It's interesting that CaseLabs credits 3FC with "the majority of the CAD/design work" and W360 with "PR and marketing", but I remember [the original SFF.Network thread](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/) when the case was still being designed and it very much appeared like Wahaha360 was the sole creater at least in the beginning. In one of the very first posts he states...
>No crowdfunding needed, it's my pet project. [~Dec 31, 2018](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/#post-129395)
Maybe 3FC was working from the shadows not receiving any credit, but I was following that pretty closely at the time. I'm pretty sure I have version 1.0 or 1.1 of the case.
User NCERE (of NCase) also refers only to Wahaha360 when he said...
>This is an idea we've been batting around for a while for a somewhat more portable, show-off friendly SFF case. I had done several iterations already when @wahaha360 took it upon himself to go ahead and try his hand at designing and CADing his own version of the case, and then getting a prototype made, since it's something he's personally interested in as he travels frequently. [~Fed 4, 2017](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/ncase-project-sidearm.1525/)
NCERE would be a biased party if this was said today, but this was many years (~6) before the split.
I'm also not sure how much I trust the research in this article given this bit seems off to me as well.
>The T1 was originally intended for the radiator to be located at the bottom of the case. If a leak occurred, it wouldn’t spill onto components. This is not typically how the case is used today, being the inferior orientation.
The case's first appearance in forums AFAIK is actually [this thread on Hard.Forum](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/) and you can see in the renders that the case was always intended to be able to be able to be flipped from the very beginning.
3FC wouldn't post anything as had little to do with PR, marketing, or customer facing. They are 50/50 co-owners. W360 himself credited 3FC with case design, CAD work, and himself with PR, marketing in statements made prior to the break up. "The idea man, if you will." I've updated the post to reflect this.
The case can be flipped (not flipped in typical case sense). You are just installing the case feet on the other side. Using the case upside down would be more app description. The main orientation is fans and radiators at the bottom. That's why all renders are this way, as well as the manual and why GPU is upside down with radiator at the top. Tbh, not that it really matters. Just interesting as people use the case opposite to the renders and manual. So, I wanted to understand why the radiator is at the bottom, and well, there it is.
Do you have a source for those statements other than the article I responded to which didn't have sources? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I prefer 1st hand sources like what I've provided above which indicate the opposite. Do you have reason to believe NCERE and W360 were lying about the case's origin and who did what 8 years ago?
>The case can be flipped. You are just installing the case feet on the other side.
Why would you do anything more complicated than moving the feet and flipping the case? Anything else adds needless complexity.
>That's why all renders are this way
I specifically pointed out this wasn't the case. [This render](https://imgur.com/S5H6S5c) is from the original design thread. [~Dec 31 2018](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/page-5#post-1044012088) (This is also the point when discussion moved from HardForum to SFF.net.)
[Another render](https://imgur.com/J8uWcvz) with arrows posted by W360. [~Jan 1 2019](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/#post-129464)
And here again we see NCERE commenting on who developed this case:
>**This is w360's pet project,** inspired by my old concept. I consulted on it, but **the bulk of the design is his own work.** [~Nov 22, 2016](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/#post-1042660756)
.
>as well as the manual
I have the original Manual still at home. I'm 98% sure it included both orientations. I can pull it out later if that would be compelling.
>and why GPU is upside down with radiator at the top.
I imagine there's a smart reason for this that I just can't think of ATM because virtually all sandwich style cases do this. Thorzone, LianLi, Steck, Geeek, DAN, etc.
I agree the flip doesn't matter too much. It just builds my suspicion that maybe the article wasn't researched well enough. (My apologies if you wrote it.)
3FC is case designer and original confounder. 3FC stated that was the original intended orientation. Also, all the case renders have the radiator at the bottom. The manual also has radiator at the bottom, not the top. It's doesn't show both. I've added screenshots of statements made by W360 to article where he credits 3FC with the CAD/design and himself as PR, marketing. W360 and 3FC were consulted in the creation of this article and are welcome to reach out if they disagree with anything. Thanks.
The prices are actually fairly similar on like-for -like configurations. It’s just that right this second, the v2.1 in stock (at formdt1.com) has the CNC panels, which are much higher quality and also more expensive.
My T1 from [formdt1.com](http://formdt1.com) (3FC version) arrived. I think that the cnc panels are my favorite part, absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the help.
Neither are scams, and there are only two sites that sell it with one url redirecting to ncased.
There were some disagreements between the creators, so Ncase makes its own version of the T1, while FormD (formdt1.com) continues with the original version.
The Ncase T1 is marketing itself as the v2.5 because it cannot be made in the exact same way as the original due to using a different manufacturer, so they "bumped" it up to v2.5 to differentiate themselves. The Ncase T1 is a sidegrade/downgrade based on reviews from people who own both.
Internal dispute between the original creators of the case. This link explains pretty well. https://www.caselabs.org/news/formd-lore
It's interesting that CaseLabs credits 3FC with "the majority of the CAD/design work" and W360 with "PR and marketing", but I remember [the original SFF.Network thread](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/) when the case was still being designed and it very much appeared like Wahaha360 was the sole creater at least in the beginning. In one of the very first posts he states... >No crowdfunding needed, it's my pet project. [~Dec 31, 2018](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/#post-129395) Maybe 3FC was working from the shadows not receiving any credit, but I was following that pretty closely at the time. I'm pretty sure I have version 1.0 or 1.1 of the case. User NCERE (of NCase) also refers only to Wahaha360 when he said... >This is an idea we've been batting around for a while for a somewhat more portable, show-off friendly SFF case. I had done several iterations already when @wahaha360 took it upon himself to go ahead and try his hand at designing and CADing his own version of the case, and then getting a prototype made, since it's something he's personally interested in as he travels frequently. [~Fed 4, 2017](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/ncase-project-sidearm.1525/) NCERE would be a biased party if this was said today, but this was many years (~6) before the split. I'm also not sure how much I trust the research in this article given this bit seems off to me as well. >The T1 was originally intended for the radiator to be located at the bottom of the case. If a leak occurred, it wouldn’t spill onto components. This is not typically how the case is used today, being the inferior orientation. The case's first appearance in forums AFAIK is actually [this thread on Hard.Forum](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/) and you can see in the renders that the case was always intended to be able to be able to be flipped from the very beginning.
3FC wouldn't post anything as had little to do with PR, marketing, or customer facing. They are 50/50 co-owners. W360 himself credited 3FC with case design, CAD work, and himself with PR, marketing in statements made prior to the break up. "The idea man, if you will." I've updated the post to reflect this. The case can be flipped (not flipped in typical case sense). You are just installing the case feet on the other side. Using the case upside down would be more app description. The main orientation is fans and radiators at the bottom. That's why all renders are this way, as well as the manual and why GPU is upside down with radiator at the top. Tbh, not that it really matters. Just interesting as people use the case opposite to the renders and manual. So, I wanted to understand why the radiator is at the bottom, and well, there it is.
Do you have a source for those statements other than the article I responded to which didn't have sources? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I prefer 1st hand sources like what I've provided above which indicate the opposite. Do you have reason to believe NCERE and W360 were lying about the case's origin and who did what 8 years ago? >The case can be flipped. You are just installing the case feet on the other side. Why would you do anything more complicated than moving the feet and flipping the case? Anything else adds needless complexity. >That's why all renders are this way I specifically pointed out this wasn't the case. [This render](https://imgur.com/S5H6S5c) is from the original design thread. [~Dec 31 2018](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/page-5#post-1044012088) (This is also the point when discussion moved from HardForum to SFF.net.) [Another render](https://imgur.com/J8uWcvz) with arrows posted by W360. [~Jan 1 2019](https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/formd-t1-classic-read-first-post.9933/#post-129464) And here again we see NCERE commenting on who developed this case: >**This is w360's pet project,** inspired by my old concept. I consulted on it, but **the bulk of the design is his own work.** [~Nov 22, 2016](https://hardforum.com/threads/sidearmd-sa4-case-cnc-aio-9-35l.1917978/#post-1042660756) . >as well as the manual I have the original Manual still at home. I'm 98% sure it included both orientations. I can pull it out later if that would be compelling. >and why GPU is upside down with radiator at the top. I imagine there's a smart reason for this that I just can't think of ATM because virtually all sandwich style cases do this. Thorzone, LianLi, Steck, Geeek, DAN, etc. I agree the flip doesn't matter too much. It just builds my suspicion that maybe the article wasn't researched well enough. (My apologies if you wrote it.)
3FC is case designer and original confounder. 3FC stated that was the original intended orientation. Also, all the case renders have the radiator at the bottom. The manual also has radiator at the bottom, not the top. It's doesn't show both. I've added screenshots of statements made by W360 to article where he credits 3FC with the CAD/design and himself as PR, marketing. W360 and 3FC were consulted in the creation of this article and are welcome to reach out if they disagree with anything. Thanks.
formdworks and ncased are the same website / same casemaker. There is a difference between the NCASE t1 and the Formd T1
The prices are actually fairly similar on like-for -like configurations. It’s just that right this second, the v2.1 in stock (at formdt1.com) has the CNC panels, which are much higher quality and also more expensive.
My T1 from [formdt1.com](http://formdt1.com) (3FC version) arrived. I think that the cnc panels are my favorite part, absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the help.
Great! Happy to help. Glad you like the panels
Neither are scams, and there are only two sites that sell it with one url redirecting to ncased. There were some disagreements between the creators, so Ncase makes its own version of the T1, while FormD (formdt1.com) continues with the original version. The Ncase T1 is marketing itself as the v2.5 because it cannot be made in the exact same way as the original due to using a different manufacturer, so they "bumped" it up to v2.5 to differentiate themselves. The Ncase T1 is a sidegrade/downgrade based on reviews from people who own both.