Modelling Project

More of a business plan than actual modelling.

Final goal: print-on-demand plastic models in hobby shops.

Behavior cycle:

• Customer browses web site or "flip book" of models available
• Orders the model to be printed (including colors?)
• "Print" is added to queue of 3d printer in-house at the hobby shop
• (customer twiddles thumbs...goes to lunch...grabs a cup of coffee...need a way to make this time profitable to the hobby shop)
• "Print" of model pieces finishes
• customer takes model pieces home to put the model together.

Target audience:

• model builders
• model collectors (pre-built models can just be "printed" in completed form)

Benefits:

• flexibility
  • colors for individual pieces
  • different materials for individual pieces
  • different sizes (scaling of the 3d model)
  • individual pieces can be printed, instead of the whole model
• expanded "inventory"
  • more models in less space
  • hard-to-find models
  • hard-to-find parts
  • open the market to "the little guys" - allow people to sell their own, unique designs
• on-demand parts
• possibly cheaper parts
• shift manufacturing costs to on-site

Needs:

• quality 3d printer
• buy-in from the hobby shops
• model licensing
  • "big boys" (existing model makers like Ertl, AMT, Tyco...) who already have licenses from movie/tv studios
  • "little guys" - hobbyist designers and 3d modellers who would have a much tougher "uphill battle" to get their designs to market.
• parts breakdown and recombination (to buy just one part or to specify different colors for each part, we need each individual part identified; it is assumed that printing multiple parts is more efficient than one-at-a-time, so automated "layout" for multiple parts would be useful)
• automated "scaling" to allow for different sizes
• revenue scheme (paired to licensing)