Anyone tried Blit It?

[Nicolinux 288]

Hi,

just stumbled over this service:

https://blitit.com/

Looks like another "cloud streaming thingy directly to your printer". It looks nice but the page is very light on information... They seem to be UM2 fans at least

So, did any of you tested it?

[ultiarjan 1,223]

When ever I see someone claim "one click 3dprinting" I can't take them serious.....

[b_burrough 0]

Yeah. I've tested it. I'm the founder.

Being skeptical of one-click printing is understandable. There's way too much hype and BS about 3D printing in general. That said, Poly really does provide one-click printing. But don't just take my word for it. Go check it out.

And yes, we are huge fans of Ultimaker.

[StephanK 30]

Hi b_burrough

Could you explain a bit what Poly and or Blitit is actually doing? I looked at your homepage and it didn't tell me anything. It is rather vague. Actually, if you subtract the BuzzWord Bingo fillers from that page, there's not much left. This is not terribly convincing.

I started downloading the .exe but decided I don't want to risk running an unknown piece of software I know absolutely nothing about and apparently raises a security warning in Windows?

Quote from your website:

 

Accept the security message to allow Poly to install.

I've worked many years in IT support and besides "Did you turn it off and on again", my #2  most frequently used phrase was: "Don't run anything you know nothing about".

What are system requirements? What is it actually doing? Please don't say it will give me  one-click 3D printing. Or if you do, please do explain how it is going to achieve that?

Oh, and how does this tie into this rather interesting Gcode Analyzer? That one really had me interested.

[b_burrough 0]

 

• The security message referenced in the installation instructions is simply asking you to confirm that that the software may make changes to your computer, as do all installers.
  
• As for what Poly does, Poly is the iTunes of 3D printing. It is a catalog of 3D printable goods that have been engineered to print on your particular machine with high quality and high reliability. These aren't just marketing buzzwords. Those are our real engineering objectives. None of us at Blit It are marketing folks.  We all have engineering backgrounds, and are simply working to make 3D printing better for everyone.  When you "hit print" in Poly, it downloads the item from the server, then transmits it to your Ultimaker over USB.
  
• Regarding G-code Analyzer, that's a work in progress that we hope to release at some point. It's one of many engineering tools we've had to build to do our own design and testing of 3D printable goods.  In fact, its existence is a testament to the work that is going in to making the items in Poly as good as they possibly can be.  If you're interested in pre-release access, I'd be happy to allow a select few. Just send me a message.
  

 

Edited May 10, 2016 by Guest

[StephanK 30]

This actually explained it a lot better than your homepage. You might want to add it there as well.

I assume I cannot send my own STL files through your service, you provide a selection of items that are guaranteed to print well. Therefore the selection will be (at least initially) limited. "A fine collection of exquisitely crafted items"..

I further assume I don't have to slice the item myself, Poly, if i understood correctly, is going to pick proper settings you tested beforehand specifically for my printer and type of filament, therefore eliminating any possible mistakes I could make in this step of the process.

But in order for this to work you would need to test and optimize each item for each and every printer and material individually. This is where i have serious doubts..

This directly leads to the next crucial question what printers do you actually support?

I'd wager a bet Ultimakers will be fine, not sure where I got that idea since its not stated anywhere - but what about all the other printers out there, as insignificant these might or might not be?

[kaasplank 2]

Not being rude, but I think the models you can buy (as of right now) in this program are quite expensive.

Is this meant to be like a sort of marketplace where designers can sell their designs?

[b_burrough 0]

I'm not offended at all.

 

• What is your time worth? Designing a piece to print with high reliability and high quality is a non-trivial task. It takes lots of time and testing to perfect a toolpath. Could you go download a model from your favorite model-sharing site, slice it yourself and print it out? Of course you can. However, you have no guarantee of the quality of that item. There is so much bad geometry out there that you never know what you're going to get. With Poly, that's what you're paying for: a high quality finished good that you know will work.
  
• It's also relevant that Dawn was designed by former members of Apple's MFi team. That's the team that designs and certifies accessories for Apple devices. You can't download that from your favorite model-sharing site. (For the record, Dawn would be MFi certified, but Apple doesn't support certification of 3D printed products. We're breaking new ground here.)
  
• Finally, there is no slicer that supports G2/G3 arcs. Dawn prints with G2/G3 arcs. We wrote software to generate a toolpath that prints smooth curves instead of faceted ones.
  

 

Guys, I have the utmost respect for you. You're skeptical. I would be, too, if I were in your position. So many people have tried to jump on 3D printing as a bandwagon, and have put out tons of misinformation and bad product. Like that guy that scraped the files from that model-sharing site and posted them on eBay. He didn't add any value. He was just trying to profit from the work of others. We don't do things like that.

At Blit It, we create products that are demonstrably better. We certainly wouldn't expect you to pay for something if it didn't add value.

[b_burrough 0]

I want to clarify one more thing that was mentioned in two previous comments: Poly doesn't deliver model files. There's no slicing involved. When you hit print, Poly sends the print directly to your printer.

If you guys are curious, go print The Monolith or any of the combs. Those are all free. I use both on a daily basis.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

That's what worries me... settings should depend on the material you use... also there's variance in f.e. the temperature readout per printer.

Also cloud streaming and USB printing add complexity.... thus more potential issues. There's a reason Ultimaker does not support USB printing....

As for the price.... time will tell if you sell anything for these prices... if the design is very good like the level of f.e. nervous systems... it could work.

[geert_2 558]

When reading 3D-printing forums, and based on my own experience, the problems that do arise most in 3D-printing are related to:

- underextrusion due to teflon coupler worn out,

- underextrusion due to filament wound too stiff (works like a spring) and its bending radius being too narrow (high friction in bowden tube and nozzle),

- temperature too low or too high for a given filament or model,

- speed too low or too high,

- dirty nozzles,

- cheap filament with varying diameter or included debris,

- bonding problems of model to build plate,

- build plate incorrectly leveled,

- etc.

I don't see how you would solve these problems online? Because these are the causes of failed prints. Slicing rarely is the problem. And only very occasionally are supports the problem. Finding models to print also isn't the problem: there a tons available, even for free; but the most fun is to design them yourself. That is why we 3d-print after all (otherwise we would buy these things directly on Shapeways or so).

If you "solve" a problem, but it does not go away, then the "problem" you identified was not the problem. Or the solution you applied to it was not the solution. Or both. Usually both, because if the problem was not the problem in the first place, then obviously the solution won't be the solution. You see? I have the feeling that this rule applies here too.

And a totally "empty" homepage with only an executable to download? But no explanation at all? No company profile, no business owners, no address, no tax registration numbers, no phone, nothing...

So, no thanks. This is not being sceptical, this is just plain common sense.

I am not saying that your intentions are bad, because I don't know. They could be honest. But at least your communication is way too bad to trust it: it is not enough that you know what you are doing, and what the benefits are; you should also communicate that to potential customers. Communication should provide good understanding, show examples, list all technical facts, troubleshooting tips, references, company names, adresses, official registration info, contact info...

Geert