I’m seeing a growing issue with 3D model repositories that likely isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
repository
Printables by Prusa Introduces Online Store for Individual 3D Model Sales
In a somewhat surprising announcement, Prusa Research launched an online store capability in Printables.
Prusa Research’s Design Contest Reveals Potential for 3D Printed Spare Parts
Prusa Research just concluded a design contest and there’s a surprising outcome.
Revitalizing Thingiverse: Ultimaker’s Latest Improvements Revealed
UltiMaker announced some significant improvements to Thingiverse.
The Future of 3D Model Repositories: Shifting Markets and Potential Changes
After Prusa Research’s announcement of a Printables monetization feature earlier this week, I had some thoughts about the future of 3D model repositories.
Prusa’s Next Big Move: Premium Content on Printables
Prusa Research is on the verge of launching a premium content feature on Printables, marking a strategic move in the competition against Thingiverse.
Inside UltiMaker’s Thingiverse Makeover: What’s New & Improved?
It’s a question on everyone’s lips: What has UltiMaker been doing with Thingiverse?
What’s Next for YouMagine After UltiMaker Merger?
What has become of YouMagine?
Thingiverse’s Revival: A New Beginning Under UltiMaker’s Wing
Things could be looking up for Thingiverse.
WAGO Adopts Innovative 3D Print Strategy for their Electronics Business
WAGO has adopted a fascinating 3D print strategy for their electronics business.
SnapEDA’s Syndication Network Liberates Millions of 3D Models
SnapEDA announced a new Syndication Network that releases “millions” of 3D models.
A Look at Thangs Workspace
Thangs is a well-known 3D model repository, but did you know they have a fascinating version control system?
3DFindIt Shows How To Find 3D Models
A 3D model lookup site has quite a variety of search methods.
Honda’s 3D Model Takedown is Annoying, But Not Surprising
Printables has been forced to de-list dozens of 3D models referencing “Honda”.
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.
Controversy at Cults
There’s some trouble brewing at Cults, one of the larger repositories of printable 3D models.
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.
Onsite at MyMiniFactory
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with MyMiniFactory CEO Nebo Nikolic at their London HQ
Sizing Up The Major Printable 3D Model Repositories
One way to measure a printable 3D model repository is by the number of models.
Changes At Sketchfab After Acquisition By Epic Games
A big announcement at Sketchfab today: they’ve been acquired by Epic Games.
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.
Thangs Just Got A Little Better
3D model repository Thangs added some useful new features.
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.
Search Thingiverse: An Alternative Search For Thingiverse?
A tipster pointed us at a brand new service that can quickly search Thingiverse.
Thangs is the Hot, New Thang for 3D Model Search and Share
A new meta search engine for 3D models is available: Thangs.
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.
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.
Turbosquid’s Kraken Levels Up 3D Asset Management
Turbosquid’s Kraken 3D Asset Management system provides new ways to manage 3D models online.
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.
The Smithsonian’s 3D Printable Library
It turns out the Smithsonian has a relatively large (for museums) library of downloadable 3D models for 3D printing. We’re trying one now.
The Glia Project: Open Access 3D Printed Medical Equipment
The Glia Project is leveraging 3D printing to bring desperately-needed medical equipment to poor areas of the globe through an online service.
Toy Rescue To Save Toys, Money and The Environment With 3D Printing
Toy Rescue is a new initiative that proposes to supply 3D models of commonly broken toy parts to the public for 3D printing.
Prusa Takes Aim At Thingiverse
Prusa Research seems to be taking aim at capturing the crown of 3D model repositories from Thingiverse with the help of a one-touch import tool.
Hands On With Thingiverse++
A Chrome Extension, Thingiverse++, can supercharge your Thingiverse 3D model browsing and download experience.
What To Do With Thingiverse?
Thingiverse is the largest printable 3D model repository on the planet, but it doesn’t seem to be progressing. We know why.
Question of the Week: Swiss Guard Helmet
Need a theatrical prop? Consider 3D printing it; but you will have to find a 3D model to do so. We present several alternatives for doing so.
Things Are Increasingly Shaking Up At MyMiniFactory
What plans does the new CEO of MyMiniFactory have? We don’t know and a puzzling post on their blog doesn’t really clear things up at all.
The Problem With Printer Profile Libraries
A new strategy by some vendors to provide 3D printer profiles may backfire.
Testing 3Dfind.it
Today I am testing a new 3D model search service, 3Dfind.it.
Implications of Prusa’s New 3D Model Repository
I’m thinking a lot about Prusa’s new 3D model repository, and wondering what it might mean.
The Incredible New Services From Prusa
A new and potentially game-changing 3D model repository has appeared: PrusaPrinters.
Searching For 3D Models Is Still Painful
Ever since the appearance of personal 3D printing, there’s been an awful problem: searching for 3D models.
Another Solid 3D Printing Model Repository: Hum3D
We ran across another interesting 3D model repository, Hum3D.
IKEA’s Consumer 3D Model Repository
If you hadn’t noticed, IKEA has a small 3D model repository available to the public.
Hands On With The BIQU Thunder And The MyMiniFactory App Part 3
Part 3 — the app. We had a chance to test an interesting 3D sprinter and software combination: the BIQU Thunder and MyMiniFactory’s new app.
3D Model Repository Cults Hits Milestone
Long time 3D model repository Cults has reached several significant milestones.
Alternatives to Thingiverse, 2018 Edition
There are plenty of sites to find fabulous pre-made printable 3D models.
MyMiniFactory Opens 3D Model Store
London-based MyMiniFactory opened their online 3D model store last month.
Whither Thingiverse, YouMagine and PinShape?
I had a difficult thought today: what is to become of several specific 3D model repositories in the future?
MyMiniFactory Has An App!
MyMiniFactory is well known for their now-huge site providing a wealth of printable 3D models, but now they have an app, too.
Look Out, Thingiverse (and others), Poly Just Arrived
Google announced what will likely become an enormous 3D model repository.
“Visual” 3D Model Searching with MadeInOpen
I’ve bumped into an unusual 3D model meta-repository that permits searching by a very different method.
Are 3D Printed Costumes Feasible?
A 3D model respository seems to specialize in 3D printed costume items, but is this really feasible?
Household 3D Prints: Handy, but Unaccessible
Two seemingly unbreathable barriers hold back 3D printing from general use in homes around the world.
An Extensive Library of 3D Parts Models
I’ve been perusing PARTcommunity and found access to an incredible number of 3D part models.
PatternSpace: More Than Just a 3D Repository
There are countless small services offering access to 3D models these days, but a look at PatternSpace revealed a bit more than expected.
The Frequency of 3D Content Violations is Astonishing
Earlier we wrote a story on LayerTrove, a new Scotland-based startup that happens to be selling unlicensed 3D content. But how often does this occur? It turns out to be astonishingly frequent.
LayerTrove Releases Easy-To-Print 3D Models, But Faces Big Risks
LayerTrove is a Scotland-based 3D model store who have just launched a 3D models series that may bring them troubles in the future.
BMW Group Sues Turbosquid for Selling 3D Models of Their Car Designs
If you’ve ever stood in the shower wondering if you could be sued because you made a certain 3D model of a certain brand of car, wonder no more.
What’s Up With Skriware?
Skriware launched late last year with a reasonably successful Kickstarter campaign, but where are they now?
Need a Vertebrate, a Tortoise, Antlers Or an Edible Dormouse 3D Model?
3D model repository service Threeding has announced a new partnership that’s resulted in a large number of animal anatomy 3D models.
How Can We Solve the 3D Model Search Problem?
There’s an insidious problem growing in the 3D model marketplaces: search. And it sucks.
Mystery Solved: Pinshape’s Secret Buyer Revealed
I’ve been pondering who was behind the rescue of 3D model repository Pinshape, and now we know who it is.
Beyond Thingiverse, My Ten Favorite 3D Model Repositories
Everyone knows Thingiverse, it’s the largest printable 3D model repository around. But what are some other ones to consider?
3DShook’s Unusual 3D Model Discovery Tools
It’s a very tough business these days running a printable 3D model shop, but 3DShook seems to be experimenting with a variety of different shopping methods to overcome the challenges.
Wevolver Is A Different Kind Of Repository
There are countless web-based 3D model repositories, but none are quite like Wevolver, who focus on actually doing practical something with your 3D prints.
It’s No Longer Possible To Launch A Printable 3D Model Sharing Site
Based on how the 3D print industry has evolved, it is now our opinion that it’s next to impossible to successfully launch a 3D model sharing site.
Kwambio Launches (Again?)
We received a note from Kwambio who apparently have launched a new 3D model/print service.
The Several Selling Options For 3D Print Artists
If you’re a new 3D print artist, how should you go about distributing your works? We found several alternative strategies.
Formsfield’s Unusual 3D Designer Recruitment Strategy
3D model repository Formsfield has taken an unusual step to recruit designers for their product shelves: they’re guaranteeing payments!
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!
A 3D Model Sharing Site With An Electrical Connection
We’re checking out Sharestation 3D, a site dedicated to 3D printed electronics projects.
3DKitbash’s Fascinating Test Kits
3DKitbash is a 3D model community dedicated to printable models, but their inventory includes some interesting twists.
MyMiniFactory Reaches 100,000 Users: What’s Next?
3D model community MyMiniFactory announced they’ve now attracted over 100,000 registered users.
The MatterControl Touch: A Brain For Your 3D Printer
Let’s face it: most desktop 3D printers are pretty dumb. But now you can add some smarts to your device with the MatterControl Touch.
Parallel Goods Hopes To Market High-Quality Useful 3D Models
A Chicago-based team of designers has launched a new 3D model repository focused on well-designed 3D printable utility objects.
Threeding Uses Handheld 3D Scanners to Create 3D Prints of Antiquities
Threeding.com, a rapidly expanding 3D printing community and marketplace, recently joined forces with Artec 3D
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.
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.
Copyright Controversy Erupts Over Site’s Use of 3D Model
Recently we wrote of a newly encountered 3D model repository, dayin.la, which holds plenty of interesting 3D content, but now it seems the site has used some models without permission.
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.
The Explosion of 3D Print Connector and Model Services
It’s another week and there’s another batch of new online connector services for 3D models.
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.