Introducing The Filament Index: A Free Database for HueForge Creators
5 min read
Last week I spent four hours tracking down the TD value for one specific filament color.
Not because I'm slow. Because the data doesn't live in one place. HueForge has its own library inside the app. FilamentColors.xyz has great color data. Some brands publish TD specs. Reddit threads bury them three comments deep. Facebook groups pass spreadsheets around until someone leaves and the link dies.
If you've ever done the HueForge calibration dance, you already know this. Everyone is re-measuring the same filaments in a dozen different places. The data exists — it's just scattered.
So I built The Filament Index. One place. 1,357 filaments. 23 brands. HueForge-authoritative TD values where they exist, community-verified data where they don't. Free. Searchable. And it's live right now at 3dprintsbyvic.com/filaments.
Here's how to use it.
Start from the homepage
Pop open 3dprintsbyvic.com and you'll see the new Filament Index section right under the hero.
Those 18 swatches are a rotating feature — a mix of HueForge-verified classics and picks I've personally calibrated. Click any swatch and you'll land on that filament's detail page. The swatches shift over time so the homepage feels alive.
The Explore The Filament Index button below takes you to the full searchable database.
This is where the work happens. Filter sidebar on the left, filament grid on the right. You can filter by:
Brand — 23 of them, counts next to each so you can see who covers what
Material — PLA, PLA+, PETG, TPU
Finish — matte, silk, glossy, translucent, metallic, glow
Color family — 15 buckets so you can hunt down that specific shade of green
TD range — drag a slider if you're looking for a specific layer count
Status — all, verified only, or HueForge-ready only
The counts next to each filter are live. Pick PLA + matte and every other facet updates to reflect what's left.
Each card shows the flat color, the brand, the product line, the material, and the TD value if we have one. A green check mark means the TD is verified — either HueForge-official or community-confirmed.
Want everything from one brand? Check that brand's box and click "View only {brand} →" to jump to its dedicated hub page with best-of sections and brand-scoped filters.
Dive into a single filament
Every filament in the index has its own page. Not a modal. Not a tooltip. A full page at a real URL you can bookmark, share, or link from your own blog.
The hero shows the flat color swatch, the brand, the full product and color name, verification status, and the quick meta line — material, finish, color family.
Below the hero:
Transmission Distance table broken out by layer height (0.08, 0.12, 0.16, 0.20) with the primary TD called out large and green when verified
Color data — hex, LAB values, color family, and any notes
Measurement provenance — method, date, notes, source (so you can see where the value came from)
Related filaments from the same brand
On the right, a small sidebar card with a subtle "Buy this filament" button. When a brand has a direct affiliate program, we use their link. When they don't, we drop a search on Amazon. Every link carries a visible affiliate disclosure — no surprises.
What's verified, what's waiting
Not every filament has a verified TD value. Here's what's in the index right now:
763 HueForge Official measurements pulled from HueForge's own library — the gold standard
~260 community-verified from the FilamentColors.xyz import and older community contributions
~334 unverified — the filament is in the database but the TD hasn't been confirmed yet
The unverified ones are still useful. You get the hex color, the material, the brand, and a place to land when you're comparing options. Just treat the TD as "not yet confirmed" until the check mark shows up.
What's coming next
The index is useful today, but the best version is the one we build together. Coming soon:
Submit your own measurements — if you've calibrated a filament, you'll be able to contribute the TD value and your method
Upvote and flag — help sort signal from noise
Certified Contributor badge — once you've had 25 accepted submissions, you get recognized in the database and your submissions auto-approve going forward
Custom color matching — filter by hex, not just color family
Every filament page already has a "Contribute" card with a preview of what's coming.
Why this matters
HueForge is one of the most creative tools in 3D printing right now. The thing holding most people back isn't the software — it's the calibration overhead. Every creator does the same measurement work, over and over, because the data doesn't travel.
If we centralize the data, the whole community moves forward faster. Fewer wasted rolls. Faster prints. Better color. More people sticking with HueForge past the first "why did this come out muddy" attempt.
That's the bet.
Join the crew
Dig into The Filament Index and let me know what you think. Spot a filament that's missing, or a TD value that looks off? The Discord is where we're organizing submissions — come say hey.
Explore The Filament Index: 3dprintsbyvic.com/filaments
Discord: discord.com/invite/cbu8MrGFYv
More coming soon.
— Vic
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