MakerBot Industries

Vertex generator by ssured

Ever since I watched Michael Felix create a massive dome using connectors printed on a MakerBot, I have been fascinated with the MakerBottable possibilities when you consider MakerBot elements in combination with other elements (rods, ropes, sticks, stones, wires, springs, lasercuts, etc.). Thing 9560 really caught my eye — an OpenSCAD tool for creating wire-frame models of geometric figures.¹

Thingiverse Web Warrior Marty McGuire proposed a next leap in the comments: imagine joining this tool with another “papercraft” tool to allow you to skin your object.² Ssured and WilliamAAdams have been tag teaming on these platonic solids — so maybe one or the other of them will take this tool even further. Or maybe you, O Reader, will post one first!³

Vertex generator by ssured

Based on thingiverse.com/thing:9359 and thingiverse.com/thing:9203 this script allows to model any vertex. Special thanks for WilliamAAdams' work on OpenScad 3d math! You can use this script to print vertices for creating any wireframe model. The script can accept vectors for all directions the edges have to go. Cut your edges and you have your solid wireframe model. For fun and pleasure, and for all math enthousiasts, all regular solids are added to the script. See the script for details on how to generate the vertices.

This thing brought to you by

1. Toothpick geodesic domes, anybody? [↩]
2. From geometric model to enclosure! [↩]
3. Marty also mentions this interesting paper from CMU last year by Max Hawkins that looks to be compelling reading for someone looking to jump in to this topic. [↩]