Category Archives: Community News

A new phase for YouMagine

The short version:
We’re looking for people to help out, taking YouMagine into the next phase. To support its continued development, we’ll experiment with various revenue models, including advertising and our just launched Patreon page.

Longer version:
Back in 2013, together with a small team at Ultimaker, we launched YouMagine. The dream was to create a place for people to share and find digital designs for making real objects. Thanks to the amazing Ultimaker and broader 3D printing community, today there are close to 20 000 designs shared on YouMagine, and many more produced objects used by people across the world! This would’ve been impossible without so many amazing contributors!

One of the goals was to create a platform and community that was technology neutral, e.g. not exclusive to customers of Ultimaker. Everyone should feel welcome to use it and contribute to it. In 2017 this was taken a step further. There was no need for Ultimaker to “own” YouMagine, because it considered it a free service to the general public anyway. Ultimaker as the single “sponsor”, didn’t make sense. That’s why Martijn Elserman and I (co-founders of Ultimaker) decided to give YouMagine true independence. As of 2017 it is no longer affiliated with any manufacturer.

For the next 5 years YouMagine was run by me and sponsored by Martijn and myself. During COVID, we invested heavily in making the website more robust to handle the heavy traffic and we improved features for collaboration. For instance, we added file version numbers and better ways to attribute original designers. We got the support of Luis Cordoba, an amazing designer who’s helping to moderate the site. Luis was full of interesting ideas and we realized YouMagine wasn’t given the attention and funding that it deserves. We always figured YouMagine should evolve and stand on its own feet, also financially.

This is why we’re opening up YouMagine for more people and organizations to sponsor it. It should do more than cover the hosting and maintenance cost. We’d love to see experimentation and evolutions of the platform. If you or your organization would like to play a role in this, please reach out!

While I still deeply care about the fate of the platform, my passion for creating new concepts and businesses has taken me to new adventures and a new eco-startup: Stekker.app. Because it takes dedication, focus, perseverance and passion to turn ideas into something of value, I can no longer give YouMagine what it deserves. I will continue to be a sponsor of the platform for as long as needed, but I’m looking for a new “steward” with the passion to take YouMagine to the next level! If you’re that person, please reach out! YouMagine has remained the same for too long, even though there’s so much potential value left untapped.

As of today, we’re starting to experiment with advertising on YouMagine. We also launched a Patreon page, that you can find here. If we end up getting enough income, there’s no need for advertising, which is personally my preference. But it’s up to the next steward(s) to figure out something more appropriate that works well. Whether from advertising or another source, the plan is to let revenues (after costs) go to those who contribute to the platform.

Note: for now, if you’re signed in to the website, you won’t see any ads. So it should be easy to not see them if you’re an active user of the website.

We believe in an exciting future for YouMagine and we welcome you to be part of it!

Erik de Bruijn

Founder and current steward of YouMagine

3D Printing News – 3D Prints for Teachers of the Visually Impaired

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The above image shows solids that all have the same volume, you can check this by filling one with water and then pouring that water into the next, fixed-volume objects. You can use the OpenSCAD script that Rich Cameron (aka Whosawhatsis) shared or download the sample objects. But why? Rich Cameron and Joan Horvarth, well-known authors, are on a mission to get all the 3d printers in the world, in all those new classrooms to help visually impaired students make use of 3D prints to learn just about any subject, but they need help making good models. This is where you come in.

Start off by downloading the sample objects above or generating your own via the openSCAD script we mentioned. Then visit the project page on Hackaday.io to get instructions on how you can volunteer to help this community and join their Google Group to continue the conversation. This is a great tactile to learn and a great way to share your talents with the world.

“Often students with visual impairments have difficulty with concepts based on visual/spatial relationships, particularly in math and science. 3D prints offer an unprecedented asset for their teachers, and 3D printers are becoming affordable. But these teachers need help designing models. [Whosawhastis] and I have been volunteer mentors to various groups working on figuring out the best ways to use 3D printing for the visually impaired. Our goal with this project is to document some simple, practical conventions for designing models, and lay the groundwork so that interested parties can create the needed designs. We know that schools have 3D printers and want to teach design thinking to their students. This project creates a minimalist open-source way to link teachers who need design files and (sighted) students who want projects to do. We want students to create the designs for the needed models, learning science, math and other subjects while helping their visually-impaired peers.”

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3D Printing News – DUS Architects print micro home

Pasted Image 9 4 16 3 24 PM (Photograph by Ossip)

Pasted Image 9 4 16 3 50 PM DUS Architects in Amsterdam has created a tiny gabled urban cabin that is a mere 25 cubic metres (882.87 cubic feet) using FDM technology. They are allowing guests to spend the night to experience what life in a micro 3d printed home might be like. There is no toilet but you can take a bath outside au natural. Concrete set into the infill gives it strength and forms a seat on certain locations while pebbles in the infill outside form a path.
(Bathtub photo by Sophia van den Hoek)

A window punctures one end, while the other integrates both an entrance and a stepped porch seating area. Its walls are patterned with angular protrusions that create a three-dimensional surface, giving the building extra structural stability.

It really is further insight into the groups design sensibility that is part of major project that launched in 2013, to be complete next year, a four story 3D printed canal house. They use the KamerMaker (Dutch for “room maker”) and KamerMaker2, a “XXL 3D Printer” 3.5 meters high and housed in an up-ended shipping container to produce the large pieces. They use bio-plastics on all pieces and say it is a part of a future ecosystem that allows full recycling of the material.

This micro home isn’t the first time DUS has exposed their designs to the public, they also unveiled a beautifully printed facade for a European Union meeting building, as seen below.

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(via de zeen magazine)

3D Printing News – Facebook Group Contest: Nerf!

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**********************DEADLINE EXTENDED*********************

VIEW THE CURRENT ENTRIES

A contest is running now until ~~September 23~~ October 21st on Facebook in the 3D Printing group, which currently has over 17,000 worldwide members! They are using the YouMagine platform to host the files.

The theme centers on your most creative way to launch a Nerf-compatible dart so the world in your oyster, keep it simple or make it crazy complicated!

You can read below the detailed rules and many opportunities to win something great from an amazing prize pool from some of the best 3d printing companies in the community.

So join the Facebook group and get designing!

Contest Theme:
Nerf Dart Compatible – Launchers & Guns
This means it can be handheld, robotic, rubber band powered, air powered. Anything! As long as it can launch a dart!

Contest Duration:
4 weeks! Starts 8/26/2016 and ends at 11:59pm (GMT -7hrs) on 9/23/2016

Contest Grading:

Feasibility to Print
How well the design functions
Percentage of the design that is 3D printed vs off the shelf parts.
Entries will be judged by David Gaylord from MatterHackers as well as the group’s Administrative Team!

How to enter:

Design & 3D Print a Nerf Dart Compatible Launcher or Gun
Upload design STL & Picture’s (or Video) to www.youmagine.com
Set Design Category to “Contest”
Tag Design with “#3dpgnerf4um2”
Choose your preferred license but make sure you check mark “Wiki Mode”
Post your design to 3D Printing Group on Facebook (optional but recommended)

Rules:

You MUST be a Member of 3D Printing Group on Facebook, so be sure to join if you have not already! If we are unable to verify your Facebook account is a Group Member, you will forfeit your prize.
Your entry MUST be on youmagine.com to qualify
Please do not enter existing designs (we will check)
You may enter more than one design, but you can’t win more than one prize
Design MUST include pictures or video of actual 3D Printed Design. Renderings do not count, entries lacking pictures or video of the 3D Printed Design will not be qualified.
Live on Planet Earth, This contest is World Wide!
Have fun!

Prizes! 9 Chances to win!

Grand Prize:

Grand Prize winners design will be featured on YouMagine and Ultimaker websites!
Ultimaker 2+, AND a Surprise bundle of 7 Ultimaker filaments
Ciclop 3D Scanner Kit from CowTech Engineering

Second Prize:

FilaBase kit
Micro v6 Hotend
ApolloX ASA Filament and bioFila Filament from FilaFarm

Third Prize:

PrintItIndustries – Caldum Series Heated Bed & E3D Lite6 Hotend
3DPrintNerd.com – 4 Spools of PLA/ABS filaments
All Professional 3D – 3 Spools of PETG filaments

There will also be runner-up category prizes!

Most Over Engineered Design:

1x Spool each of the following filaments.
(FiberForce Nylon, PolyMaker PolyCarbonate PC Plus, Proto-Pasta Silver Smoke HTPLA From Hawk3D Proto)

Best Theme Design (This can be from a Movie or Game!):

Two (2) Lucky winners will get 2x 1kg Spools of filaments (each winner) from MakerSome!

Most Difficult to Print and/or Assemble:

2x Spools of Pro Series Filament from MatterHackers

Most Creative Design:

Sample of every filament made by Proto-Pasta (even some unreleased ones!)
A Plated Nozzle From Proto-Pasta!
A Afinibot3D Printing Pen & Modified3D Finishing Tool from NWA3D!

Most Minimalistic Design:
5x .5kg Spools of PLA or ABS from 3Dprinteruniverse.com

Contest Sponsors List

Grand Prize
Ultimaker
CowTech Engineering

Second Prize
FilaFarm

Third Prize
PrintIt Industries
3DPrintNerd
All Professional 3D

Category Sponsors
Hawk3D Proto
MakerSome
MatterHackers
NWA3D
3DPrinter Universe
Proto-Pasta

3D Printing News – How to turn the ordinary FDM 3D prints into ‘ works of art

Materia scupltures

In today’s post-processing article we see how Artists Explore Art with 3D Printing. Some the most beautiful pieces produced are what Pussykrew produces. Pussykrew, an interdisciplinary duo, creates multimedia installations, 3D imagery, videos and 3D printed sculptures that normally take on a glossy, holographic, highly rendered surface quality. Read their Instructable here on how they mimic in real life what they have produced digitally. I think you will agree it is a wonderful finish that you can now try.

See more of their work on their blog and stay up to date with their latest on their Facebook page.

Below is a bonus music video they produced that illustrates their characteristic style.

3D Printing News – Painting & Finishing 3D Printed Models

The very popular 3D Printing Nerd AKA Joel Telling partners up with Bill Doran, from Punished Props, to show how to properly sand, prime, paint, and weather a Harry Potter Elder Wand print. Be sure to watch all 42:09 minutes of this goldmine of information to find out the valuable tips and tricks used to turn your prints into stunning finished models.

Bill Doran’s book Foamsmith and Foamsmith 2:
http://3d.pn/foamsmith

The Elder Wand by jakereeves on Thingiverse:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1069671

When your done watching be sure to head over to Punish Props to watch Bill and Joel do some tests on different types of 3D printing filament to see which is best for prop making.

Amulet of Talos Video

Oxidizing Solutions:
Sculpt Nouveau
http://www.sculptnouveau.com
Sophisticated Finishes
http://amzn.to/25rBsR8

Filaments Tested:
ColorFabb copperFill
http://amzn.to/25rDtgj

Z-Ultrat Filament
http://amzn.to/25rE816

Makergeeks PLA Filament
http://www.makergeeks.com/pla3dfibyma…

Matterhackers ABS
http://amzn.to/1TPijU9

Watch YouMagine for the Ultimaker Gumball Challenge pieces from Maker Faire Bay Area 2016!

Dragon Climber Toy

Keep your eyes peeled for a slew of new chibi designs popping up on YouMagine over the weekend.

The Ultimaker team invited four schools to participate in the Ultimaker Gumball Challenge.

River Bend Middle School, Virginia
Saint Ann’s School, New York
Comstock High School, Michigan
Advanced Learning Center, Utah

Each school was sent 1000 gumball capsules and some 3D-printing filament. Students designed and printed the models and decorated their machines.

All of the money collected in these machines will be donated to support STEM initiatives at the schools, and whichever school sells the most prints will also win an Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer!

Toy Catapult for Maker Faire

You Can Play Along From Home!

This Gumball Challenge joins a bold lineage of fun projects making use of dime store toy dispensers in combination with 3D printing, in particular starting with The Incredible 3D Printing Gumball Gallery art project from DesignMakeTeach who helped to shape this challenge and drew one of his local classrooms into the mix.

We hope that readers and Maker Faire Bay Area attendees both will go home inspired to try challenges like this with their own classrooms and communities!

Here’s the core challenge: “What original 3D printed designs could you create to fit inside a tiny two inch (five centimeter) gumball capsule?”

Want to encourage creativity and teach those new to 3D printing about design constraints? By placing a constraint on size, you encourage creativity and to problem solving. Challenge participants to design whatever they want, or choose a theme.

3 piece puzzle toy

More Gumball Capsules to Come!

Continue to check back for the designs labeled “gumball” on YouMagine in the coming weeks to see all of the student designs, and read more at: www.ultimaker.com/gumball

Visit these designs on YouMagine.com!

Improved search, 3DHubs for all files and bug quashing

We’ve integrated 3D Hubs into YouMagine. If you don’t have a 3D printer you can now print any file on YouMagine. We’re interested to see how many people will use this feature and are interested in the designs on the site but don’t own a printer.

The 3D Hubs button can be found to the right of all design images.

We’ve switched our search to Apache Solr, redesigned the search results page and improved the search results themselves. The results can now be sorted by relevancy, recency and popularity. We’ve added more synonyms as well. Search has been one of our biggest issues and we hope to have made significant steps forward with this.

Search results page

There was a bug saving the email notification preferences, this has been quashed with extreme vengeance. Another bug appeared whereby a community member got multiple notifications for the same event, this has also been solved. We hope you’re happy with the improvements and please do email joris (at) youmagine with ideas, feedback and bugs.

3Dhubs integration with YouMagine

3D Hubs

As of today we’ve added a “Print on 3DHubs” button to the site. This will let people who don’t have a 3D printer order the wonderful objects we have at YouMagine. They can use 3DHubs to print out lamps, vases, boxes, covers, toys and other lovely things. We hope that this lets people who do not have a 3D printer touch and use their first 3D printed objects. We are curious to see how many people will use this opportunity to get a 3D print in their hands.

If this feature is used often then we may look at adding margin to the 3DHubs order so that the designer can make money on the 3D prints of the objects. At this time, neither we nor the designer makes money off of the 3D print. We believe in keeping the files on YouMagine free to promote remixing and sharing. But, we think that people will not mind paying the designer a fee per print. People are used to paying for physical objects whereas to many the digital is most often free. We will be watching the 3DHubs button closely to see what is being printed and what people are interested in. We’ve known the 3Dhubs people for a years now and its wonderful to see them grow and do so well. Due to this we’re very happy to work with them!

The print on 3Dhubs button can be found below the download button next to each model. Not having a printer is no longer an excuse!

Not a wall flower, a door flower.

Print out this lovely door handle for example using 3Dhubs.

Is it a bear, is it a robot? No, its a bearrobot. Cuddly and efficient.

Or these adorable bear robots.

Skull end cap for bike.

Or a skull endcap for your bicycle.

Catch of the day? PLA.

Maybe a lure for fishing?

Print me, it whispers geometrically.

Or a Voronoi bracelet?

Nothing is not impossible is.

Perhaps you are looking for a better way to tie your shoes?

Snug and warm your Arduino sits, calculating all the while.

Or for an Arduino case?

No longer just on the Discovery Channel.

A megalodon tooth?

Check out the files on YouMagine to find your next print. Happy 3D printing!

Improvements to YouMagine

We’ve been working on improving YouMagine for you. The most obvious improvement is the changes made to the design details page. We made the page easier on the eye and easier to scan through if you’re looking at a design quickly.

You can now also embed YouMagine designs on forums and blogs easily.

We also briefly summarize the licenses for you, please be advised that you should take the time (at least once!) to read through the different licenses to find out which one suits you and what rights you are restricting.

We repositioned the content on the page and changed the order of importance of things on the page. The page should be faster to load and quicker to use for you.

Commenting on models just got easier and you can decide to follow or unfollow activity streams.

We’ve updated our email addresses for them to be more personal for you. Although we continue to send any email to the old emails to us we now will use support (at) youmagine, hello (at) youmagine for support questions and supercomputer (at) youmagine for automated emails. You can always just email joris@youmagine for any and all questions! Also the support emails now get sent to the whole YouMagine team, so even though I will answer your questions all of us will read what you have to say in order to understand what our community’s needs and suggestions are.

Our error messages have become friendlier with a kinder tone. Our 404 page now explains that a community member did nothing wrong and gives them links to the gallery and main page as well as a way for people to report dead links should they wish.

If one of your designs is added to a collection then the notification email will also inform you to which collection this design has been added and which design has been added. This has been requested by a lot of people!

We’ve made the Bill of Materials easier to use and added an explanation of what the bill of materials should look like.

Our automated thank you emails have been changed yet again. We’ve updated the text, subject line and timing as per your suggestions.

We’ve solved some caching issues and solved the sizing of photographs on different devices. We’ve changed the related designs to “other designs” in the same category. This means that for now the other designs should be quite random and lead to serendipity. In future we will make them more logical for you.

We’ve added a list of many 3D printers and also let people link through to a detail page about the printer.

A contributed image by another user can also now be the primary image of your design.

OpenSCAD files are now downloaded instead of displayed as plain text. We’re wondering what you think of this feature since some prefer to copy paste the text into OpenSCAD while others prefer to download the file.

We’ve done research into how to best improve the search and will be doing this in the next sprint, these coming two weeks. Please let us know how to further improve YouMagine! Email joris (at) youmagine.com with any feedback, bugs or ideas.

Youmagine Blog