Think you need to be a 3D modeling pro to use a 3D printer? Think again. Consumers and the hobbyists among us can buy the equipment and start pumping out piles of plastic within the hour. We can even take local classes or find an online course, many free. Ah, what a time to be alive… But, software developer Bill Tran thinks these courses, well, they’re just too limiting. So, he’s making his own–3D Design for 3D Printing. Tran wants to help you make your ideas a reality and, joy of joys, he also want to show THE PROCESS, going from 3D design to 3D printing, so you understand everything…
This week’s Spotify-powered SolidSmack Radio Playlist knocks you in the pop sockets with head-boppin’ groove tuneage to help propel you through the work week in style. Whether you find yourself inking markers until they’re dry, grinding material through a bandsaw or working that 3D geometry all day, consider these tracks as a tool for your process. This week we’ll start things off with “Sleep Sound” from Jamie xx and work our way through tracks from Wampire, Yeasayer, Arto Lindsay, Tirzah and others before wrapping up with the classic “Born Under Punches” from Talking Heads. Have suggestions? As always, let us know what you listen to, what you want to hear…
We’ve been keeping an eye out for VR/AR 3D modeling apps and, suprisingly… there’s not been much activity. Apparently we’re not in the future yet… yet… yet. There are an increasing number of ways to play in VR, but not so many ways to model in it. FEBCAD AR is one of the first that kinda gets us going in that direction, combining AR viewing and interaction into a 3D modeling software that allows you to create right on your desktop.
It’s a cyberpunk dream to print clothes like vacation photos and TPS reports. Various companies have tried to combine 3D printing with fashion fabrication, like the mildly successful Elctroloom. Cool, but it’s not open-source. However, Gerard Rubio is doing things differently. Inspired by the open-source RepRap 3D printer project and community, along with other digital knit projects, he has brought weaving and 3D printing together with OpenKnit. OpenKnit is an open-source fabrication tool that’s part digital, part analog, and all cool. Two years in the making so far, Gerard has had progress over the years, refining the design. With all build details available, it allows anyone to enter measurements and,…
Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Each Monday, we’ll link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you. Be sure to check in each Monday morning for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight from the source of your favorite homegrown…
With over 70 people killed or injured by anti-personnel (land) mines each day, unmarked minefields not only destroy communities with death and injury but also through the loss of usable land and economic development. Having grown up in minefield-stricken Kabul, Afghanistan playing soccer just yards away from active minefields, product designer Massoud Hassani set out to do something about it while studying industrial design at Design Academy Eindhoven. The result – in 2012 – was the Mine Kafon; a wind-powered minesweeper that costs just $50 to produce and can sustain four explosions before needing to be replaced. In contrast, the professional removal of a single mine can cost over $1,000 and…