3D printing – Blog. by Next Thing https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com News & Notes. Process & Projects. No BS. Srsly. Thu, 09 Nov 2017 03:16:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.5 4 New Community Projects to Explore with Your PocketC.H.I.P. https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com/4-new-community-projects-to-explore-with-your-pocketc-h-i-p/ https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com/4-new-community-projects-to-explore-with-your-pocketc-h-i-p/#comments Thu, 01 Sep 2016 18:23:26 +0000 http://blog.nextthing.co/?p=950 3D print of marjoras_other_mask's first design

3D print of marjoras_other_mask’s first design

The NTC forum is full of Pocketeers pushing PocketC.H.I.P. to its full potential. The hacks are getting more frequent and more ambitions. If you’re looking for hacks to explore, the forum is a great place to start your adventure.

Just this week, Marjoras_other_mask shared a great case hack with a kickstand, FireflyII added a thumbstick-mouse for precision control, and debianUser and emuboy are trying out different window managers to radically change the user experience.

3D Print a Case with Kickstand & Internal Stylus Slot

Rendering of the first version of the kickstand case

Rendering of the first version of the kickstand case

Forum user marjoras_other_mask created a 3D printable replacement case for PocketC.H.I.P. that features a kickstand and internal slot for a stylus. The case should take about a few hours to print, and it’s best to print the case vertically.

After creating a forum thread to show off the design, other community members suggested to marjoras_other_mask that he should revise the design so thatthe battery would remain enclosed in the case even when the kickstand is propted out. Promptly marjoras_other_mask posted a new design with the requested closed back feature. Both styles are available on Thingiverse and licensed Creative Commons Attribution.

Make sure to keep your eyes on this forum thread, since marjoras_other_mask is updating the design files and chatting with other Pocketeers about possible design improvements. And don’t forget to share in the thread any case design tips or ideas you have!


Add a Thumbstick-Mouse to PocketC.H.I.P.

FireflyII really wanted to use a mouse with PocketC.H.I.P. to get precise control over the device, but didn’t want to lug around a USB mouse. So FireflyII built two different solutions, both of which add a custom mouse directly on PocketC.H.I.P.!

trinketFireflyII first added a 5-way tactile switch and wrote a Python driver to translate the switch input to act as a mouse pointer in PocketC.H.I.P. software. You can see it in action in the video above. What’s not as easy to pick up in the video is that this method took most of the GPIO pins. FireflyII wasn’t having this and wanted to find a better solution, one that didn’t use as many GPIO pins.

His solution was to wire PocketC.H.I.P. together with an Adafruit Trinket, a small ATtiny-based microcontroller board. You can see this in the image to the right. Not only does this save GPIO pins, it also allows FireflyII to more cleanly integrate a PlayStation 2 style thumbstick with PocketC.H.I.P.. The Trinket reads the analog values from the thumbstick and sends the data to PocketC.H.I.P. as mouse data.

Either method you choose to do, you won’t go wrong. Each is a nice little hack to add a cool new feature. According to FireflyII, both of these approaches are still very much in development. If you’ve got a suggestion for FireflyII, make sure to share it in the forum thread.


Hacking the Window Manager

XFCE running on PocketC.H.I.P.

XFCE running on PocketC.H.I.P.

One of the great things about Linux is how customizable the OS is. Pocket Home, our default PocketC.H.I.P. window manager, is only one option for pocketeers. Forum users debianUser and emuboy each went looking for a different window experience, and each came back with a different, exciting results.

Window managers control the visual experience of a graphical user interface –everything from how application windows are drawn to how icons behave when you click on them. But not all window managers enable the same behavior.

The Matchbox window manager running on PocketC.H.I.P.

The Matchbox window manager running on PocketC.H.I.P.

DebianUser chronicles how to install matchbox, a window manager for embedded Nokia devices that reportedly runs quite nicely on PocketC.H.I.P.. And emuboy explains how to get XFCE running, which should be familiar to C.H.I.P. users, since it’s the default C.H.I.P. window manager.

Regardless of which one you choose to try out, always remember that you can easily flash your PocketC.H.I.P. back to it’s default software with our online flasher. And don’t forget to join in the converstation about window managers on the forum. We want to know what you’d like to see on PocketC.H.I.P.!


chipLogo64x64

Be it 3D printable, hardware hacking, or command-line coding, it’s great to see community members using their skills to customize PocketC.H.I.P. and make it exactly what they want.

A great place to share your skills or pick up new ones is in the NTC forums, where all of these projects are from, and where a larger conversation takes place about how to PocketC.H.I.P.. Make sure to browse on over and add your voice to the mix.

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New Highlights from the PocketC.H.I.P. Case Mod Community https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com/new-highlights-from-the-pocketc-h-i-p-case-mod-community/ https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com/new-highlights-from-the-pocketc-h-i-p-case-mod-community/#respond Thu, 21 Jul 2016 21:07:40 +0000 http://blog.nextthing.co/?p=779 Nice lime keys

Nice lime keys on that PocketC.H.I.P, Johnbiehler

With upwards of 5.7k views and 243 individual posts, the PocketC.H.I.P. Case Mod, Customization, and Decoration threads is one of the most popular on the NTC forums.

The lengthy, and ongoing, conversation covers everything from admiring case design of existing products to sharing 3D printable add-ons to showing off successfully assembled custom enclosures.

Our forum software estimates that it would take 28 minutes to read the entire thread, but who has that kind of time? Here are some of the recent highlights.

Full Frontal Case Mod

s199's

s199’s orange and white 3D print of a custom keyboard design

Midheaventech was the first in the forums to introduce a keyboard design that replaces the entire front of PocketC.H.I.P.. A big advantage of augmenting PocketC.H.I.P. this way is that it’s quite sturdy. Plus, with a clever use of the snap-tabs, this mod doesn’t require any screws or glue.

As you can see in the shot of s199’s print, there are two parts to this design: the frame that connects directly to PocketC.H.I.P. and the keys that nestle between them.

You can download Midheaventech’s printable files from Thingverse. After printing this design, expect to spend a bit of time cleaning each key to make sure it fits within the frame and travels smoothly to make contact with PocketC.H.I.P.’s snap-dome keys.

nicecase2

Close-up of Johnbiehler’s lime and white PocketC.H.I.P. keyboard mod


Sliding Keyboard Design

redcase

Paratyphi’s sliding keyboard prototype

Paratyphi is taking a different approach to keyboard modding. The idea with this design is that flexible buttons will sit between the PocketC.H.I.P. snap-dome keys and be held in place by the slidable keyboard cover. Paratyphi is dealing with a broken 3D printer ᕕ( ཀ ʖ̯ ཀ)ᕗ, but plans to use Polyflex filament for the buttons. Here’s hoping that printer gets back in printing shape soon.

View of the keyboard frame sliding onto PocketC.H.I.P.

View of the keyboard frame sliding onto PocketC.H.I.P.

Other options for flexible buttons include Ninjaflex (a thermoplastic polyurethane filament that prints flexible objects), or making a silicon membrane, much like you find on T.V. remote controls or calculators. Of course, the latter might be a bit pricey.

Stay tuned to the thread for updates on how Paratyphi’s approach is progressing.


Full–on MacGyver

Kwetiaw is clearly into rapid prototyping

Kwetiaw is clearly into rapid prototyping

Kwetiaw is a resourceful hacker. Finding a broken Kindle 3 in an e-waste bin at work, kwetiaw saw the Kindle’s keyboard as ripe for the repurposing. Unable to adhere the keys to PocketC.H.I.P. with hot glue or rubber cement, kwetiaw went full MacGyver and used some good old tape. While it’s not a long-term solution, this should do just fine for a bit of design testing.


If you don’t have a 3D printer or live close to a hacker space that has one, consider a 3D printing service such as Shapeways or find a local printer for hire via 3D Hubs.

And make sure to join in on the conversation and share what you’re working on: we’re on the forums, Facebook, and Twitter.

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C.H.I.P.sters in Focus: Custom C.H.I.P. Case Roundup https://ntcblogbackup.wpengine.com/ntc-community-case-roundup/ Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:00:40 +0000 http://blog.nextthing.co/?p=353 This week at the office we’re getting a new 3D printer for prototyping. It got me thinking about all the things I want to print. Rather than printing doodads and Yoda heads, I surfed over to the forum to look for custom C.H.I.P. enclosures.

The community did not disappoint! Custom enclosures abound! Some are 3D printable, others use Lego brick designs, and one gem simply repurposes the cardboard box C.H.I.P. ships in. Check them out.

C.H.I.P.bag

Owad's C.H.I.P.bag is a sleek, low-profile case

It’s no Yellow Submarine! Photography by Owad

Owad’s C.H.I.P.bag is a sleek, low-profile C.H.I.P. case. This design actually has a few variations that make mounting the enclosure to other building systems –BitBeam a Lego Technic compatible build system– trivial. Below is an example of the Lego Technic mounting holes along the case sides. Check Owad’s Thingiverse page for more variants.

C.H.I.P.bag with Bitbeam makes attachment easy

C.H.I.P. in a bag, do not eat! Photography by Owad

Yet Another C.H.I.P. Case

Top and bottom of Yet Another C.H.I.P. case

Top and bottom of Yet another case photo by HerbTarlek

HerbTarlek created Yet Another C.H.I.P.case, a tip of the hat to the notion this isn’t the only case available. What stands out about this case is the built-in room for a battery. It’s an especially nice feature to include in a case, particularly since C.H.I.P. can run off a 3.7 LiPo battery out of the box. Grab a copy of the design files here.

Cardboard C.H.I.P. Case

C.H.I.P. cardboard case

C.H.I.P. cardboard case! Photography by Pgf

But 3D printing isn’t for everyone, espeically when it’s not really an essential method for case design. Pgf pushed the limits of alternative case design material using the box C.H.I.P. ships in as raw material. Rather than recycle the cardboard box that C.H.I.P. ships in, Pgf repurposed it as a cardboard case.

Grab a ruler, an X-acto knife, and a steady hand if you’re going to embark on cardboard case design. It’s absolutely rewarding, but it’s deceptive in its difficulty.

Lego Cases

Stab from the BBS built a Lego NES case for C.H.I.P.

Stab built this Lego NES case for C.H.I.P. and snapped the photo too

And then there are Lego cases. I’ve a special spot in my heart for anything Lego, and Stab’s case does not disappoint. Not only is it built out of Lego, it also resembles an NES!!! Check out the inspiration for Stab’s enclosure here.

Serayuzgur's case accommodates four C.H.I.P.s

Serayuzgur’s showing off a nice shot of a multi-C.H.I.P. case

Finally, there is Serayuzgur multi-C.H.I.P. enclosure pen. It might not be as aesthetically appealing as the NES case, but it certainly does wrangle five C.H.I.P.s well. Plus, from the design, you can glean that C.H.I.P. is about 8 studs by 5 1/2 studs. A must know, for any hardcore Lego case designer.

Howevever you decide to enclose your C.H.I.P., we’re interested in seeing it. Make sure to get over on the BBS and share your design. If you’ve got a more involved case build, or want to document a C.H.I.P. project, head over to our Hackster project page. Also, don’t forget to tweet us @nextthingco!

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