(Updated March 5, 2023)
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Thangs.com is one of my favorite stl file sharing sites for finding the best models to 3d print.
There are two major reasons I keep coming back to Thangs. First, they scan the entire internet looking for 3d printable files and offer results from many other file sharing sites. There’s no need to hunt around for the perfect model, Thangs can present you with everything the internet has to offer.
Thangs has Contests!
The other reason I love Thangs are the contests. Though I’m still a newbie when it comes to design, I appreciate websites that attract talented designers by offering them prizes. They hold two kinds of contests: weekly open-ended contests and less frequent themed contests.
Thangs.com Weekly Contest
Thangs runs an ongoing weekly contest that starts every other Friday. There are 10 leagues within the contests with an assortment of themes, and anyone can enter for a chance to win one of the many prizes awarded each session. At the end of the week, the slate is wiped clean and everyone starts fresh!
There are 7 themed (art, articulated, functional, home, minis, print in place and toys/games), plus a “best of league” labeled ALL for over all winners, and a Premier League for professional designers.
New designers are given a “boost” to even the stakes a bit: 3x for people under 100 followers, and 1.5x for those under 1000 followers.
All models uploaded to Thangs are automatically entered in the contest!
How Points are Earned
- Upload as many models as you’d like, but only your top performing model will accumulate points each week for its defined category. A designer only receives points for the highest performing (most points) model that week where the primary category selected was the category for that league.
- Unique downloads (5 points): For all models uploaded in the current period (one week interval)
- New likes (3 point): On models uploaded in the current period (one week interval)
- Boosts: < 101 followers receive a 3x multiplier, 101–1000 followers receive a 1.5x multiplier, >1000 followers receive no multiplier. Don’t worry, you’ll only level up between contests!
- Premier league points are accumulated from Marketplace sales and new memberships within the current contest period. (Membership renews are not included). In order to participate in the Premier League, designers must opt-in under the Thangs contest settings.
A leader board is posted on the website so you can track the competitors. This is not only a fun way to track the contest, but a great way to discover popular designers you may not have seen
The 10th league: Maker League
Nope, I didn’t lose count! The tenth league is for everyone!
If you’re not a designer, there is still a way for you to join in the fun — the Maker League. This is a unique division within the contest for everyone printing the models! To enter the Maker League, you will need to upload a photo of your finished print to model’s page (and tell all your friends about it so they can vote for you).
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Thangs.com’s Themed Contests
Thang’s has also been holding themed contests to bring attention to new features. Recent contests have focused on their Remix Function, which brings a copy of a remixable model into the Thangs Workspace where you can add your own improvements and adjustments. Thangs has a Blender Addon to make things even easier, but using Blender isn’t necessary.
FYI: Models with the blue “remix model” button are ok to remix because the creator gave permission when they uploaded their model to Thangs.com. If you don’t see the blue button, you don’t have permission to alter and re-upload the model.
What Can You Win from Thangs.com?
Thangs.com is working with two major 3D printing retailers to provide gift cards for a variety of merch available around the globe: Matterhackers and 3DJake. This lets you pick your prize, from a bag of nozzles to entire printers.
