Introducing Improved API Documentation
In the summer of 2011, Tinkercad, the easy-to-use, browser based 3D design tool for all, launched a one-click integration with i.materialise. We were the first online 3D printing service that could print models straight from Tinkercad. This would have never been possible without our API (Application Programming Interface). The interfaces (API) that allows your apps or websites to connect with our systems, have grown tremendously ever since, so we improved and revamped all the documentation that surrounds it. Hello Developers!
What’s new or improved?
- A standardized request form to get an API Code and a tool ID: Most APIs require an API Code and a tool ID which will be provided after verifying your business needs. Once you receive them, you can start using our APIs.
- Improved Documentation: The documentation lets you clearly discover the purpose of each API. Learn how to use them and see a lot of code examples before you start. Because we have a wide range of APIs in place, we have now categorized them according to different business needs: Pricing, Ordering, Reporting and Info.
- GitHub: One of our talented lead software developers, Andrey Kuzmenko, spent a lot of time making tons of code examples available on GitHub in different programming languages.
- Demo Pages: Demo pages were created to test the tool ID and your acquired API code. These fully functioning pages are directly linked to our production site , a.o. the pricing engine that is used in our 3D print lab, meaning that the API generated prices are identical to the prices generated by i.materialise’s 3D print lab.
- Sandbox Server: This is an isolated server (not hooked up to a payment system or production environment, allowing you to test the service without getting billed) to try out your sandbox API code, tool ID and integration with us. This is different from our demo pages which are used to check if a particular API is working and is connected with our production site. The sandbox server also has it’s own set of demo pages.
- Business Models: We’ve added a page explaining the different business models. The optimized way to connect to i.materialise depends on your business model. Since we have over 10 interfaces (APIs) in place, some of those might be more useful for your business than others. There are two main types of cooperation with i.materialise: Referral or White Label.
- Showcase: See how businesses like Twikit and applications like Tinkercad integrate with i.materialise through the API.
Our aim is to offer as much functionality from our website as possible through the API. As this is an ever ongoing process, the API pages are constantly being updated. So dive into the API site and see what we can do for you!
