Ultimate lego beam and frame generator

uBeamX is proly final, mature enough for me :)
28
215
1
1997
updated January 4, 2023

Description

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uBeamX is proly final, mature enough for everything I needed from this project. In comment there are a few features that I never implemented, feel free to remix and do them or any other!
Use ABS, ASA, Nylon, PCTG or well tuned PETG. Don't use PLA or hardened filaments as whose are too hard and sooner or later damages you genuine lego pieces.
Dont forget to drill the holes, 4.8mm works for me.

Changelog

4.1.2023 removed all openscad sources due to printables ignorance of licensing.

 

v X01
fixed filling between adjanced beams
added two way holes


v X
fixed many minor bugs

v 0.577215664901

  • Infill between neighboring beams including one with holes to keep horizontal holes in plain frames
  • numerous fixes

v 0.5772156649

  • Fancy and cubic side effects to make the shapes more interresting. This is subject of evolution, so it may change.
  • Rouded allows you to get rid of most sharp edges
  • Fixed interlacing bug with round and sharp corners
  • Added overhang for outer axes, allowing them to get between inner :)

 

v 0.577215664

  • fixed Smart/SuperSmart to honor holleless ends
  • horizontal holes fix might work now for all holes in all printing directions set
  • +/x holes rotate in set printing direction
  • FancyLook  feature added
  • more presets

v 0.57721566

  • fixed height imprecission that seriously affected objects above 5 layers
  • horizontal holes fix still not complete, bottom holes are not perfect and need further work
  • +/x holes may have any rotation angle
  • more presets

v 0.5772156

  • complete code rewrite to allow centristic view and ease all future modifications
  • horizontal holes fix, first try
  • more presets


v 0.577215

  • Added smart corners
  • Made basic documentation
  • Started changelog :)

 

I have double versioning where filename# defines bigger changes in inner functionality and I keep old version until current is proven in print. Versioning based on Eulers constant serves more as a feature thing - thus same file may contain different version of features and same set of features may be in two different files with different inner stuff. Sorry for this mess, but it serves me well.

 

Redesigned to allow double durable frames. Capable of both halfheight and full height and their multiples to reasonable levels. Every beam or couple of beams has separate height setting available. + hole could be rotated 45 degrees to x.
Added horizontal round holes and ability of sharp corners to make sense to inline ones. Well, now its ultimate tool already :)

Added load of useful presets to begin with including printer dimension test presets meant to use with planned material constants
Fixed horizontal holes vertical positioning, hopefully for goof

1) Basic manual
The "SHAPE" of the brick to print: can be L, T, O, #, 2# or 4#. 2# variation double y axes, 4# double both axes on edges - you need overhang to not render them over basic axes.
You can also create straight beam by setting the y axis holes to a one character string or empty.
Be careful on junction points, y axis ovewrites x axis and outer axis overwrites inner axis. Mind that with Smart/SuperSmart corners they get Sharp shape even if inline hole is overwritten - its not that smart yet.

Final object consists of one or more layers of single or half HEIGHT. Multiplied halfheight has more inner cylinders to fit half pins, but does not support horizontal holes (yet).
With use_advanced enabled separate per axis setting of height is available.

The HOLES string sets the length of axis and sets the hole configuration from 0,0 corner. So paired axes are symetrical.
Use the character "o" (lowercase letter, not the number) to represent a vertical round hole, "-" horizontal crossing round hole, "i" horizontal inline round hole, "A" for all directions round hole - be carefull with this one, many print setups may fail on it and physical endurance wont be best.
Use "+" (the plus symbol) to represent a notched vertical axle hole, "x" for 45 degree rotated axle hole.
Any other character will create a blank space - I use "W" for readability. Original version and older builds used x for this purprose, but I decided to use that one otherwise.

OVERHANG determines how far from end of inner axis is the crossing axis. I plan overhang for outer axes too, but later.

ADVANCED features allow different hole, length and height configurations of outer axes. Since we originate from center we can produce symetrical crosses by setting outer axes longer than inner and negative overhang.
With zero overhang and different heights for inner and outer axes, you can have two kinds of layers without interlacing. The more you overwrite the slower is rendering, so keep outer height less or equal to half of inner.

2) Why this happened and what to expect. I got my hands on Lego mindstorms EV3 and went back to chilhood with my kids playing with it. Soon we got out of bricks, so I ordered here, there...having like tripple of original parts + I have all my old lego kept for decades waiting for me to have kids.
Soon I realized that some constructs I do are too weak, expensive and time consuming as they consist of too many tiny parts forming bigger one, that was never designed and sold by Lego. Thus I found my way to thingiverse and sought for every model that was irregular eventually finding some customizable builders. While the brick making one is heavy, beam kind was cool, but limited to either halfheight simple or up to # shape with full height, one layer only and vertical holes only. I got my way to printer and started doing things, learning everything but programming principles from zero.
Currently my thing is able to do a decent job in both simple custom beams and huge beasts minded for gearboxes and similar stuff. I did a lot of work in fixing correct sizes for everything, but surely its not proven in all cases and every print setup may create its own displacements. For testing I designed Printer test presets that are simplest, least material consuming objects that could be used for calibration. Ofc they are of little construction use, so feel free to choose any other like alldirection boxes or the showoff that consist of four different layers one above another..
It does only things I have thought of and maybe you need something more. I plan a lot of things (see comented customizer items), but many of them require deep rewrite of current code. Feel free to tell me your wish or make a remix.

3) Based on this:
Super Customizable Lego Technic Beam
Modified by Christopher Litsinger
January 2018

Based on Even More Customizable Straight LEGO Technic Beam which in turn was Based on Customizable Straight LEGO Technic Beam and Parametric LEGO Technic Beam by "projunk" and "stevemedwin" www.thingiverse.com/thing:1119651 Modified by Sam Kass November 2015 Customizable Straight LEGO Technic Beam Based on Parametric LEGO Technic Beam by "projunk" www.thingiverse.com/thing:203935 Modified by Steve Medwin January 2015 Print Settings

Printer Brand: Prusa

Printer:  I3 MK3S

Resolution: 0.15mm

Infill: 20%

Tested Filaments:

1] cool and easy:  CPE HG100, XT, Flexfill TPU 98A, PC Max, Fillamentum PC/ABS

2] best, but more compl;icated: Nylons, ASA

3] not reccomended: PLA and any filled material like CF, GF, aramid - all these materials eventually destroy your current lego as they are too abrasive. I'd use filled materials for heavy duty parts and dedicate a few pins for those.
 

Notes: 

I have finally the printer, so I tested already CPE HG100 and results are very cool indeed. Seems as less harming for the orgiinal lego I have. And way way way more durable

 

Category: Construction Toys

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Model origin

The author marked this model as their own original creation. Imported from Thingiverse.

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