Multiple Texture Choices for FullColorSandstone and FullColorPlastic

To resurrect an old thread https://www.shapeways.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto=263 79

Now, with Full-Color Sandstone and Plastic and thinking of FirstToTry, I think this suggestion is even more timely.

Several designers I know of have multiple models that are just "skins" applied to a single underlying geometry. From a technical viewpoint, the geometry of the model is printable regardless of what the paint job is.

As it stands today, to offer the same model with 10 different paint schemes, we'd be forced to go thru FTT for each of the ten items. And, a bit worse, the ten items would each have to be uploaded, priced, and marketed individually. It would make a LOT of sense to have this ability for a customer to be able to pick a skin from the gallery and then order it - off of ONE file upload.

This would be absolutely amazing to see implemented and would open up a huge variety in quite a few people's shops. As it stands, I've been wanting to start selling some models that are pretty much the same except with different textures, but my method would make this hugely expensive.

My method being that I do not sell models that I have never printed before; this sort of adds up in the testing of prototypes department. If this suggestion were to happen, I'd be a very happy Cal.

And it should be possible to do it in a per material too, not just for co-creators. Hint:



Plastic model will look wrong with sandstone text.

I think the basic idea of the OP is an excellent one - once the structure is proven, all of the hassle should be avoided for variants, as you say @stony.

However...until each of the 'paint schemes' has been proven in a similar fashion we don't know how they will turn out. There have been numerous posts in the past for FCS about how to get the right output colours, and relating to conversion maps etc. Are the models you and @stannum have created not partly to see how these mappings work?

As I say, the original idea is a good one, but by adding colour extra pathways for things to go wrong are added.

Are there any checks (and rejects) related to colors? Or all them are about geometry? Plus, there is no fully color corrected workflow... so...

I think I see what you are saying - but even though SW might not reject it, there are surely printed outcomes that are not what the designer intends or the customer wants, and that has to be taken into account.

Hi there,

There are two points in one here.
First what Stony is proposing: allowing a designer to offer a variety of design with the same e 3D model and different texture as a single model. This very important to avoid the useless multiplication of models in a shop and to avoid useless checks on identical models by Shapeways team.
The second point is to allow customer to customize their models by themselves by uploading their own picture.
See these examples:
- Double Puzzle-15
- Square Fabric
- Sphere Ring
Without customization those 3 models make little sense for customers and will not sell.
Currently this customization goes through the designer that has to download the image (that was previously uploaded by the customer) swap the image of the customizable model in a zip file with that image and upload the resulting zip file to Shapeways so that it is visible by the customer and (s)he can buy it.
By allowing the customer to immediately see the result of his/her customization after the image upload, not only (s)he will have a more fluid purchasing experience, but (s)he will be part of the creative process. At that moment you really will be allowed to call this "co-creation". I used to offer this kind of customization on FCS (for marbles). And honestly my added value in replacing one file in a zip archive is nearly zero. My only interventions were when the proportion of the image was not the one I asked. Cropping images is not very fun. I prefer spend my time creating new models. I stopped offering customized models for this reason.

So to sum it up, if Shapeways really want the Full Color materials to be successful they must take all the initiatives to ease the process of adding colors and images to the models.
And this proposed initiative is a low hanging fruit. Automating the replacement of a default image in the zip archive of a model by the image uploaded by the customer is technically very easy, and the benefits for both the customer and the designer are really huge.

So, what are we waiting for?

Yes, I understand and as I said twice I think the basic idea is good.

What you don't answer is my point about how the images (loaded by the designer or the purchaser) are controlled for printability. If someone uploads an image that does not come out well (as documented in many posts) they will not care if the model structure is perfect.

Oh sorry, I missed this one. For me images are artistic consideration, and Shapeways must only take care of technical issues.
I never had any issue of rejection because of images. Did you experiment that?
Concerning customers that would complain about the images the designer proposed or the ones they uploaded themselves, all I can say is that the preview rendering as never been better than today.

+1

I plan to do some animated characters in the new material (when i have the budget) and the characters can have different color palette.

I don`t think Shapeways must have concerns about the colors used by the designer , that part it is not part of the printed base mesh , it is part of designers decision.

The option can be enabled after successful printed "first prototype" and not enabled right away.

Like if first print lands ok and designer it is ok with it then the designer can change the texture file and have option to have different textures/paint uploaded to the same product.

One example : An animation character design , has eye blue , body black , tongue blue / can vary in colors of eye and tongue / and body , or have textured cloth. etc

Sandstone has scary rules this one has nice rules so I`m confy I can do nice things in it.