3DBenchy, a widely recognized 3D model used for testing and benchmarking desktop 3D printers, has been transitioned into the public domain. Originally released on April 9, 2015, by Creative Tools—a company known for its innovative digital design solutions—this model has long served as a practical tool for assessing printer performance. In 2024, after Creative Tools was acquired by NTI, a full-service supplier of digital solutions across construction, design, manufacturing, and media & entertainment, the decision was made to open 3DBenchy to the public. Marking its 10th anniversary, NTI’s move to eliminate usage restrictions reinforces the model’s role as a standardized tool for the 3D printing community.
Daniel Norée, the original designer at Creative Tools, created 3DBenchy as a precise calibration tool for 3D printers. Under the guidance of Paulo Kiefe—Creative Tools’ CEO until 2018—3DBenchy was introduced under a Creative Commons: No Derivatives license. This license was intended to protect the model from modifications, ensuring consistency in performance testing. Despite these restrictions, the model’s design quickly became a cultural touchstone. The 3D printing community not only adopted the software as a benchmarking standard but also informally circulated various iterations, even while the licensing terms remained in place. The absence of active enforcement by Creative Tools allowed these variations to proliferate, contributing to 3DBenchy’s iconic status in the field.
In early 2025, speculation began circulating when reports surfaced that Printables, a platform for sharing 3D designs, was removing 3DBenchy remixes. Prusa Research, the company behind Printables, later clarified a third-party report had triggered the removal, not NTI. Statements from NTI indicated no intent to restrict downloads or derivatives, but the incident underscored 3DBenchy’s enduring significance. Anticipation builds as the software approaches its tenth anniversary on April 9, 2025; Daniel Norée and Paulo Kiefe have assumed responsibility for managing the official website and social media channels, ensuring that the model’s legacy remains anchored in open access.
Advances in 3D Software and AI-Driven Design
Backflip, an AI startup founded by Greg Mark and David Benhaim—veterans from industrial 3D printer manufacturer Markforged—has introduced a new tool that converts text and image prompts into 3D models. With $30 million in funding from venture capital firms NEA and Andreessen Horowitz, Backflip’s platform promises to reduce the design cycle dramatically. The tool’s underlying technology leverages novel neural representations, which reportedly allow up to 60x more efficient training, 10x faster inference, and a spatial resolution increase of 100-fold over earlier methods.
Tencent, a Chinese technology conglomerate, has also made strides in 3D software with the unveiling of Hunyuan3D 2.0. This AI-powered tool employs a dual-model approach: Hunyuan3D-DiT focuses on generating high-resolution geometry while Hunyuan3D-Paint applies realistic textures through diffusion models and geometric priors. Internal evaluations indicate that this decoupled system achieves lower Condition-Model Matching Distance (CMMD) and Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) values compared to competing solutions. Hunyuan3D-Studio, a companion interface, further facilitates tasks such as sketch-to-3D conversion and simplified polygon output, thereby addressing common bottlenecks in animation and rapid prototyping workflows.
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Featured image shows Neon 3D Benchy boats by Javen Wilson of Mosaic Manufacturing. Photo via 3DBenchy.
