Maker World Starter Guide

MakerWorld is an incredibly popular model-sharing website, designed and maintained by Bambu Lab. The website provides excellent rewards for designers and makers alike. In its very short history, it has already accumulated thousands of models. This article is designed to be a guide to the basics of MakerWorld, and explain what every icon means. Following this article is our MakerWorld Points Guide, an in-depth article about the Points rewards on MakerWorld.

Starting Out

To access the best features of MakerWorld, you need to have a MakerWorld/Bambu Lab account. This is relatively easy to do. All you have to do is go to www.makerworld.com and click on the “Log In” icon in the upper right hand corner. This should take you to a “Log In” screen. From there, select “Create Your Account" and follow the instructions that come up on the screen. Be sure to pick an email address that you plan to keep, because the email address cannot be changed after signing up. Once you are logged in, you will see a screen similar to the one you saw before you signed in, with one key difference. In the upper right hand corner, there are now multiple icons on the top bar. The top of your screen should look like this.

The top menu bar users see when they are logged in to MakerWorld.

Tabs

Going from left to right, there are a couple very important tabs at the top of this menu. 3D models is your access point for all of MakerWorld’s 3D models, which you can browse, sort and download at your leisure. You can even print to your Bambu Lab printer, right from the website!

Contests is a place where MakerWorld will publish free themed contests that model designers can enter with related models for chances to win Bambu Lab gift cards. This is a great way to gain visibility for your related models. However, winning one of these contests is extremely hard and requires a skilled designer. Thousands of people see each other contests, so publishing a good model here will give a strong boost to your downloads and visibility. Just be sure to stay on theme because unrelated models are removed.

Forum is a place for MakerWorld users to interact with each other, similar to a group discussion platform like a Wiki. It is a great place to get help for all things related to Bambu Lab or MakerWorld.

Maker’s Supply is MakerWorld’s proprietary non-3D printed parts store. Users can buy products from the store to complete models. For example, a model of a trampoline might require springs to be finished, which are one of the many things that can be purchased on Maker’s Supply. There is also a way to make money here for creators, which will be explained in more depth later.

MakerLab is MakerWorld’s model creation tool that requires no prior knowledge of 3D modeling, and offers vast model creation and customization options. For example, one of the features is Make my Vase where users can sculpt a vase from scratch with intuitive, beginner friendly controls. It is a way for everybody to be able to customize and create custom models. Some models are powered by AI.

Community is the place where MakerWorld users promote their work, pose questions to their audience, and show off their creations. This a place for people to inspire and be inspired by what others are doing, and share what they have made.

Icons

On the right half of the menu bar, there are 6 options, each with their own specific function.

The Search Bar scans MakerWorld for models and users matching your query, to help you better find what you are looking for. This is easily one of the most useful tools on MakerWorld, as it is direct and gives exactly what you are looking for.

The Upload Button allows you to post your models, and share what you make with the world. This will take you to a series of screens, which you will need to fill out in order to get your model published. This is the easiest way to earn a lot of points. See our MakerWorld Points Calculator to see just how many you can earn for just one model. See also our MakerWorld Points Guide (coming soon), designed as a sequel to this article.

The Points Icon, which looks like a yellow hexagon is where you can track your points, see what there is available to purchase, see how you accumulated your points, and how you can accumulate more. This is also the hub for Boosts and Boost Tokens, explained in detail in our MakerWorld Points Guide (coming soon).

The Messages Symbol which allows users to direct message each other and talk in a private conversation.

The Alert Notification notifies users of notifications about everything from MakerWorld updates to their model being published. If this sign is lit up, check it.

The User Settings Allows users to view their profile, customize their settings, see what people are searching for, among other uses. It is the catch all for user customization options. It also houses the monetary rewards programs.

This guide was meant to help you get set up and help you learn what is what as far as MakerWorld goes. To learn more about the reward system on the site, and what you can do to get MakerWorld gift cards and even money, check out our sequel article coming soon: MakerWorld Points Guide. If you’re more interested in seeing just how many gift cards you can make from one model, check out our MakerWorld Points Calculator, where you can import the data for a model and see how many points the creator has made from it.

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