What is CO3D and how does it help the 3D printing market

CO3D is a fully responsive web platform created to solve a sensitive issue in the 3D printing market: the cost of buying and selling print files in crowdfunding.

From an artist’s point of view, we know that the value of modeling a project for 3D printing is high. Therefore, it has become common, in recent times, to use crowdfunding to make modeling feasible. At CO3D, we offer an appropriate space for modelers to create fundraising campaigns for their models. In an organized and secure way, we provide the necessary resources with sales control and international payment methods.

On the other hand, CO3D gives buyers access to quality projects at affordable costs. Our system has a robust and user-friendly tool so that funders can assess, give their opinion and vote for the approval of a project, the result of which is published automatically and clearly for everyone. In this process, if any party is not satisfied, CO3D provides the intermediation of the case.

This is just a brief summary of what we can provide. Visit www.co3d.art and learn more!

On this blog, we’ll help you find tips, tutorials, and lots of support materials to improve your prints.

Video transcript

Hey guys. My name is Mateus, together with Victor, I created CO3D, a tool that we are going to present now.

I’m Victor and today I work on the development of this platform, which aims to make projects for 3D printing viable

As we already know, the first step in 3D printing is to have a .stl or .obj file. There are several websites that offer templates in this format – some paid and others free. However, most free files are not optimized for printing. They are often models with no preparation or concern for printing requirements.

On the other hand, paid files are prepared correctly, built in parts to decrease media usage and to optimize printing. They are usually more expensive…

With this, it became very common for a group of people to get together to share the purchase of a file for 3D printing, which we call collective buying, or in English, crowdfunding. The famous cows.

And that’s where we came from!

To make the idea clearer, let’s go to the concept. If you haven’t had contact yet, the collective purchasing system works as follows:

It all starts with a project, which has a minimum amount to be collected. This amount is divided into quotas, that is, installments. The person responsible for the project determines that he will only deliver the file to buyers if he sells all those quotas. Otherwise, he decides whether to accept what has been collected so far, or cancel the project, giving back to everyone what has been paid.

Our initial goal was to create a tool to organize the crowdfunding, so that the modeler could sell their files and have control over their sales.

Likewise, buyers have the security of an organized crowdfunding with the modeler’s consent.

As a modeler, you can register a fundraising campaign on the website, informing the total amount you want to receive, the number of participants (quotes) and the deadline you need to carry out the project, if it is not yet finished.

If you want to find an artist to make your model, just register on the website, name your project and send some reference photos. You now have an order on the website and soon several modelers will send you quotes to develop your model.

By accepting one of the proposals received, this project becomes a fundraising campaign on the website, just like the one that the modeler registers when he wants to sell his model.

The coolest thing is that, as you placed the order, your quota is already guaranteed! But beware, you can also buy one or more quotas to speed up the collection and start the modeling period right away.

A project goes through several statuses within the site, but the main ones are:

Request: when looking for a modeler

In fundraising: When a modeler proposal has been accepted or when a modeler starts a campaign on the site. At this point, the project is waiting for the minimum amount to be collected.

Modeling: when all the amount requested by the modeler is collected.

Finished: when the modeling ends and is approved.

Inside the platform, we have the model approval system. All those who made a purchase have the right to give their opinion, approving, demanding adjustments or disapproving.

Finally, we have the classic marketplace, where you can buy and sell models quickly. Also, all successful completed campaigns go there.

Today, all transactions on the site are made through PayPal, which has great credibility among Payment Gateways.

CO3D has a very engaged community on Instagram and we would like to invite you to join. There, we show the campaigns in progress on the site, we post those that have already been completed and even some memes and tips! Go ahead, @co3d.art

If you have any feedback, please give us an opportunity to improve. Contact us on the website or call us on social media. Rest assured that we will give you special attention.