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3Dponics is a low cost, open source 3D-printable hydroponics system. Once installed, you can easily grow your own vegetables at home – even inside or on a balcony!
When we learned they were using Sketchfab to explain their components to their community, we had a chat with them.
Can you tell us a bit more about 3Dponics?
3Dponics is the first 3D-printable hydroponics system, the first Internet-enabled 3Dponics system and, soon, it will be completely solar-powered (possible because of its small electrical footprint).
The system is made of 3D-printed components and a few other recyclable or easily sourced parts. We encourage the public to download 3Dponics parts for free and build their own system, because we want you to benefit reap the benefits and join our community of users.
One way we’re achieving all of this is by first uploading our files and making our models visible in 3D on Sketchfab. We want you to really see your 3Dponics parts before printing them, just as you would an item in a store.
We certainly benefit using Sketchfab to publish our 3D-printable 3Dponics parts online and so do you—here we’ll explain how.
Why is it important to show your parts in 3D?
Not everyone who’s keen on 3Dponics is familiar with a hydroponics system or the parts required for setting 3Dponics up. This is why it’s important that users are able to see the parts clearly and from every angle before they decide to order, print and build.
Therefore, it is comforting for us, the designers, that every visitor on our site can easily access our models. Simply scroll down the main page and you’ll find 3Dponics’ 3Dprintable parts, the mains ones and the optional upgrades.
We give visitors the option of clicking to see the models more clearly in 3D on Sketchfab. It’s so simple and fast uploading our models to Sketchfab and we can upload as many as we wish, so it’s no problem to include this viewing option on our site.
What’s more, if we wanted, we could directly embed the Sketchfab viewer on our website.
How does Sketchfab help you reach more people?
We are community-oriented. After all, our main mission launching 3Dponics on Kickstarter was—and still is—to establish a community of users. Right now we have nearly 150 members listed on our site map, and we expect this number to increase in the coming months.
Because catering to and expanding our community of users is a priority, we appreciate the fact that users can easily share our models with their social and professional networks via Sketchfab. Just below images of the models, you can click to embed, share or like the model. This is a great way for you to get the word out on the designs you love.
When your friends or acquaintances with similar interests see that you’ve “liked” or shared certain designs, they are more likely to check them out, thereby helping to expand our community of users.
Our ultimate goal is to work together to improve the 3Dponics system. In order to that, we need you first to like what you see and have no trouble getting started. With Sketchfab—thanks to its clarity and user-friendliness—we are well on our way to achieving this.
Thanks guys, and best of luck with your project!
