Keeping in mind that I produced this video, I had no idea BambuLabs was about to launch their repository platform. At the time of writing it doesn’t seem to be live yet, and they didn’t ask me to join the beta. But maybe this video will influence them somewhat.
Even at 20 minutes, I feel like I skipped a lot of stuff about all these repositories. Like the fact that MyMiniFactory seems like it’s always struggling with ads just everywhere. They remind me of Chick Hicks of the repository world, though that also means it’s the most independent of them all. Or the fact that it doesn’t take much success for Cult’s fees to be really bad, as compared to MyMiniFactory’s flat rate (though I’m still miffed at how much that hurts smaller creators).
Honestly, I feel like I could make a whole video about each of the categories used to score the sites in this video. Which site makes it easiest for people to discover you? Which site sells the most?
But I feel like the real question is “How do you get people to print your stuff?” I have spent a lot of time making 3D models available to people, thinking about the first time experience of using these files. I’ve developed plated sets to make it easier. I make instructions. I make smaller listings to help discoverability. And yet it still feels like people aren’t actually printing them. Now, part of that is that people have to print them and then take a picture and upload that picture, and I get it that people don’t care to go through all that trouble. But as a designer there’s nothing more discouraging that feeling like no one is printing your stuff.
Oh, how I would love a viral sensation like a benchy or articulated dragon. Maybe that’s what I need to do; use the new articuated blocks to make an articulated version of my dragon model. Maybe after the kickstarter.
