FormLabs is one of the many 3D printer manufacturers that has packed its printers and flown to Sin City this week. And, on the first day of the big event, the stereolithographer has two big bits of news, one of which is perfect for a place where money is a mere concept.
First, and possibly more importantly, the company has put the finishing touches on its PreForm 1.0 3D printing software and is ready to release it. PreForm 1.0 is showing off its auto-orient, automatic support generation and other features at the FormLabs booth (31520) at CES. Out of beta, the FormLabs team believes the software to bring them one-step closer to “one-click printing” with the company’s lead software engineer, Shane Wighton, saying: “PreForm joins powerful algorithmic tools with an intuitive interface and unified design. We’re looking forward to continuing to create and share the best possible 3D printing software out there.”
FormLabs co-founder, Maxim Lobovsky, added, “Printing on a 3D printer should be like printing on a 2D printer.”
Second, FormLabs has begun accepting BitCoin at its online store. Though not the first 3DP company to accept the cryptocurrency, they are certainly the most well-known. Sam Jacoby, the company’s “product evangelist” (NewSpeak for marketing manager), explains that adopting BitCoin will expand their audience: “We’re at the forefront of digital technology and so are our customers, who are increasingly using digital payment methods. Who knows, we may see people using their Form 1s to print out physical versions of their BitCoins?”
At CES, not only do Danielle and I plan to see the high-resolution stereolithography printer and the company’s newly released white resin up close and personal, but we hope to find at least one slot machine that accepts BitCoin. That way, we can be two steps removed from the money we’re losing.
Source: FormLabs
