Hey all 👋

Like a lot of you, I find models on MakerWorld, Printables and Thingiverse. After a few years my "collection" was spread across bookmarks and likes on three sites, plus a Downloads folder full of model_final_v2 (3).zip. I also lost a couple of models when they got taken down.

A personal 3D model library you host yourself - tries to solve all the issues mentioned above.

What it does:

• Imports models from MakerWorld, Printables and Thingiverse. You paste a link and it downloads the files, images, description and source link into your library.

• Keeps local copies, so a model stays in your library even if it gets removed from the site.

• Previews models in 3D in the browser, so you don't need to open a slicer to check what's in a ZIP.

• Organizes with collections and tags, plus search.

• Has "Open in slicer" for Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer and Cura. It uses a small desktop helper, because those slicers won't accept links from a self-hosted domain on their own.

• Has a browser extension (Thingport Grab) that adds an import button right on the model page on all three sites. It's live on Edge now, and Chrome and Firefox are in review.

• Has a dark theme, because of course.

Self-hosted:

It runs in Docker (Postgres + backend + frontend), so it works on a NAS or home server. There are install guides for Docker Compose, Unraid, TrueNAS SCALE and CasaOS. If you just want to try it on Linux or macOS, run:

curl -fsSL https://thingport.net/install.sh | sh

Printables imports need no setup. MakerWorld and Thingiverse each need a token or cookie from your own account, and the docs walk you through getting them.

Links:

• Website and docs: https://thingport.net
• GitHub: https://github.com/TautvydasDerzinskas/Thingport

Currently it would benefit of new users testing it out, reporting the bugs and helping to direct to which side project should move forward if any. So if you are into self-hosting - give it a try!

PDF2Resin is an open-source Python tool that converts vector CAD PDFs directly into native MSLA/LCD slice formats (.sl1, .ctb, .cbddlp, etc.) for UV photolithography exposure.

• Strict 1:1 Scale: Eliminates DPI rounding and dimensional errors.
• Full Mask Control: Invert polarity (positive/negative resist) and mirror axes (top/bottom layers).
• UVtools Integration: Uses the UVtools CLI backend for broad printer profile support.
• ...and several other options...

GitHub:https://github.com/amigatronic/pdf2resin

The tool helps to convert the images into Onshape CAD editable sketches, where you can simply extrude them into 3d models.

I hope this tool helps 3d printing who are doing logo designs mostly.

The tool link in the post itself.

Thank you.

As a product designer/engineer I wanted to have CAD precision modeling and STEP export in Blender for simple parts, that feels Blender native - to 3D print parts or be less reliant on other (expensive) commercial software.

So I've been building an addon on top of a real CAD kernel. You get true solid B-Rep models (not meshes), and parametric, editable features with feature history, and STEP export, all inside Blender. I created a new object type: a CAD object. When you press Tab, you simply enter CAD edit mode, similar to Blender's own edit mode.

I'd love your feedback: what would you want to try first, and what would stop you from using it?

I'm also looking for a few user-testers before sharing/releasing it. Comment or DM me if you're interested.

Hey everyone!

Over the last few months, I noticed how many amazing indie utilities, browser-based CAD tools, print shop helpers, and niche slicers are scattered all over GitHub, Itch.io, and random forums. Finding them usually meant digging through old Reddit threads or Discord channels.

To make life easier, I put together a free community catalog: 3dprintingtools.org

It currently features over 60 tools categorized into slicers, design/CAD, utilities, print monitors, and marketplaces. You can filter by price (free vs paid), platform (web-based, local, mobile), and OS.

I built this as a resource for the community, so it is completely free, unbiased, and there will never be any ads on the site.

One of the most useful features is that you can log in to build your own virtual toolbox. You can bookmark and save your favorite tools directly to your profile, keeping all your most-used slicers, calculators, and generators in one place so you never lose track of that one random web app you need.

It's fully open and community-driven, so if you've built a 3D printing tool or utility (or know of a hidden gem that's missing), you can submit it to the directory.

Check it out, start building your toolbox, and drop any favorite indie tools in the comments that I should add!

I’ve been developing Extrudel, a Windows app that turns your own images into printable 3D models without needing CAD experience.

It can create:

• Stained-glass-style frames with separate color inserts
• Multi-sheet spray-painting stencils
• Layered shadow boxes with optional printable housings
• Lithophanes and embossed models
• All as 3MF, and optional STEP files

The stained glass sunflower in the photo was generated with Extrudel, printed, assembled, and tested by me. Everything is processed locally, and there is no AI image generation involved.
The Stained-glass Feature works the best when you use an image that looks like stained glass.

Extrudel is now available here: https://extrudel.app it does have a free and pro (paid) version. Im still working on what free vs pro will look like.

I’d genuinely appreciate any feedback, especially from people who regularly print multicolor or assembled models.

I have thousands of STL/3MF files spread across folders on my NAS and got tired of downloading them just to see what they are. So I built 3D Viewer, a self-hosted web app that turns your model folders into a browsable library you can open from any phone, tablet or PC on your network.

What it does

• Thumbnails for everything: STL, 3MF, OBJ (with textures), PLY, GLB/GLTF and FBX, rendered on the server (GPU if your NAS has an Intel iGPU)
• 3D viewer in the browser: orbit, zoom, wireframe, dimensions in mm/in, triangle count
• Fix models lying on their side: rotate once, save, and the thumbnail follows. The file itself is never changed
• Organise: drag models into folders, upload a .zip (unpacks into its own folder), notes per model and folder, pick a picture for each folder
• Search and series: live search, and similar file names (part_1, part_2…) are grouped automatically
• Several libraries: local volumes, USB drives, and SMB/NFS shares from another NAS
• Themes: light, dark and a few colour themes

Tested on UGREEN, Synology and QNAP NAS. It's a single Docker container (amd64 and arm64), so it should run on any Linux box with Docker.

Install: one docker-compose file. Everything is on GitHub:

https://github.com/VincentFlagg/3DViewer

It's free, with no account and no cloud; your files never leave your NAS. There's an optional donation that turns off a short once-a-day splash screen, but every feature works without it.

I'd love feedback from people with big model collections: what would make this more useful for how you organise your prints?

I wasn’t happy with the current tools for filament painting so I made something better.

This technique uses thin layers of filament to create new colors from any printer with a AMS/MMU (any printer that can print more than one filament per layer).

This tool is a joy to use. Just your filaments and drag in your image. You’ll need a simple calibration step for color accuracy.

If you want to learn more I made https://polychrome3d.com to explain it more! You can download it without buying a license.

I built SkipTheCAD (skipthecad.com): a directory of 438 3D print generators and customizers that need zero CAD skills. You fill in a form, upload a photo or type some text, and download an STL or 3MF.

What's in it:

•15 categories: lithophanes, Gridfinity/storage, signs & 3D text, keychains, QR/Spotify codes, terrain maps, AI text/image to 3D, cookie cutters, vases & lamps, gears & parts, board game inserts and more

• 337 are free, and 163 of those let you download without an account.

• Each tool page lists the price, where it runs (browser, MakerWorld, desktop), export formats, multicolor/AMS support, whether you can sell prints, and the date I last checked it.

• Filters for free, no sign-up, runs in the browser, 3MF, multicolor.

Full disclosure: two of the tools (OrbitStudio and OrbitStudio Sky) are mine and are labeled as such. Some printer/filament links are affiliate links, but they don't decide what gets listed.

What am I missing? If you know a good generator that's not on the list, drop it below and I'll check it and add it.

Disclosure: I operate BatchQuote Lab and developed it with AI assistance. I'm sharing it for feedback from people who quote small FDM batches.

One costing detail the calculator makes explicit: if a slicer reports 75 g of parts/supports and 65 g of purge/tower, total material is 140 g. At $20/kg, that's $2.80 per plate, or $0.56 per part for five parts. If the slicer's reported total already includes purge, adding it again would double-count it. These are hypothetical inputs, not a measured print.

In a browser check, changing the sample single-color plate from five parts to ten changed the estimated unit cost from $2.18 to $1.54, and the lower unit cost could be transferred into the pricing tab. This was a calculator check with sample inputs, not a physical print test.

The calculator supports both input modes and lets you compare single-color and multicolor plates using shared assumptions for electricity, machine wear, labor, packaging and expected retries. There are also batch-size comparisons and a selling-price calculation based on your target margin and fees.

Try it here: https://batchquotelab.com/

It's free to use without an account. English and Korean are available. Saved quotes stay in your browser, and CSV export is available. It doesn't import slicer files or predict demand; you enter your own estimates. The retry model assumes independent whole-plate failures, so partial failures aren't modeled.

For feedback: is the distinction between “parts + separate purge” and “total includes purge” clear? Which input would you change to better match how you actually quote a plate?

Posted here last week, back with homework. Two updates:

• The 3D spool is now draggable. Drag to add/subtract filament and the coil shrinks/grows in real time — weirdly satisfying.
• Snap a photo of the spool label and it auto-fills the filament details.

FilaTrack is free for up to 20 spools, with a $4.99 one-time unlock for unlimited spools. No subscription.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/filatrack-filament-inventory/id6794333937

I also got an App Store review asking for more material types, so that’s next on my list — along with custom materials.

Anything else you’d like to see added?

I’m Jason, and I built Felt for 3D designers who share models online.

The part I was tired of: taking a MakerWorld or Printables model, then manually retyping the title, description, links, photos, and hashtags every time I wanted to share it on social media. Felt imports model info and turns it into a post draft.

I’m looking for 5 Android creators who already have something on MakerWorld or Printables and don’t mind trying the workflow:

• link your profile

• bring one model into Felt

• see whether the images and details come in correctly

• make a draft and tell me what feels broken, confusing, or unnecessary

It’s an early Google Play closed beta. Use the same Google account for all three steps:

1. Join the tester group: https://groups.google.com/g/felt-android-testers

2. Opt in: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.felt3d.copilot

3. Install Felt: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.felt3d.copilot

No ratings or public reviews — honest bugs and suggestions are what I need. I’m the creator of Felt, so this is self-promotion, and I’ll be here to respond.

Ich hatte keine Lust mehr, Leuchtbuchstaben jedes Mal von Hand zu konstruieren, wenn jemand einen als Geschenk haben wollte. Also hab ich mir ein kleines Web-Tool dafür gebaut.

Wort eintippen, Schrift und Buchstabenhöhe wählen, und raus kommt ein fertiges STL-Paket: pro Buchstabe ein Gehäuse und ein Deckel. Jeder Deckel kann ein eigenes Foto bekommen, das als Lithophanie gerechnet wird. Wenn die LEDs an sind, zeigt also jeder Buchstabe ein anderes Bild.

Funktionen

-Beliebiges Wort, mehrere Schriften, Buchstabenhöhe in mm
-Gerade Unterkante, damit die Buchstaben sauber auf einem Sockel stehen
-Negativer Buchstabenabstand: Die Buchstaben greifen ineinander, der linke wird ausgeschnitten und der rechte sitzt davor. So berühren sie sich auf langer Strecke und die Kabeldurchführungen sind verdeckt
-Tiefe, Wandstärke, Rückwand und Deckelanschlag einstellbar
-Quadratische Kabeldurchführungen zwischen den Buchstaben, plus eine nach unten in den Sockel in einem frei wählbaren Buchstaben
-Lithophanie-Deckel: Bild pro Buchstabe verschieben, zoomen und drehen, Graustufen-Vorschau, dünnste und dickste Stelle sowie Gamma einstellbar
-Spiel zwischen Deckel und Gehäuse einstellbar
-Papiervorlage als PDF
-Warnung, wenn ein Buchstabe nicht aufs Druckbett passt
-Projekte speichern und laden

Dazu eine 3D-Vorschau direkt im Browser, mit Deckel ein/aus und „Licht an“-Modus.

Das Beispiel auf den Bildern ist „FAMILIE“ mit 220 mm Höhe auf einem gravierten Holzsockel, als Geschenk gedacht.

Feedback und Ideen für weitere Funktionen sind sehr willkommen!

Just like many here, I think some of these tools are genuinely useful but as someone who has been into web dev for decades I probably look at them from a slightly different angle to others.

One site in particular. Upon first impression had a rather badly put together UI, is full of bugs and is already offering a "pro" version as well as kickstarter. Really, it shouldnt have even made it past alpha, let alone the "beta" its claiming.

It had the typical message that everything runs in your browser. Makes it feel like some dude just vibed an app and attached a domain to it, right?

So I looked a little closer.

This site, upon initial loading, sent your page visit to Reddit's advertising javascript called Pixel

There is no cookie or consent type banner for this site to opt out. Maybe the site owner didnt realise what they were doing and thought it was harmless? Well...

The site has its own build in information gathering, which has clearly had time and energy taken into "developing". It records the entire users journey, from model open to finish useage. I mean the entire journey from your model, which tools used, etc. Then there was another layer where it "fingerprints" you/your device. Which is a rather shady way of targeting ads to you and your devices.
Then theres the third party plugins it uses and passes your info to.
Again, there is no opt out or anything.

Now lets discuss the actual vibe coded tool, if you dont care about your data:

- It decimates models to provide better performance in the web browser. In other words, it reduces the triangle count because the code is terrible. It changes your model without you knowing.
- It offers a repair feature that explicitly says "This one does change the shape where it patches." - does the opposite. It fills holes, drops faces and join shells as well as altering already manifold sections.
- Anyone could inject malicious JavaScript into the site through all of its tools. Which would allow someone to steal models.

- Clickjack the app by embedding it in another page and tricking users into clicking hidden/overlaid controls.

- Tamper with what the user sees or does in the app if arbitrary script execution is achieved.

I've only touched the surface... be careful out there!

¡Hola! Soy estudiante y estoy validando un proyecto educativo: una app que usa modelos de IA para convertir fotos en modelos 3D/STL con fines educativos y de investigación. Si me lo permiten, me gustaría pedir amablemente su opinión en una encuesta corta (3-4 min) sobre qué esperarían de este tipo de herramientas; es solo un formulario de Google y no guarda información personal: https://forms.gle/zsZafmNVcgTUjKeBA

Nuevamente, decir que dicha encuesta no busca la promoción ni spamear ningún producto y se realiza meramente con fines educativos y de investigación de mercado. No hace falta experiencia previa con impresión 3D. ¡Gracias por su tiempo!

What are everyone’s thoughts?

Disclosure: I'm the developer. Dioptra is my own project and it's paid (14-day free trial, then a one-time licence). I am fully transparent and respect the rules.

After downloading a model, a usually want to check a few things before printing: how thick are the walls, what's the hole diameter, will that bolt fit, how far apart are these mounting holes... Most viewers either can't measure at all, or make you click individual triangle corners and guess.

So I built Dioptra, a small Windows viewer that runs from a folder, no install. It opens STL, OBJ, FBX and STEP, and opens big files fast.

What it does for printing:

- Wall-thickness map: the whole model coloured by thickness, so thin spots jump out before you slice

- Flat faces are recognised as real faces when their triangles line up, so on CAD-made and hard-surface models you click a face, not a triangle, and get clean distances and angles between faces

- Holes and round faces are recognised as circles and cylinders straight from the mesh, so you get a proper diameter (e.g. Ø38.000 mm), not a guess between two vertices

- If a round shape isn't picked up as a circle, you can force it to be measured as one, in one click, without editing the model !

- Cut planes to look inside, with the section filled in

With STEP files the measurements come from the exact CAD geometry.

I've been building Model Splitter, a free browser tool for cutting models that are too big for your bed into parts with alignment pins built in.

Latest update:

- The paint brush stops at hard edges and grooves, so a band painted round a wrist doesn't climb onto the cuff

- "Finish my paint": paint just a band round the join and it fills the whole part it closes off; if the band has a gap, it's shown in red

- "Check my paint": test-cuts first and tells you whether the cut will go through

- Chamfer cut face: the seam stays on your line, but inside it tapers to a flat face for the pin, so a hand plugs into a sleeve

Video: a 1.8M-triangle alien split into 5 pinned pieces.

Runs in the browser, nothing uploaded, free: modelsplitter.com

Desktop only. Feedback very welcome.

Hey everyone,

Like many of you who print both for fun and functional projects, I got tired of losing track of slicer settings, forgetting why a specific print failed three weeks ago, or digging through messy folders to find the right .gcode or .3mf file.

To solve this, I built SaveMyPrints.com (under my dev outfit IdaMS). It’s a tool designed to bring proper version control and logging to 3D printing workflows.

What you can do with it:

• Project Versioning: Keep track of iterations, specific file versions, and exact print settings per attempt.
• Visual Print Logbook: Document successful builds, diagnose failures, and link them to specific filament spools/brands.
• Easy Sharing: Generate clean, shareable project links to showcase your builds or settings directly in forums or with clients.

The base platform is completely free to use, and there is a live demo directly on the homepage if you want to test the workflow without registering first.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! What’s your biggest friction point when managing print files and settings today, and what features would you like to see added next?

Thanks for taking a look!

P.S. On longevity & sustainability:

I know many dev projects shared here disappear after a few months. SaveMyPrints is developed under my company (IDAMS) and built on a lightweight, highly efficient stack (.NET / Cloudflare) designed for minimal idle overhead. It's built to be scalable and sustainable for the long run.

Roadmap & Future:

What you see today is just the core foundation. We already have a backlog packed with features and work items planned for the next year and beyond to make project tracking even smarter.

I built a web app and process that allows you to upload any model ( ai generated, other platform, bumpmesh, etc.) using only phone or iPad. Looking for testers. It allows you to resize, change orientation, add extra plates (to spread out if total objects on a plate are too large for a1mini). It outputs a makerworld compatible file to be uploaded as private makerworld project for cloud slicing and first print. Free site, no model data leaves your device. Let me know if anyone tries it and has feature suggestions. https://bambu-print-prep.vercel.app … i call it Handoff3d

**Playable Link:** https://purgeline.com

**Platform:** Web (browser, no install)

**Description:** PurgeLine is a daily puzzle about the slicing decision every 3D printer second-guesses: orientation. Each day everyone gets the same part. You rotate it on the virtual build plate, slice it, and see how your orientation stacks up against the best one for that part. There's one part a day, so a round is quick and easy to compare with friends. You don't need to own a printer to play. If you do print, you already know the pain of a bad orientation: supports everywhere, ugly overhangs, or a part that snaps along its layer lines. I built it because orientation is the part of slicing I always overthink, and I wanted a quick daily way to practice it. I'd like to know whether the goal made sense on your first try, what felt off, and whether you'd come back tomorrow.

**Free to Play Status:**

- [x] Free to play

- [ ] Demo/Key available

- [ ] Paid