Yes, I tend to agree.
That’s part of why we’re planning a very big overhaul on our material database in Q2 where you would be able to choose technology first (e.g. “FDM”) and material second (e.g. “Wood-Fill”). That would solve this issue.
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Sounds good
Which begets the question, none of us have any clue which variation our potential customers are seeing.
I know I see the same variant every single time and it is the one that does NOT allow you to select a hub without choosing a material first, so there is literally no way to order BronzeFill from my hub.
You are probably logged in, and looking at it from your own perspective and not seeing it as a outside facing customer sees it Kirby.
Here are two screenshots. The first, is from the Open Orders screen, I just opened the website, uploaded a model, selected a material, and used your city to find your hub. Lucky for you ‘Other Materials’ actually shows up in your listing. Let’s take a look. That’s what shows up in the first pic. You have seven (7) options.
The second pic is what I can see by going directly to your hub first (by linking off your profile here) then getting a quote. As you can see there, all of sudden you now have seventeen (17) options.
How many first time, random customers are going to go directly into your hub first just to see your options?
Does not answer the question at all.
My hub does NOT show ‘Other Materials’. Just not there at all. See first screenshot. If customer then selects my hub, those materials do NOT show up on the next screen to place the order either, so they are never presented.
Only by going directly to my hub first, and only then requesting a quote, then magically they show up. Second screenshot.
But this seems completely random, as another hub near me, and Kirby (mentioned below in this thread) have a tiny little link to ‘See all materials’ at least listed. Small, almost invisible gray on white (really?), but at least it’s there. I don’t even have that. Screenshot three.
Do you see that there is a problem?
@Filemon Same here - all my exotic filaments are missing from my list. I’ve received a few pricey orders from them so we’re both losing out!
Looking into it!
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) provides an alternative method for producing investment casting patterns that can provide dramatic time and cost savings. FDM technology is an additive manufacturing process that builds plastic parts layer by layer, using data from CAD files. FDM makes it possible for the foundry to produce a pattern that can also serve as a prototype for form and fit evaluation. In one day, the foundry can provide the customer with a prototype that provides a perfect match to the casting that would be produced if it becomes the pattern. The strength of the materials used in the FDM process makes it possible to put the FDM component into an assembly and perform testing. If any problems are discovered, the foundry can usually make the changes requested by the customer and build a new pattern in about 24 hours.
As soon as the customer approves the prototype, the foundry can move into production by using the FDM parts as patterns for investment casting. Since FDM is an additive process, the pattern can be as complex as needed without any impact on cost. (With injection molding increasing pattern complexity often requires a more complex and more expensive tool).
2 months later
I had the same issue, but after asking to the support it appears that when you select Prototyping, only ABS or PLA are available. To see other material, customers have to choose the material, so for me 3dhubs is restricting FDM because this not so financiarly interesting as SLA or other which are more expensive and so give more money to 3dhub…