Nothing just did something amazing to celebrate the CMF Phone 1 launch

Summary

• Nothing is opening its CMF platform to outside designers, potentially sparking a creative revolution.
• Phone 1 is modular, with an easily removable back panel for accessories.
• STL files are nice, but they aren’t made for editing. The community needs a proper CAD file

Even though the CMF Phone 1 isn’t available in the US through the traditional retail channels, you can pick it up through Nothing’s US beta program for just $200. One of the most compelling things about the Phone 1 is its modularity. The back panel is easily removed and replaced, and there’s even a place to mount accessories. But now, Nothing is breaking new ground in the smartphone world by opening up the CMF platform to outside designers, and giving them a helping hand.

What’s new from Nothing

A post from a Nothing community manager on the official CMF forum has released the official physical specifications for its back cover to the community. The idea is to capitalize on the CMF Phone 1’s customizability by letting everyone have the numbers to make their own unofficial back panel. And to kickstart things, Nothing has even released an official STL file that it says is print-ready.

Even though this is more than just about any other smartphone maker is doing, it’s not really enough to kick-start a creative revolution. The problem is the STL file. An STL file is basically a collection of 3D Cartesian points that define a bunch of triangles that make up a 3D object. When you download a 3D model from Printables.com or Thingiverse.com, you’re downloading an STL file. The issue is that STL files aren’t meant to be manipulated, so the model released by Nothing won’t help anyone create a modified back panel. For that you’d need a STEP or IGES file, which is essentially a 3D SVG file, and is an industry standard for CAD.

We’re not the first to notice this issue, and some replies on the original post are already asking for STEP files, and Nothing’s community manager has said he’s looking into getting the files. Still, that hasn’t stopped people from posting their Blender files and giving them to the community. Forum member 3DPrintedCat has already shared six designs and invited others to riff on their work. Other users are sharing their prints in both FDM and resin prints.

Personally, I want to see more of this from smartphone makers. There’s already a thriving community of makers creating phone cases with 3D printers, but having official support from the OEM is on another level. If Nothing is serious about supporting this kind of community involvement, I suspect we’ll see a proper CAD file soon. But I have a feeling we’ll see some new Etsy stores popping up sooner.