3D Printers - anyone have a business yet?

I still have not got my printer kit operational, but the biggest hangup is going to be doing the CAD files. I am finding 3D CAD is a whole new game compared to 2D. Shallow learning curve (that is bad- a steep learning curve means you learn the task quickly).

Thanks Don, I'm hoping we get to the point where we can just print up any off the wall model we want and in any scale (a 1/1 scale ME 262 or Star Wars storm trooper would be awesome)

You mean someone else will do the drawings and make them available to everyone?

I'm thinking the scanning technology is there to just scan the large version of the object and scale it down - like all those ILM models I just saw on the star tour from the original movie, scan and print - it would be awesome (like turning the large movie model of the millennium falcon into a 1/32 scale model)

I know there is the outfit called Shapeways and they will print out customer's designs, and have a variety of choices in mediums to choose from. 

There are 3D scanners on the market, but I haven't looked into prices or quality.  That said, I don't know how willing a printing business would be to copy or print a subject that might have copy right issues.

As far as the future giving us our own individual choice on kit scale, it's likely, but I just don't  see the owner of the design parting off with the blueprints.  Most likely, they (or third party) will custom print to your scale choice. 

regards,

Jack