AstroPrint and 3D Slash Sign Collaborative Pact

AstroPrint and 3D Slash have entered into a partnership agreement which will see the companies combine the two services to provide users with what they call an “engaging and efficient 3D experience.”

AstroPrint, the cloud 3D printing software platform, and 3D Slash, the fun and easy-to-use 3D modeling app, are both aimed at simplifying what can be a complex set of 3D parameters for users. AstroPrint and 3D Slash say they offer “a simple and intuitive 3D experience, accessible both from PC and mobile devices.”

Using the tools available from both applications, users can create, remix, slice, monitor and 3D print “anything, anytime, from anywhere.”

Both AstroPrint and 3D Slash offer smart plug-and-play tools to users wishing to work in 3D, and with this partnership, those users can now access the 3D Slash modeling app directly from the AstroPrint dashboard.

This new collaborative functionality includes: 1-click operation where users can remix existing design files from the AstroPrint File Manager or create new ones from scratch which can be stored online or sent for printing with a single click; a “no log-in” and barrier-free ability to access the 3D Slash app via an AstroPrint ID, which also means every design made within the AstroPrint platform will be saved in the 3D Slash portfolio as well; accessibility from any wireless device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer; and a user-friendly environment reminiscent of the Minecraft interface via modeling and intelligent auto-settings.

The combination of AstroPrint and 3D Slash means users with internet access and a compliant 3D printer – and some 80% of desktop 3D printers are compliant – can bring a 3D project to life.

In June 2015, the San Diego-based team at AstroPrint decided to increase the scope of their platform by opening access to third parties. AstroPrint, both a service and a device, allows users to control their 3D printers from a tablet or other wireless device and connect to their account on AstroPrint.com. The cloud platform lets users take on a variety of tasks like slicing designs, organizing .stl files and gcodes, and users can now create time-lapse videos of the objects being printed and share them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. AstroPrint is compatible with the majority of the 3D printers on the market, and it’s aimed at making the process of 3D printing simple, fast and organized.

“It is our primary focus at AstroPrint to allow anyone to 3D print anywhere, anytime, and from any device,” says Drew Taylor, the CEO of AstroPrint.

Sylvain Huet, the CEO of 3D Slash, adds that the opportunity to make 3D technology more accessible to a mainstream audience is key to the collaboration. Huet, a French engineer and entrepreneur who invents, produces and disseminates innovative technologies, has also completed a series of partnership deals with 3D Hubs, i.materialise, and Sculpteo recently for his 3D modeling software aimed at non-designer users.

“AstroPrint takes complexity out of the 3D printing experience, especially for beginners,” Huet said. “Our API offers extra fun creative features to the AstroPrint community, consistent with AstroPrint’s cloud-based strategy. The API will contribute to reaching a new audience and lets users try 3D modeling in a single click. Combining our know-how, we offer mainstream users an engaging and complete 3D experience, from modeling to printing.”

Have you used AstroPrint or 3D Slash? Let us know in the AstroPrint and 3D Slash forum thread on 3DPB.com.