MakerBot Industries

ReplicatorG 0020 is ready to roll, as are new versions of the firmware for the plastruder and the motherboard!  Download it here. You’ll also see new versions of the motherboard and extruder firmware are available; use ReplicatorG’s built-in uploader to update your boards!

This is the first release to feature multiple slicing engines– in this case two separate editions of Skeinforge.  By default, ReplicatorG will still use the version of Skeinforge we’ve had integrated since 0006, but if you want to play with the latest and greatest, we’ve also integrated the most recent Skeinforge release for your slicing and toolpath-generating pleasure.  Just select the slicing engine you want to use from the “gcode” menu, like so:

You can create and edit profiles for the new Skeinforge just as you would for the old version.  (Well, almost; we’ve added the create and edit buttons directly to the profile selection dialog.)

You’ll also notice that you can now launch either the extruder or the motherboard onboard preferences dialog directly from the machine menu, rather than having to open the motherboard preferences and then click on the extruder preferences button.  Which is handy, because we’ve got a few new extruder preferences for you to play with in the new v2.5 extruder firmware!

The new extruder firmware lets you remap mosfet channels and switch motor controllers, so if you’ve managed to burn out a chip or two, you can just change your configuration and keep going.

You’ll also notice that we’ve removed the automatic backoff feature from v2.5; we made this change to reduce stress on the motors.  If you miss this functionality, we recommend investigating the oozebane module in Skeinforge.

The v2.3 firmware for the motherboard doesn’t include any new features, but does increase the retry count on the extruder communications, which should help if you’ve been having trouble with longer builds.

As always, ReplicatorG doesn’t happen without you!  We have a bunch of contributors for this release:

• chlunde: Edge mode on ‘e’ keypress re-enabled
• Miles Lightwood, Eberhard Rensch, koenkooi: created/backported raftless to skeinforge
• Charles Pax: new profiles, machines.xml entry for thingomatic
• justjoheinz: about box fix

Apologies to anyone I’ve left out; drop me a line or let me know in the comments if I missed you.

Thanks, and have fun!

Or, transmuting a digital object into a real 3D object embedded with a 2D representation of its “DNA.”

Digital DNA

A little over a month ago I had pondered how cool it would be to have things on Thingiverse embedded with QR codes – so you could show the bottom of the object to a friend, they could grab the digital file, and print off a duplicate.  Well, l0b0 has done just that with his parametric box!

Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh... bat mobile!

Give up?  A bat mobile.

Pasutx designed this super-cool bat mobile by using Unicorn style 2D design in green PLA with his homebrew 3D printer rocking some MakerBot electronics.

More?  You must have more???  How about a video of the bat mobile in action!

Pow!  Zam!  Blam!

More than a year since Episode 1, Zaggo, caretaker for MakerBot 127, has just released Episode 2!  In Episode 1 our intrepid hero quickly and efficiently designed, printed, and replaced an under-cabinet kitchen lamp bracket in less time than you could have driven to your local hardware store, found the part, and driven back home, and replaced it. ¹   In the long-anticipated sequel he designs a wall socket cover!

Better Living with MakerBot – Episode 2: The Wall Socket

Better Living With MakerBot – Episode 1: Kitchen Lamp

1. Ask yourself – can you afford to NOT have a 3D printer in your home? [↩]

The guys over at Electromagnate have put together a teaser video for their upcoming documentary about the maker and hackerspace movement. ¹ They looking to explain why everyday people are compelled to make thing, invent things, and collaborate with others to give away their ideas for free – and maybe even change the world in the process.

We are currently filming a documentary that explores the state and direction of the Maker and Hackerspace movement in America. We’re visiting hackerspace and makerspaces across the nation in an attempt to show the incredible innovation, creativity, struggles and triumphs that exemplify these spaces. Our goal is to help everyone understand what hackerspaces and makerspaces are doing, how they are doing it and how the Maker Movement is changing the world.

Check out Electromagnate’s website for more information about their project!

1. You might even see some familiar faces… [↩]

If you’ve got some design and coding chops but no 3D printer to convert all those spare zeros and ones to a physical object, why not enter the Bit.ly API contest?  Bit.ly allows its users to easily share, shorten, and track URLs or “links.” ¹  Check out the Bit.ly blog for details about the contest and ideas for cool plugins, widgets, and mobile apps that use their API in new, creative, and useful ways.

First prize?  A MakerBot Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer!

1. Air quotes [↩]