Minecraft creations go 3D

software program now available, Geeky Gadgets reports.

Mineways takes models from Minecraft and sends them to 3D printers or 3D printing services, such as Shapeways.

According to developer Eric Haines, a large, detailed model of his Minecraft spawn area, measuring 15.0 x 3.9 x 9.8 inches, would cost $633.14 to print in colour, VentureBeat writes.

This is about the largest colour model one can create on a Zprinter 650 printer (at least in terms of base area). By contrast, a small Minecraft Eiffel Tower model, measuring 4.8 inches high, would only cost around $25 to print, in colour.

To make life easier, the Mineways program has a built-in scaling option, where users can specify a budget for their models, such as “aim for a budget of $50″.

According to Engadget, the Mineways program is based on the open source mapping tool, Minutor, and creates both a data and texture file ready to be pinged across to the Shapeways site.