Minecraft.Print(): Making the Virtual Real

Minecraft is a video game focused on creativity and building. Players build constructions out of textured cubes in a 3D world–everything from a hut, to a train station, to a fully functional computer. Why can't we take those virtual creations, and bring them into the real world? Minecraft.Print() is our attempt to do so by creating a bridge between Minecraft and the real world, via 3D printers. A Minecraft player defines a 3D space to be printed, after which the software extracts the object, structure, or other creation from the virtual space and creates 3D-printable version. Minecraft.Print() takes advantage of the basic CAD functions of the game, thus allowing 10,000,000 (and counting) players to experience 3D modeling and printing–an area previously limited to those with more specific technical backgrounds.