CGTrader’s Top 3D Printable Models for the Month: Cat Riding a Unicorn, Presidents’ Heads & More!

Each month we review the top viewed and top downloaded models from CGTrader, which reveals much about the latest trends and tastes among 3D printing fans.  After all, CGTrader is a web-based service devoted to makers and customers interested in uploading and downloading 3D printable models. You can sell your latest creation or buy a model to print, and this overview introduces readers to the hottest models of the month — whether its the heads of a wolf or past U.S. presidents on Mt. Rushmore, armed cat figures riding unicorns, dinosaurs, chess sets, or R2D2 style robots.  Here’s this month’s top viewed and downloaded 3D printable models from CGTrader.

Top Viewed 3D Printable Models

1. Wolf Head sculpture

Standing at 15 cm tall with a wall thickness of 1 mm, this intricately designed wolf head is available for $69.00, and is the top viewed model this month. For wilderness fans out there, or those who want to be reminded of the wild within themselves, this model comes with loops for easy hanging, and is designed by voronartcom.  There’s also a smaller 10 cm solid version of the same design available from the designer’s website here.  This larger version is hollow and fully ready for 3D polyamide printing.

2. Cat With Gun Riding Firebreathing Laser Unicorn

People just can’t pass up the opportunity to be part of all this symbolic and mythical mayhem, as an armed gangster cat with a bandana rides a fire-breathing unicorn bareback.  Oh, and you must have a vivid and hopeful rainbow in the background to top off this bad kitty and unicorn duo: the stuff that children’s dreams and office humor are made of. Great for your workplace desktop, as you are reminded of other worlds out there besides Excel spreadsheets or a much dreaded quarterly review.  Instead, gaze lovingly into the eyes of this gunslinging cat and fire-breathing unicorn who seem up to something infinitely more intriguing than what you may have planned.  You can also purchase the item on Shapeways.

3. Infinity Heart

This heart by artmax was widely viewed in the month of February, which makes sense because Valentine’s Day is that month. But Mother’s Day is coming up in May, so this is perhaps why this model remains one of the top viewed.  It was also the winner of CGTrader’s Valentine’s Day 3D Printing Challenge, which you can read about on the designer’s Facebook page. The design concept is simple and compelling, as one heart is split into two cups to represent the unity of love and the merging of individuals.

4. Iron Giant

It’s rather paradoxical when miniature items that are hand-held represent giant creatures, and this is one example. But the idea has caught people’s attention, because it is one of the top viewed models this past month. (Perhaps people are attracted to the idea of downsizing something that’s usually ominous and intimidating — like an iron giant!) This fun little mini giant sculpture is by XANA, and available for downloading for $5.00.

5. Mount Rushmore

I grew up within a day’s car ride of Mt. Rushmore. This iconic and geological and artistic monument is a salute to past presidents and really, U.S. history itself, but I never visited it in person.  Maybe this 3D model is intended for both those who have visited and still can’t get enough of the place, or those who have always yearned for the experience of seeing four U.S. presidents’ faces carved into the side of rock, which is really part of nearby stolen Lakota Sioux land. Presidential history buffs? Unnatural wonders of the American Midwest region buffs?  This model is for you!

Top Downloaded 3D Printable Models 

1. Famous Paris Buildings

Paris is famous for its architecture and fascinating history, and lefabshop’s collection of well-known and beloved Parisian landmarks is one of the top downloaded models this past month. The Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame, the Sacre-Coeur, the Louvre — and other cherished destinations — can be yours too, for free.  If you had a great trip and want a memento of your journey, need inspiration before your next European vacation, or are simply an architecture buff, lefabshop brings a small-scale taste of Paris to every 3D printing Paris fan.

2. Desktop set

If you like lefabshop’s design work but need something more practical for your desktop to hold office supplies, this 3D printable desktop set might be just what you are looking for. Displayed here in vivid orange, and includes a pencil pot, pen holder, card holder, paper clip and paper clip container — this set is printed with a 2.5% infill and can be configured the way you would like.

3. Triceratops FREE printable

So far, 187 people have downloaded Fabelar’s free triceratops model, which features none other than one of the more popular, three-horned, herbivorous dinosaur friends.  What’s not to love about well designed, 3D printable dinosaurs, for kids of all ages? It’s also been printed, checked and fixed using NETFABB.

3. glChess Chess Set 2

This is a chess set designed after Linux xscreensaver hack called “endgame,” and this newest version has all overhangs at 45 degrees to make for easier printing. One piece, the Knight, needs a support which can be either manually implemented or auto-generated. There’s also a version of the piece without a support structure needed.  Other than that detail, the set is pretty straightforward and ready to print.  It appears 82 people have done exactly that!

5. R2D2 20cm Free Model

This past month’s final top downloaded model is, fittingly, inspired by Star Wars.  There’s a mutual affinity between Star Wars paraphernalia and 3D printing, it seems, and this R2D2 figure is no exception. 20 cm tall and printed without support, you can add it to your budding 3D printed Star Wars models collection, or if you haven’t started it yet, what better character to launch your collection than the always lovable and brave R2D2? America’s favorite robot.

Have you downloaded and printed any of these top 3D models?  Let us know in the Top Monthly CGTrader Model forum post on 3DPB.com