Did you know there’s an alternate universe version of MakerWorld?
Bambu Lab is one of the biggest players in desktop 3D printing, and as such, they have to operate a model-sharing site. Theirs is MakerWorld, a place most readers have been to obtain 3D models.
The site contains untold thousands of 3D models of all kinds, perhaps even over a million models by now.
But did you know there are two MakerWorld sites? One is the general site used worldwide, and the other is the Chinese version, used in China.
- Worldwide: https://makerworld.com/
- China: https://makerworld.com.cn/zh
Here’s a comparison of the two home pages (with English translation on):
Note that entirely different content is highlighted for the two different audiences. The Chinese version on the left seems to be running a “seal contest”. If you don’t know, inking seals are a big thing in Asia, so this makes sense.
Do the two sites have different 3D models?
On the home page, I attempted to find the Chinese model “Warning Sign mobile phone holder” by designer @lyon24 on the worldwide site. It isn’t visible in the search results. Could I simply tweak the URL to find it?
Nope. By changing the site name and keeping the rest of the URL, I ended up at a completely different 3D model, apparently with the same upload id.
What about finding the author of the design? Nope, that doesn’t work either; the author page simply 404s. The author does not exist on the worldwide site.
It appears that the Chinese version of MakerWorld is an entirely different universe with different makers and different 3D models.
Can we, the worldwide users, download 3D models from the Chinese site? Let’s give it a try.
Oh oh, it looks like we are restricted from doing so, with only five models downloadable. I wasn’t even able to do that successfully. Full access to the 3D models requires registration on the site. Can we do that?
Nope, it turns out you need to register with a Chinese phone number or Chinese app, such as QQ, WeChat, or Weibo. Evidently, the Chinese version of MakerWorld is ONLY for Chinese residents.
It seems that aside from five downloads, you can only browse the 3D models in that alternative MakerWorld universe. This is a pity because there are almost certainly many terrific models hidden behind a security wall.
I’m wondering if Chinese users are able to freely browse and download 3D models from the worldwide site? I’m guessing no.
Via MakerWorld (World) and MakerWorld (China)
