Okay, just to be clear about terminology (again), the “profile” that the interloper provides would be in the form of a 3MF file containing all of their recommended printer settings. And, if I understand correctly, I would only be vulnerable to that if I only provided STL files. Right?
Yes, that is correct. The profile, AKA Printer Profile, is included in the #MF file sent from Bambu Studio.
Let’s keep it simple as you are trying to run, please get used to walking.
You are new at this and likely are not ready to start putting your models on multiple services until you have built up some knowledge to make that easier.
If that is the case, start with MakerWorld and stick with that until you feel comfortable.
- You create STLs with the model data SO you can add them to the 3MF
- You create 3MFs that package the model data and the printer settings.
When uploading to MakerWorld
- Upload the 3MF file, do not also upload the STL.
- You will be asked to provide information about the model.
- You will be asked to provide photos. The cover photo is the first one users will see. Provide the main image you have twice, once for desktops, and again for mobiles.
- You will then be asked to provide information about the profile. You will not need to change anything here.
Only concern yourself about points when you actually have some.
- If you have a change to make, edit the model.
- If you have a different model add it.
If you edit a model, you will upload the NEW 3MF that includes the changes. You will be asked if you want to inform anyone who downloaded the model previously.
- Yes - If the new model has changed, explain the changes.
- No - if you only edited the photos or text.
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Gotcha. Thanks, I appreciate it.
Thanks Malc. You’re a patient man. What part of the world are you in?
I am in the U.K.
My wish for you is to enjoy this. Right now you are fretting about every little detail, most of which should not be on your radar.
If you continue trying to understand everything without actually experiencing the stages as you progress, you will only fail and never truly understand or enjoy things.
Failing is part of success.
If I asked you to juggle 10 apples in the air before you have managed 3 apples, you will drop them all. Why is this any different?
This is a new hobby for you, don’t turn it into something that gets you so out of sorts that you box it up and consider it a wasted journey you couldn’t achieve.
You can achieve it.
I will say it again (almost certainly not for the last time) enjoy the walking, you are not ready for running just yet.
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Thanks Malc.
I visited the UK when I was in the Navy, probably before your parents met 
Here’s a quicky for you: Recently BS started showing four filaments when I open it. I don’t have AMS so I’ve never used more than one filament at a time. It use to show one filament as one would expect. Now it shows four. I feel that I have to change all four of them when the wrong filament is selected.
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I am a 51-year-old child.
Do not worry about how many filaments are shown on the left, think of them as a palette.
Feel free to delete three of them or add enough for 16. It does not matter.
As long as you set one to the filament you will be using and make sure the model has the same colour, you are fine.
It remembers what was there last time you had it open. Chances are you had someone else’s model up and it kept some details.
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That’s exactly what happened. I downloaded a file for a BL nozzle box. It was white and green.
the issue with only sending 3MF file is that folks like me don’t use them… most of the time the settings use to create it do not work on all models. I.E. if it was created on an X1C then the profile will be for that model and setup with the the filament used at the time. I do not use Bambu filament as it is inferior and I have specific filament profiles for each one. so a 3MF file would force me to have to make changes to the 3MF file and save it that way. Also, 3MF files are not portable thus making more work for the end user. I don’t download a print if that is the only option. I don’t have time for that. I appreciate your assisting with the question but TBH you have really over explained. a simple answer is all that need to given.
Most new users do, and most average users do. Advanced users may not want to use them.
I have only had one fail for me and I have printed hundreds. The only one was an extreme set of factors too many to detail here.
Bambu Handy and the cloud slicer handle all of these things, the newbie and beginner and the lacy pro use this all the time.
I have only just started using it. Until two weeks ago I had used every company other than BL and never had an issue with any profile starting with a BL filament.
The 3MF gives you an idea of what the designer intended, even if you choose to use your own settings.
Very little work for the average user given they bought a new BL printer, are downloading from MW and printing to a BL printer.
That is your choice.
Yes, I am answering THE question that was asked, I based my answer on knowing the technical level of the author, the time since purchasing the very first printer and having answered many of the same author’s questions.
Then you didn’t read all the entries. You haven’t read all the other posts where I have interacted with the author. @BillByrd would be the first to admit benefits from information provided in a way that best suits his way of taking it in.
With all due respect. You decided YOUR way and YOUR experience is how someone else should live. You detailed elements the author does not need to worry about now and provided thoughts that cloud his current needs.
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Ah Hah!
Thanks for that!
I appreciate Malc. He’s been a great help. But I do worry about my friend and all the people like him who don’t use BL machines, many of whom don’t even know what a 3MF file is. I’m guessing that I’ve was printing about 5 years before I got my BL machines a month ago. So, in April of this year, I would’ve passed on using someone’s 3MF file simply because I didn’t know what is was. And, I don’t think CURA, the only slicer I knew how to use, will slice them (not sure). I’m so glad that Malc and others educated me about it, and I think it’s great. But I want as many people as possible to try my K-cup dispenser. Right now I’ve got it parked because I’m tweaking it a bit.
I thought your ‘friend’ was a metaphor.
Your only choice here is to provide the STL and describe the printer settings directly to your friend.
You only need to focus on the things you did to make the print successful if there are things to consider or worry about. It’s likely this will only be two or three things unless you have an incredibly difficult print.
I still suggest you focus on MW before you try to publish on multiple platforms. Essentially, get used to one before learning the next.
In the meantime, add the following to what I said before.
- Add your STL in the additional files section
- Add a section in your marketing information to detail those slicer settings to focus on.
This will give the best of both worlds.
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That’s why I upload both a tested 3mf file as well as all the STL files. People can go with whatever they want to and don’t need Bambu’s software to export STLs from 3mf files.
Edit - while single color prints do live here and Bambu sells single color printers, there’s a lot of multicolor prints for single color printer folks to wade through. Granted, some multicolor prints work great on single color printers. I used to do some on mine.
But Bambu is trying for lots of models that work in a certain way with their printers and emphasize the color capability. Plus you get extra “points” if you upload that kind of file.
Your OP was what is better to upload - 3mf or STL files? The question has been answered beyond death. You can upload whatever you want but Bambu/MW rewards 3mf files. They do not penalize uploading STLs.
So if you want to help those who don’t use Bambu Studio, upload STLs. If you want to get points you can accrue and trade for cash/goods, upload 3mf files. And if you want to do both, upload both.
What I can tell you is I have people just download STL files and some download 3mf files. Both get you points. If you care about points, there you go. If you don’t, and don’t care that one group or the other can’t download or (easily) use a particular type of file, just upload whatever is easiest.
But also, why do you even want to upload things? Part of the answer on what kind of files to upload should follow from why you are even thinking about posting designs. If you want a wide market the answer is an obvious upload both. I keep all my documents and files for a project in its own directory. All the STLs are right there along with the 3mf. It’s trivial to upload the STLs when I upload the 3mf.
At any rate, you have way more information than you need to decide what you want to upload. It’s totally your call. All the rest of this is moving clearly into waste of time territory.
No, not at all. My friend starting printing before I did. I laughed because I thought a 3D printer couldn’t possibly work except to make blobs. After seeing his prints, I decided I had to have ones. Possibly the first thing he told me was that I should be on the lookout for STL files because that’s what 3D printers used. I assumed they were the only kinds one could use. He probably still thinks that. He’s not stupid, he probably feels no need to explore other file types. That’s the way I felt about a week or so ago.
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Look at us old dogs learning new tricks.
Yep. I see no reason to only offer one type when I can load both.
As to the reason for uploading in the first place-- I just think it would be very satisfying to think I was able to design something that others might find worthwhile. Will that happen with something as unexciting as a K-Cup dispenser which has probably already been done to death? Probably not. But I had to start somewhere and I’m getting the experience of how to do it. In my five years or so of printing, I’ve only ever been interested in printing functional things rather than trinkets, not that there’s anything wrong with that. I made myself a pill dispenser which is actually a machine. I get a big kick out of using it ever day. To me, that was the test of its usefulness to the world, an actual machine with moving parts. Very satisfying.
I have chosen to print three different categories.
- Toys & things that are interactive
- Practical
- Impractical/pointless
The last one is because I like being stupid.
“This isn’t a great place for those without color printers though.”
Hmm. I guess that makes sense as they want to put the spotlight on their AMS. But, they are in the business of selling unicolor machines too (like mine).
I know this wasn’t for me, but I would like to point something out.
Whilst colour adds something most of use veterans of the 3D printing world have been waiting for since we started, single-colour things are the most common things we tend to use for our own amusement and/or practical solutions.
You should also know that many single-colour things can be made multiple-colour if you think differently.
Each of them can be printed using a single colour printer and a technique called “PAUSE”.
The second one details the steps to achieve it right in the description.
It is possible to change the filament mid-print based on the layer position.
If you look at the red, white & blue fidget spinner, it has three colours. It is currently setup for an AMS. In the BS slicer preview screen, you will find markers at two different points, one to automatically change from the first colour to the second and the other marker changes from the second colour to the third.
If you changed those “Change Filament” commands to a “Pause” command (right click them after selecting with a single-clicking) and tell it to print, the following happens:
- Your print prints using whatever filament colour you have in the printer.
- After a period (1/3 of the height) the printer will pause and tell you it paused.
- YOU remove the existing filament form the printer (you may need the UNLOAD option) and you insert a different colour filament (you will likely need the LOAD option).
- Press resume on the print.
- The print continues to print using the new filament on top of the old filament.
- After a further period (another 1/3) repeat steps 3,4 & 5.
When the job has been completed you have a three-colour model from a single-colour printer. This will not mean you can do everything, but, that takes you to a whole new level of solutions you didn’t know you could do.
Now, what can you do with that information?
You just learned about:
- The PAUSE command
- The Layer level bar (it probably has a real name)
- Manually swapping filaments.
- Changing the commands on the layer level bar to suit your needs.
You achieved this because you manually did the job of the AMS.
You should play with this to get the hang of it. Getting it wrong is part of the journey.
If your needs change, you can always add the AMS on later.