3D Printing
3D Printing is a form of additive fabrication. Additive fabrication (as opposed to "subtractive" machining processes), is the production of a physical object by joining liquids, powders, and/or sheet materials. There are many types of additive fabrication (AF), also called Solid Freeform Fabrication (SFF) or Rapid Prototyping (RP), and more can be learned about these processes from the Wikipedia article on SFF. Another comprehensive source of information is Wholers Associates, the leading authority on the AF industry.
3D Printing (3DP), as a category of AF, uses inkjet-style printheads to dispense a material or binding agent in cross-sectional layers. The successive layers join together to form a solid object, usually "built" from the bottom up. 3DP is usually a quicker, more affordable process than other AF technologies. Thus, 3DP is almost always the most appropriate solution for architectural, engineering, and construction applications.
3DP for the AEC industry is the focus of the content on this website. The nature of architectural CAD specifically poses many unique challenges for 3D printing. AEC 3DP aims to address these challenges directly, so that architectural modelers can prepare a model for 3D printing on their own, without specialized assistance or consulting. It should be noted however that 3D printing an architectural model requires special preparation, much like printing a set of 2D construction drawings takes preparation. Learn more about how to prepare a 3D model for printing in the resource Modeling for 3D Printing.
AEC 3DP is not intended to be a directory resource. Such directories already exist: