Questions about 3D printing Survey

User Rosalei on Thingiverse asked me to fill out a survey and per my usual I wanted to post it and my answers here. After some initial questions about my demographic and a strange one about what I do for a living (hint, asking about profession in a survey about 3D printing will give you almost no useful information) the real questions started:

• On [w]hich 3D printing platform(s) are you active? Shapeways or Thingiverse

Both but more on Thingiverse. (Typo on question #1... ooh.)

• For how long have you been active on this platform? 

2 years.  

• How did you find this platform? 

RepRap -> Makerbot -> Thingiverse. 

Other (please specify)

• Do you have access to a 3D printer?

Thanks to a contest and a lot of work I own one.

• Have you ever downloaded a 3D print model (a digital blueprint that can be printed by a 3D printer)?

Who hasn't, right?

• How many times have you downloaded a 3D print model in the past year?

They're free on Thingiverse. Tons. >10? Sure.

• What kind of 3D print models have you downloaded?

Art, Jewelry, Technical objects, ,Replacing parts, Home decoration, Gadgets, Games, all of the above. Did I mention they're free on Thingiverse?

• Have you ever ordered an object that was 3D printed for you?

Yes, and I'd love to tell you more, but this is a survey and I don't get to elucidate.

• How many times have you ordered a 3D object in the past year?

In the past year? 0, but you don't have an option for that so I have to lie and say 1. Do you see what you're doing? You're making me lie.

• Have you ever customized a designed 3D print model, that was already designed by someone else?

Yes. Lots.

• How did you customize these objects?

With raw talent and Blender

• How many objects have you customized in the past year?

Let's see... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18... oh, am I over 10 already. I'll just say >10 then.

• What kind of objects have you customized?

Jewelry, Technical objects, Replacing parts, Home decoration, Gadgets, Games, all of the above.

• What [aspect of the original] did you customize?

I designed custom thing from other things.

• Why do you customize objects?

Add functionality, yes. Personalize object, yes. Mostly because what I wanted didn't exist so I borrowed someone else's work to jump start my project.

• Have you ever designed a 3D print model?

Think this question should have come sooner so you could weed out the designers who would skew your data? I do.

• Have you ever shared a 3D print model you designed on an online platform for free?

Another excellent question that should have been asked 20 questions ago.

• What kind of models have you shared?

Art, Jewelry, Technical objects, Replacing parts, Home decoration, Gadgets, Games, all of the above.

• Do you allow people to customize or modify your free models?

Yes, they can be completely modified.

• Why did you choose to share your 3D print designs?

To show them to a large public, yes. To allow people to change them, yes. To see what happens to them, absolutely. Because I use the designs of others, sure. And because I'm cool like Tesla.

• Do you share your designs using licences of Creative Commons?

Yes

• Under what licences do you share your designs mostly?

Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike

• Explain why.

Because it's the default on Thingiverse, because I don't want to have to think about licensing, because cool like Tesla.

• Have you ever sold a 3D print model on an online platform?

Yes.

• What kind of models have you sold?

Art, Jewelry, and Games mostly.

• Do you allow people to customize or modify the models you sell?

Everything I sell is also available for download on Thingiverse.

• Have you ever sold a 3D printed physical object that you designed yourself?

Yes.

• What kind of physical 3D printed objects have you sold?

Art, Jewelry, Games

• Were the physical objects you sold personalized/customized for the people that bought them?

Potentially.

• Have you ever created an application for the customization or 3D print models?

No.

• Have you ever shared anything else (text, code, music, movies, etc.) openly using licences of Creative Commons?

Yes, actually.

• What other things have you shared openly?

Code.

• Have you ever used anything else (text, code, music, movies, etc.) openly using licences of Creative Commons?

Code, probably.

Afterward:

I thought I had a pretty good idea what this thing was about at first. Sounded like they were testing the market viability of making customizer apps like the stuff that 3DSystems are snatching up left and right. However in the end it turned towards licencing and I was totally thrown. So I hope this helps someone.

You could probably take the survey yourself and help out Rosalie even more. Enjoy!