When I first launched models.makewithtech.com, my goal was to bridge the gap between complex engineering and the joy of creating. I wanted to give every 3D printer and laser cutter owner the power to customize a design without needing a degree in CAD.
For five years, we’ve learned together, tinkered together, and built a library of over a thousand customizable templates. But as any technologist knows, the only constant is change. Today, I am announcing that I am shutting down the models.makewithtech.com application.
This wasn’t an easy decision, but it is the right one. Here is why it’s time to move on.
1. The AI Revolution has Changed the Game
When we started, if you wanted a box with specific dimensions or a bracket with a unique hole pattern, you had to either find a static file that was "close enough" or use a parametric tool like ours to generate a new one.
Today, Generative AI has made that approach feel like the "old way." We are entering an era where you can describe a 3D model in plain English and have an AI generate the geometry directly. Why struggle with sliders and parameters when you can just say, "Create a minimalist wall mount for a Sonos Era 100 with 15-degree tilt"? AI is making the specialized "customizer" interface irrelevant, and I want to spend my time exploring where that new frontier leads.
2. The OpenSCAD Niche
Our platform was built on the backbone of OpenSCAD. I still love OpenSCAD for its precision and logic—it's "code-based CAD" at its best. However, we have to be honest: scripting never truly caught on with the mainstream 3D printing community.
Most makers prefer a visual, "What You See Is What You Get" environment. While we provided a form-based interface to shield users from the code, the underlying dependency on OpenSCAD scripts meant that the pool of creators making high-quality templates remained small. The world chose "pointing and clicking" over "coding and compiling."
3. The "Good Enough" Repository Problem
In the early days, you had to customize because the public repositories were smaller. Today, sites like Printables, MakerWorld, and Thingiverse have grown so massive that they are effectively a library of every variation imaginable. If you need a battery holder, there are already 500 versions uploaded for every specific battery and configuration. For many users, the convenience of a "ready-to-print" file now outweighs the benefits of a "perfectly-customized" one.
4. The Shift from Tinkerer to Consumer
The 3D printing hobby has changed. Five years ago, we were all "tinkerers"—we expected things to break, and we enjoyed the "work" of making things fit. Today’s users are increasingly "consumers." With the rise of ultra-reliable, high-speed printers, people want to hit "print" and walk away. The friction of adjusting parameters, even in an easy-to-use customizer, is a hurdle many modern makers simply don't want to clear.
5. Infrastructure and the Cost of "Free"
Maintaining a cloud-based CAD environment is a massive undertaking. From managing AWS server scaling to keeping the tech stack (Vue 3, Tailwind, etc.) secure and updated, the "keeping the lights on" work began to eclipse the creative work. In a community that rightly values open-source and free tools, building a sustainable business model to cover these high infrastructure costs proved to be a mountain too high to climb for this specific niche.
What’s Next?
While the app is shutting down, the MakeWithTech mission is not.
I’m not going anywhere. I’m simply clearing my plate so I can focus on what I love most: teaching and exploring the next wave of tech. I will continue to be active on the MakeWithTech blog, our community forum, and the YouTube channel. We have so much to talk about—from the impact of AI on making, to the latest in laser cutting and desktop manufacturing.
To the creators who shared their code and the users who printed our models: Thank you. You helped prove that technology can be accessible to everyone. Now, let’s go find the next thing to learn together.
Keep making,
Irv Shapiro
MakeWithTech
