Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A Great Reason to Invest in Cubify Invent

The actual cost of adopting a new piece of software is rarely limited to the purchase price.  We usually have to invest a good deal of time and effort before we master the application.  So, I choose those products into which I will have to invest that time very, very carefully.

Moment of Inspiration was one of the products that has ended up being a fantastic investment.  Every minute spent in mastering it has returned an equal amount of time saved in creating 3D objects.  It has been a great investment.

So, I am very reluctant to turn my attention to a different 3D design package.  There has to be a compelling reason for me to put in the time to learn a new system when I am already very comfortable with the one I currently use.

I have found that compelling reason in Cubify Invent. 

And, that is the fact that the native file format for Cubify Invent (.FUN) permits alterations to the design even after the file has been closed and re-opened.  Obviously, this is not the first program that provides that capability.  But, the fact that it was created specifically for the Cube/Cubify community at an appealingly low cost give it a special place among Cube owners.

In fact, I believe that this capability in Cubify Invent will provide the bridge between experienced 3D designers and consumers with little design experience.  It may well be the door through which the larger consumer community can see a reason for buying their first 3D printer.

It's one thing to simply download finite designs and quite another to be able to download designs along with instructions on how to easily customize and personalize those designs for printing at home.  The STL file format, frankly, cannot deliver that to consumers.  It's a "take what you get" file format.  The .FUN file format, on the other hand, is perfect for giving relatively inexperienced users the capability to modify professionally created designs!

Here is a video that demonstrates the point.


I, personally, see it as giving more value and a wider audience for the designs I upload. 

If the Cube is to penetrate the consumer marketplace, it will be in part, because they believe that a 3D printer gives them the ability to print items unique to their needs using an easy software package.  If they can be shown that they do not have to immediately learn ALL the capabilities of Cubify Invent to be able to print customized objects they might be convinced to try 3D printing.   Combining "template" designs, along with a tutorial on how to customize the template before printing, using one or two simple steps, goes a long way in helping them to see what they can do with 3D printing.

I'd love to know how you feel about the idea that we be allowed to distribute our designs in .FUN file format as well as .STL file format on the Cubify Store.

3 comments:

  1. I love this idea! Where can I find .fun files? My students would love to be able to personalize something already made rather than spend hours (that we don't have together) making them from scratch!

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  2. It turns out that Cubify Sculpt has the ability to bring in ANY STL file and modify it. This broadens the possibilities for customizing existing designs way beyond that of Invent.

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