Product personalisation: engraving / embossing of text and images

Wanted to share the following thoughts for a new SW feature (since new funding is available ...)

In my opinion only personalized products can boost the business of show owners.

Why:
- 3d printing on demand will always be more expensive then mass production
- many customer will only pay the extra price if they have something very personal in hand (I'm thinking here especially on (semi) precious products)

The only way to achieve that is to add customer (user defined) text and images to any product.

If SW could provide such a feature that would be great.

Currently you can do that as cocreator and doing that as designer per hand in an extra run. If that can be placed and done automatically it would be great.

I.e. engraving of a name on a necklace or whatever ....

Any other designer who has the same opinion?

Woody64

P.S.:
I.e. in a first step the designer could define an area where customer text or text choices are allowed.

Interesting idea...

One of yy use case for that is:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/AKDESBLC6/gift-statue-dr?o ptionId=57261641

with a selector at the front = (Bachelor|Master|Abitur|...)
date at the back
first name on the right
last name on the left
and university image on the bottom

Hi,

I uploaded medallion http://shpws.me/IPbe with null ornament center for ability to open customization options. How it will works? On glide center of my pendant I can place any text or picture (embossed/engraved) according to my soft Amalham style. How I would define it in my shop?



Thank you.

Currently you can do it as cocreator item.
There you have the possibility to define a textfield or other input.

But you have to adapt the item afterwards according this input and upload a personalized item.
(this process I think is difficult for you and the buyer)

The idea I have raised above is for example:
- you specify a text field i.e. for initials
- the user can buy the item and enter it's initials
- SW does the engraving per software in the background without your interaction (i.e. boolean operation of your item and the engraved text)

That would immediately put more value to you, your buyers and SW:
- you don't have to interact. there's no need to upload buyer specific items. You design once and afterwards any personalization is done per software
- the buyer can buy a (semi)precious model which is personalized
- SW generated more business on non cocreator items (I think the number of cocreator items is less and personalize able (semiprecious) items in a range between $50 and $120 can be interesting for gifts and worth spending the amount of money)

Don't know if that's a feature SW is interested in, but for me it is!

And I think your example is a perfect item for such a use case

Woody64

Hi,

Thank you for details, I appreciate it.

It would be cool if SW will make ability to add personalized elements (logo, text, etc) directly by buyer, but... it maybe impossible now because similar process (like competitor already has) needs 3D webGL-bazed preview tool. It's dangerous (hacker will able download mesh from VGA-card by special grab program).

More over, after adding engraved text SW needs re-compute prices and re-run printability checks (with fails maybe). Similar options are absent at present time.

Can Chinese hacker be as co-creator? Is he able stole model? Can co-creator sale similar personalized items and make money? Can I sale personalized item to anybody else?

My pendant applicable for engraving later in nearest like service. If SW will ready offer some their automatic personalization for similar items, I am ready place other items (20+ include rings) to my shop (on demand) with my other 150+ ornaments.

Thank you.

Don't know if I understand your questions correctly:

1) yes adding something means additional checks and changed pricing
- changed pricing I'm not sure since for many materials the bounding box is the measure. And this doesn't change.

2) Here I'm not sure in understanding. Currently you are yourself responsible for cocreator models. For the change I propose it depends on the functionality. If you only can give text as input and the new model is generated and visualized by SW in the background then the same 3d data as before is transmitted over the net.

Woody64

Hi,

If you add an embossed text for small medallion in gold, it will more expensive, but engraved text (0.4+ mm depth) on 1mm walls could makes model unprintable (too thin walls).

Can co-creator download my model during customization? Has co-creator access to already customized model? Can co-creator sale customized model in his business?

Thank you.

Maybe you need to take a look on the current cocreator implementation because it seems that your idea about cocreator is different.
(Currently you and only you do the requested changes. You define some input fields which allows the customer to pass parameters for changing your model. But you have to do the changes afterwards and upload a new design. So as far as I do understand you model that would be a fitting modus for your designs)

In a possible automatic scenario (embossing/engraving) you are right. For precious material that can make a difference. For engraving a possible automatic change of the base model can have the design rules in mind. But here comes maybe the difficult part since these rules vary for different materials.

Woody64

Thank you, I will learn more about cocreator means.

Here's the picture of my example:
If the user specified values could be engraved automatically in the base socket that would make my day.


Woody64

COOL!

Just try it right now with my attached pics! http://shpws.me/IPbe

Nice beveled sign!




I suggest add ability to save customization as template in account. It will excellent mean to apply it already created customization for all of other such medallions when I will upload it.