Gambody’s New Website Feature: Download Free Samples of STL Files to Test a Model’s Printability Before Purchase

We always enjoy writing about popular 3D printing marketplace Gambody, which specializes in buying and selling models from popular video and computer games, as well as the occasional Star Wars and sexy Harley Quinn model from time to time. This summer, the customizable, ever-expanding Gambody platform launched an online workshop on its own YouTube channel to teach users how to properly paint their intricate 3D models of video game characters, and also introduced Halloween editions of scary 3D printable masks based on popular gaming characters. The platform announced that it released a new feature last week, which was integrated into the website on Valentine’s Day, and it seems like it will be very helpful for its users – you can now download several different STL files of 3D models for free, so you can test out their printability and quality first before purchasing all of the files.

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions and tinkering around with the STL files, along with your 3D printer’s settings and slicing software, you can still get failed prints from time to time. While some people just shrug and chalk it up to one bad experience, enter a Failed 3D Print art contest, or even use it as the basis for a new business, others get so frustrated that they don’t use the printer again for a long time, which is just a really big waste of money. But Gambody’s new, free feature is the answer for people who want to buy good STL files, but have maybe been burned by a failed print.

“Gambody offers you the option to test the high-poly models,” said Yurii Yefimov, Gambody co-founder and CPO. “We provide printing recommendations and assistance throughout your 3D printing process, starting from the moment you download the free STL files to the moment you will hold your 3D model in your hand. This is done to make sure that all our customers get an ideal 3D model in the end.”

Now, you can download several STL files, at no cost, and test print them first, before you make the decision to purchase all of the 3D model’s files. It’s important to note that, at least for the time being, the Free Download button is only available for STL files for assembly 3D models. You just browse through the available 3D models, and look for the ones that have the word “Assembly” in the title, like this Star Wars T.I.E. Crawler, a model of Hercules versus Hydra, or this Cherno Alpha from Pacific Rim. Once you find the one you want, click the picture of the model, and on its specific page, you’ll see tabs for Source Files, Description, and Printing Details. For the assembly models, you can click on Source Files to see the green Download Free Samples Button, which lets you download multiple STL files for test 3D prints.

The free STL files will be downloaded in a .zip folder, and you can start testing as soon as you’ve extracted the files, though Gambody does recommend that you first read the Printing Details section. Currently, the free STL file samples are available for a total of 53 3D models, which require assembly, on the Gambody platform.

“We believe this new feature will be highly appreciated by our new and recurring customers. It is designed for those who have already bought and 3D printed one of our 3D models and for those who are considering making a purchase,” said Gambody CEO Alexsandr Ignatenko. “For now, this website feature is available only for assembly 3D models, with complex geometry. If it proves successful, we will think of a solution to provide test samples for static models as well.”

Gambody does its best to virtually walk users through the process of 3D printing their favorite models. In addition to this new free STL file sample feature, Gambody has also updated the pages for all of its 3D models, and added photos of the models 3D printed by customers or in-house. If you’re interested in seeing the whole 3D printing process of one of Gambody’s models, you can subscribe to the YouTube channel, and visit the 3D Printing and Painting Workshop playlist.