Pinshape
A long-running community model site, now run by MatterHackers, at pinshape.com: free models, and collections anyone can follow. Its models, collections and likes are anyone’s to read; its files go only to a signed-in user.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Sign-in | Your own Pinshape sign-in, per user, for the files |
| Thingport Grab | Recommended — it sends your sign-in as you visit pinshape.com |
| FlareSolverr | Not used |
| Imports | Models; anyone’s collections and likes, synced too; no category of theirs |
How it works
Section titled “How it works”Pinshape has no API of its own, so Thingport reads its pages, as a browser would.
- Models. Paste a model link (
https://pinshape.com/items/<id>-<name>) in Thingport, or import it from the model page with Grab. A model is one print of its model files, each downloaded on its own; where it lists none, its zip is unpacked. Its pages don’t say which of Pinshape’s categories a model is in, so it comes in without one: pick one, or let AI categorization file it. - Collections. A collection is Pinshape’s browse page showing it,
https://pinshape.com/items?collection_id=<id>. Anyone’s can be imported or synced. Pinshape shows them 12 models a page, so a large one takes a while to read; the import dialog lists its first 300 models. - Likes. Someone’s likes are their profile’s Likes tab,
https://pinshape.com/users/<id>-<name>?tab=likes. Pinshape’s profile shows only 12 of them, the same for everyone, with no way to see the rest, so that’s what an import offers. A synced one brings new likes in as they show up there. - Browse tab. With your sign-in, the sync dialog lists your likes, your own collections and the ones you subscribed to.
Setup: your sign-in
Section titled “Setup: your sign-in”Per-user (Configuration → Providers → Pinshape). Pinshape signs you in with two cookies: remember_token, which
lasts a year if you tick Remember Me when signing in, and session. Either one works; Thingport keeps both.
Easiest: Thingport Grab
Section titled “Easiest: Thingport Grab”With Thingport Grab allowed on Pinshape, opening pinshape.com while you’re signed in connects your account, and sends a new sign-in whenever you sign in there again.
Manual: copy it from your browser
Section titled “Manual: copy it from your browser”- Sign in at pinshape.com, with Remember Me ticked.
- Open DevTools (
F12, orCmd+Option+Ion macOS). - Chrome/Edge: Application tab > Cookies >
https://pinshape.com. Firefox: Storage tab > Cookies. - Copy the value of
remember_token. (TheCookierequest header of any signed-in request to pinshape.com works too.) - Right-click Pinshape in Configuration → Providers, choose Connect and paste it.
Compare with other providers
Section titled “Compare with other providers”| Provider | Sign-in | Thingport Grab | FlareSolverr | Collections | Likes | Sync | Print profiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PinshapeThis page | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
 MakerWorld | Your cookie | Recommended | Optional | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
 Printables | None | Optional1 | Recommended | Yes | Yes1 | Yes | No |
 Thingiverse | Admin’s App Token | Optional | Recommended | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
 MyMiniFactory | Admin’s API key, yours for paid | Optional | Recommended | Yes | No | Yes | No |
 Snapmaker Space | Yours, for a day | Recommended2 | Not needed | Bookmarks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 MakerOnline | Yours, for likes only | Required | Not needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 Creality Cloud | Yours, for a week | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 NexPrint | Yours | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
 Thangs | Yours, renewed for a year | Recommended | Optional | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
 Cults3D | Your API key + browser sign-in | Recommended3 | Not needed | Printlists | Yes | Yes | No |
 eufyMake | Yours, for likes only | Recommended | Not needed | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 OwlCAD | None | Recommended4 | Not needed | No | No | No | No |
 Toymakr3D | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | No | Yes5 | Yes | No |
 Makerables | Yours, for saved projects only | Recommended | Not needed | Saved | No | Yes | No |
 CGTrader | Yours, for the files | Recommended6 | Recommended | Wishlist | Yes6 | Yes | No |
 GrabCAD | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | No | Yes | Yes | No |
 Meshy | Yours; Pro for community models | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | No | Yes | No |
 PIXUP | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | Collections, wishlists | Yes | Yes | No |
 Fab365 | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | No | Yes7 | Yes | No |
 3DExport | Yours, for the files | Recommended | Not needed | Bookmark collections | No | Yes | No |
 QIDI Maker | Yours, for your collections and likes | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
 VoxelShare | Yours, for your collections and likes | Recommended | Not needed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- Your private Printables collections and your likes are read by Grab, while you’re on Printables.
- Snapmaker’s sign-in lasts a day and only Grab renews it; without Grab you paste a new one every day.
- Cults3D’s files need your browser’s Cloudflare clearance, and Thingport on the same IP address as that browser.
- A gallery item that is a CAD project, rather than a library part, has no stored mesh: OwlCAD’s editor builds its file, so Thingport Grab exports it on owlcad.com.
- Toymakr3D hands a model’s files to signed-in users only, the free ones included, and shows your likes to you alone.
- CGTrader shows your likes and wishlist to you alone, and its downloads sit behind AWS’s bot check, which Thingport passes with Grab’s token from your browser or FlareSolverr’s own.
- Fab365 hands a model’s files to signed-in members only, the free ones included, and shows your favourites to you alone.
Known problems
Section titled “Known problems”Open bug reports about Pinshape in Thingport, on GitHub.
Notes from users
Section titled “Notes from users”Tips, workarounds and news about Pinshape from people who use it. Something broken in Thingport? See Known problems.