Windows 8.1 Adds 3D Printing to the OS

In a watershed moment for 3D printing adoption, Microsoft announced native OS support for 3D printing.

Microsoft executive Antoine Leblond demonstrated the new capabilities on stage at Microsoft’s Build conference. Developers will be able to build apps that can export objects to a 3D printer with a single click. Leblond commented that 3D printing will be “just as easy and seamless as printing in 2D.”

Leblond called out two 3D printers that will have native support in Windows 8.1: the MakerBot Replicator 2 and the 3D Systems Cube.

How to learn more about Windows 8.1 and 3D Printing

Microsoft has updated the Windows product development guide to include some documentation about 3D printing.

Windows 8.1 Preview adds support for 3D printing, allowing printers to seamlessly install with plug and play support, to queue jobs for printing, and to be managed by Windows. It also enables Windows Store apps to submit 3D print jobs to these devices.

Digging deeper into the documentation, there is an outline of how to get started. To add 3D printing to your app, you must:

• Be familiar with C++, 3D manufacturing API, and Windows printing.
• Have Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2013 Preview for Windows installed.
• Have an app to which you want to add printing. If you don’t have your own app, you can download the 3D Print Sample app and use that app.
• Have a 3D-capable printer installed. If you do not have a 3D printer, you can get a sample 3D print driver package from Microsoft’s 3D Printing SDK.