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3-D Model Support Comes To MediaGoblin

Posted by timothy on from the oh-it's-about-yea-big dept.

paroneayea writes "MediaGoblin and LulzBot have teamed up to bring 3-D model support to MediaGoblin! The announcement shows off a live demo of the new feature... it uses Blender on the backend to render stills and thingiview.js to show realtime WebGL previews. This means MediaGoblin is becoming more useful for 3-D artists and people interested in 3-D printing, especially those looking for a free-as-in-freedom alternative to Thingiverse."

37 comments

  1. Alternatives to Thingiverse by Guano_Jim · · Score: 4, Interesting

    About a month ago there was a kerfuffle on Thingiverse coinciding with MakerBot's announcement of the Replicator 2 and a perceived change to the Thingiverse Terms of Service. It resulted in an "Occupy Thingiverse" movement where users uploaded protest models to the site.

    It seems to have died down, but since then a few folks started their own free-as-in-freedom alternatives to Thingiverse-- it'll be interesting to see if MediaGoblin can gain more traction than they did.

    --
    3D Printing Tips and Tricks at Zheng3.com
    1. Re:Alternatives to Thingiverse by paroneayea · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yep, that's definitely part of what drove this, and why Jeff Moe of Lulzbot offered the bounty to add 3d model support. We've wanted it for a long time, but didn't expect it so soon!

      --
      http://mediagoblin.org/
  2. What is MediaGoblin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I understand news messages should be kept short, but that does not imply the lack of essential information.

    1. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by paroneayea · · Score: 4, Informative

      Heya, You're right actually, I missed submitting that. MediaGoblin is basically what you can think of as a free software, decentralized replacement to media publishing systems like YouTube/Flickr/SoundCloud... and now moving into the Thingiverse space. :)

      --
      http://mediagoblin.org/
    2. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      From context, it appears to be a media sharing website for images and now, 3d objects.

      I might cruise it later. Finding free object files is a really painful process sometimes. (So much so that I often have to roll my own.)

    3. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by compro01 · · Score: 4, Informative

      From context, it appears to be a media sharing website for images and now, 3d objects.

      Not quite. MediaGoblin is a free open source software suite developed by the GNU project for creating your own media sharing site.

      --
      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
    4. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Ok, the real advantage of Youtube,Flickr, et all is that they *are* centralized. I trust a link going to those sites.

      I don't trust these highlighted example sites running mediagoblin:

      http://wiki.mediagoblin.org/Live_instances

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    5. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Applekid · · Score: 2

      Ok, the real advantage of Youtube,Flickr, et all is that they *are* centralized. I trust a link going to those sites.

      I don't trust these highlighted example sites running mediagoblin:

      http://wiki.mediagoblin.org/Live_instances

      There are two issues here, trusting those that own the servers flinging bits around and the codes that actually describes how the bit flinging should happen. You may trust Google and Yahoo to use their servers in supporting Youtube and Flickr, but can you really trust the code? You might trust it, but your trust is not based on anything observable since their back ends are not open source.

      So the missing part here is that, well, ok, Mediagoblin supports 3D objects, that's cool, but who is going to run the repository? That Lulzbot (Aleph Objects) invested in it leads me to believe they want to run a repository. And, unlike Makerbot, those guys are* seriously open about their stuff. Release early, release often, release when designed and not after collecting XXXX dollars in preorders. They've even been sponsoring releases of Slic3r, a open-source GCode generator for 3D printing. I'm pretty pleased to have spent money with them, actually, considering they're giving back in big ways.

      * well, right now anyway. Makerbot used to be a champion of open hardware, too, once upon a time. But, right now, nothing about AO seems to indicate they're going to quit being open.

      --
      More Twoson than Cupertino
    6. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by jwandborg · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Hey, I'm the owner of http://gobblin.se/. The thing I think most users are afraid of is the CACert certificate that shows a big "WARNING, THIS SITE MAY KILL THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE THE MOST"-style message.

      I like SSL, but I don't want to pay a gazillion dollars for it, or anything at all - I'm already paying the bills for the server. That is why CACert is used.

      CACert validates domain ownership via an email to a typical admin e-mail such as info@gobblin.se, so you should be able to trust them for such things as media storage and serving.

      If you don't want to let CACert in your approved-ca-bucket, just use http://gobblin.se/.

      Also, no guarantees for anything on that server, if you want reliability you should either find someone to pay money for the service or set up your own instance.

      --
      I'm new here.
    7. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Animats · · Score: 1

      It's software for running an upload site. It has shiny graphics, shinier than most other upload systems. The page layouts are squares in a grid, with a plain background. so it looks phone-like and trendy.

      As of right now, there is one (1) open MediaGoblin site. There are also two with registration disabled, and two of (non-porno) baby pictures.

      The current install setup is too complicated and requires root privileges. If this thing was made as easy to install as Wordpress, it might be more useful.

    8. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by jwandborg · · Score: 1

      It's not really developed by the GNU project. It's part of the GNU project. It is developed by some 50 people with more or less no organizational affilliation to the GNU project or the Free Software Foundation.

      So far, the only person to get paid for development of GNU MediaGoblin is me - The Icelanding Ministry of Education, Science and Culture commisioned an API, which , but improveable.

      However, there is currently a fundraiser going on to support one full-time project leader during a year.

      Contribute!

      --
      I'm new here.
    9. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wordpress? Just save time in getting your server compromised by setting the root password to "12345"

    10. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And what the hell is thingiverse? No, I won't jfgi.

    11. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Assuming I understood that (I don't), what the hell is Thingiverse?

      (I guess I'm helping you Slashvertise, but you still haven't answered any any actual questions.)

    12. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 1

      I'm not really referring to the ssl cert, just that google, yahoo are giant internet companies that are pretty good at ensuring the safety of their sites. But since you brought up the ssl cost, I have to ask. Is six dollars really too much for you to pay for a ssl cert? Really? Really, really? Should I really trust a site that can't pony up $6 to host my media?

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    13. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Yeb · · Score: 2

      Jeff Moe from LulzBot here (aka jebba). Thanks for your nice comments. :)

      We actually don't have an interest in *running* a free/open/libre repository, but we'd sure like to see one exist. Ideally, there should be a thingiverse-like site that is run more like the Wikipedia Foundation. A "neutral" non-profit, with no ads, run by donations. The donations can come from various 3D printer companies and end users.

      Also note, some folks think MediaGoblin is the hosting site. They are just the makers of the web software. Anyone can set up a MediaGoblin site on their own servers. With luck, many will do so.

    14. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by jwandborg · · Score: 1

      Mr. Money. You should donate to GNU MediaGoblin so that they can afford a "real" certificate, if they want to spend the money on that.

      --
      I'm new here.
    15. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 1

      Again, GNU mediagoblin is not the hosting service. gobblin.se is a hosting service that (allegedly) uses media goblin.The issue here is trust. How do I trust this website I am unfamiliar with? Would I start out by giving them money to buy the certificate that will show me that they can afford 6.00 to prove that they are somewhat trustworthy? Does that make sense to anyone here? Bueller?

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    16. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks for that Debbie Westmore by the pool. I wonder if you can't find new media that sublime? I doubt it.

    17. Re:What is MediaGoblin? by jwandborg · · Score: 1

      Again, GNU mediagoblin is not the hosting service. gobblin.se is a hosting service that (allegedly) uses media goblin.The issue here is trust. How do I trust this website I am unfamiliar with? Would I start out by giving them money to buy the certificate that will show me that they can afford 6.00 to prove that they are somewhat trustworthy? Does that make sense to anyone here? Bueller?

      Sorry about the confusion.

      I am the owner of gobblin.se. Gobblin is the largest open MediaGoblin instance out there as far as I know.

      I am also one of the core contributors to GNU MediaGoblin, and I'd like to show my work in exchange of feedback. That is why I spend money on public services. Like with other free services, the user is the product, I'm simply buying testers for the MediaGoblin application by providing free video hosting.

      I do simply not have the motivation to buy a SSL certificate for gobblin.se, since I know whatever money I spend on it will go to a cause that I do not agree with. To me the CA system is fundamentally broken.

      I believe there is a need for a MediaGoblin as a service provider. So far, gobblin.se is not it.

      gobblin.se has a great potential to be a MediaGoblin as a service provider though since the owner is one of the people most familiar with the ins and outs of the application. The hurdle is simlpy that the owner has a stimulating day job which enables him to pay the server fees, thus creating little motivation to convert gobblin.se from what it is now to a MediaGoblin as a service provider.

      Thank you for your time and sorry for being rude. If there's anything you'd like to talk about, contact me via http://wandborg.se/

      --
      I'm new here.
  3. Okay.... by Minwee · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So I read the summary, followed the links, wandered around the MediaGoblin web page, and I still have no clue what MediaGoblin is supposed to be.

    Apparently it's free software, built with awesome technology, and anyone can improve it, but it would help if one of those anyones could improve it by adding some kind of description.

    1. Re:Okay.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I tend to agree, a description is needed. Okay so it hosts pictures and text but I'm sure there is more to it.

    2. Re:Okay.... by mounthood · · Score: 3, Informative

      Video support is already here, and soon you'll be able to add plugins for almost any type of media publishing... including presentations or 3d model files. And we're planning for federation with OStatus so we can build a decentralized yet cohesive media hosting future.

      (emp. mine, found here) Amazing that so many projects can't get this most basic communication right. A one sentence description should be a priority for any project, otherwise how do you know what you're making?

      --
      tomorrow who's gonna fuss
    3. Re:Okay.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/Online/Features/MediaGoblin-Saving-the-Internet-Through-Federation

    4. Re:Okay.... by Fnord666 · · Score: 2
      Did you try the home page?

      MediaGoblin is a free software media publishing platform that anyone can run. You can think of it as a decentralized alternative to Flickr, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.

      How about wikipedia?

      GNU MediaGoblin (also MediaGoblin) is a free web platform for hosting and sharing digital media,[7][8] aimed to provide an extensible, adaptive, decentralized and freedom-respectful software alternative to current art-and-media-related major internet services such as Flickr, deviantArt, YouTube, etc.[9][10]

      Those both seem pretty concise to me.

      --
      'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
    5. Re:Okay.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yes, but the basic reasoning what they're to replace paints a conflicting message.

      "decentralised" is the wrong word for "media hosting sw package". point of youtube etc is exactly that they host the content, enabling runaway hits to become runaway hits before they melt the server.

    6. Re:Okay.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The site was changed after this Slashdot article. Google cache doesn't have a summary:

      http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XKirCMDUSBkJ:mediagoblin.org/+mediagoblin.org&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=ubuntu

  4. Summary by benjfowler · · Score: 2

    I learned absolutely nothing from that summary. And from what little I could gauge from it, I've got absolutely no idea why Slashdot would find this newsworthy (as opposed, to say, Freecode).

    1. Re:Summary by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      because mediagoblin is the new poster child for fsf. nobody cares though. nobodys seen a video hosted on mediagoblin go viral.

      not too many care that they made a webgl renderer for .stl either. the fileformat is quite simple - it's pretty much basic webgl example, needing no complex camera code or complex logic. just load the triangles and pump them.

  5. Thank Goodness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was about time that thing that was so new nobody knew it existed (Thingiverse) was replaced with another new thing (MediaGoblin). I mean, come on, what was the hold up? It takes a whole month for a new paradigm to be replaced now? Slackers.

  6. Acnnot afford a SSL certificate? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can easily get these for around US$10.

    Google is your friend.

    Don't be so cheap

    1. Re:Acnnot afford a SSL certificate? by jwandborg · · Score: 1

      You can easily get these for around US$10.

      Google is your friend.

      Don't be so cheap

      Please see my comment in another branch of this thread.

      --
      I'm new here.
  7. Free as in Freedom? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thingiverse already is free as in freedom. A few weeks ago someone thought the terms of service were changed to a nefarious "we own all your shit." The terms didn't say that at all, it was just some geek's poor interpretation of the terms. The terms gave the site the right to make available the items you upload. They literally cannot operate a site wherein the user downloads other users' files without terms like this.