Procedurally Generated Objects

Loving my Glowforge! I have been working on a software suite for the last year to easily create patterns for common objects. Similar to some of the template generator sites out there but with lots more functionality and flexibility. One of the early efforts was dice towers. Select a material, specify a size, choose options and voila! SVG file that goes straight to the Glowforge! I even have algorithms in there to “box pack” (or “nest”) the pieces to optimizing material usage (although these could certainly use some improvement! ) The software also understands some of the differences between materials and adjusts as needed to compensate (for example, draftboard pieces fit together differently than acrylic ones do and so the software adjusts for the difference in fit, friction, etc).

The great part about this is the precision… because it is all mathematically calculated, all the tabs fit perfectly. No glue, no hammering, no fiddling with the nodes in Inkscape… just nice tight fit that works right, all the time. Incredible time and material saver… if I want to create something new there is almost no trial and error, so generally no wasted material on early prototypes.

The dice towers collapse into themselves for easy storage. Fits like a glove! And the small one is (based on my research…) the Worlds Smallest Dice Tower (I should call Guinness!) Don’t make me go smaller… I will do it!

Anyway, I thought I would share what I am working on!

• Robert