Questions on proper usage of printables.com and versioning
It appears that a lot of the functionality on printables is similar to other model hosting sites, in that it is centered around hosting the build artifacts but is lacking in other development lifecycle features. Specifically, I work on functional models, and as such I tend to follow more of an open source software development process. I want to release early and release often. Which means that what I first release may still need some tweaks that I only become aware of after printing and using the items myself.
So lets say I have something that has multiple components. I realize that I need to make a thread size a bit bigger or longer to increase holding strength for another part, or I need a wall thickness increased or decreased so parts fit together better. Right now I can replace a part with the new one, but unless I keep a change log in my readme there isn't really any indication to other users that there is a new revision available. That, and the previous version of the part is now gone.
I'd like to be able to upload revisions and keep a change history of components, in something like a Git revision tree. Or better yet, have the project source in Git, which would include some a makefile or other appropriate build system, then have build artifacts (the stl and gcode files) that get packaged up in a release. Along with the ability to users to opt into notifications when a part that they downloaded has been revised.
Am I overthinking this topic, and 3d printer files shouldn't be treated like software build artifacts?
RE: Questions on proper usage of printables.com and versioning
No, you're not overthinking it but neither Printables nor any other site hosting 3d models that I know of has that ability. I usually just keep older versions around in a separate directory under the original title, unless they've become obsolete in which case I just delete them. In the details section, I keep a change log. Works for me okay.
What's missing though is a way to notify people who have downloaded models of the availability of a new version. I think Cults3D offers that option
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...