MiniWorld3D with Dany Sánchez

Dany Sįnchez is a Mexican industrial designer that builds a mini 3D world as a 3D modeler and a founder of Miniworld3D. Along with 28 3D artists, he recreates famous landmarks of the world, creating an extensive collection of 3D printable architecture.

(Tikal in Guatemala, Chichen Itza and Uxmal in Mexico – PLA Extrafill “Pearl Ruby Red”)

In late 2012 Dany won a Leapfrog Creatr 3D printer in a worldwide contest. Later in 2013, he left Mexico to travel the world and then work in the USA, Thailand, and Morocco. In his travels, he met a visually impaired person from Finland. “She asked me if 3D printing could be used to make miniatures of landmarks that the blind and visually impaired can touch because it is difficult for them to “know” what they are like. Putting together my passions for doing meaningful design, 3D printing, and travel is how MiniWorld3D started,“ Dany explains.

(Chichen Itza and Uxmal in Mexico – PLA Extrafill “Pearl Ruby Red”)

What makes MiniWorld3D unique is that you can find all of these highly detailed and reliable landmarks and even fictional places under a single account. “The vast majority of our models are free, and they can be used in aiding the visually impaired; in education, from elementary school to university-level architecture; in Museums; in AR/VR; in video games, etc.,” says Dany. The models are masterfully modeled to be easy to print with tremendous detail while they also keep the file size very small. The models are created without using scans or drones just by simple parametric modeling.

(Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt – PLA Extrafill “Mukha”)

The side effect of studying the buildings’ shapes, proportions, details, and secrets and building them from scratch ensures that Dany can recognize them immediately, even from the smallest details. He also learns a lot about the buildings’ history and context as they include this information in the publication.

(Christmas Village Lamp – PLA Extrafill “Mukha”)

“Contributions to the catalog are fueled by a healthy mix of public demand and personal experiences. Some landmarks are ultra-famous, and people always ask about them. Others are less known, but I encounter them in my travels, so I like creating souvenirs or homages to countries I visit. The other artists also send me things they make as well,” Dany explains how he chooses the models he publishes.

(San Pedro Church in Gijón, Spain – PLA Extrafill “Mukha”)

Even though finishing the prints can be very beautiful, it also takes a huge amount of time to capture all the details. Thankfully while being stuck at home during quarantine, Dany has enough time for all the finishing touches for the printed models as he says, “Personally, I enjoy hand-painting, and in quarantine, I have the time to do it :).”

(Palermo Cathedral in Sicily, Italy – PLA Extrafill “Mukha” designed and printed by collaborator Manfredi Laguardia)

“I love painting the prints because it is in full color when they are most recognizable and impactful. Materials that can save time painting are greatly appreciated, such as Fillamentum Mukha, which already gives a great sandstone look off the printer!” Dany says with excitement.
(Tower of Hercules in Galicia, Spain – PLA Extrafill “Mukha”)

Multimaterial printing is also possible with some of the Miniworld3D models. Hand painting the prints gives you more detail, colors, and shading, however, it takes time and not everyone can do it. Multi-material printing takes that time burden off from your hands but requires fine-tuning the printer settings and investing in the gear.

(PLA Extrafill “Pearl Ruby Red” and “Mint” )

Knowing that consistency and quality matters, Dany told us “When I first started printing in 2014, I used the cheapest materials I could find. Then I realized quality matters. Fillamentum is one of the top brands known for consistency, quality, and visual appeal. I know that when printing with Fillamentum, I don’t have to worry, and I am able to reuse most of my settings regardless of the color. This saves me time and headaches. Also, the colors are so beautiful that it’s not necessary to paint the models.”

Download here:
Myminifactory

Printed with:
PLA Extrafill “Mukha”
PLA Extrafill “Pearl Ruby Red”
PLA Extrafill “Mint”

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