Manyfold

Manyfold is an open-source, self-hosted web application designed for managing collections of 3D models. It focuses specifically on the needs of 3D printing enthusiasts and professionals who require a centralized system to organize, store, and categorize their digital assets. The software provides a structured environment for maintaining a library of manufacturing files, ensuring that models are easily accessible and well-documented.

The software operates as a server-side application accessible via a web browser. It is deployed as a server and can be run using multi-platform Docker images or installed locally on a compatible system. Users utilize the interface to upload files, manage metadata, and browse their collections within their own private infrastructure, avoiding reliance on third-party cloud storage for their 3D assets.

Key features

• Support for STL and OBJ file formats
• Client-side 3D rendering using THREE.js
• Server-side 3D code processing via Mittsu
• Automatic image thumbnail generation using ImageMagick
• Model file analysis using assimp
• Asynchronous task handling via Sidekiq
• ActivityPub federation support for decentralized interaction
• Internationalization framework for multi-language support

The application is built with Ruby on Rails and uses PostgreSQL as its production database, while SQLite is used for development environments. The frontend is constructed with Bootstrap 5 and TypeScript to ensure a consistent user interface. To handle resource-intensive operations, it employs a background job runner for asynchronous tasks and integrates libarchive to facilitate file upload support. The architecture is designed to be extensible, following standard Rails practices to allow for community contributions and modifications.

This system is intended for individuals or organizations that maintain large libraries of manufacturing files and prefer to host their data on their own hardware for better control and privacy. It provides the necessary tools for model analysis and visualization without requiring external software for basic file inspection.

Manyfold serves as a dedicated digital asset management system for the 3D printing and manufacturing community.