MakePrintable announced an interesting integration with Cura that should make life much easier for many 3D printer operators. Recap: MakePrintable is a startup that offers a very powerful 3D model repair service. Their cloud-based software seems to be able to repair even the most awfully formed, but still STL-syntactically correct 3D models. I’ve tossed some truly terrible models at the service and found they are invariably correct when complete because of MakePrintable’s unusual algorithm. As we wrote in a previous story, MakePrintable’s new “Mammoth” algorithm involves a voxel-based approach that seems to wrap misbehaving 3D models in different ways than with most other repair tools, resulting in fantastic results, even on ridiculously…

While it can be daunting to create LEGO models consisting of an absurd amount of blocks, you might consider the sense of accomplishment when building something with the least amount of blocks possible. Case in point: these tiny LEGO PlayStations. Twitter user SUU2100 has turned all four of Sony’s video game consoles into bite-sized LEGO models. Sure, they won’t run games like Overwatch (or any game for that matter), but when a console is this cute, you’ll be too distracted to play video games anyway. The first PlayStation has the most rounded LEGO parts and looks the least like its real-life counterpart (probably because it’s missing the iconic PlayStation logo). Unless anyone remembers…

If you spend a lot of time designing objects for humans, then it would be a grave mistake to arm yourself with knowledge of body proportions and how to convey the use of your objects in context. Unfortunately, sketching humans accurately can be an incredibly daunting process to learn—particularly if you’re not trying to set out as the next Rembrandt or hit Manga artist. For simple desktop sketches as the need arises, we’re big fans of the Max Factory Figma Archetype Next Male Action Figure. Using the smooth posable joints, users can act out a variety of poses for ensuring that they get their proportions right—even if it still takes…

Never underestimate the power of an ergonomic mouse. And for many CAD modelers, the Surface Mouse from Microsoft has been a great balance between price and comfort for years. But like most other things, it’s been long overdue for an update beyond the typical left click, right click, and scroll wheel functionalities. Arriving November 16th, Microsoft’s new Surface Precision Mouse leans heavily on improved ergonomics while adding another layer of advanced customization for a variety of workflow. According to the company, the premium mouse offers a new level of control and “supports your most detailed projects with carefully calculated weight, stability, and control for easy manipulation,” while the Bluetooth or…

It’s not always easy to juggle multiple hats in the design and engineering worlds—but if there is a common language that will likely end up saving you a lot of time and frustration down the road, it’s having g basic knowledge of visual communication. While nobody can become an Aaron Draplin overnight, having a strong grasp on the fundamentals of color theory and layout could easily make or break your projects—particularly when communication specific details to stakeholders. Thankfully, you don’t need to go back to design school to get started with leveling up your visual communication game. From setting up an Adobe Creative Cloud environment to building a portfolio website,…

As far as colored pencils go, Prismacolors have just about everybody else beat. Whether you’re a designer, engineer, or even a professional artist, the quality of Prismacolor in a variety of applications is just simply unrivaled. And for those looking to sketch intricate details with defined lines and crisp edges that just can’t be done without a constant sharp point, the brand’s Verithin line of colored pencils feature a hardened core that resists crumbling for ultra-detailed sketch sessions. We love this 24-pack variety of Verithin Colored Pencils to keep around the shop because each pencil lasts seemingly forever—thanks to that hardened core—and can be used for just about any other…