3DMarvels.com 2010/2011 Year in Review

Although I did a short review for 2010, it wasn’t very extensive so I’ve decided to give it another, more extensive go.

I decided to launch 3DMarvels.com, a 3D printing version of my digital wood crafting site WoodMarvels.com half way through the year so this includes activities since launch. If I was to summarize the past year and a half, it was, as I did for WoodMarvels.com the first year and a half, laying the groundwork by building a strong foundation to grow from.

The largest issue that’s keeping the site from growing as I envision is the rendering bottleneck as I have two other companies that are keeping my computer rendering 24/7 as it is… and these 3DMarvels.com animations take 3-6 days to render as it is. I’ll be getting a workstation in a few months that should put those issue to rest.

So, what happened at 3DMarvels.com since launch?

• Projects released so far include a 3D Tricycle (promptly promoted by COLLAda.org), 3D Alternating Links Ring, 3D Wave Ring, 3D Frankenstein Ring, 3D Starfish Pendant, 3D Alien Goddess, 3D Evil Skull, 3D Inclusions 2, Hana Figurine, 3D MegaWireSphere, 3D StarWheel Pendant, 3D Triangle Ring, 3D Iris Box, 3D Halloween Pumpkin, 3D 3×3 Ball Maze, 3D Inverse Cube, 3D Ford Model T and 3D Pliers across 8 designers (excluding myself).
• I wrote articles about downloading your own future products, exoskeleton development, RapMan Printing videos, upcoming copyright upheavals, launching Field Notes then getting a copyright notice by the licensor, 3D printing shipments (still a work in progress), site updates, standardization, steep 3D printing learning curve, progress of 3DMarvels.com, how IKEA builds things video series, challenges with creating 3D printed files and things slowly going mainstream.
• Fabbaloo writes about 3DMarvels.com and adds it as a 3D printing file resource and launched ShopMarvels.com (still a work in progress).

Goals for 2012

• I really want to get all my WoodMarvels.com models available and optimized specifically for 3D printers but I’ll need a 3D printer of my own to test the files out… so until then, I’ll keep sourcing other designers to build the 3DMarvels.com catalog.
• There are currently 18 models on 3DMarvels.com, I want to reach 50 by the end of 2012.
• Establish a partnership with a 3D printer manufacturer (and get my own in the process)