MyMiniFactory and Pirate3D Sponsor 3D Wargaming Design Contest

MyMiniFactory and Pirate3D – the builders of the Buccaneer 3D printer – are sponsoring a design competition around the theme of “wargaming” and “gaming miniatures.”

So what’s wargaming? The theme is related to designs for table top games which make use of figurines and set pieces, and MyMiniFactory says entries can be anything from old school Dungeons and Dragons-type stuff to “new wave” projects like tanks, spacecraft and aliens.

All design entries must be printable on FDM 3D printers, and they need to fit within the confines of the theme, but even if your game falls outside the theme, you’re welcome to submit it as long as it “makes sense as a complete unit or set piece in table top warfare.”

If your design is in multiple parts, the rules of the contest urge you to make sure you submit all parts -as STLS- with instructions or diagrams of how they fit together.  Each part of your design must fit within the build volume of the Buccaneer 3D printer, which is 130mm (W) x 94mm (L) x 139mm (H), and you’ll need to include a document which states any special instructions for your design in the description box.

It’s a global competition which designers can enter regardless of their location.  Once submitted you will still retain complete ownership of your design, but bear in mind that once printed, the STL files for every entry will be made available to the public for download, and once entered, designs may be used by the Pirate3D team for promotional purposes with, of course, credit given to the original designer.

The FFF-based Pirate3D Buccaneer features a highest layer resolution of 50 microns using 1.75mm filament and a 0.4mm diameter nozzle. It’s extruder is machined from a single piece of aluminum and it includes a removable, non-heated platform, all for a current price tag of $1,099.

As for the details of this latest contest, they’re pretty straightforward. Upload your 3D printable model in STL format. If your game has multiple parts, they ask that you upload all necessary files within a single .zip or .rar folder and export your STL files from your design software with the location or origin to the zero point of the axis. They also ask that you export your model at a scale that translates into a ‘real-life’ dimension.

Objects will be 3D test printed at MyMiniFactory on one of their desktop 3D printers, and designers will receive an email confirmation when their model enters that stage of the process.

Models that can be successfully print tested will be photographed and presented on MyMiniFactory and they’ll immediately become available for download and printing by others.

You can enter as many times as you like, and designers can upload their games to the contest here at MyMiniFactory…

The contest will run until May 27 and voting will commence on June 10.  Winners will then be selected on June 23 and share in a prize pool of $1,000 in cash.  Do you plan to enter the MyMiniFactory and Pirate3D Design Competition? Let us know and show us your entry in the MyMiniFactory and Pirate3D Design Competition forum thread on 3DPB.com.