Hello Shapeways,
There are times that a model fulfills all of the design guidelines and yet -- after a test print is done -- Shapeways has some suggested changes to improve printability. I'm usually okay with that and updating the model is no problem.
Some those same suggestions could be applied to other similar models too. For instance, if we're seeing problems printing 0.8mm diameter wires on one model (say, gun barrels on an airplane), and it's suggested to increase them to 1.0mm, that probably applies to other places I've used 0.8mm wires in a similar way. I'd love to go in and improve some old models, to reduce the chance that customers will encounter the same problem.
Unfortunately, if I do this, it sets the dreaded "First to Try" flag, which means not only a scary message on the model's page but increased scrutiny the next time the print is attempted, potentially pointing out other problems and resulting in a rejection for an order. Generally I avoid this -- I'd rather leave an inferior (but successfully printed) model in place than set "First to Try" flag.
It seems to me that
if you can determine that the old model lies completely "within" the new model, you could leave alone the "First to Try" flag. For instance, if I take an existing model that has already printed successfully and I simply thicken a wire from 0.8mm to 1.0mm, I shouldn't incur the First-to-Try penalty. Is it possible for your software to detect such a thing? (I don't mean the bounding box; I mean that the new model has only added voxels to the old.)
If you could change this, I would happily go in and fix some things in my older models where I am fearful to tread today. And I imagine this is true for other designers too. That would result in less misprints for you (higher profits, less shipping delays) and less rejected-on-print designs for us.
Thanks,
Reduced Aircraft Factory