Parametric Snowflake

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Published on December 5, 2009

Description

Warning: this code is pretty rough, but it works!

This project is a derivative of the code originally written by Allan Ecker, found at:

thingiverse.com/thing:747

thingiverse.com/thing:783

thingiverse.com/thing:849

Code will continue to be updated at github.com/davemenninger/Parametric-GCode

I will try to remember to re-upload the latest versions of the code here on Thingiverse as it changes.

Instructions

1. Generate a random snowflake using the para_snowflake.py file.

2. Prepend the outputted snowflake.gcode file with the raft etc found in the header.gcode file.

3. Send gcode to makerbot!
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I made two trivial tweaks to this awesome script, which I'll pass along to anyone interested.

1) filename = "snowflake "+hex(random.randint(0,99999999))+".gcode";

This adds a random number to the output file name, so that if you run it multiple times it will generate lots of snowflake files rather than overwriting one repeatedly. So now I can have millions of snowflakes!

2) spike_length = random.random()*(arm_length)

It was arm_length/2, which always produced snowflakes that have long, skinny arms. I like the look of snowflakes that are 'rounder', which this change produces.

We have decorated the Xmas Tree with this snowflakes. It turned out pretty good. You can see more pictures at this blog:
http://blog.arcol.hu/?p=9

cool! such cute xmas presents

Absolutely awesome design! I love it! Any way of offering parameters to the script to allow for custom build temperatures? Mine crashes at 220
℃..

One modification that I might make one day to the Python Direct MakerBot framework (a bit more ambitious name for it than it really warrants at the moment) is to include an object that stores the Extruder settings, including temperature, speed, and flowrate (these are the only options parametric gcoding needs, since it's not doing slicing routines)...

Could you copy the gcode into a text editor and do a find and replace all for 2 degrees C?

This is an exquisite use of parametric technique and I applaud it most heartily!