For those that didn’t know, Windows 8.1 makes it easier to partake in 3D printing using a 3D printer. As Microsoft points out in an official blog post and video today, 3D printing in Windows 8.1 is as easy as printing a Word document.
In the new “On The Whiteboard” video, Microsoft’s Pamela Woon visits a print shop called MakerHaus which does fabrication and prototyping with a 3D printer. In the video, which we embedded for your viewing pleasure below, we learn that Microsoft has made Windows 8.1 easier than ever to support 3D printers. In fact, Microsoft has made it to where all you have to do is select File, then hit Print.
“With the Windows 8.1 update, the vision of desktop manufacturing started to seem real. We found out Windows 8.1 will have built-in support for 3D printing. And a new project from Microsoft Research pioneers techniques to embed unique information (such as serial numbers) inside 3D printed objects readable by a terahertz scanner as a cost-effective alternative to adding external radio-frequency ID (RFID) tags, electronic chips or bar codes,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.
While 3D printing isn’t mainstream just yet, the idea is catching on quick. And it is good to see Microsoft adding support for 3D printing into Windows 8.1!
