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There are experts, and then there are EXPERTS. Clocking time on the job could make someone really good at their job…in a very narrow capacity. The real experts are those folks who, knowing what they know, are willing to take a step out of their comfort zone of doing business the usual way.

This tutorial covers how to use 2D images to create actual 3D depth and physical textures on your CAD parts and then 3D print them. Mainly we use Rhino to do the bump-mapping, but Photoshop could be used as well. Files were then printed in full color on a Stratasys J750.

3D printing, by turning designs into solutions, is used for rapid tooling and jig and fixture design in remarkable ways in the auto industry. From hot rods to race cars, light and heavy trucks to conventional automobiles, 3D printing is making a significant impact on the automotive sector. Here are a few worth noting.