Inspiration
When purchasing 3D printing filament, I often hesitate due to the following issues:
- Incomplete Swatches: Consumers cannot buy sample cards for every brand. Colors vary by batch, and brands constantly release new colors, making physical collections permanently incomplete.
- Visualization Gaps: Colors look different on side profiles versus flat surfaces, and vary based on printing methods. Standard renderings are insufficient; real photos are needed.
- Color Combination Uncertainty: Users see a product they want to print, but don't know which filament combination will achieve that specific look.
- Figure/Model Matching: Difficulty determining which material colors match best for printing garage kits or figures.
- Decision Paralysis on Similar Colors: "Red" varies slightly across brands. It creates a "lipstick effect" (where options look indistinguishable), making it hard to choose without direct comparison.
What it does
Project Overview A comprehensive color visualization and testing platform for 3D printing filaments. Key Features: Complete Brand Swatch Database: Supports inquiries across multiple filament brands. Every color features multi-dimensional real-world photography under standard light sources, showcasing: flat surfaces, vertical surfaces, curved surfaces, layer textures, and light transmission to restore the authentic printed effect. Color Family & Cross-Brand Comparison: Users can query by color family and view real-shot collections of similar colors across different brands. AI Photo-to-Color Matching: Users upload a photo, and the system automatically matches it to the closest filament color (filterable by brand). Palette Master: Regularly updated color combination recommendations to assist users in selecting color schemes. Current Status: Initial launch planned for Web only. Since a substantial amount of filament printing and photography work is required for the project, we are currently seeking cooperation with various filament brands. As such, we have only completed the website development to date, with the database yet to be established.
How we built it
first Completed 1 Identified and sorted out the pain points in current 3D printing filament purchasing, and compiled the list of required features. 2 Sought potential investors to fund this project and prepared to apply for Bambu Lab’s Let’s Make It Fund. 3 Drafted the business plan, conducted competitor analysis and target audience analysis, and 4 defined the promotion plan and profit model. 4 Refined the feature points in further detail based on the business plan. 5 Created a preliminary version of the front-end with AI Studio. 6 Finalized the tech stack, including the adopted frameworks, front-end, back-end, database, user management system and deployment solutions. 7 Built the project using Claude Code. 8 Attempt to understand market trends by selling various types of 3D printed products through both online and offline channels. 9 Learn how to register a one-person limited liability company, including the procedures for applying for a business license, opening a corporate bank account, conducting accounting bookkeeping, issuing invoices, filing tax returns, paying social insurance contributions and other related formalities. To Be Completed 8 Integrate the back-end with the front-end website. 9 Obtain filament supplies, shoot product samples and set up a small photo studio. 10 Upload the data to the platform. 11 Conduct platform operation and promotion activities.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenge comes from the fact that I work as a Product Manager. My strengths lie in understanding user requirements and building product prototypes, yet I have no grasp of how to implement a product at the code level. For instance, I have no idea that selecting a tech framework is the first step in product development, nor do I know how to pick a suitable one, nor am I clear about what other tools and technologies I need beyond the framework itself.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
As a product manager, I have successfully built a webpage via VibeCoding and deployed it online. Though it is merely a simple front-end webpage, I have gained a clear understanding of how to select various open-source tools to form a tech stack for building a complete separated front-end and back-end project. In the meantime, I have also successfully used AI to generate copywriting and sold a number of 3D printed products. 。
What we learned
Related to Large AI Models How to Vibe Code more effectively The strengths and limitations of individual large AI models, to better understand the areas where different AIs excel. For example: Gemini excels at front-end and UI work, while Claude has a better grasp of how programmers work and thus is more adept at back-end development. Learn how to enable multiple large AI models to collaborate more effectively Other Areas How programmers plan and develop a product How to secure financial support How to register and operate a company How to use AI to sell products more efficiently
What's next for FilamentMatch
To Be Completed 8 Integrate the back-end with the front-end website. 9 Obtain filament supplies, shoot product samples and set up a small photo studio. 10 Upload the data to the platform. 11 Conduct platform operation and promotion activities. 12 Register and operate a company, if necessary.
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