January 23rd Update: New create page, see your 0 markup sales, and more!

Hi guys,

We put out a big release today including some awesome tools to manage lead times for our supply chain team, which is HUGE step towards getting your products to you faster

Zero $0 markup sales are now visible in your My Sales page. A part of this is it also shows your own orders from your shop, which we didn't intend to surface. We'll be fixing that in the next few days!

New 'Create' page making the upload process easier, and highlighting tips and tutorials. Check it out: https://www.shapeways.com/create

Model sizes are the same after upload -so your dimensions match up on screen

-Natalia

Just some initial feedback,

There used to be an upload button/link on every page - a single click
That went away and then then came the 'Upload' button at the top of every page under the creat menu - still a single click but not as obvious as previously.
Both of the above had the opportunity to change the model title at upload time.
Now to upload a model is two clicks away for the experienced and the page is too busy for the noob (and for me too).

Paul

[edit] the '3D model to Print' link at the bottom of the page launches a new window to https://www.3dmtp.com/ whilst simultaniously launching a new window to https://www.shapeways.com/undefined

Thanks for your feedback Paul.

I'm all for having the Upload always close at hand. With this update the path uploading a new design is as long as it was before. What we released today, was the first glimpse of all the efforts we're doing to the upload process.

As 3D printing isn't your typical every day task for many, there's lots to communicate in the chain of events that go into 3D printing. We're making an effort to present this information in compact and logical form for the new Shapeways fans at a point where the 3D printing experience starts. For pros like you, we're hopefully giving a handy way to access shipping dates, material info and other content you might need to check up every now and then.

You brought up a interesting point on editing the model title. Could you elaborate little more how your typical upload-to-print process goes?


- Henrik

Yes, can we please get the clean and clear upload page back ?
As an expert option if need be, but not this grossly overloaded page that
loads a bunch of videos and whatnot...

Edit: and +1 on the ability to change the title during upload - I often find it useful
to use a seemingly nondescriptive filename "internally" (often a sample number
or database code in my case), and still want to use a "real" name on my models
page (and I do not even have a shop yet). With the old page, this was easy.

My upload process goes;
1) hover over 'create' click upload,
2) select model file
3) change title (the title is the same as the model file name so needs to be changed - it is simpler to do this at upload time than on the model edit page)
4) ensure mm is selected
5) click upload
6) walk away, have a coffee, or answer emails etc
7) await printable confirmation email
8) if the model is for me, do nothing, if the model is for a client, set as private, set 'allow downloads', email client with link

3D printing isn't a task for me either, but understanding how the system works and what I need to do to get a model printable is 2nd nature now.

Also, it is not clear that 'create product' means 'upload model file' - for the noob this could be more confusing.

Paul
[hr]

stop4stuff Modeller for hireShapeways Shop - Controller PendantTwitterYouTube​

[hr]

My problem is that the new upload process doesn't seem to work at all. I upload my file, select inches and hit submit. I get the success screen, but no confirmation email and models aren't showing up in My Models. So, what gives?

Disregard...it seems like the process is just taking longer, but just got the confirmation email.

I agree with Stop4Stuff and mkroeker.

I believe the wording is especially bad - I think 'Create Object', 'Create Model' would both be better and less corporate and alienating to people. After all, I would guess most SW users, while they may like to think they will profit from it get most of their satisfaction from the act of creating. Imagination to bits to atoms etc.

As an aside, have you ever thought of A/B testing? Or running your mods past your users before you implement? Beta testing...?

Cheers

I agree with Stop4stuff. At least for somebody with experience at Shapeways, the new "Create" page is awfully overloaded and unneccessary. It may be quite good for beginners. I suggest to keep an additionel "Upload models" page.that only is used for uploading models-

And another point: The first box: "Upload your design / Select 3D file" box"
The red part with "Select 3D file" is a button to upload the file - fine.
But the cursor already changes to a hand symbol when you reach the white part of the box, but nothing happens if you click at that point. Very confusing..

Happens under both Firefox and IE (32bit)

Greetings
Dragoman

Upload page looks scary.
Too much.

"Add a whole new dimension to your 3D designs."
I can print 4D now?

'Add a whole new dimension' seems to be true:

Something goes wrong now by the interpretation of STL file units.
An STL file set in mm and then uploaded in millimetres now somehow becomes meters???

The same with older STL files, so should be a problem in the translation of the new Shapeways upload system.

Please fix this bug!

Indeed.

There seems to have been an increase in the number of models uploaded, and so the 'queue' to process models is a little longer.

Edit: Clarification on the issue of queue processing times.

Thank you for pointing this out

A fix for this will be going out in our next release cycle.

Hey guys,

Quick update on a quick fix: your My Sales page now shows your $0 markup sales, but NOT your own orders

Natalia

hmmm.... could the extra models being uploaded because your system spits our random fail errors so people keep trying?
reference - https://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=12526& amp;start=0&

Beta testers really do need to be used and listened to.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thank you for taking the time to give feedback.

I have edited my comment to be more in line with what I was actually replying to. I hope this reflects better the explanation I was attempting to give; I apologise if that lead to any confusion.

Regards,

Christopher

Your own orders have also been removed from the "Sale Overview Download" Excel files of the "My Shop" page... :cry: That a pity, I found this information very relevant.
I can be useful to show the CS that the model that suddently cannot be printed anymore had print 10 times and 15 if you include your own prints. Or it can allow you to compare how much you earn with how much you spent on Shapeways
And it was easy to filter if you did no care about your own orders since the "Country" column was not filled with a valid country.

Nobody else would like this information to turn back into the Excel file?

I said "keep it" to begin with

It appears the update 3d file in the edit model screen no longer functions properly in IE9 but works in firefox.

The file dialogue appears but nothing happens after that (no unit selection)

The upload button on the top menu also seems to be a bit dodgy - the uploading file appears but it doesn't seem to send the file (just a few bytes uploading)