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Just a thought, but as 3D printing grows perhaps there's some scope to separate the single 3D printing segment we have into two or perhaps 3 segments;

1) My first suggestion is to split it into Resin 3D printing* and FDM 3D printing. Whilst they are both 3D printing, they are quite different. Processes and methods for them are very different and whilst you can (within reason) print the same models on them; the supports and what works best and what is most practical is very different.
I think splitting them wouldn't cause any decrease of activity, but would help sift the technical questions and information into two distinct categories, which will make each group more focused and also help new people more easily sort through the information than when its all presented as one section.

2) Create two separate sections as outlined in point 1 and then a "General 3D printing" section; which might gather up the more general comments and discussions. Might be harder to specify what fits in this, but at the same time it might prove useful. Of course the trap is that general ends up being "the" place to talk about and the other two segments end up less used. So there are up and downsides to this suggestion.



I'm aware that splitting might require threads to be manually moved as the section is split, however I'd argue that that would always be the case if such a split were made and that doing it sooner rather than later, lowers the workload required.



I don't think 3D printing is going to reduce in importance and discussion value, if anything it will continue to grow. Even if it doesn't reach the "utopia?" of replacing regular casting methods for the industry, I think its going to become a key part of it for at least a segment of the most keen model people; ergo the most likely to be on a forum. So I think offering more for 3D printing is a worthwhile cause





*I think this has an official term but I can never remember what it is.

Thanks for the suggestions, we'll absolutely keep them in mind moving down the road towards the future.

However, we've experimented before in creating forums and sub-forums as an attempt to 'grow' a discussion and every single time it has absolutely failed in the long term. The truth is, if there is enough demand to discuss something on this site, then people will go out of their way to discuss it, no matter what roadblocks are in the way.

So really, the purpose of creating new forums/sub-forums is to help filter situations where there is simply too much content in a forum to the point where good stuff is being pushed off the 'first page'. With the 3D modeling & printing forum, while its great and active, it definitely hasn't reached the point I'm talking about where we really *need* to split the forum up to keep things easy to find/read.

If/when that forum becomes so busy that we have an issue, we'll definitely keep your advice in mind about ways to split things up, so thanks again!