SynopsisThe book is structured to serve the needs of several types of readers interested in 3D printing. It serves as a general introduction to the subject and its application in many fields, including industry, space, medicine, housing, clothing and consumer-oriented products. Next, methods and available software for creating a 3D model and the steps needed to insure a useful printed object are reviewed. The considerations involved in deciding whether or not to purchase a 3D printer or make use of an ever-growing number of printing services is included. The book concludes with an exercise which walks you through the characteristics of an available software package and the steps required to design a practical object. Doing this exercise - not just reading through it - will give you considerable insight into the capabilities of 3D software packages and, we hope, build your confidence and encourage you to try to create an object of your own choosing., This book is aimed at an audience consisting of two kinds of readers. The first is people who are curious about 3D printing and want more information without necessarily getting deeply into it. For this audience, the first two chapters will be of greatest interest. They provide an overview of 3D print technology. They also serve to take the confusion out of the jargon and make sense out of such shortcuts as SLA, FFM, FFF, FDM, DLP, LOM, SLM, DMLS, SLS, EBM, EBAM, CAD and others. They describe the basic processes, the materials used and the application of the technology in industry, space, medicine, housing, clothing and consumer-oriented products such as jewelry, video game figures, footwear, tools and what must now seem like an infinity of bunnies, eagles and busts of Star Wars and Star Trek figurines in a dazzling array of colors. This book also addresses the needs of people new to the field who require information in a hurry. Chapter 3 serves as a guide to generating a 3D model by reviewing scanning methodology, the various types of software available to create a model and the steps needed to insure a useful printed object from the 3D model. The chapter has numerous references which, together with the information in the text, will help one find quickly any additional information available on the internet. Victoria E. Zukas received her bachelor's degree in Interactive Media and Game Development in 2009 from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She completed her Masters of Professional Studies in Digital Media in 2013 at Northeastern University. She has spent her time since then working as a Freelance Graphic Designer on a number of projects. Her background is mainly focused on creating 3D models for video games. Her published game BLASTiators can be found on the Google Play store. Jonas A. Zukas, received his doctorate in engineering mechanics from the University of Arizona. He is widely known for his work in numerical modeling of the behavior of structures and materials at high rates of strain. He has co-authored and edited a number of books and conference proceedings and is the author of the monograph Introduction to Hydrocodes published by Elsevier. He is co-developer of the ZeuS code for the analysis of impact phenomena and was a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the American Academy of Mechanics Keywords: 3D Printing, 3D Software, 3D Hardware, Printing Materials, Scanning, 3D Modeling, Jewelry, Medicine, Housing, Space