3D Printing in the Cloud

                      
That kinda sorta sounds like an oxymoron. Isn't 3D Printing about manufacturing things one layer at a time? Isn't it about bringing your ideas into the real world? How can you do that in the cloud?

Well, you're right. You can't do that in the cloud. You are still going to need a 3D Printer sitting somewhere in your vicinity. But the whole design-a-model, get-your-design-to-the-printer, fiddle-with-your-settings, and control-your-printer part can be done through the cloud thanks to a fancy little device called Skyforge.

Skyforge is a combination of hardware and software that connects your 3D Printer to the cloud. Instead of using a USB connection to lash your computer to your printer, you can just pull a design from the cloud. Instead of having to go through multiple programs to get something print-ready, you can just use Skyforge's interface. Instead of needing to email a client about how much it will cost, you can just send them to Skyforge who will let them know itself.

Now, Skyforge isn't free. In fact, there are some young entrepreneurs that are asking for your support on their Kickstarter page. But, if you are an organization who wants to make their 3D Printer more user friendly, or an individual who does a lot of 3D Printing, Skyforge might be just what you were hoping would materialize.