Prusa Research is on the verge of launching a premium content feature on Printables, marking a strategic move in the competition against Thingiverse.
models
Personalized Gaming Gear: Formify Launches Custom 3D Printed Gaming Mouse
Formify has introduced a new service that allows customers to order customized 3D printed gaming mice tailored to their hand.
Get Connected: BOFA Introduces 3D Printable Fume Extraction Connectors
BOFA has deployed a way to 3D print fume extraction connectors for 3D printers.
Roboze To Focus More on Materials
After speaking with Roboze representatives, it seems the company is going full-out on materials.
Don’t Buy These Marvelous 3D Models
I’m looking at a rather suspicious 3D model collection offer.
PrusaPrinters: Out, Printables: In
Prusa Research has rebranded their 3D model repository; it’s now “Printables”.
3D Printable Model Repository For Ukaine Launched
A group of companies launched a new website dedicated to storing 3D printable models for Ukraine.
Thingiverse’s New Five Second Delay Riles Users
MakerBot implemented changes to Thingiverse that make some users very unhappy.
Valve Releases CAD Model For Customizing Steam Deck
Valve released the design files to enable custom cases for their upcoming Steak Deck device.
Prusa’s New Rewards and Badging System: Wither Thingiverse?
Prusa Research announced unique reward and badging systems for their PrusaPrinters site, and there are some very interesting implications.
Alternatives to Thingiverse, 2021 Edition
There are many online sources for printable 3D content, but where are they?
Sizing Up The Major Printable 3D Model Repositories
One way to measure a printable 3D model repository is by the number of models.
Scan The World Seeks Assistance
The Scan the World project is looking for your help.
Adafruit’s 3D Printable Library For Electronics Projects
Did you know that Adafruit publishes a large collection of 3D printable parts for electronics projects?
SnapEDA Provides Millions Of CAD Models For Electronics
DesignSpark and SnapEDA launched a new service for downloading 3D models of electronic components.
Hands On With Thangs’ Augmented Reality
Thangs introduced an amazing new feature: augmented reality.
A Set Of Basic 3D Print Benchmarks
3D Platform has published a set of simple benchmarks that anyone could easily use.
Boem, A New 3D Model Store
I haven’t seen an example of this type of online 3D model store appear for some time.
Need A Prehistoric 3D Model? Try African Fossils
There’s plenty of printable 3D model repositories these days, but none quite like African Fossils.
Migrating To MyMiniFactory: What Is Thingiverse’s Focus?
I’m watching a video of a designer explaining why he’s “quitting Thingiverse”, and this poses questions about MakerBot’s Thingiverse strategy.
La Poste Discountinues 3D Model Repository Service
France’s postal service, La Poste, is shutting down their 3D model repository service on October 1st.
Yeggi Will Find That 3D Model For You
If you’re seeking a 3D model to print, there’s a great place to search called Yeggi.
HEXR’s 3D Scanned Fitting Process Shows Another Retail Approach
A helmet manufacturer is using distributed 3D scanning technology to produce bespoke products for customers.
Where You Can Find Certified COVID-19 3D Models
The US FDA has been engaged with other parties to assist in the use of community 3D printing resources to confront the COVID-19 crisis.
Hold On, There ARE 3D Models In The Smithsonian’s Archive
It turns out there are indeed some 3D models in their archive, but it takes a bit of detective work to find them.
Smithsonian Releases Massive Amount of Digital Data, But Where Are The 3D Models?
The Smithsonian this week announced the availability of 2.8M digital artifacts for download. Are there 3D models in the repository? We took a look.
Browsing Through Open Heritage 3D
A non-profit organization offers massively detailed 3D data for multiple sites worldwide.
3D Models Are Increasingly Available From Manufacturers
Guess who is offering free downloads of 3D models for their consumer products? We found a major company doing so and we think everyone else should, too.
Another Solid 3D Printing Model Repository: Hum3D
We ran across another interesting 3D model repository, Hum3D.
Finally: ALL Museum Specimens Being 3D Scanned For Public Use
An enormous, decades-long project is launched to 3D scan virtually all fossils and specimens stored at major museums.
An Unusual Method Strengthens 3D Prints
Adrian Bowyer proposes a very unusual approach for strengthening 3D printed parts: embedding voids.
Alternatives to Thingiverse, 2018 Edition
There are plenty of sites to find fabulous pre-made printable 3D models.
Kickstarter Launches 3D Print Test, But That’s Only Part Of The Story
Kickstarter announced a new set of tests for 3D printers that appear on their site.
A Tricky Way To Track 3D Prints
Researchers have developed a very tricky method to embed tracking information into 3D prints.
CGTrader CEO Discusses 3D Model Marketplace Milestone
This month, 3D model marketplace CGTrader hit a major milestone, announcing 1.5 million users: the CEO shares a look at the company’s impressive growth.
Whither Thingiverse, YouMagine and PinShape?
I had a difficult thought today: what is to become of several specific 3D model repositories in the future?
Possible Controversy on Thingiverse?
I found an interesting 3D model at Thingiverse, but then something happened.
3D Print The Moon – Or At Least Some Bits Of It
I bumped into some ready-to-3D print 3D models of the lunar surface.
See How McLaren Uses VR for Car Body Design
Before automobile technology even reached the point where two cup holders in a single car was an ovation inducing breakthrough
This is Not the #3DBenchy You’re Looking For
I read some posts proposing an alternate test print for 3D printing.
Stratasys Accelerates Multi-material Strategy
An interesting announcement today reveals more about Stratasys’ strategies.
The Dangers of 3D Printing Your Own Designs
The emergence of easy making technologies has transformed many people into “makers”, but are there hidden dangers?
Are 3D Printed Costumes Feasible?
A 3D model respository seems to specialize in 3D printed costume items, but is this really feasible?
An Extensive Library of 3D Parts Models
I’ve been perusing PARTcommunity and found access to an incredible number of 3D part models.
Designer Kirby Downey Bring Doom’s BFG to Life
Doom is arguably the quintessential first-person shooter that spawned one of the most popular video game genres of all time.
The 3D Printable OpenLOCK Gaming System
Gamers are a popular user community employing desktop 3D printers to enhance their gaming experience, and now there’s a new project that should make that usage even easier.
A New Set of Anatomical 3D Models
There’s a large new set of 3D models focused on anatomy, courtesy of a collaboration between Threeding.com and Artec.
ISIS-Destroyed Artifacts Begin To Digitally Resurrect
A project to digitally recover ancient artifacts destroyed by ISIS fanatics has begun to bear fruit.
Hands On With The Morphi App
We’re testing Morphi on one of our lab iPads, and it seems to be a very good introductory 3D modeling tool.
Materialise Patents a 3D Gripper?
We just noticed an unusual patent application from 3D print service Materialise: a three-fingered “gripper”. What does this mean?
Apollo 11 Coming Soon To Your 3D Printer?
A team from The Smithsonian and Autodesk are performing an intricate 3D scan of the actual Apollo 11 capsule.
Printable Scenery’s Winterdale RPG Collection
Printable Scenery has been producing 3D models for RPGs for quite a while, but now they’ve launched a huge new collection.
i.Materialise Now Accepts 42 3D File Formats. One is 3MF
3D print service i.Materialise announced they’re now able to accept uploads of no less than 42 different 3D file formats.
Thingiverse Hits The Biggest Milestone
MakerBot’s in-house 3D model repository made history this week by achieving what no other 3D printable model site has done: one million models!
3DKitbash’s Fascinating Test Kits
3DKitbash is a 3D model community dedicated to printable models, but their inventory includes some interesting twists.
Could Disney’s 3D Coloring System Make Amazing 3D Prints?
Disney has created an interesting 3D augmented reality app that is able to color 3D models, but could this benefit 3D printing?
3D Hubs Partners with TurboSquid: A Milestone?
3D Hubs has landed yet another interesting partnership, but we think their deal with TurboSquid could be an important milestone.
MIT’s Fab Forms Pre-Tests 3D Model Variations
Researchers at MIT have developed “Fab Forms”, a system that pre-tests thousands of variations of a 3D model to simplify end user design.
NASA’s Ever-Increasing Library of 3D Models
Did you know that US space agency NASA offers a formidable set of 3D models available for 3D printing?
3DP Unlimited’s Whole-Person 3D Print
3DP Unlimited manufactures some very large 3D printers, and now they’ve demonstrated exactly how large by 3D printing their own staff!
STL Hive’s 3D Models Focus on RC, Robotics
A small startup called STL Hive hopes to become the hub for 3D models for “students, hobbyists and inventors”. But we found a lot of RC and Robotics models.
3D Printed Trucks Initiative Needs Your Help
Arin Panait is a Romanian hobbyist with an affection for 1960’s trucks that’s so deep he’s developed several incredible 3D models of them. And he needs your help.
Have You Tried Pinshape?
There’s no shortage of online sources for printable 3D content these days, and another good option is Pinshape.
A Large 3D Model Repository You Probably Haven’t Tried
We found a large repository of free 3D models, but there’s one catch: its pages appear in Chinese. But that’s not a problem.
3D Hubs Teleports Into Yet Another 3D Environment: Cults
3D model repository Cults announced a partnership with 3D Hubs that involves integrating the community 3D printing network directly into Cults’ repository.
Capcom Moves to 3D Printing for New Cover Art
Capcom, makers of many notable video games over the past 32 years, now makes use of 3D printing to bring a spotlight on their new game, Street Fighter V.
What’s Next for MyMiniFactory?
While we were amazed at MyMiniFactory’s current operations during our recent tour, what’s even more interesting are their plans for the future.
MyMiniFactory’s Meticulous Method
We recently visited MyMiniFactory headquarters in London where were quite surprised to see the scope of their operations.
Artficial’s 3D Printed “Art DNA”
Artficial is a new source for interesting 3D models and prints, focusing on historical sculptures.
Benchmark Your 3D Printer With #3DBenchy
How good is your 3D printer? It’s sometimes tricky to determine how it compares to others, but with a benchmark object you can do so more easily.
3D Filament Shop Scans a Baby and Demonstrates a Phenomenon
Plastic filament provider 3D Filament Shop has been scanning things. Including a baby.
MakerBot’s Ready Apps
MakerBot has formalized their “customizer” capability in Thingiverse in a collection of “ready to go” applications that can quickly generate specific 3D models.
The Solarimpulse Has Been 3D’d
We were directed to a 3D model of the soon-to-be famous Solarimpulse.
Get More 3D Models at Wamungo
Tired of Thingiverse? Unfulfilled at YouMagine? Perhaps you’d like to try Wamungo, another 3D model repository.
An Open Source Licence for 3D Printing: 3DPL Announced
YouMagine has announced a new type of licensing scheme for 3D print designs, the 3DPL.
Not a 3D Modeler? Hire One!
If you’re unable to obtain the 3D model you require for a print, just design it yourself. But what if you can’t?
Download 3D Models from McMaster-Carr – For Free!
It’s been discovered how to obtain 3D models of items within McMaster-Carr’s massive parts catalog.
Fascinated With 3D Printed Skulls?
Do you have a habit of 3D printing skulls? There’s a top ten list for that.
MyStemKits Launches
Today MyStemKits launched on Kickstarter, with the goal of providing effective 3D prints for educators.
The Destiny Object STL Generator
A “hobby project” provides downloads of items based on Bungie’s Destiny game.
Incredible 3D Scans from The Lincoln For 3D Printing
A museum in Lincolnshire, UK, has made available highly detailed 3D scans of many of their works.
Reproducing the Space Wrench
The other week NASA transmitted a wrench to the International Space Station by 3D printing. We did it, too.
Few Limits to 3D Print Size
A project by Poland’s Fucco Design created replicas of large church figurines in wood.
Extinct Avian Restored by 3D Scanning
The Dodo Bird is definitely extinct, but only in reality. It’s alive and well in the 3D world.
The British Museum’s 3D Models Appear on SketchFab
In a move to match other major museums, the venerable British Museum has made several 3D models available for download.
George Hart’s Amazing 3D Models
Interested in mathematically-generated 3D models? We have a site you should check out.
Modio: Design Articulated 3D Models
Printed figurines can be amazing, but what about making them move? You can do so with Modio.
Voxelizer Offers Interesting Opportunities
Voxelizer is the software made for ZMorph 3D printers, but it also may offer something for those who don’t use that machine.
NASA Releases Many Printable 3D Models
The US space agency NASA has released two dozen printable 3D models of spacecraft and alien worlds.
Shapeways Partners with Hasbro?
Toy giant Hasbro has struck a deal with Shapeways to provide access to some of their copyrighted characters.
Magicube’s 3D Model Repository
Several readers suggested we check out Magicube, a new repository for free 3D models. So we did.
3D Hubs Begins a Content Ecosystem
While 3D Hubs may be one of the largest networks of independently operated 3D printers, it really just provides access to printing. Until today, that is, with the addition of a new content service.
On the 4th of July, 3D Print Your Own Ellis Island Custom House
When there’s an important date, people like to celebrate. In the USA on this July 4th artist Don Foley is celebrating by giving away an incredible multi-part 3D model.
Uformit Seeks Interns
Our friends at Norway-based Uformit are looking for an intern to help develop interactive 3D designs.
NIH’s 3D Print Exchange
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health (NIH) has opened its own public repository of printable 3D models.