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Posts Tagged ‘binary rings’

Binary rings (via OpenSCAD)

So a while ago, I started in on a project to create a tool for generating wearable ring models with text encoded in binary based on the ASCII values of each character. I put the project aside a while back, but recently I discovered OpenSCAD, a fantastic tool for programmatically defining 3d models.

OpenSCAD totally rocks, but is a little strange in that variables aren’t, strictly speaking variable, since you can’t change their value. As a result, instead of writing openSCAD directly, I created a Python script that takes a string as a command line argument and generates the OpenSCAD code to make a ring with that phrase around it. The above image encodes ‘OpenSCAD rocks my world’.

The next steps are to make the script take a ring size and thickness, and then I’ll likely be setting up shop on Shapeways to sell these.

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Binary Rings: first steps

screenshot from the beginnings of a program to create binary rings

A good friend of mine was talking about how she wants a ring with binary characters around the edge (one vertical strip of eight raised or lowered dots per character), and that got me thinking. I’ve started in on a program to create 3d models of rings with a given bit of text rendered in binary around the outer surface.

It’s really early so far- just a program that renders a ring with a given inner/outer thickness and a given number of segments. I’m also using this project as an opportunity to learn about Qt, which I’m really liking so far.

The ultimate goal is to make it really quick and easy to generate STL models, and offer custom binary rings as part of Shapeways co-creator program.

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