No Limit Creations has launched a new project on crowd funding community Indiegogo that promises a new completely open source 3D model marketplace with an expansive selection of low-cost models that will print on any 3D printer on the market. That’s a project that any maker can get behind, and they need your help to fund it.
One of the things that we don’t like to talk about when we try to sell people on the wonders of 3D printing is, well, how very frustrating it can be to try and 3D print at home for some people. Most machines inexpensive enough for home use do not come with a built-in library of models to print and unless you have a printer made by a specific manufacturer many of the larger 3D model marketplaces are not going to be able to help you. That means you either have to design your own, which isn’t something that everyone can do, or find open source models and STI files, which limits your available selection and can come with it’s own set of risks if they don’t come from a trusted source. Essentially, you still have to be a bit of a maker to be successful at 3D printing at home. And that’s fine for a community of makers, but you’re not going to have a lot of luck convincing 3D printing luddites to adopt a new technology when it can seem to them that the technology spends a lot of time fighting you.
No Limits Creation is looking to compete in an increasingly crowded space of model content but the team promises that all of the objects that they sell will automatically translate for the model of printer that you own. Each model will cost .99 cents, and part of that fee will go directly to the 3D model creator who uploaded it. On their campaign they compare it to iTunes, which is a lofty goal, but I would liken it more to a 3D printing Etsy aimed at the open source community. Take a look at the Indigogo campaign video here to learn more about their open source philosophy:
Their primary goal is $98,000 CAD to launch the website, complete a companion smartphone app, advertize and cover the operating costs. Currently they’re at just under $2,000 CAD so they still have a way to go. But it is a flexible funding project, so anything that you contribute is going to help them reach their goal whether the project completely funds or not.
If you help fund No Limits Creations then you will also be supporting the charitable side of the project, No Limits Caring. And while I love the idea of an open source marketplace for charity, I’m afraid that this is also where the project gets a little confusing. The project creators haven’t given us a lot of details about the specifics of the way the charitable arm of the project will work yet, but the campaign is only a week old so I’m sure there will be more updates coming soon, especially if this is as integral a part of the company as suggested in the video.
Take a look at their Indiegogo campaign here, and if you like the idea of an open source 3D model marketplace then go ahead and buy them a cyber hug, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.
