3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) has continued its acquisition path with the purchase of Digital PlaySpace (DPS), a proprietary, innovative and immersive digital play platform that connects brands, retailers and consumers to 3D printable play activities.

Through its two leading digital play properties, DigitalDollhouse.com and Dreamhouse Designer Facebook app, the DPS platform combines home design, gaming, and community sharing to deliver a vivid 3D create-and-make experience for children and their parents. Compelling content creation, capture and customization features make it quick, easy and fun to personalize and 3D print incredible creations at home on a Cube^® 3D printer, or have them cloud printed using 3DS’ fulfillment service, available on its consumer destination site Cubify™.

Jesyca Durchin, DPS founder and CEO said, “We are thrilled to integrate our virtual and actual play experiences directly into the 3DS Cubify platform. Our vision is to deliver a ‘3D PlaySpace’ for everyone. The immersiveness and fun of our PlaySpace experience enhances brand recall and loyalty, enabling brands and retailers to connect with consumers in a whole new way. We designed Digital PlaySpace from the bottom-up for publishing flexibility and scalability, and 3DS is the perfect home for our growth.”

“We are excited to have Jesyca and her entire Digital PlaySpace team join our Cubify platform, enabling millions of new users to connect with family, friends and favorite brands in more immersive and socially creative ways,” said Cathy Lewis, Chief Marketing Officer, 3DS. “Digital PlaySpace’s ability to customize and rapidly publish mobile and web 3D printable content provides a differentiated value proposition for brands and consumers alike.”

Durchin is a leading developer of interactive and filmed entertainment for girls since 1994. She is an award-winning producer of both interactive and 3D animated films for Mattel, and has been a key advisor to Disney Theme Parks regarding brand-sponsored exhibitions targeting women. As a producer, Jesyca has created and produced games, films and rides for leading brands such as Mattel Entertainment, Buena Vista Games, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Home Video, and Mattel Interactive.

Learn more about the 3D printed lifestyle at 3DS’ consumer destination Cubify.

Artec Group is launching Shapify.Pro – a new version of its 3D-selfie technology designed for Microsoft Kinect owners – and a way to monetize 3D prints. Shapify.Pro will debut at the 3D Printshow in New York, February 13-15.

The figurines are exact replicas of what is scanned by Kinect, 3D printed in monochrome or color plastic at 1/20th actual height.

Related: See how Artec scanned the Big Bang Theory cast and the Royal Family

All you need to become an official “3D-Shapifizer”, is a Shapify.Pro kit: an account at http://shapify.me, a Shapify branded backpack and scanning pad, and a discount for 3D printing of your figurines at Shapify partner printshops.

With Shapify.Pro, Artec is giving users a chance to make money with 3D scanning and printing. ”Just follow the voice instructions to quickly scan your customer with a Kinect sensor and order the 3D figurine at a Shapify printshop at a special low price,” explains Artec. “The figurine will be delivered to your home in several days. Sell your 3D scanning and printing service wherever you want: at parties and sports events, forums and conferences, corporate events… your only limit is your imagination.”

You need the following to scan customers using Shapify.Pro:

• Microsoft Kinect for Windows
• Windows 7 (x64) or Windows 8
• Intel Core I3 or later with at least 4 GB RAM
• Audio Speakers and USB 2.0
• Internet connection

The Shapify.Pro kit costs $999, and Artec is offering $999 of credit on your Shapify.Pro account for printing your orders when you buy the kit.

Shapify.Pro kits will be for sale at the Shapify.Pro booth A28 at the 3D Printshow in New York and on the official website www.shapify.me starting February 13.

Inside 3D Printing Conference and Expo is headed back to New York! Attendees will experience the biggest show yet, with a day of workshops on April 2, the new Maker Summit & Pavilion, more speakers, and bigger exhibitions than ever before.

Several exciting new elements have also been added to the New York conference, including a 3D printer giveaway before each morning and afternoon keynote session on April 3 and 4. In addition to the show’s B2B programming and exhibits, the Maker Summit & Pavilion will give attendees the chance to delve into the world of 3D printing DIY and design.

Inside 3D Printing, known as the largest 3D printing event worldwide, has already scheduled industry experts to speak at the New York event, including Jesse McGatha, Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, Christine Furstoss, Global Technology Director of Manufacturing & Materials Technologies at GE, and Carl Bass, President and CEO of Autodesk. View the full agenda here.

Additional dates for the conference are scheduled both in the US and internationally, including an event in Berlin on March 10-11 and one in Sao Paulo on April 16-17. Click here for the full world tour schedule.

We’ve partnered with Inside 3D Printing NY to offer 10% OFF full conference passes with code ON3DP. Plus, if you register before February 18, you’ll save an extra $600 with early bird prices. Register your spot now!

Zeni Kinetic Announces 3D Printing Education Initiative, Launches Pilot Grant Program

The greatest cost of 3D printing is in the filament itself, the plastic “ink” that enables 3D printers to do their magic and make real-world object. With regular use, an FDM style printer can easily go through 1 kg of filament in a day or two.

This creates a real challenge for introducing a 3D printer into every school, a mission espoused by MakerBot, the leader in desktop 3D printers.

Zeni Kinetic, a US-based filament manufacturer, is taking that challenge head on, with a new pilot grant program to provide free and low-cost American-made 3D printing filament for schools.

The company announced the program last month, stating that acceptance and participation in their program gives a 30% to 50% discount on all filament, and free material will be offered on a grant basis.

“As 3D printing expands for both corporate and household use, those who have a working knowledge of this technology will be ahead of the game in the job market, in addition to restructuring their way of thinking about the world and their place in consumer society,” said a spokesperson for Zeni Kinetic.

Zeni Kinetic is an industry leader in high-quality filament manufacture, and offers a 30-year bio-degradable PLA (polyactic acid), which is a corn-based plastic. Their filament is eco-friendly, flows and bonds well and will not jam printers. It comes in 1.7 and 3.0 millimeter sizes and will work smoothly on any standard FDM style 3D printer.

“It took us 18 months of dedicated R&D to refine the control systems, write the software and develop the automated technologies that we use to produce our products,” explains Zeni Kinetic. “A typical extrusion line used for making monofilament or “plastic welding rod” can easily produce a useable printer filament but it takes a combination of industry standards and in-house developed systems to reach our unmatched tolerance and quality.”

For more details please visit us at http://zenikinetic.com/non-profit/