Anycubic opens Thingiverse’s model library to its printer users

Consumer 3D printer manufacturer Anycubic has signed an exclusive partnership with Thingiverse that gives Anycubic users access to the platform’s library of more than 2 million 3D models. A dedicated collaboration section on Makeronline is scheduled to go live on November 17.

Thingiverse, one of the largest online communities for 3D printable designs, connects designers and hobbyists through a library of models created and shared by its user community.

As an initial step in the collaboration, Anycubic plans to adapt selected Thingiverse models for multicolor printing and to convert them from STL files to the 3D Manufacturing Format for compatible printers. The conversion is meant to reduce the manual setup users typically handle between choosing a model and preparing it for a print job.

While the Anycubic printers that will support the converted files have not yet been confirmed, both companies have stated they will continue working together to widen the range of supported models.

“Over the past decade, Anycubic has focused on making 3D printing more accessible through affordable printers and materials,” said James Ouyang, Co-Founder of Anycubic. “As 3D printing reaches more mainstream users, people need more than hardware. They also need quality content and simpler ways to turn their ideas into successful prints.

“Building a more integrated 3D printing experience is an important part of our long-term strategy, and working with Thingiverse helps us take another step toward that goal.”

Romain Kidd, CEO of Thingiverse, said: “Anycubic and Thingiverse share a vision of integrating content, software and hardware to deliver a great user experience in an open way.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for 3D printer owners around the world to enjoy the objects shared by creators on Thingiverse. As this project develops, we will keep growing the number of supported objects.”