A funny thing happened on my recent holiday. I built a nice 3V geodesic dome and covered it with a parachute, so me and the family could sleep mosquito free. Of course I used the Desert Domes calculator: desertdomes.com/ in order to calculate my chord factors so I could cut my wood dowels. But then I got to thinking...

The geodesic form of tesselation is certainly good for dome building, but it's probably also good for other modeling purposes as well.

This thing is a library of functions that will do geodesic calculations, written in OpenScad.

There's no pretty object to go with it. I'll have to use my handy dandy renderer and generate some domes. For now, it's the the raw routines.

First, there's some simple useful nuggets related to spherical coordinates:
sph(long, lat, radius)
sph_to_cart(s) - convert to cartesian
sph_from_cart(s) - create spherical from cartesian
sph_dist(c1, c2) - Calculate the chord distance of two points on a sphere

that right there is enough to do some fun geometry and GIS sorts of stuff. but wait, there's more!!

Pulling this book off the shelf: Geodesic Math and How to Use It

I went and created the following:

geo_freq()
geo_tri2_tri3()
octa_class1()
octa_class2()
icosa_class1()
icosa_class2()
tetra_class1()
class1_icosa_chord_factor()

These are the basics. The last one is what you really actually use to figure out chord factors, then you use those factors, multiply for your radius, and you're done. For those in the know of geodesics, it's relatively easy going from there. If you're not so familiar, a much more handy geodesic() module will be forthcoming in a subsequent release.

As usual, why bother with all this nonsense? The web based calculator at Desert Domes is perfectly usable after all... Well, that calculator generates domes based on the Icosahedron, Class 1, Method 1 style. That's not the only form in which a dome can be constructed. There are the octahedron, and tetrahedron base forms, and what about elliptical shapes, and who can forget triacons!!?

At any rate, I figure if there's a ready made public domain library to start from, people can make more interesting dome construction models, so here it is! I think it would be rather nifty if OpenScad had native support for geodesics...

Future additions will include more interesting methods/classes and things such as elliptical and 'free form' sorts of things. Then it will get really interesting.

UPDATE: 08082011
Added a blog entry to go with this:
williamaadams.wordpress.com/2011/08/08/geodesic-math-in-openscad-part-1-of-some/

UPDATE: 12082011
There is a bug in the 'clean()' function. So, if you're using the sph_to_cart() function, you'll get invalid numbers when you rotate past 90 degrees for your longitude. I'll update in a bit, but there's some other new functions coming as well.

Another Spiral Cup, this one with the links going around the cup

Desktop pencil cup made from interwoven spirals
or
Candle holder made from interwoven spirals
or
Toothbrush holder made from interwoven spirals
or
... made from interwoven spirals

Update:
I had it printed in ceramic to see what the quality would be like, I'm happy with the results - in ABS and ceramic.

Android bot for your desktop, this time a cute little honey bee.

Having some basic Matrix math operations available in OpenScad has been a wonderful thing. I found my life to be somewhat lacking though because rotations are a royal pain in the...

This thing adds Quaternion support to OpenScad

Besides sounding like a cool name for an 80s rock band, or a futuristic diabolical planetary leader, quaternions are a math construct that make doing rotations a fairly painless task.

basically: myquat = quat(axis, angle);

So, to do a 30 degree rotation around the z-axis for example, would look like this:

rotz = quat([0,0,1], 30);

Now, that's not going to do you much good in OpenScad by itself, so you need to turn it into a matrix that OpenScad can easily consume and apply as a transform, so you do this:

rotzmatrix = quat_to_mat4(rotz);

Once you have this, you can use it with multmatrix()

multmatrix(rotzmatrix);

or

multmatrix(quat_to_mat4(quat([0,0,1],30)));

Ok, so wow, big deal!!

OK. So, combinations can be done like this:

q1 = quat([0,0,1],30);
q2 = quat([0,1,0], 15);
combo = quat_mult(q1, q2);

multmatrix(quat_to_mat4(combo));

This will combine the 30 degree rotation around the z-axis, followed by the 15 degree rotation about the y-axis, or visa versa.

This is nice, because you can apply this transform anywhere you like, without having to go through gyrations such as:

rotate()
{
rotate()
}

If you've used an instance of this math library in the past, I've made a couple of changes. I've added more vecxxx calls, to support vec2, and vec3 more explicitly. The biggest change is to the mat4 (matrix4x4) routines. Basically, I was storing the data in 'row order' previously, which required a transpose of the matrix before using it with the multmatrix() module. So, I changed the ordering to be column major ordering (for those in the know). That aligns better with what OpenScad expects, so life gets easier as you don't need the transpose in the end.

At any rate, another batch of goodness for OpenScad.

NOTE: the 'quat_to_mat4()' function is an interesting piece of work. The equivalent 'C' code utilizes a lot of variables, which are not a part of OpenScad functions (as opposed to modules). This poses quite a challenge. So, how it's broken down into a cascade of functions demonstrates a general methodology for dealing with 'variables' in functions. Just turn each 'variable' into a function.

UPDATE: 22072011
I left a few routines out from the first release of this thing, so I've added them in:
quat_conj(q) - conjugate of the quaternion
quat_distance(q1, q2) - distance between two quaternions
quat_norm(q) - the 'length' if you will.
quat_normalize(q) - normalize the quaternion

There is one more monster function to add: quat_slerp (spherical interpolation). As this one is more complex than the 'to_mat4', I'm having to think about it for a while. Not too bad, and it will come. Perhaps this will warrant a new version.

After looking at the Mars Exploration Rover: thingiverse.com/thing:10057 I was inspired to do something in OpenScad that I've wanted to do for a long time.

This thing is a technique for representing and rendering your models using some arrays and 'recursion'.

There are just a couple of routines introduced, but with them, you can essentially do something like:

CSG([OP_UNION, [
[PRIM_CYLINDER, [2,2, 8+15+3],zero(), zero()],
[PRIM_CYLINDER, [4,4, 3],zero(),zero()],
]]);

or, if you just want to do a simple part;
place_prim([PRIM_CYLINDER, [2,2, 8+15+3],zero(), zero()]);

This is not earth shattering, but it's just another tool in the text modeling arsenal. Since the models, as well as the operations on parts, are simply represented as arrays of numbers, you can use functions to generate these, or concatenations of them.

It's kind of interesting in that the code begins to look like LISP or other array based variants.

At any rate, it's another technique.

The openscad_vm.scad file contains the actual brains. There is a 'test_openscad_vm.scad' file that shows some test cases of all the routines. The file "mars_rover_vm.scad" takes some of the interesting parts from the inspiring mars rover project, and turns them into parts appropriate for usage in the openscad VM. The most complex object 'camera' shows how to nest CSG operations as well as primitive parts.

360 degree 3D laser scanner.

Still a work in progress, but I wanted to post what I have so far.

The latest version can be found at github.com/tbuser/spinscan_turntable

I'm also working on software at github.com/tbuser/spinscan

Checkout the spinscan tag to see examples of scanned stuff: thingiverse.com/tag:spinscan

This is a three player chessboard.
I saw a picture of a similar (much more professional) board on the interwebs and wanted one so i started my Qcad..

As wizard23s birthday was around this was the perfect gift.

In the fine picture attached you see from left to right:
- me
- clifford
- wizard23

This is an alternate configuration for the printable clock, using four gears instead of eight, as well as some suggestions from rustedrobot and barrychuck (thanks guys!) to further reduce friction in the gear train, like only using concentric shafts to support the hands.

It's also much faster to print, of course! :-)

Because there are fewer gears, the 60:1 reduction is accomplished as 8x7.5 and the 12:1 reduction is accomplished as 4x3. This places some severe constrainst on the size of the gear hubs, but I think I managed to make everything fit.

The downside in this trade-off is the size of the gear teeth, which is much smaller than in the 8-gear version. We'll have to see if it was worth it.

This script relies on both the MCAD involute_gear library and on my own clockwork library.

Current repository for the latest version of the clockwork library:
thingiverse.com/thing:8155

This is a retrofit stepper design for anyone wanting to get rid of the DC motor filament pusher. It uses the MK5 hot end.

The big benefit of this design is that you can cam it open and have full inspection or cleaning ability in seconds.

Oh, and it uses a stepper which allows you to use the Skeinforge 35 reversal module, which will allow your prints to not suck.

The spring tensioner is largely insensitive to variations in filament thickness. One less thing to fiddle with.

It uses a lever design "NEW! IMPROVED! Now with MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE!" that will push really hard on the filament, but is super easy to open and close.

This design uses the super cool 13.6:1 geared stepper motor from over at MakerGear:
makergear.com/products/motors

In case MakerGear is out of stock, whosawhatsis reports this motor should work:
phidgets.com/products.php?category=23&product_id=3311

With the stainelss MK5 drive pulley
store.makerbot.com/mk5-drive-gear.html
drilled out to 8mm (get these with a 20% off coupon: bit.ly/fUdpE9 ).

The motor shaft has a support bearing, and all four motor mounting bolts are used.

It bolts right down to the MK5 plexi bridge, using the original hardware.

It needs two 6-32 x 4" screws. I found these as part of a toggle bolt at my local TrueValue hardware store.

It also needs two springs that will fit over the 6-32 bolts. I used Century Spring Company SC-419, also from my local TrueValue hardware store.

It re-uses the 8x7x22 and 6x6x17 bearings from the old MK4.

The design is in OpenSCAD, and included in the file. There are some conditionals to create the files to be exported to STL for the builds. There is either an error in the OpenSCAD file or I am pushing OpenSCAD's limits, because it will only preview in "thrown together" mode now. Well, if you put a % on main body it previews OK. Oh, and the Z axis goes through the motor, which was dumb.

There is a little video of it building here:
youtube.com/watch?v=nRKHwylv1Ms

History: This is kind of like a lot of different pushers. I like a grooved rolling idler with a bearing. I do not like the a flat bearing pressing right onto the round filament. I like the MK5 drive wheel. I like the 13.6:1 MakerGear stepper. The MK5 Extruder is working (this particular minute). I like the idea of having all four motor mount bolts used. I like having the end of the motor shaft supported in a bearing. Putting all that together with an over-center lever and spring tensioner gets us here.

MK5 Wade's-Style Tensioner by ScribbleJ
thingiverse.com/thing:6402

MK5-6 STEPSTRUDER NEMA 23 DIRECT DRIVE PIVOTING FILAMENT PUSHER by jstkatz
thingiverse.com/thing:7037

Yet another extruder filament pusher by jag
thingiverse.com/thing:7113

Accessible Wade's Extruder by GregFrost
thingiverse.com/thing:6713

This is a project to make an opensource robot that moves like a dog. Right now this project is more of an OpenSCad tutorial than anything else. However, I will be covering more aspects of the design when I have time.

The tutorial is in the form of a 10 minute youtube video.
Episode 1 youtube.com/watch?v=LmKnvEcPTk8

The OpenSCad source code in this video is included at the bottom. I am intentionally not including STL files for now as I know the design will change.

Episode 2 "DogBot Math":
youtube.com/watch?v=qaqrHuw4qY8
The Source files for this episode are included at the bottom in a zip file. Thanks goes to tbuser and thingiverse.com/thing:2054 for supplying the openscad fonts.

Episode 3 "DogBot Electronics": youtube.com/watch?v=8-Y19SUuzC8

Epsiode 4 "Dogbot Learns to Feel, Part 2":
youtube.com/watch?v=XgJe5fNaTj0

UPDATE:(7/11/2011) Episode 5 is now available:
youtube.com/watch?v=sfWb2gXHOMg

At metalab.at we have a neat chemistry kit. However all the chemicals come in long vials and there is no practical way to store them. This is a holder designed to hold this vials.

Images in use and of the completed product will follow.

I extended TBuser's OpenSCAD bitmap font module to support drawing the fonts on circles and cylinders. It centers the text along the Y axis, and fits it to the radius you specify (longer text requires larger radius).

The circles can be clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The cylinders can be on the outside or inside.

This OpenSCAD script can generate variations on Oscar Reutersvärd's 1934 optical illusion. My approach was inspired by a picture of Artur Tchoukanov's model that I saw in the news (which in turn was inspired by Ulrich Schwanitz). Unfortunately, the news article didn't include the math behind the illusion's construction (they so rarely do!), so I had to rederive everything from scratch.

Fortunately it took only a few minutes of basic geometry. This program demonstrates the math behind the illusion; it can generate triangles of arbitrary size and complexity.

After some research, it seems that all these figures are in fact inspired by the work of Marcel Duchamp, who was producing impossible-figure photographs by playing with concavity/convexity as early as 1950. Duchamp's techniques are presented alongside the Reutersvärd illusion in this 2004 article: toutfait.com/online_journal_details.php?postid=1375

I learn something new every day!

This is a python script for generating cylindrical coordinate functions as OpenSCAD scripts.

Specify height, radial resolution, vertical resolution, wall thickness, and a twist parameter at the top of the python script.

Specify radius as a function of theta and height in a function called "fun" also in the script.

The archive contains a few files :
-- cylindrical.py is the script
-- spin.sh is an example of using inotify to automatically regenerate the .scad file every time the .py script is updates.
-- various .stl outputs and some .gcode

This script solves the problem of :
-- generating a surface from a cylindrical function
-- generating a constant-thickness wall for most reasonable curves
-- a polygon function for plotting polygons in polar coordinates ( can be used to interpolate between polygons or other shapes )

This script is good for :
-- interpolating between different shapes along the cylinder with rotation
-- generating procedurally generated forms more quickly than composition in OpenSCAD

The script can now write STLs directly and can be configured to output solid objects or objects with a solid bottom. If a .stl filename is given as the first command line argument, the script will save to that file, otherwise it will print to standard out. Python also attempts to automatically call meshlab if it is installed to display the rendered result. If a .scad filename is given as the command line argument, an OpenSCAD script will be written and meshlab will not be launched.

A short, simple, public domain, OpenSCAD script to make raised numbers so you can add serial numbers, version numbers, phone numbers etc. to your objects. It allows digits, dashes, periods, and spaces. It uses 7 segments like an old calculator (except the 1 is centered).

I'm using this in the Rhombot to print the assembly instructions on the pieces themselves. For all 43 parts, two parts connect if they have the same number printed on them. It's quite a jigsaw puzzle without the numbers.

This is a public domain parametric OpenSCAD script for generating involute spur gears, helical gears, partial gears, and racks. The file defines the module gear(), which makes ordinary gears, helical gears (twisted like a screw), and partial gears (a wedge rather than a full disk). It also defines the module rack(), which creates a bar with teeth that will mesh with the gears, so you can generate a rack and pinion set.

The SCAD file also includes an example gear train. If you use the View/Animate command in OpenSCAD, you can see the gears and rack mesh and rotate together. If you change the number of teeth, the animation still rotates correctly.

This is not as powerful as other gears on Thingiverse, but it's public domain, so you don't have to worry about issues like GPL vs. LGPL. There are lots of missing features. Perhaps someone could build on this to create a public domain gear script with all the bells and whistles.

These are the printed Parts for a Micro-Hexapod, working only with three Mini-Servos.

I need to solder the electronics on an already etched PCB and try everything, after that, you will also get the Files for etching your own PCB, but you can also build the electronics on hole-matrix-boards

I made this thing in Cinema4D. The source-file is attached.

WARNING: I just found out that the back-and-front-legs are badly designed. I dont know why the first came out so great, but than I broke one of them and had big problems re-printing it, because they all broke when I was re-drilling the holes.

I will redesign the legs and change the file! If you rebuild the robot, I am more than happy for every alternative leg-design you come up with!

This is a gridbeam library for OpenSCAD, part of the MCAD library here: github.com/elmom/MCAD

More about gridbeam here: gridbeamers.com/

I made this in OpenSCAD so that you can choose the level you want. I only tried through level 4 as it was taking a very long time to render at that point. The math should work for any level.

This is a full set of tetris blocks that tessellate rather well. Made from 4mm MDF.

This is a shaft coupler / adaptor. It uses a split-coupling design that allows it to clamp onto the shaft. Even though there are horizontal overhangs, they don't interfere with the operation of the coupling. If they bug you, they are easy to cut out.

The openscad design has the following parameters:

shaft 1 diameter (smaller of the 2 shafts)
shaft 2 diameter (larger of the 2 shafts)
bolt size (M3 = 3)

there are more derived parameters within the module such as wall thickness, gap, diameter, etc which aren't very useful to call from outside the module.

This is a first release of the core files for the my development of an Integrated Parametric RepRap in OpenSCAD. These two files contain the following:
IPR_DNA: All constants and calculations, the constants define all the possible things that make a specific robot unique. (ranging from desired build space to fastener and bearing sizes)
IPR_func: All "standard" modules, such as motor mounts, bearing mounts, hardware models, etc... currently this file "builds" the main frame out of the hardware specified in the IPR_DNA file (as seen in the attached pictures).

For more information visit the main documentation at:
reprap.org/wiki/Integrated_Parametric_RepRap

Here is an OpenSCAD file that makes mustaches. I was inspired to make this because I am participating in the Movember Men's Health Awareness Event.

us.movember.com/mospace/562836/

We all need a great moustache from time to time..

But if you happen to posses a double X chromosome configuration it is highly unlikely you will ever grow a full blown moustache.
But do not worry! This moustaches can be clamped to a bottle of your favourite softdrink or beer and give you instant manliness.

Remember: With great mustache comes great responsibility.


I found a picture of a similar design on the internets and made this svg myself.
As I dont know who had the idea for the original design i was not able to contact the original designer. If you find out let me know =)

Inspired by thingiverse.com/thing:4244 this is a box that opens when you twist the outer rings in opposite directions. See this video by Labmat: flickr.com/photos/matthewlaberge/5101233486/

Edit I: Design has been modified to increase the clearance between moving parts. I've also centered and oriented the parts in better positions for printing.

Edit II: Design files posted. DXF, STEP and the original CATpart for those with access to Catia. Thanks to everyone for your photos, videos and design feedback!

Edit III: Be sure to check out Jon Hodgins' version: thingiverse.com/thing:5589

A simple circuit board for programming an ATtiny45 or 85 in a breadboard. It has pin headers that fit into the breadboard next to the appropriate legs of the microcontroller, and a 6 pin AVR ISP header that your programmer can connect to.

Replace your hashtray crafts with these safe and non addictive strategy games items. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic-tac-toe for more details. Using this physical, metal analog of the popular pen and pencil game is far more ecco friendly than the original dead tree version, provided you play it often enough.

Some weeks ago i found chris schaie's [1] iris on hackaday [2] and i was so amazed that i took a screenshot from the video and made my own iris based upon his design.
From there it was a long road but eventually my own design worked out and i managed to create a mechanical iris that can be opened with a stepper motor.
Now we have a welcoming system at the metalab [3]

[1] schaie.com
[2] hackaday.com
[3] metalab.at

BOX for Arduino Power Monitoring Tower (aka Bigmac)

Box created to contain the Arduino + Stackable Shields

designed with Parametric Box Generator by clifford @ thingiverse.com/thing:1541

Very nice thing by Clifford, create your own box file and make it ready for the lazzor in an instant!

support by: red667 and bernhard kubicek