1 First step know your measurements.
| I had purchased a USB “camera on a board” and could not find a suitable enclosure to I decided to build one myself base upon the sizing in the diagram to the right. This was not going to be easy so I started to take a serious look into 3D printing. I spent days looking at printers and reading how to construct a 3D object from scratch to finish. |  |
2. Required hardware – at this stage I decided to use a local 3D printing company to print my first effort. I am still investigating printers and am just not ready to buy at this time. The local company I used (RPS) utilized 3D printers which measure about 6’ X 4’ X 6’ and run about $120,000 each. Not exactly a desktop. I was amazed with the results. Not sure what kind of results you would get with a desktop machine but would like to find out. Until I try I won’t know. But regardless of whether you print the object or have someone else do it the path to getting an object to print remains the same. This is what follows:
3. Required software. T hese are the packages I used. There are others in each of the 4 categories but these were in a book I read which made my decision to use them fairly straight forward. I will provide steps within each product where applicable to help you use them. This will happen later.
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- CAD software-many to choose from. I used Sketchup – free trial period then it reverts to a free scaled down version which is find. It is fairly intuitive and therefore easy to use.
- netfabb – one of many programs to check the results of your CAD produced file. Ensures that your exported “.stl” file is error free and ready for slicing
- slicr3 – a package to slice you error free CAD file and generate g-code for the printer.
- replicatorg – allow you to add into it “slicr3” noted above and then to generate the g-code and print the object.
| Based upon the measurements of my card here are the printed results of the CAD generated file. The pictures to the left show the basic PCB camera from different perspectives. |    |
| Here is the finished 3D print with the camera inserted. Not bad for the first time. It has been a learning experience. Note that I used metal standoffs to mount the camera. The design of the enclosure could have had the “designed in”. |          |
| Putting it all together – sort of. Lots more to do. |     |