[serverhorror]

To me neither patents nor price (of the printers) are actually holding back. I just can't search for "$product print spare part $frob" on the web and get relevant results.

I fear nothing will change because a) there will never be relevant b) _standardised_ results and file formats (use with any consumer printer) c) DRMed results not any cheaper than the "real" thing. Or anu combination of those.

[anigbrowl]

Probably because nobody other than a narrow subset of the nerd community uses the word 'frob' or expects anyone else to search on it.

At least one firm has already decided it's cheaper to give away schematics for certain parts than to manufacture and ship them: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4568043

[iamwil]

Right now, all 3D printers print from STL files. There's no standard body, as far as I know, but there is a common file format.

[forgottenpaswrd]

"There's no standard body, as far as I know, but there is a common file format."

Well, for me a file that only contains coherent triangles is the closest thing to a standard that could be in 3D.