out the video below detailing some of Tridimensia’s offerings.