Manyfold is a powerful, self-hosted 3D model library manager designed to streamline the organization, visualization, and management of 3D print files. It serves as a centralized digital asset management (DAM) system for makers and designers, supporting various formats like STL, OBJ, and 3MF with interactive 3D previews. By offering robust Docker deployment options and integration with external platforms like Thingiverse, Manyfold simplifies the workflow from file storage to print preparation in homelab or professional environments.

When should I use manyfold?

manyfold is useful in the following scenarios: • Case 1: Deploying a self-hosted 3D model repository using Docker Compose for private homelab use. • Case 2: Organizing large, unsorted collections of STL and 3MF files into searchable libraries with custom tags and metadata. • Case 3: Synchronizing 3D model metadata and preview images directly from external sites like Thingiverse, MyMiniFactory, and Cults3D. • Case 4: Setting up a multi-user 3D asset management platform with OIDC Single Sign-On for collaborative maker spaces or design studios. • Case 5: Managing 3D print file storage across local directories and S3-compatible cloud storage while maintaining interactive web-based previews.

name	manyfold
description	Self-hosted 3D model library manager for organizing, viewing, and managing 3D print files. Use when the user asks about deploying, configuring, or using Manyfold for managing STL/OBJ/3MF collections. Triggers on phrases like "Manyfold", "3D model library", "manage my 3D prints", "self-hosted model manager", "organize STL files", "3D print collection", or any Docker/homelab deployment involving 3D model organization.

Manyfold Skill

Manyfold is a self-hosted web application for managing 3D print file collections with interactive previews, metadata organization, and Fediverse federation support.

Quick Reference

Docker Image: ghcr.io/manyfold3d/manyfold:latest Default Port: 3214 Web UI: http://{server}:3214

Deployment Options

Minimal (Solo with SQLite)

services:
  manyfold:
    image: ghcr.io/manyfold3d/manyfold-solo:latest
    ports:
      - "3214:3214"
    volumes:
      - /path/to/config:/config
      - /path/to/models:/libraries
    environment:
      SECRET_KEY_BASE: <generate-128-char-hex>
      PUID: 1000
      PGID: 1000
    restart: unless-stopped

Production (PostgreSQL + Redis)

services:
  manyfold:
    image: ghcr.io/manyfold3d/manyfold:latest
    ports:
      - "3214:3214"
    volumes:
      - /path/to/models:/libraries
    environment:
      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://manyfold:password@db/manyfold?pool=5
      REDIS_URL: redis://redis:6379/1
      SECRET_KEY_BASE: <generate-128-char-hex>
      PUID: 1000
      PGID: 1000
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
    cap_drop:
      - ALL
    cap_add:
      - CHOWN
      - DAC_OVERRIDE
      - SETUID
      - SETGID
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis

  db:
    image: postgres:15
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: manyfold
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
      POSTGRES_DB: manyfold

  redis:
    image: redis:7

volumes:
  db_data:

Required Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`SECRET_KEY_BASE`	128-char hex string for cookie signing. Generate with `openssl rand -hex 64`
`PUID` / `PGID`	User/group ID for file permissions. Get with `id` command
`REDIS_URL`	Redis connection (not needed for solo image). Format: `redis://host:6379/1`

Database Configuration

Option 1: DATABASE_URL (recommended)

PostgreSQL: postgresql://user:pass@host/dbname?pool=5
MySQL: mysql2://user:pass@host/dbname?pool=5
SQLite: sqlite3:/config/manyfold.sqlite3?pool=5

Option 2: Individual variables

DATABASE_ADAPTER: postgresql, mysql2, or sqlite3
DATABASE_HOST, DATABASE_PORT, DATABASE_USER, DATABASE_PASSWORD, DATABASE_NAME

Key Optional Features

Variable	Description
`MULTIUSER=enabled`	Enable login, roles, permissions
`FEDERATION=enabled`	ActivityPub/Fediverse support
`HTTPS_ONLY=enabled`	Force HTTPS, set HSTS headers
`DEMO_MODE=enabled`	Disable all destructive operations

OIDC Single Sign-On

OIDC_CLIENT_ID=<client-id>
OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET=<secret>
OIDC_ISSUER=https://auth.example.com/
OIDC_NAME=Authentik
FORCE_OIDC=enabled  # Optional: disable local login

Email (SMTP)

SMTP_SERVER=smtp.example.com
SMTP_PORT=587
SMTP_USERNAME=user
SMTP_PASSWORD=pass
SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS=manyfold@example.com
PUBLIC_HOSTNAME=manyfold.example.com

Performance Tuning

Variable	Default	Description
`WEB_CONCURRENCY`	4	Web worker processes
`RAILS_MAX_THREADS`	16	Threads per worker
`DEFAULT_WORKER_CONCURRENCY`	4	Background job threads
`PERFORMANCE_WORKER_CONCURRENCY`	1	Heavy job threads (analysis, conversion)

Security Settings

MAX_FILE_UPLOAD_SIZE=536870912    # 512MB in bytes
MAX_FILE_EXTRACT_SIZE=1073741824  # 1GB in bytes
MIN_PASSWORD_SCORE=4              # 0-4, higher = stricter

Core Concepts

Library: Storage location (local folder or S3 bucket) containing models
Model: A folder containing related 3D files (parts, images, docs)
Creator: Content author/designer
Collection: Grouping of related models
Tags: Organizational keywords

User Workflows

Initial Setup

Access web UI at http://server:3214
Create admin account (email, username, password)
Add first library (path inside container, e.g., /libraries)
Scan runs automatically to index existing files

Scanning

Scan for new files: Detect new folders/files added outside Manyfold
Rescan all models: Re-check existing models for problems/metadata

Uploading

Upload ZIP archives (extracted as separate models)
Upload individual STL/OBJ files (creates single model)
Progress shown during upload, extraction happens in background

External Integrations (v0.118+)

Import metadata from Thingiverse, MyMiniFactory, Cults3D:

Configure API keys in Settings > Integrations
Add link to model page
Click sync icon to import metadata/images
Or paste URL in search bar for direct import

Supported File Formats

See references/supported_formats.md for complete list.

3D Models with Preview: STL, OBJ, 3MF, GLTF/GLB, FBX, PLY, 3DS Slicer Files: GCode (preview), Chitubox, Lychee Images: PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, SVG, TIFF, BMP Documents: PDF, Markdown, TXT Archives: ZIP, RAR, 7z, gzip, bzip2

Troubleshooting

Container won't start

Ensure SECRET_KEY_BASE is set
Check PUID/PGID have read/write access to mounted volumes
Verify Redis is accessible (for full image)

Files not appearing

Check library path matches container mount (not host path)
Run manual scan from web UI
Verify file extensions are supported

Permission errors

Match PUID/PGID to owner of library folders
Ensure container has write access for temp files

Health check

wget --no-verbose --tries=1 --spider http://localhost:3214/health

Reverse Proxy

Set RAILS_RELATIVE_URL_ROOT=/manyfold for non-root paths.

Required headers for HTTPS proxy:

X-Forwarded-Proto: https
X-Forwarded-For
Host

Note: Federation requires domain root (no subpath).

Additional References

Configuration details: references/configuration.md
All supported formats: references/supported_formats.md

manyfold

When & Why to Use This Skill

Use Cases