Two weeks ago, MakerBot announced the Thingiverse Developer Program to invite the community to add new functionalities and services to the largest 3D printing community in the world. We’re excited to announce today that the first two Thing Apps from Mixed Dimensions and 3D Hubs are launching on Thingiverse. MakerBot believes that adding new features and services to Thingiverse will help make 3D printing more accessible for everyone.
“These new apps are the first examples of what’s possible with the new Thingiverse Developer Program,” said Tony Buser, Director of Web, Mobile and Desktop at MakerBot. “It’s added features like these that will propel Thingiverse and 3D printing as a whole. We’re happy that developers are answering our call to contribute to the future of 3D printing and we look forward to the next Thing Apps coming soon.”
Make Printable from Mixed Dimensions allows users to analyze and repair 3D design files before printing them. For example, users will be able to go to Thingiverse, choose a design and select ‘MakePrintable’ to analyze, validate and repair most common mesh errors that can occur when preparing a 3D design file for printing. This is a game changer for people who want to save time and quickly enhance the structural integrity of their prints.
The second app is from 3D Hubs, world’s largest network of local 3D printing services. Thanks to its local nature, 3D Hubs is the fastest and most affordable 3D printing solution for those that don’t own a 3D printer. Users will be able to send designs to a local hub which will print and deliver designs to your home or office. For example, educators who want to teach 3D design in the classroom but don’t have access to a 3D printer can easily upload their designs to Thingiverse and get them 3D printed around the corner. Once purchasers are in the 3D Hubs checkout process, they can tip the Thingiverse designer that created the file. Just like with any other Thing Apps, designers have full control over whether they give 3D Hubs access to their things and whether they want to allow tips or not.
Also available today is the new Thingiverse Developer Portal, providing documentation, resources, and enrollment for developers. The Developer Portal includes instructions on how to develop apps for Thingiverse, how to submit apps to MakerBot, and a new sandbox that allows developers to test their apps. The Developer Portal also outlines developer guidelines and lets developers manage their apps and view analytics such as app usage, views, download numbers, and payments. If you have the idea for Thingiverse’s next killer app, go to the Thingiverse Developer Portal to get started today.
In conjunction with the new launch of first Thing Apps and the Thingiverse Developer Portal, MakerBot is also updating its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Among other things, the changes explain how Things may be used by Thing Apps. Designers will continue to control how their content can be used and Thing Apps will obey the terms of the Creative Commons licenses that designers chose for their things. A summary of the changes is available at the top of our new Terms of Use and Privacy Policy documents.
Thingiverse is and always will be an open platform powered by content from our incredibly creative community and we want users to continue making Thingiverse better.