We talked with Chris Schweitzer who has been working with 3D printers as a hobby for the better part of the last five years. Our discussion covered the following questions:

• How is 3D Modeling today different from mechanical drawing where we use to do isometric and oblique drawings?
• What tools do you use to design something in 3D today?
• What is a slicer, and what is it used for?
• What other tools do you use beyond a 3D design program and a slicer?
• With a “back of the napkin” sketch, what problems do you run into?
• What other types of materials, beyond plastic, have you printed?
• Which 3D printer do you purchase?
• Where is the future of 3D printing going?
• Can a 3D modeling file be used for more than just printing?
• Do you think we’ll ever have an Amazon 3D printer where we buy something from Amazon, and then they print it out in my house using this printer?
• Approaches to building a model from scratch, say for example a mask.
• What should you take into account when designing for printing?

Here is a quick video of a 3D helmet design that was done from scratch in under two minutes: