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Most would agree 3D printing will continue to become a bigger part of how technology changes people’s lives. One of the major issues with 3D printing revolves around the old or incompatible file formats. So many different companies are involved in the entire process of 3D printing, from 3D CAD makers, to 3D printer makers, to Microsoft who makes the OS tying them together.
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Microsoft has been trying to make the process of getting 3D printed prototypes easier by integrating 3D printing natively into Windows 8.1. Now Microsoft has integrated Autodesk’s 3D printing solution called Autodesk Spark into Windows 10. Autodesk has a huge stake in 3D printing because they provide several 3D modeling programs from Maya, to 3DS Max, to Inventor.
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Including Autodesk Spark comes amid the consortium which was formed involving many different companies around bettering 3D printing. Companies like Microsoft, HP, Shapeways (3D printing part website), Dassault Systems (maker of SolidWorks 3D CAD), NetFabb (3D printing software maker), SLM Solutions (3D printer company), and many more are working together to make 3D printing more mainstream and streamlined.
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