Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've decided to make the jump and buy a 3d resin printer for my painting projects.

I'm no 3-D artist, so I'll be buying the figures' .stl files.

Let's say I find a very nice figure on Etsy/Ebay that is clearly just someone printing someone else's figure for sale... an example image is attached.

In some cases, a google-reverse-image-search will get me to the original artist, but in many cases all it gets me (such as in the example attached) is more etsy/ebay/alixpress vendors.

In some cases, those ebay/etsy vendors are selling other artists' .stl files, something I don't want to support.

any good sources I should use in my search to give my money to the artists who created the work I'm printing? Or, even just advice about this particular figure's original source?

Not sure about that specific sculpt, but idly scrolling through the Yufan store that is namechecked at the bottom throws up quite a few sculpts available on MyMiniFactory.

I was afraid of that... I swear MyMiniFactory's search engine is always working against me.

I guess that, though, is really what I'm asking: what website would you hit first or second if you were trying to find a specific model from a reputable source?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Interesting... many of the figures I'm looking for are actually Chronos miniatures... and I don't think they sell their .stl files.

I guess they should have some questions for their mfg in china. :-(

Here it is

[link removed due to scam site warning]


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just did a google image search on female archer stl. Other places that are good to scroll through are yeggi and stlfinder. They only return stl file results.

3dprintmakersclub...hmmmmm... I really was excited to peruse through what they have and then came early onto the two big Adolph files and it kind of turned me off.

Good find, though, and thanks for the link!!

Afew things I've found that work

1) Google image search. This is a good way to find as often as not many vendors just use the renders that the artist provides so searching on that will often get you back to the source.

2) When you find what you think is the source have a good look around. If its not MMF or Cults or such do have a very careful look at what the seller is selling. In general if they are scamming one creator they will be scamming others. Spotting big names like Lord of the Print or Mini Monster Mayhem models in their line up will quickly tell you that they are not legit.

3) Connect with 3D printing groups and ask. There are groups on Discord and many a patreon has their own discord. Facebook and Reddit also have fairly big and actives groups; even Dakka has some (though its not as heavily the focus here).
Asking others, as you are doing just here, is one big step

4) Time. The more you get into the market the more you'll start to spot creators and certain styles and such. So part of it is just broadening your horizons and looking around at what there is on the market. You'll fast start to recognise some model styles/render styles

5) Get active on Patreon/MMF Tribes - you'll fast lose your money for STLs once you're supporting a few But its also a great way to give back to artists that you like hte work of.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Flinty wrote:
Here it is



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just did a google image search on female archer stl. Other places that are good to scroll through are yeggi and stlfinder. They only return stl file results.

Might be worth removing the link - its a scam site.
5 mins searching around and I spotted that Lord of the Print's Godzilla style model is there and renders on the site have cut the logo off at the bottom to try and hide it. So very much a scam group sadly.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So I asked around and one of the merchants (sellers of stls) said that the archer is a proprietary model of the store selling the physical model. So whilst it is produced from an STL the STL itself is not for sale.

The store in question https://yufan-models.store/collections/zbboy-works-scale-models

Note sometimes these STLs get into the market because the model originally comes from a patreon or general release and then the store buys the long term printing rights. I see a couple of Creative Geek MB's sculpts that are like that in there which are restricted (not sold as STLs any more).

Also if you like that style of STL do check out Creative Geek as I think you'd like their work
https://www.patreon.com/sephon

https://www.cgtrader.com/sephon66

I've removed the link. I had actually thought that it was the Yufan site that was the scam, as there are a range of models on there that are definately supplied through MMF. thanks for correcting me!