Parametric Box maker

T-slot based case generator. You specify what size object you want it to surround and your material width and it makes a printable box with slots for you to use screws to put it together. The github version allows you to export a file you can cut with a laser.

Instructions

1. Open in Customizer
2. Specify your params - in MM
3. Export each face
4. Print and assemble! (or modify STLs to accommodate I/O holes)

First this customizer-enabled object was designed to be a library to be able to generate cubes with different types of attachment mechanism. The first pass was t-slot (I think that is the right term) but I hope to expand it to be more versatile. That said full files that power this as well as examples of more complex boxes to hold PCB-electronics are located on github here.

https://github.com/hendricksonrw/savorywatt-thingiverse/tree/master/58944-case-maker

The default settings will allow you to just pick the size of the internal object and it will have 3 t-slot points on each face (you will be able to change this through the anchor count). You can use the library to customize each face as well as adjust the offsets to build your own custom case bases. The customizer version is not able to punch holes for your specific enclosures though I'm hoping to expand the library with some standard I/O holes (USB, Power, HDMI).

The main parameters you can customize with the customizer are below

// The dimensions of the size of the object you want to have inside

internal_x = 100;

internal_y = 100;

internal_z = 100;

// How thick your material is to cut, or how thick of walls you want to print

material_z = 4;

// Measure whatever screws you want to use with whatever nuts and set it accordingly

screw_outside_diameter = 3;

screw_length = 12;

nut_outside_diameter = 5.5;

nut_height = 2.5;

// Related to the anchors themselves

// Anchor Count determines how many anchoring points there will be along a face

anchor_count = 3;

// Determines how wide the teeth are that will be pushed into the opposing face

tooth_width = 3;

// Determines where the nut will rest, based on a percentage

channel_position =70; // [0:100]

//Select what part you want to export - make your own build plates

part = "assembled"; // [assembled:Assembled, bottom:Bottom, top:Top, west:West Wall, east:East Wall, north:North Wall, south:South Wall]

Part - Select what part you want to get or see an assembled preview

Edit - Update - How to use the library

Based on some comments I've received I through social media I thought I would point out the biggest benefit of this library, being able to generate a face with parametric specifications for how many holes and how many 'anchors' you want.

So this Thing is a use for the library itself, that abstracts so it works with customizer. It doesn't expose the more powerful parts of the library because the customizer doesn't handle arrays very well and I felt it would be too complex. Here is how you create a face using this library.

North, East, South, West - 1 denotes exists

anchors = [0,1,0,1];

A 1 is an anchor, a 0 is a harbor

types = [1,1,1,1];

If your face has to mate to a smaller face (because all the faces on a box cannot be equal and still grip each other) then you can specify how much to subtract. So the harbors in the ASCI below would have a negative offest.

__|_|

North, East, South, West sides

offsets = [offset, offset,offset, offset];

An offcenter actually moves the entire grid of harbors or anchors on the face.

||___

offcenters = [0,0,0,0];

generate_cube([east_x,east_y,main_z], true, anchors, types, offsets, offcenters);