With the free Mineways program you can interactively select a model from a Minecraft world map and have a 3D printing service make the model real. You don't need a 3D printer, and it's easy to upload and buy models - really! See the two-minute introductory video. Prices of 3D prints range from $5 to $500, depending on size. Or, just enjoy viewing and rendering your creation in a different way (but for rendering you should probably be using jmc2obj). Kids like it, too.

Minecon 2012: Mineways made some indirect appearances via the Shapeways booth, such as in this and this video, and these pictures (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6). Minecraft models at Shapeways' booth can be found here. Let me know if you find more photos or videos.

The Pandaria build contest is over. You can see the entries here. (I'm not affiliated with this contest, it came as a pleasant surprise.)

Below are some 3D prints (the village on the far right predates Mineways, but is made on the same type of printer); click on an image to see more of that object, or visit the Mineways Flickr group for the whole set:

Super-fast quickstart: Download and unzip Mineways to some directory, like the desktop. Double-click mineways.exe to run. Use "File | Open World" to select a world. Use the left mouse button to drag the map around, use the mousewheel to zoom. Drag the right mouse button to select an area on the map and to adjust this rectangle. Optionally use the middle mouse button or "Lower depth" slider to select a depth. Export the model for 3D printing by "File | Export Model for 3D Printing..." - just hit "OK" on the Options dialog. Not clear? Watch this quick introduction or this longer tutorial to see what's what. You can find more tutorials on the video playlist.

Problems? See the Troubleshooting Guide.

Exporting creates a .zip file by default. To preview your model, install the free SAP Visual Enterprise Viewer Complete, unzip the .zip file, then view your model by double-clicking the .wrl file (there is also a checkbox on export, "Create files themselves", to avoid unzipping). If you want to 3D print your model, create a free Shapeways account and upload the .zip file. Once the model is processed by Shapeways (a few minutes), you can order it - make sure to select "colored sandstone" for the material. As an example, here's my non-profit store. Note that no part of this process will cost you anything, unless you actually order something.

The next steps: check out the "Export lesser blocks" feature, which lets you get more detail. This feature is not on by default because it has some risks - read up! Otherwise, to learn more just work through the documentation page, the information is pretty much in order of importance.

L'Effie Tower. From left to right the images are: in Minecraft, selected in Mineways, previewed with the SAP Viewer Complete, delivered from Shapeways, and under glass. Click on an image for more about it.

Subscribe to Mineways - only for important announcements, such as new version releases. Visit this group.
Email:

The most useful links:

- Download the latest Windows version of Mineways (version 2.21, updated 12/11/2012), which also run on Linux under WINE. If you are using Minecraft 1.1 or older, you should use Mineways Version 1.15 to read these files. The following texture pack terrain PNG files are included for use with Mineways ("File | Set terrain.png for export"), by permission of their creators (thanks!) - go here to see previews:
  - Coterie Craft by Cpt. Corn (up to Minecraft 1.2.3)
  - DokuCraft by Hickerydickery (up to Minecraft 1.2.3)
  - LB Photorealism (just the 64x64 - there are other sizes) by Scuttles (up to Minecraft 1.2.3)
  - Misa's Realistic Texture Pack by Misa (up to Minecraft 1.2.4)
  - Sphax PureBDCraft (just the 64x64 - there are other sizes) by Sphax84 (up to Minecraft 1.2.4)
- Download the latest for Mac OSX (alternate download). If you are using Minecraft 1.1 or older, download v1.15 for Mac. Ported to the Mac OS X platform by Psp4804 by using WINE. You must use the Update:Uninstall.command file in this download to remove any previous version before installing. This program requires X11 for Mac OS X, which comes with the xcode tools, as found on the Mac OS X Install DVD. How to install xcode can be found here. To load your world, you need to navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves/ and select your save.
- Video Playlist - includes tutorials, such as a quick run through, a walkthrough of the basics, and more advanced methods, like how to turn off the export of glass blocks.
- The main Mineways page - go here for an in-depth version of this page, including source code download, Linux version advice, etc.

Here are some of my favorites on Shapeways by other people:

Here's my little non-profit shop at Sculpteo (move your mouse over any image, it's cool):

From the Mineways Flickr pool and elsewhere; click on a photo to see more: