Aptera scale model

[Curtis Cibinel]

I just finished and released my first version of a high detail model of the aptera (including interior and moving wheels). Eventually I’m hoping to get the doors and hatch functional. This prints as many parts then is assembled / glued together. Windows are meant to be semi rigid clear plastic (ie laminate nothing and use the clear plastic).

Some details are embossed or enhanced so they show up on a print. I’m still physically printing the first run myself so this is very much a beta release. Fdm printers may have challenges unless they print it huge.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5140895

[STEVEN LOPER]

While we had the last wesite someone posted some stepp files for the APTERA model to use in a 3D printer does anyone here still have a copy of those i could get from you so I can have some printed for me? Thank you

[Steven Haws]

I would love to have the file as well if that’s possible.

[Paul Rowe]

I was able to get the .stl file from the previous forum prior to it shutting down. This is a 1:43 scale model of what appears to be the Alpha model. This model is 4.5mb in size. I am willing to share this with anyone who wants it, but this current forum will not accept .stl’s for uploading.

Send me a PM at m.me/mrpaulrowe

I am currently printing this in 1:10 scale and want to adapt it into Remote Control.

[Robert Cunningham]

Was thinking along similar lines but was concerned about steering and drivetrain complexity. Today I realized there’s no need for the front wheels to pivot: I can drive them separately then use tank-steering.

I’m thinking small 1″ outrunner pancake motors would be just about perfect. May even put Elaphe stickers on them.

[Grant Fuller]

PM in Facebook?

[Mark Langenhoven]

If you’re still looking for the STL file, here’s a link.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t-tZUtVttiBkzhws88mdi3wXcHVRWYS0/view?usp=drivesdk

[Robert Cunningham]

This STL file has several mesh issues. I can fix most of them in Meshmixer, but some gaps/holes need to be sculpted, something beyond my skills (in STL).

I want to optimize the model for larger-scale (~15:1) professional resin printing, which sucks to do with an STL (or any pre-rendered model). The tessellation in this file seems a bit coarse, and may show visible triangles when printed as a large (10-12 inch) model on a commercial/industrial printer.

I could get by with an ultra-fine STL, but a CAD file would be vastly better. Any format will do, but STEP is preferred.

Any hints where to look?

[Curtis Cibinel]

I’ve had very little luck with meshmixer. If you could help me smooth out the bottom/rear area on my model (that has the interior) that would be awesome and I’ll update the posted version. It has made as multiple parts then joined after I tweaked the geometry for beta so the pieces have a seam. If I reimport it to Adobe medium I lose a ton of resolution. My process and tools are great for sculpting not segmenting a multipart CAD style model.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5140895

[V Pilot]

Is there anyone printing these? Really neat, wouldn’t ming having one

[Curtis Cibinel]

Yes the giveaway on the fb group is. I’m still working on higher detail versions with the interior/spinning wheels (screens, seats and test prints then I’ll will be posting) . V2 will add door and hatch movement. Life has been busy; 12 hours of work has taken me 3 weeks…

[V Pilot]

I thought it was the simple smaller scale. Did you scale it up?

[Curtis Cibinel]

I used this model and about 20 marketing photos to sculpt it myself and segment it so wheels can turn etc or it could be printed very large. Windows are slots for clear plastic sheets. I even included cup holders and a little coffee cup. I’m hoping to have some time to work on it today then ill start printing.

This should give some idea but doesn’t include the latest work on the interior, rear body, door and roof (switching repeatedly between sculpting in medium and mesh loses some details). Panels and other details are embossed into the shape – Glowgo will be added.

[Len Nowak]

I can’t believe the talent out there…

Well done!

And just before the Holidays.

Got any Black Friday specials?????

Custom teardrop trailer next?

[Curtis Cibinel]

Peter’s bubble door and hinges are first. Maybe I’ll do a solar hatch/hood options after that. I’m unclear how a trailer hitch will connect to the car. Real world I’ll be making a custom lightweight kayak carrier trailer for my Aptera.

As to printers for anyone wanting to get into to hobby get the cheapest mono screen resin printer. Deals should be around $140 usd this year. Resin is toxic so wear nitrite gloves and maintain good practises.

[Curtis Cibinel]

After problems with my printer (dead screen) I just finished printing and painting my first mini Aptera. To simplify things I changed it to a simple stop/bottom clamshell (vs painting about 16 pieces). My painting skills aren’t great and this was about 3 inches long.

PS: Lol just noticed I forgot to paint the lights / license plate…. Oops

[OZ (It’s OZ, Just OZ)]

I’m going with I’m impressed. (the painting is probably that you didn’t spend enough time in your youth playing Dungeons and Dragons and painting the little miniatures.)

[Curtis Cibinel]

Youth ????… Tuesday

Ps: does anyone know if the hood will be black or the wrap color without the optional solar hood? All the alphas were essentially the solar hood but not hatch.

[Markus Schmid]

Wow, that’s one cool thing! An Aptera model car! ????????

It looks really nice and proportions and shape seem to be quite accurate, congrats!

Thanks for sharing this. So refreshing to see that kind of enthusiasm. ????

[Gordon Niessen]

Tried to download it and am getting a 404 error.

[Curtis Cibinel]

Try again soon. Thingiverse is dumb when I make edits (uploaded these photos) it flakes out. In the future I’ll wait a day after updating to promote it on other platforms.

[Gordon Niessen]

Nope, still the same thing.

[Markus Schmid]

Hi Gordon, try to download the 4 files individually. This worked for me while the option “download all” gave me a 404 error as well.

[Curtis Cibinel]

For anyone having download issues with thingiverse the files are now on cult3d. https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/game/aptera-beta-with-interior-and-moving-parts

[David Tiemeyer]

I created a 1/20th scale model of Aptera in SolidWorks while waiting for my car to arrive, too. It has some nice surface features delineating windows, doors, hatch and Aptera logos. Does anyone know who to contact over at the Aptera Store about carrying the scale model while people wait for their car to arrive? In the meanwhile, I am donating the *.STEP file to anyone interested in having RoadRunner 3D in Albuquerque print a handsome copy on their multiple jet fusion (MJF) printer.

[Francis Giroux]

How many of you 3-D printer owners are going to produce a model for sale? I’m sure many of us are interested in getting one, for the right price. Small, Medium, Large, detailed, rolling, simple, one color, two tone, etc. doesn’t matter. There is room in this market for all options. What do you say? If you are printing one, why not sell a few? I’d like a black and yellow one that I can print on the side, an ad sign, with a magic marker.

[David Tiemeyer]

I created this 1/20th scale model of Aptera and had Roadrunner 3D in Albuquerque print it on their MJF machine.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ATr1JZ9ZyW2W1F5X6

You are more than welcome to have them print a copy, just say I sent you.

I have tried to contact the “Aptera Store” manager about offering several sizes, but haven’t found the right contact yet.

Otherwise let me know your email address and I will send you the *.STEP file.

[OZ (It’s OZ, Just OZ)]

David, your link appears to be “404’d”

[David Tiemeyer]

Sorry, I needed to share the link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ATr1JZ9ZyW2W1F5X6

[Llewellyn Evans]

Very Sexy Model!! Good Job!!????

[Sven Tubach]

Hi David, i have already a aptera reservation and for the time till i receive “my” aptera i would like to have a model.

Could you please send me a 3d-printer file?

Best regards

Sven

[David Tiemeyer]

<div>Sven ~ Here is the link to the STEP file for you to print your own. ~ David</div>

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4zo6vtpkn2er506/Aptera%20Model%20v3.STEP?dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/s/4zo6vtpkn2er506/Aptera%20Model%20v3.STEP?dl=0

[john Bussjaeger]

THANK YOU! – they really should just publish STL files just for the free marketing because multiple people will model the thing or use a phone scanner on the car when it comes out. I could see people making covers for remote control toys, model planes, helmets, who knows…

[Gene Chutka]

I printed David’s 3D model at home on my FDM printer using the STL file that he uploaded to Thingiverse. Thank’s for sharing your excellent work David!

I made a few minor changes to his original model and re-uploaded as a remix – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5415623

David’s original model on Thingiverse can be found at – https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5242564

• This reply was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by  Gene Chutka.

[Curtis Cibinel]

For anyone that wants a model with an interior here is my latest version of the gamma. With FDM it should be viable with a well setup printer and a .25mm nozzle but I use SLA. I am still working on the latest interior updates to the dash, console and door from the webinar. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5409483

[Francis Giroux]

Send me a picture and how much it cost you to get it printed at Roadrunner 3D.

hydrogenboost@roadrunner.com

[David Tiemeyer]

For photos try this shared link instead: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ATr1JZ9ZyW2W1F5X6

Roadrunner 3D quotes for various sizes:

$66.91 for 1/25th scale – length 173mm (6.81″)

$137.06 for 1/20th scale – length 220mm (8.66″)

$268.95 for 1/16th scale – length 275mm (10.83″)

If we can get the Aptera Store to buy in quantity these prices go way down.

[Raj Giandeep]

That’s impressive detail. What material is it printed in?

[David Tiemeyer]

Mine was printed on their HP 4210 with a Multiple Jet Fusion (MJF) process in PA12 Nylon. The part was left in its natural gray condition, but they can dye, powdercoat and even plate parts as required. You can contact them at roadrunner3d.net

[Francis Giroux]

Now if they would print a 1/40th scale (4.3″) for under $20 they could sell like hotcakes.

I hope the Aptera store decides to check out all options and offer the best in class affordable model.

[David Tiemeyer]

It WOULD make a great paper weight. I will add the smaller size to the list if I can ever get a hold of someone over at the Aptera Store.

[Ray Holan]

David, I relayed your cool project to two Aptera employees with whom I have contact. Wondering out loud if there might be some licensing issue here similar to MLB or NFL merchandise?

[George Hughes]

The 3-D print approach to duplicating these would take an inordinate amount of time to attain volume.

What I might suggest is that someone associated with Aptera contact a diecast car toy manufacturer and commission an exclusive rendition of the Aptera in a popular scale size.

The question is, will a toy company make one as part of their effort – there is a die cast of everything it seems or whether they will require an interested party pony up some cash in exchange for a proprietary production. https://www.motormaxtoy.com/about-us

I will say it would be cool if you could pop down to Wally World and pickup one off the shelves 😉

It would also be a good marketing tool.

I think with a product like this, a 10,000 unit run at retail would have a retail value of about $400,000 for a 1:18 scale model and, given retail marks, the actual cost would be under $200,000 for that lot. A 1:24 scale model could be half that in general terms.

Personally, if I were at Aptera doing marketing, I would look at this kind of marketing investment with the idea that you use this for a direct mail campaign where 1-2,000 of the models are earmarked for independent repair shops nationwide. They’d be a premium for the return of a big survey that would give insight into the mindset of those in that business based on their responses.

You would probably find out that one of the main impediments for independent shops to work on EVs is the use, by manufacturers of

With a proper survey, you’d be able to identify the 100-500 independent repair providers of the 1000 or so returned surveys all over the country if not all over the world. Not only that, but if the Aptera scale model is as cool I think, it would likely be displayed in the office of the repair shop which is a pretty good sign that business would work on them.

Of course, sales of the remaining 8000 models would be sold at a profit off-setting the costs of the direct mailing of the survey to 3-4000 shops of which a 25-40 percent return rate so you have a little data entry.

I actually did a research project similar to this back in the early ’80s for a fishing/outdoor company where a psychographically targeted list of (fishermen) to which I obtained response rates ranging from 26% to 52% depending on the source of the list. Those responses were in an eight-panel, self-returning printed survey with tons of questions that asked me to

FYI: This research confirmed that if you want a kid to grow up to fish, you better let him or her catch one before age 7. Seems those who catch ’em young, become almost addicted to the sensation.

The trick to the high response rate was the nature of the survey, I asked the respondents to tell me about their last fishing adventure and designed the responses to let them tell that story. With a little research I’m sure a compelling survey instrument could be crafted for the auto repair industry.

It would take a good amount of work to do this but it would at least be a way to get a cool Aptera scale model 🙂 I wonder if they can do it with ‘composites’?

[David Tiemeyer]

I like where you are going with this. I hope Aptera Marketing has their ear to the rail and gleans useful ideas from these posts.

I could relate to your story as I was about seven when bitten by the fishing bug after catching a bullhead in my grandpa’s cattle pond.

Grooming a network of independent garages to work on the thousands of Apteras rolling off the assembly line is something that should be addressed and well thought out. Your idea is worth trying in a sample market.

And why not send a model to each Ambassador to facilitate their “show and tell” …

[Ray Holan]

Having a model of the Aptera as part of an “Ambassador Toolkit” makes a lot of sense to me, David. Given we don’t realistically expect to have any full scale Apterae before year’s end, at least s model like you described could be something tangible to show interested parties.

[David Tiemeyer]

I didn’t see this thread until today. I could have saved myself a lot of work building my own 3D model. But, I had nothing but time waiting for my full size vehicle to arrive. Here is the link to the STL and STEP files I built in Solidworks for a 1/25th scale model:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o9vr3vm33xgsqr1/Aptera%20Sol.STL?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4zo6vtpkn2er506/Aptera%20Model%20v3.STEP?dl=0

Here is the link to several photos of the model:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ATr1JZ9ZyW2W1F5X6

I had this model printed on a mult jet fusion (MJF) HP printer by Roadrunner 3D in Albuquerque with at an 80 micro layer depth. I have given them permission to use my file to make a print for any Aptera customer who wants it. Contact josh.r@roadrunner3d.net

[GLENN ZAJIC]

What a good looking model!

[David Kam]

Thanks for doing that I sent the file to someone on Etsy to print it out.

[Stefan Obel]

How much does the printing cost?

[Isaac Madsen]

My first Lego Aptera is a bit rough around the edges, and not nearly as aerodynamic as a true 1:1 model would have been. I designed the frame, and my son picked out some interesting door and window choices. Hopefully you can see the basic shape coming together. Robotic driver, I guess, since this model does not yet have seatbelts. Safety first!

[Curtis Cibinel]

I just finished and published the latest version of my model of the Aptera for 3d printing after more hours of work than I would care to admit. It is available on thingiverse (cult3d should sync by tomorrow). This includes the gamma shape announcements and beta render changes. I have also made the process of printing far simpler and made the wheels functional. Unlike official content from Aptera I included the cup holders and inevitable coffee. I am doing my first print now so fair warning issues may still exist. If successful pre-supported files will be provided soon. Designed for printing as 5 or 9 inches long. FDM printers may want to scale up further for best results.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5409483

[Karen Copher]

Great job Curtis! Thanks for sharing.

[David Marlow]

Would you be willing to sell copies?

What would a fair price be?

[Curtis Cibinel]

5 inch prints take 12 hours(30 min effort) and use about $2.50 of resin; 9 inch versions might be $6 in materials / 2 days (3 prints). I’m planning to print/paint some for Aptera owners club and other YouTubers to share to the community. My prints use a 4k photon mono sla printer and go through 2 seperate IPA cleans and manual cleanup before curing under uv. If someone really wants me to print/ship (with or without painting) I’m willing to discuss. Definitely not trying to make money at this but if something takes me 1+ hours of effort to print/ship I’d expect some compensation for time (painting is more). Once the presupprted are available (once tested in 4-5 days) they could also be sent to any generic online printing service.

5 inch – $12 usd + shipping (likely cheaper with generic printing services)

9 inch – $25 usd + shipping (likely cheaper with generic services)

5 inch painted – $30 + shipping (interior and exterior colors made to order)

9 inch painted – $50 + shipping (interior and exterior colors made to order)

Custom painting outside flat color styles (ie as threads on custom wrap/paint) can be discussed.

Note: I’m a reasonable painter with brush/airbrush but am far from the best. Anything I ship is from Kelowna bc Canada. Im a cloud architect / software developer but all materials I make are open source so anyone can provide the service I am. If someone else wants to paint/print for less I’ve got no intrest in competing.

Note 2: the coffee cup is under a non-commercial license and will be omitted from anything I print for money.

[Efrain Goody]

From the picture, the quality is fairly poor/low res. On smaller prints, this shouldn’t be an issue, but with the full sized print, this would come through pretty clearly. What was your process for building this out? Did you hand sculpt the whole thing?

[Curtis Cibinel]

That is actually largely a result of how the rendering looks in lychee (meshmixer is actually worse); the wheel pant and door are smooth (I have a physical print that just finished). I did the bulk of sculpting in Adobe medium (volumetric) and part integration / minor cleanups in meshmixer. The model actually has some details which are too small to effectively print except on very large SLA printers. I did need to do some details redundantly as I unfortunately rotated the model in VR so some things like the fit of the doors was manually shaped separately left vs right. Because each time I switched between VR (volumetric) and meshmixer I lost resolution I tended to try to sculpt once and handle as much as possible in meshmixer to avoid losing resolution. The body is designed to be printed in sections so it can be larger and easier to paint (my original beta had the dash back seats and back all in 1 large piece which made accurate painting very tricky). I’ll probably make more changes to how the body sections join and update the pedals to be the round ones from the current renders later tonight before another test print

• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Curtis Cibinel.
• This reply was modified 5 months, 3 weeks ago by  Gabriel Kemeny.