Synth Printer: simple system to create 3D printed front panels in code

I’ve started to work on this actively again, hoping to push for a 1.0 release this summer.

Due to Microsoft being Bad i’ve started to move away from Github, so now i moved the repo to git.gay: AriaSalvatrice/synth-printer: Make your own 3D printed synth DIY panels in your browser using simple python code - git.gay

Now for the important announcement: Synth Printer now works in the browser! Absolutely NOTHING to install anymore.
Just Click the little “launch binder” button in the link above to try it out! (Note that it might take up to 5 minutes to load if i just pushed a git commit and you’re the first person to click since)

And not only that - in the Jupyter interface, if you go to api-doc/synthprinter.html you will find detailed API docs that include pics and detailed explanations:

If unfamiliar with Jupyter, check out the examples folder to figure out how it works! Click this button to run things:

image

Also, you can download files in the file explorer by right-clicking them in the file explorer pane, so you can take out the STL to try slicing them.

Since people might want to start contributing, i’ve done my best to write a Good “Code of Conduct” that raises the bar how they should be written.

Let me know what you think as i make a push towards version 1.0. Once it’s ready for a wider audience i plan to also record a video showing you how simple it is to use synth-printer.

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To be clear, this is a great endeavour regardless of platform. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers

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Thank you. I think the need to download special software would never stop someone who would find this useful but it would 100% stop people who think “maybe I’ll try it out”

I’m fact, even before, when all you needed was to download an all in one exe, i still had someone tell me they didn’t want to deal with python dependency hell.
So I’m moving all my communication in this direction - runs in your browser, nothing to install.

It remains easy to run locally, though, albeit undocumented. Just make a venv, install requirements + jupyter, start jupyter.

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I’m making a big push towards version 1.0 and it’s reaching the point it’s pretty well documented. Care to try it out? You might have useful things to say if you do try it out.

I insist to see whatever you do with it, even if it’s just a boring experiment!!

Please also let me know if the speed feels acceptable… The trade-off of having nothing to install is that you will end up on a server with a pretty wimpy CPU.

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The fine folks of the CadQuery Discord helped me figure out how to have a much nicer viewer (after an horrifying episode of Python Dependency Hell), and i’ve added very detailed docs today. No excuse not to try it out (link in previous post)!

I could really use feedback what’s easy or hard, useful or weird. Be sure to look at the file examples/01 - Getting Started.

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New in Synth Printer: proper drill templates

The previous ones were just a hack using 3D objects - this one outputs precise SVG files, with units natively in millimeters, and drill diameters printed out. No tolerance baked into those drill templates - you can always make a hole larger.

Now that there is already SVG code for templates, the plan is to bring it further to allow making labels: to print on transparencies or maybe on PCB - you could edit them in Inkscape, or even in CSS if so inclined.

You can already import those templates in KiCAD but as before the scales remain wonky and are off by a few micrometers.
In the long run, the plan is to directly output KiCAD .pcb files that add well-tested footprints (KiCAD .pcb files are just a bunch easily generated S-expressions)

Most importantly, the project now has an icon:

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Great stuff. In SVG this becomes a sizable template for many more projects. I need to redesign a custom panel for an H+H amp (on the to-do for too long), now this will make it easier for me.
Love the logo. I wonder, when Behringer release their BX7 clone, if they’ll sue :face_with_peeking_eye:

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