CustomMaker Enhancement Ideas

Discussion in 'Customizable Products & Design' started by clothbot, Aug 31, 2015.

  1. clothbot
    clothbot Member
    I've seen bits and pieces of similar requests from others, scattered across multiple threads, so I figured I might as well capture all my enhancement ideas together in one post.

    Image Placement:

    - need dimension entry fields to display and edit [dx,dy,dz] image size in model units (mm, inches)
    -- checkbox to lock mouse-dragged stretch-box aspect ratio
    -- updates with mouse changes
    - need position entry fields to display and edit [x,y,z] image position in model units (mm, inches)
    -- updates with mouse changes
    -- center at origin
    -- corner at origin
    - need rotation entry fields to display and edit [ax,ay,az] image orientation in degress
    -- updates with mouse changes

    Text Placement:

    - need dimension entry fields
    - need position entry fields
    - need rotation entry fields
    - text align options - center/left/right
    - support multi-line text
    - multiple text boxes
    - store-specific text variables in 'read-only' text boxes
    -- "Shapeways $product_id generated on $month $day, $year" == "Shapeways 242H6BF2R generated on August 31, 2015"

    Digital Preview

    - use an image saved in "Images" as an example in "Customization"
    - generate and save "Customization" render using above example image into "Images"


    For context, here's the little model I threw together to exercise CustomMaker:

    https://www.shapeways.com/product/242H6BF2R/custommaker-bric kframe-6x6x3-with-axle-mounts

    - Lego-compatible reference dimensions: (x/y unit = 8mm, 3-high z unit = 10mm)
    -- X=6*8mm=48mm (-0.2mm perimeter spacing)
    -- Y=6*8mm=48mm (-0.2mm perimeter spacing)
    -- Z=10mm+1.8mm=11.8mm (body+peg height)

    - Embossing image placement, with Z+ being the embossing direction/plane:
    -- Lower-left corner of the embossing image at the origin (0,0,0)
    -- Image centered at (2*8mm,2*8mm) = (16mm,16mm)

    - Text placement:
    -- bottom cavity.

     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
    katie_lopez likes this.
  2. Magic
    Magic Well-Known Member
    I agree with most of the suggestions.
    I tried for the first time the Custom Maker today on my Half Tricky Box, and find it difficult to orient the model as I wished (I know it is round, by I wanted the text to be well oriented relatively to the 3 "sides"). We need to be able to orient the text on the axes of the model, but also to center it so that it is aligned with the center of the model as mentioned in the previous post.
    The mouse is not precise enough.
    BTW, the link "Leave us feedback and suggestions" that appears when you begin a customization does not lead to this forum, which is probably a mistake.
    But indeed this custom maker is already a great improvement.

    [Edit] I wanted to enter the text "Open Me!" but I got the following message: "Oops! Only letters A-Z and numbers 0-9 are allowed". Seriously...
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2016
  3. draw
    draw Well-Known Member
    Some ideas to make image graphics more customer friendly:

    1. Allow customers to define image engraving or
    embossing and heights (subject to distance limitations
    by designer).

    2. Multiple image capability with overlay capability.

    3. Ability to upload and merge a flat bottomed 3D model to
    an area as opposed to only a gray scale height map.

    4. Alternately to 3 develop a tool that does the opposite of
    the 2D to 3D tool to generate a gray scale height map from
    a 3D model, for use with CustomMaker.

    5. Finer control for image up and down movements.


     
  4. StyledForYou
    StyledForYou Active Member
    Allow characters that are not alpha numeric.
    Please, please, please!
     
  5. woody64
    woody64 Well-Known Member
    raised that in another context and they said it's a failure (".:!" .... is missing) but not corrected yet.
    Indeed I don't understand that it's not corrected yet because text input will be often names and you are in the need of "." for Mr. Dr. Bac .....
    Woody64
     
  6. woody64
    woody64 Well-Known Member
    1. Correct placement is sometimes a hell
    2. additional text boxes => i.e. for customizing you will often have names, dates and locations as input (so 3 text boxes won't be uncommon)

    Woody64
     
  7. MadBikeSkills
    MadBikeSkills Well-Known Member
    I am looking at using the CustomMaker for the first time and it doesn't seem to have an align text. Is the suggestion made in the OP (Aug 2015) still not implemented?
     
  8. StyledForYou
    StyledForYou Active Member
    You may want to wait a bit before committing too much time.
    I've been trying to get a bug fixed (that was introduced in late 2016) for the past 4 weeks but have received little feedback as to what's going on. The first fix did not work on both keychains (both of which printed w/o issue for over a year) and now I have heard nothing as to whether someone is looking into it or not. Very disappointing response, to say the least.
     
  9. MadBikeSkills
    MadBikeSkills Well-Known Member
    Shapeways is kinda like the Google of 3D printing, seems when they get tired of working on a feature or upgrade (app in Google's case), they just stop working on it. There are a lot of things I wished Shapeways would do that I don't even bother asking anymore based on a lot of the responses like yours here.

    I was just experimenting with something similar to your key chain (it's not a key chain) but text on a flat surface and it won't even center! Come on, that is basic text formatting. Oh well, I will back-burner this project to see what Shapeways will do,