MakerBot Industries

X Buckteeth Leader parametric by timmytool

If you’re rockin’ a Thing-O-Matic, consider installing this clever upgrade from timmytool.  This little plastic part allows you to customize the belt height in your X axis to the height where your X belt naturally rides.  If the place where the belt is held in place on the X carriage is too high or low, it can create additional vibration and noise.

Plus, it kinda looks like a wacky robot face.

X Buckteeth Leader parametric by timmytool

I've found that the x idler pulley tends to ride up against the top y carriage wood. This creates noise and other problems. There are bearing and belt holders and all manner of x axis improvements but I've yet to see one to fix this. The idler rides up due to the belt being pulled up to mesh with the x carriage belt teeth. My solution is to customise the teethes position to match the belts natural path. This is based off of Joakim's x follower openSCAD file so it can match its customization for a perfect x axis sliding action, print his and mine as they replace 2 separate parts. All comments and suggestions welcomed, heck just comment

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Parametric Boltless Hook for keyhole shelving units by Timmytool

As I’m gearing up for Thing-A-Day this year, I thought others might be interested in more OpenSCAD tutorials. ¹  Is there something you would like me to cover in another tutorial?  What would you like to learn?

While I’ve more or less written these tutorials right up to my level of competency, there are a few additional things that we could cover – some of the additional variables for previously covered functions, hull, Minkowski, and for loops.

OpenSCAD Tutorial Series

1. OpenSCAD Basics: The Setup
2. OpenSCAD Basics: 2D Forms
3. OpenSCAD Basics: 3D Forms
4. OpenSCAD Basics: Manipulating Forms
5. OpenSCAD Intermediates: Combining Forms
6. OpenSCAD Intermediates: Mashups
7. OpenSCAD Intermediates: Modularity
8. OpenSCAD Intermediates: Extruding 2D Objects
9. OpenSCAD Intermediates: Fixing Design Problems

Parametric Boltless Hook for keyhole shelving units by timmytool

Turn the unused keyholes in boltless shelves into practical hanging space. Using 2 keyholes in the uprights this thing sits and provides a hook for things like scissors, headphones (I use 2 half shelves and a laminated MDF as a PC desk, huge desktop), pots and pans and a whole thingiverse of items. Make your own custom 3d prints that are held up with this print. Yes it’s completely parametric so it will work with any brand of keyhole style boltless shelves The bridge in the model might sag, as long as it minimal it should add to prints snug fitting. (Yes it works better without a perfect bridge) Some of the pics are of the non parametric version; it has a smaller wedge in the hook but otherwise is near identical to the openSCAD’s uploaded stl

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1. As always, if you go through these tutorials and publish something on Thingiverse, I’d love to feature your designs in my OpenSCAD tutorial posts! [↩]

OpenJsCad: like OpenSCAD, but using JavaScript

There’s always room for another open source Solid CAD modeller! While I’m a huge fan of OpenSCAD, it does have some limitations.  While you can do some amazingly complex operations in OpenSCAD, you cannot reassign values to variables.  This means that a lot of the usual programming techniques are simply not applicable to OpenSCAD.  With OpenJSCad, you can use dynamic arrays and store solids in variables.

So, if you’re rocking Chrome or a WebGL browser, check out joostn’s OpenJSCad!

We believe that this Thingiverse should commit itself to achieving the goal before the month is out of landing MakerBot People on the moon, and housing these daring adventurers there safely and productively in sight of the distant Earth, their home….

So stated President R.Maker in a recent address to the Congressional Assembly of Benevolent Moderators and the Citizens of Thingiverse… and we have breaking news to report. There has been touch down on the moon. I repeat, the MakerBot mission to the moon has now landed, and the MakerBot People are having a great time.

Yesterday, we introduced Michael “Skimbal” Curry’s MakerBot Fairytale Castle Playset. Now, we transport you thousands and thousands of miles away — to the MakerBot Moonbase Playset! Michael has clearly outdone himself with this lovely Flash Gordon / Buck Rogers / Tintin-inspired 1950s rocket playset centerpiece. Gizmodo declared this playset: “The Best Use of New MakerBot“!¹

And keep your eyes on the MakerBot Playset tag for the furniture, moon craters, Astronaut accessories and more, appearing even now. Special shout out to Thingiverse superstar PrettySmallThings for creating, and printing, such models as the Captain Kirk-style chair, Sleeping Pods, and other delights. Check out Thingiverse veteran Emmett’s OpenSCAD models for the Apollo Mission lander, the Radar Dish, and the translation of his stretchy bracelets into treads for a Moon Rover.

MakerBot Moonbase Rocket Playset and Astronauts

MakerBot Rocket Playset by MakerBotWorkshop

Forward Brave Astronauts! Journey into the farthest reaches of the Cosmos and be among the first humans to see the wonders of our Thingiverse. Your daring MakerBot crew risks all for science, adventure, and our distributed-manufacturing future!Created by Thingiverse user Skimbal, designer of the Turtle Shell Racers, MakerBot Botmobile and the Gothic Cathedral Playset.

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MakerBot Astronauts by MakerBotWorkshop

Greetings Bold Adventurers! I know you must be pretty excited right now, but please try to contain yourselves while we get thought this final pre-flight briefing.... Your rocket is just coming out of the Replicator now. And let me be the first to say, she’s a beauty. This new model you’ll be flying has that stunning red-and-white color scheme, and a much lower risk of sudden occupant liquefaction. We’ll be sending you on a daring voyage of exploration and discovery. You're going out into the furthest reaches of the known Thingiverse, with only your wits and those little helmets for protection. We have no idea whats out there... or if it's friendly. But here at MakerBot Space Exploration our engineers have decided its best to just say positive. Remember, it's the dream of every spool of filament to one day be printed into an astronaut, and you are the lucky few who get to live that dream. Go forth my brave astronauts and see all there is to be seen! Discover all that can be discovered! Meet new prints and learn their ways! Yours is the greatest adventure of our time! And be sure to take lots of pictures, you know we love a good slide show. Created by Thingiverse user Skimbal, designer of the Turtle Shell Racers, MakerBot Botmobile and the Gothic Cathedral Playset.

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1. Well, specifically referring to the ability to create “terrifying Lego Space Zombies” [↩]

"Thing.stl" from Matrix Buildings by ramenspork

Here at MakerBot, we like to talk about how people who use 3D printers are committed not only to living in the future, but helping make that future possible.  So, how much more awesome is it that there are teacher out there showing how you can use high school algebra to create some seriously amazing OpenSCAD designs?

I can just picture a set of math and science curricula where the introduction to each chapter explicitly states that upon completion of that chapter the reader should know how to make a bowl, or tower, bridge, or freaking Aztec pyramid.

Also, if Thingiverse citizen and teacher ramenspork or any of their students reads this, would you pretty please put together a tutorial or lesson plan to help others learn how to create sweet printable OpenSCAD structures using linear algebra and matrices?

Matrix Buildings by ramenspork

I teach Linear Algebra to a small class of High School students. We took a few days to learn openSCAD and use the multmatrix function to explore some "real world applications". The kids in the class had no prior programming experience and I think openSCAD was a great way for them to learn some of the basics of programming. Their homework assignment was to design two objects, a building and a tree, by writing their own transformation modules using the multmatrix function (i.e. no using the built in rotate, translate, etc. functions, although union, difference, intersection were ok). Here are their buildings.

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OpenSCAD polygon editor (single HTML file) by Daid

As much as I enjoy using OpenSCAD to create 3D models, I do everything I can to build objects out of cylinders, spheres, and cubes.  Making a polygon is… challenging.  Thankfully, there are a number of people on Thingiverse who have sought to make building polygons in OpenSCAD much less painful.¹  The latest OpenSCAD polygon tool by Daid is simple, intuitive, and a shining example of why open source projects are awesome.

As soon as I tried out Daid’s program, I knew it was great.  Quickly drafting a complex polygon would now be a breeze.  However, being able to upload and trace a picture of an object would make it infinitely more useful.  Within a few hours, Daid had responded to my feature request² and within a single day Thingiverse citizen PieterBos had incorporated this feature into his own OpenSCAD polygon program.  Less than a day after that Daid added the ability to upload traceable images to his own original program.  All of this, the sharing of ideas for features, pushing and encouraging one another to be more awesome… this is what open source collaboration is about.

So, when’s the last time a proprietary closed source program developer knocked out a new feature you requested in three days?  Open source FTW!

OpenSCAD polygon editor (single HTML file) by Daid

I'm making extensive use of OpenSCAD. The only problem I found is that the polygon function is hard to use. I rather draw my polygons visual. So I created a simple polygon editor for OpenSCAD in Javascript+HTML. Following the idea from the "OpenScad Polygon Generator" by "PieterBos" thingiverse.com/thing:9290 But then working for any OS, any browser, without fuss. You don't even need to install anything! (might even work in mobile browsers) Online version can be found at:daid.mine.nu/~daid/3d/ Latest sources can be found at:github.com/daid/OpenSCAD-polygon-editor

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PolygonRabbit a OpenScad Polygon Generator by PieterBos

This i my new version of the polygon tool for openscad How it works ? See:youtube.com/watch?v=WKc6qX1RTyY It generates a openscad file but this time it writes modules so you can use it as a library. O there is also a online version protorabbit.nl/flash/polygonrabbit/PolygonRabbit.html You can now: move the points :-) delete points add point add points to a closed path(shift drag in add mode) add modules delete modules duplicate modules (handy) dont forget to set openscad in automatic reload for more fun instant update Please let me know what you think of it UPDATE:2011-11-29 Oeps the air updated te air app uploaded here from version 0.6 to 0.7 (0.6 should autoupdated but it did not have to look at that when i have time). So update the app with the file here or from my website.

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1. Dang, the new awesome Thingiverse search features sure is awesome…  Thanks Marty! [↩]
2. For the ability to upload an image for tracing [↩]

Children's Tent Joiner by darthcarter

Thingiverse citizen darthcarter has shared their designs for this Children’s Tent Joiner.  Darthcarter’s friend’s children had broken a corner bracket for their play tent and this quick printing fix is the solution.

What struck me about this fix is that I remember fixing a friend’s kid’s tent about two years before I had purchased my first 3D printer.  Unlike the elegant fix¹ above, my solution was a mess of tape, plastic cut from a 2-liter bottle, was frustrating to create, and didn’t work very long at all. ²

What would you have fixed if only you had a 3D printer at your disposal?

Children's Tent Joiner by darthcarter

A friend of mine has two young kids, and, as is normal some of their toys aren't indestructible. 3D printing to the rescue, and there is now a compatible corner part for "Free Time 4 Kidz" Tent. She also suggested the excellent category of "Replacements for stuff that kids break"

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1. Seriously, that’s probably seven lines of code! [↩]
2. Then again, not much works for very long once you toss a 2-year-old inside… [↩]

OpenSCAD (Theoretical) Rocket Science -- Don't try this at home!

Just a quick post to remind all of the members of the MakerBot Operators Group New York (MUGNY) that the second meeting of the OpenSCAD Study Group will be this Thursday in the MakerBot Workshop. I have in almost all of the homework from last month’s event — quite the success, folks! — and we plan to share it back with those who have been participating so that we can launch these tips and tricks on Thursday!

Make sure to arrive as close to 6:30pm as possible, as many of those attending will be heading right up to the NYCResistor Craft Night immediately at 8pm. The next meeting will be held the third Thursday of December: Dec 15th!

What: MUGNY OpenSCAD Study Group Meeting

When: Thursday, Nov 17th from 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: MakerBot Workshop, 314 Dean Street, Brooklyn NY

Who: MakerBot Operators, OpenSCAD users, and their allies!

There have been rumors (well, emails and plans and such) to start Study Groups in San Francisco and possibly Seattle. If you are hosting (or hungering for) a Study Group in your area, drop us a message to griffin at MakerBot dot com and I’ll make sure to spread the word!

Parametric Involute Bevel and Spur Gears by GregFrost

Today I was trying to design something with one large and one small gear making use of Cbiffle’s awesome Spur Gear Fitter Script and Greg Frost’s Parametric Involute Bevel and Spur Gears script.  Unfortunately, whenever I tried to create a large and a small gear, I always ended up with the small gear having no teeth! ¹²

Cbiffle’s script is really useful if you don’t want to get too deep into the math of making gears, but do want gears with a certain gear ratio that will mesh well.  It basically takes care of all of the math you would normally need to get good fitting gears from Greg Frost’s script.

I asked Syvwlch for advice about my toothless gear problem.  He suggested there was a bug in the Spur Gears Script that would cause gear teeth to disappear in certain circumstances.  His way of getting around this problem was to use a non-integer for the number of teeth!  I tried 9.99 teeth (which failed) and then 10.001 which worked!

Parametric Involute Bevel and Spur Gears by GregFrost

This OpenSCAD script provides modules for both Spur and Bevel Gears. It has some major enhancements over my original gear script thingiverse.com/thing:3534. It uses some of the spur gear nomenclature code from TheOtherRob github.com/TheOtherRob/MCAD with my own code for generating the involute teeth. The bevel gear is also my own work. Thanks also to elmom for some enhancements to my original gear script thingiverse.com/thing:3547. Enhancements include the Bevel gear module, backlash settings, parameterised number of facets for the involute curve and whole of tooth generation to avoid some of the issues the original script had when mirroring a half tooth. The STLs provided are not intended for direct use, but instead show examples of what can be done with the parametric script. Parametric Involute Spur Gears take the following parameters:number_of_teethcircular_pitch or diametral_pitch: controls the size of the teeth (and hence the size of the gear).pressure_angle: controls the shape of the teeth.clearance: The gap between the root between teeth and the teeth point on a meshing gear.gear_thickness: the thickness of the gear plate.rim_thickness: the thickness of the gear at the rim (including the teeth).rim_width: radial distance from the root of the teeth to the inside of the rim.hub_thickness: the thickness of the section around the bore.hub_diameterbore_diameter: size of the hole in the middlecircles: the number of circular holes to cut in the gear plate.backlash: the space between this the back of this gears teeth and the front of its meshing gear\'s teeth when the gear is correctly spaced from it.twist: for making helical gears.involute_facets: the number of facets in one side of the involute tooth shape. If this is omitted it will be 1/4 of $fn. If $fn is not set, it will be 5. Parametric Involute Profile Bevel (Conical) Gears take the following parameters:number_of_teethcone_distance: The distance from the pitch apex to the outside pitch diameter.face_width: The length of the teeth.outside_circular_pitch: The circular pitch at the outside pitch diameter.pressure_angle: Defines the shape of the teeth.clearance: Gap between the tip of the teeth on one gear and the root of the teeth on another meshing gear.bore_diameter: The size of the hole in the middle.gear_thickness: The thickness of the gear for bevel_gear_back_cone finish (see below). backlash: Makes the tooth width smaller to make a gap between teeth of correctly spaced gears to allow for manufacturing tolerances.involute_facets: As for spur gears.finish: Specify either bevel_gear_flat(0) or bevel_gear_back_cone(1). If you don't specify this parameter you will get a flat gear for pitch angles less than 45 degrees and a back cone gear for pitch angles greater than 45 degrees. The example shows both with the small gear being the flat one. Update: v5.0 Implements backlash for bevel gears (This was not working in v4.0).

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Spur Gear Fitter Script by cbiffle

I've been working with Greg Frost's gear generator. Getting the gears to mesh requires some math, or trial and error. As a programmer, I don't like doing either one more than once. :-) This script lets you specify the axle spacing and gear ratio and get the circular_pitch parameter. It simplifies fitting gears together.

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http://store.makerbot.com/stepstruder-mk7-complete.html

1. And, thus, the importance of flossing! [↩]
2. I included the flossing reference because it was amusing.  But, really flossing isn’t relevant if you’ve got a MK6 or MK7 extruder. [↩]

Parametric Tardis by Gossamer

If there’s something that’s even better than a regular TARDIS, it’s a parametric OpenSCAD TARDIS. ¹  In the true spirit of Thingiverse, the designer Gossamer, shared their designs and source code.  Doing so allowed other users to join in, offer suggestions, and Gossamer immediately updated the TARDIS code to incorporate these improvements.

Here are two OpenSCAD pro-tips:

• Best Programming Practices.  OpenSCAD for Windows tends to freak out when you don’t add a leading “0″ to a decimal.  By adding writing “0.5″ rather than “.5″ you can ensure compatibility across platforms.  Thanks Bluemetal!
• Too Many Elements.  Sometimes OpenSCAD will complain that there are too many elements.  You’ll see this happen a lot more when you’ve got some “for loops” or lots of nested functions. By adding “render()” before a group of code, you force OpenSCAD to render and cache that group of code.  Each successive render will be a lot quicker. Thanks Tbuser!

What other OpenSCAD tips do you have to share?

Parametric Tardis by Gossamer

None of the Tardises on here were quite what I was looking for, so i decided to make one myself. I tried to make it as parametric as possible, but you'll still find some things, such as the depth of the face impression, that are static. I'm working on an accompanying insert that will light up the light on top from the inside, I'll add that as a derivative as it develops. Let me know if you find any parameters that aren't scaling/re-sizing properly. EDIT: Per suggestions from Bluemetal and Tbuser I've added leading 0s to my decimal values and added render() to the face module, so it will now compile(F5) properly.

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1. And, goodness knows, I feel compelled to blog anything Doctor Who related. [↩]