Difference between revisions of "Design Sharing Platforms"

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(Platforms for the Hardware Design Commons)
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Revision as of 13:54, 23 March 2015

We refer to online platforms where users share designs of physical objects (hardware). There is a growing number of them and some encourage free hardware, while others help users keep their work non-free and exchange them for money. Some offer various CAD and/or CAM software capabilities or connect users with printing or machining facilities. Some are dedicated to a specific domain, like electronics, or space development. Some platforms are controlled by one company while others are governed more like a commons. These aspects enhance or limit the users' freedoms. In this page we seek to help users choose the platform that aligns best with ethical values and maximises user freedom. Therefore we build a list of the current platforms and indicate their main aspects.

Platforms

As there are so many different online platforms out there, dedicated to hardware designs, we first want to narrow it down a bit. We distinguish those platforms that encourage sharing designs and help people building communities around a hardware design commons, that cover Free/Libre Hardware Designs and Open Source Hardware. And other platforms that build markets around the designs.

Platforms for the Hardware Design Commons

Online platforms for sharing designs
Name Slogan Domain(s) Ownership Sustainability model Software Software license Technical features Encourage sharing Comments
formats rendering version history friending other features default license reputation features
Ohanda 4x Freedoms = Unlimited & Unconditional Electronics, 3D Informal Community CBPP/Donations Unknown - HTML no no no no "4 Freedoms" producer page trademark protection
Thingiverse Digital Designs for Physical Objects 3D MakerBot Industries, LLC Sell MakerBot printers Unknown Unknown stl, obj, thing, scad, amf, dae, 3ds, x3d, blend, ply, dxf, ai, svg, cdr, ps, eps, epsi, sch, brd yes no follow collections, customizer, apps, API CC BY-SA user profile, likes, made one, watch, remix Shout out QR tag
Openbuilds Dream it - Build it - Share it 3D, electronics OpenBuilds Part Store Margins on parts sales Unknown Unknown SketchUp, gCode, STL, dwg, obj, jpg, doc, , etc No No follow forums CC BY Ratings, likes, views, user profile Share a part;

OpenBuilds Store incl FairShare program

Youmagine Share Your Imagination YouMagine 3D BV ? Unknown Unknown STL, AMF, SCAD, JSCAD, OBJ, DAE, OFF, 3DS, PLY yes no follow collections, ideas, comments, direct message, QR print out CC BY-SA rate, favourite, # downloads, user profile Partnership with Ultimaker
Open Hardware Repository a place on the web for electronics designers at experimental physics facilities to collaborate on open hardware designs Electronics CERN CBPP/community Chili Project GPL v2 any no yes (git / wiki) no per project: mailing list, git repository, wiki, news, documents, issue tracker CERN OHL user profile, activity statistics, highlighted projects community encouraging freedom & openness in electronics
Fritzing Electronics made easy Electronics University of Applied Science Potsdam CBPP/Donations Fritzing GPLv3 Fritzing, Gerber, SVG, PDF, XML, Spice Breadboard, Schematic, PCB, Code no no Forum, Sharing, Autorouting CC BY-SA user profile services for PCB production, parts, ...
Open Design Engine Web portal to publish the entire design process for open source hardware projects Electronics, 3D Mach30 Foundation for Space development CBPP/Donations Redmine GPLv2 any file no yes no Wiki, Forum, Roadmap, Gantt, Issue tracker, News Clear distinction between Hardware/Software/Documentation licenses user profile Complete design process, OSHW only
Makeystreet Stuff that a maker would find interesting Electronics, 3D Alex J V (OSHW maker) Unknown Unknown Unknown any document, image or video (upload or link) no yes yes groups, assemblies, subassemblies, insights, forum, private/public projects no license userprofile, reviews, contribution stats governance & licenses should be clarified
Bld3r A 3D Printing Social Network 3D private CBPP/Community Bld3r AGPL Any file: upload / link / torrent no no yes printshelves (to print & printed), comments, wiki free and NC licenses user profile, ratings of user, objects, comments Commons based community
Yeggi Search engine for printable 3D models 3D yeggi UG (Ltd. Germany) Advertising unknown unknown any no no no lists, tag notifications any 3D model from the web popularity search engine
ThingTracker A proposal on sharing designs and projects in the maker community. 3D, electronics, any thing Gary Hodgson c.s. CBPP Specification on Github no license specified any file a distributed protocol for a thing network
Libre3D 3D
DIYdrones The leading community for personal UAVs UAVs Chris Anderson/3D Robotics CBPP Unknown Unknown no no yes blog, forums, groups CC BY profile page 3D Robotics store integrated

Platforms for Design Marketplaces

Here follow just a few wellknown platforms that favour the sale of designs over commons-based forms of knowledge sharing.

Online platforms for sharing designs
Name Slogan Domain(s) Ownership Bus. model Software Software license Technical features Encourage sharing Added value Comments
formats rendering version history friending other features default license reputation features machining service market place
Shapeways Shop Design Sell 3D Company: Shapeways BV Charges for 3D printing Unknown Unknown STL, OBJ, X3D, DAE, Collada or VRML97/2 (WRL)[1] no follow no sharing Twitter, FB Many materials Users can have their shop Not focused at sharing designs but selling products
Ponoko Get Your Product Ideas Custom Made By Our Designers & Robots. Ponoko Ltd Charges for lasercutting and 3D printing Unknown Unknown EPS, SVG, STL, DAE, VRML97 no no no user shop, showroom, contact CC BY user profile, comments yes yes
3D FileMarket A growing 3D Printing Community 3D private Advertising, commissions on model sales unknown unknown no no no non-free peer rating, view and download statistics no models can be purchased (20% margin for platform) Marketplace
Threeding 3D Printing Marketplace 3D Company (based in Bulgaria) Commission & 3D printing Unknown Unknown STL, WRL yes no no printability check, wishlist non-free user profile, peer rating yes yes
Etsy Your place to buy and sell things handmade 3D objects and models private Sales commission unknown unknown no no yes reviews non-free favourites, treasures, comments no yes market place of unique objects
SketchFab 3D
SproutForm Connecting maker communities with brands 3D

To be added

Legend of Variables

  • Name and URL
  • Slogan
  • Ownership: private, commons
  • Business model: membership, donations, freemium services, ...
  • Platform software: Name & URL
  • Platform software license
  • Technical features:
    • Allowed CAD formats: STL, GCode, ...
    • online rendering
    • version history: is there a versioning system included in the platform
    • friending: enables users to become friends/followers/contacts: yes/no
    • other features: groups/teams, collections, forum, wiki, ...
  • Encourages sharing:
    • Default license: the license that is selected as default option or otherwise the most used one
    • reputation features: like user profile, peer rating mechanisms, ...
  • added value:
    • machining services: 3D print, lasercut, CNC, ...
    • marketplace: where users can sell and purchase designs
  • Comments