Have you ever designed something, but before it was finished

MakerWorld
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You see that somebody else just uploaded a very similar model? What do you typically do in that case? I generally do a quick search of MW and see if there are any very similarly designed models to what I’m planning to do and if it doesn’t exist or my idea is different enough from what out there already, I’ll go ahead and model it. But sometimes things will sit in fusion for a couple weeks partially done until I have the time to complete it, and before it’s done, somebody releases something that is very close to what I was making.

Do you scrap the project, make changes to it so it’s different enough or release it anyway as is? Does it mater to you if it’s a small creator with only a few models vs a popular one with a large following?

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I’ve had this happen to me a number of times. Usually how I react to it depends on how much work I’ve accomplished on the project, and what the project means to me.

Generally speaking, I don’t think it should be a world/situation where we should stop short of working on or releasing something just because someone else did it too. People like to try and monopolize ideas, but just. No. Part of 3d printing is not being locked into someone else’s idea of what something should be.

There’s been a few times where I’ve seen models come up that were more or less the same thing I was working on, or the same basic idea. If I’m not too far in it, I’ll just shelve the idea. I personally try and avoid working on popular stuff, doing me too type models, or whatever, unless I have a personal interest in it or a specific goal in mind.

With the card shuffler I did, I ran into this. 5 days before I released mine, someone else had released a card shuffler (Sleeved Card Shuffler by k2thestank - MakerWorld)

This had been a project I had been thinking about for a few years though. I had gone through a couple of early stabs at the model before I ended up down the road that brought us my final model.

I honestly felt a little awkward and weird about it. I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes or take away from their work. The model I made though, it wasn’t just some random idea, and it wasn’t something I would have been okay abandoning just because someone released one a week previous. It was a project a little more personal to me.

Beyond that, I have certain specific goals I hoped to accomplish with mine, and even with that person’s release, their model didn’t touch those goals at all.

I wonder sometimes. I wonder if that guy saw mine, if he cursed my name, or just didn’t care at all. Regardless, there’s room for both of us, and both of our designs improved upon previous versions.

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Oh that’s funny, I scrapped my second spool project when I saw yours. :laughing: I hadn’t gotten too far on it, so it’s no big deal, but yours looked really nice and mine was going to be a screw type as well and I didn’t want to compete with it.

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Several recently.

One designer entered three versions of a design I thought was great so created my own before the contest started.

I do not know if I should scrap it, delay its upload or something else I haven’t thought of.

It is based on a very distinct shape.

Uploading it might have people think I created it after seeing their model, when chances are we were both influenced by seeing the thing in real life.

A different model I built and was ready to upload meant I bought a couple of hundred marbles (l only required one) to find the thing uploaded a day earlier and doing very well.

I have no easy answers as I am up that creek without a paddle.

Everything I build takes significant energy I just don’t have much left of. It is a shame to leave them on the shelf.

I have received so much hate recently, I expect the narrow minded would start another lying campaign.

Ironically, these models are nothing like my normal models.

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I’ve got huge list of ideas that’s growing still, so if I see anything released that’s on the ideas list I might just print that instead of making my own.

Since I’m not skilled at all, have little spare time and the tool choices I have are limited (slef imposed jail, I know) when I finally get to work on something that’s already a time investment and following sunk-cost fallacy I’ll work on the thing, print it for myself and most likely publish :slight_smile:

I’d say: just upload. If you’ve spent time on it, there’s the reason to upload. And if the design is finished: very much upload :slight_smile:

Regarding online hate - I wouldn’t care and let it get to you. It’s less annoying and less threatening chihuahua yapping from behind window on the 2nd floor while you’re passing by the house :wink: Ban/block/ignore/mute all work nicely. And obviously report.

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Worst than designing a model and uploading it just to see that someone had also uploaded a similar concept, is when you upload something and weeks/months later someone uploads a “similar” concept that is a rip off of your own model.

By my own rules, and since Makerworld is not fast or responsive enough to rip offs, upload your models at will and don’t think about it. Just keep the project so you can show them in case it gets reported.
I know i will start doing it soon and without any regards for other similiar models. “It’s almost identical?! Yeah, good luck, it was my idea too”.
It’s the only game possible in Makerworld and the only one that will bring me, and anyone else, benefits in the long run.

When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade :sweat_smile:

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I have discussed this with @Josh-3D, can we agree it is the one that is carbonated rather than the drink by the same name in America?

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As long as it’s made with lemons, all fine by me :sweat_smile:

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This thread touches on something I’ve been thinking about lately, ‘How to create solid documentation around your design for proving it was your original design?’

What is necessary to prove you made something?

I have journal entries when I first had an idea. I have file and code commit timestamps for showing when I was working on the idea.

What else?

Typically I make 10+ prototypes of something before I settle on its final design, should I keep a photo journal of images of that design process? That seems like solid evidence.

I’m curious what others are doing.

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If you put a bunch of work in it, I would definitely upload it.

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Before I work on a design, I do a reasonable look-around to make sure there isn’t something similar already. Designing a model takes a lot of hours and iterations. I want the end result to be worthwhile, be unique and not a “me-too” model.

Becaue of the significant amount of time and works. I don’t have concern about how to prove I made it.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon chicken, because everyone else makes lemonade :slight_smile:

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Do you ever look on other 3d model sites prior to designing or just MW?

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An articulated lemon chicken. That’s it! Thanks for the idea :sweat_smile:

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MW, Printables, Cults3D. I used to check on Thingiverse, too. But have since found that many (too many :slight_smile: ) people tend to copy each other and if a design isn’t on the three that I check then it’s unlikely on any others. I will keep monitoring if my current “due diligence” routine continues to be sufficient.

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I used to check multiple places, but since I’m not active on the other sites and I only upload to MW, I rarely look at them. With the case of my handgun rack though, I looked everywhere because I was putting a lot of effort into it and I wanted something that was truly unique and create a design that had never been done before. But for regular models, I only look here now.

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I think unless it’s you very first upload just checking your profile should almost be enough to tell if you’re doing real design work or just copy other peoples stuff, If I had invested time I would probably upload it anyway but maybe hint out the other model (especially if he uploaded first you can clarify very much that that one is very certainly not a copy of your model)

I think with simple stuff and common problems it’s pretty common that different people come to similar solutions, especially if it’s something with a simple geometry it might be really the same thing in a way. (If I recall correctly the bow has been re-invented by humans several times continents away.)

If I got an idea I really want to do myself I kinda avoid searching for it beforehand to avoid getting too much inspiration from other designs.

TBH I think most difficult is the area between a remix and a new design where you’re heavily inspired by something but also too far away to really still call it a remix - in the end it’s usually best to be cautious, humble and honest. Contribute your fellow creators and talk with them if your unsure.
I think that thinking too much about copycats, people stealing each others designs etc. can really sour your day and overall the mood in the community. (as can too much stealing / too little enforcement - but too much enforcement usually hurts the wrong people )

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Repeatedly. Sometimes a worse model, sometimes better.
One thing that happens often is people post a very specific model (keyboard leg for “brand LOG model 123”) instead of a customizable/flexible model (like Customizable Keyboard Leg/Foot by ChrisCox - MakerWorld ). Just because a few specific models are posted doesn’t remove the need for a more customizable model for everyone else, especially for those who can measure but don’t know how to use CAD.

But sometimes there are other issues involved. Several years ago a resin manufacturer asked several different modelers to create strength test specimens models… without telling them that multiple people were working on it. So within a week at least 4 very different designs got posted to Thingiverse. Now email from that manufacturer goes directly to the SPAM box. (well, they had ghosted on a previous issue too, but I gave them a second chance.)