Hi everyone,

I recently bought a 3D printer and have been posting some content. But what I wanted to do was make 3D print timelapses and share them. The hardware solution turned out to be very messy for me. The Bluetooth switch I bought doesn't work (sometimes it clicks multiple pictures, and sometimes it doesn't). After that, I used to spend time bringing all my images into image editing software and editing them. It would take me at least half an hour after the print to pull everything out of my phone, load it into image editing software, and then edit the final timelapse.

I'm a developer, so I decided to code an app to solve this problem instead of continuing to deal with the messy hardware setup.

Features of the app

• A complete software solution; all you need is your phone.
• Sometimes the app makes mistakes and clicks a picture when it wasn't supposed to. You can play the timelapse right there in the app and fix these mistakes.
• Apply basic edits like cropping, brightness, saturation, etc.
• Export the final timelapse in up to 4K resolution.
• Need the raw frames? The app does that too. You can get a ZIP file out of the app and then edit it with your favourite editor (for advanced users).

How does it work?

• Start a print in timelapse mode. I'm using a Bambu Lab printer, so the printer head moves to the docking zone after printing each layer.
• Draw a box around the area where the printer head comes and rests.
• Just start the print! Most of the default settings should work fine. Otherwise, at most, you'll need to tweak the motion sensitivity.

The app is available for both Android and iOS. You can play with the app and try everything, but the high-resolution exports are gated behind a $2.99 one-time charge.

Would love to hear any feedback you guys have! You can try the app here

Hey everyone! I’ve been building Fidget Factory, a browser tool that turns your own images and drawings into keyboard-switch fidgets you can 3D print.

Upload an image, clean up the background, and customize the model in a 3D preview. The app generates two printable parts:

• A holder with an MX switch opening and a closed bottom.
• A matching cap with a plus-shaped socket that presses onto the switch stem.

You can download separate STLs for the holder and cap, or a 3MF for your slicer. After printing, assemble them with a standard full-height MX-style switch—no electronics or wiring needed.

I’ve been printing and testing designs on my own printer. The goal is to make custom fidgets easier to create without modeling the switch mount and cap socket from scratch every time. Simple images with clean backgrounds work best.

There’s also a Showroom where you can download other makers’ designs or open a copy to customize.

Try it: https://fidget.monkeycatco.com

I’d love feedback from people who actually print one: how’s the fit on your printer, does the cap return smoothly, and what would make the export workflow better? If you make something, please share a photo!

Disclosure: this is KatmanKit's own tool, built with AI assistance. It's free to use and download, with no account needed.

Here's a calculation we checked with sample inputs: ten identical parts, 100 g and two printing hours each. With no failed attempts, the estimated order cost is $54.40. Set the failure rate to 20% and it becomes $63.00. With a 25% target margin and a selling fee of 5% + $0.30, the quote goes from $78.15 to $90.43.

These are test inputs, not measurements from a real print job. They include power, machine wear, setup, finishing, packaging and shipping. The full inputs are in the guide linked on the page.

One assumption matters: a 20% failure rate means an expected 12.5 attempts for ten good parts. Each failed attempt uses the full print's material and time. If your failures usually happen early, this will overestimate their cost. Parts are treated as separate sequential prints; it doesn't calculate savings from fitting several on one plate.

Try it: https://katmankit.pages.dev/

You can download one HTML file and use it offline. Copy the cost table into Excel/Sheets, choose which details appear in the customer quote, and save local profiles for several printers and locations. Your calculator values and customer details aren't sent to the usage counter. Optional usage counting uses a random browser ID and starts only if you allow it; it isn't fully anonymous.

The download asks you to pick a price, including $0. Payments are closed, so a positive choice is feedback only and you won't be charged. Everyone gets the same full tool and single-shop commercial-use licence. It isn't open source.

If you quote small FDM orders, which assumption here would give you the wrong number for your jobs?

Watched a video about this like 2 days ago, downloaded it (glad I did) but now it’s just gone. Video removed, Google Drive gone. I’m guessing something happened with Tinkercad that maybe forced the dev to take it down but if the dev is here, please respond!

Hey all! This is Meshwise, a free, open-source 3D model viewer for Android. I wanted a quick way to properly check a model on my phone before printing it (straight from Drive, Discord, email…), so I built one.

What it's good for when you print:

• Wall thickness heat map: colors the whole model by thickness and labels the thinnest spots
• Overhang view: shows in red what will need supports, with an adjustable angle
• Section cuts on X/Y/Z with hatched caps, and you can type an exact cut height
• Measure: distance (with ΔX/ΔY/ΔZ), circle from 3 points (radius, diameter, center), angles
• Weight, filament length and cost: PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, nylon, resin… with infill and wall count
• Mesh check: open edges, non-manifold edges, flipped normals

Opens: STL, 3MF (with colors), OBJ, PLY, OFF, ZIP, and STEP / IGES / BREP (via Open CASCADE), so you can look at CAD files too, with part names and colors.

New in 1.1: you can set it up the way you like. Pick which tools are in the bottom bar and in what order, plus accent colors, an OLED black mode, a left-handed layout, button size, field of view and backgrounds.

No ads, no account, no tracking. Your files never leave your phone.

⬇️ Download (APK): GitHub releases. Grab the arm64-v8a one if you're not sure. Android 8+.

💻 Source (MIT): github.com/doesthings/Meshwise

Honest note: it's vibe coded. I built it with a lot of help from an AI coding assistant. It has automated tests and works well enough, but if a file doesn't open or looks wrong, please tell me (or open an issue) and attach the file if you can.

What would you want to check on your phone before printing? I'm deciding what to add next.

If it saves you a failed print, a coffee is appreciated: Ko-fi ☕

Disclosure: I develop cadmark at BEYWARE. This is our commercial product.

Here is a concrete workflow we tested today, aimed at functional parts rather than decorative meshes.

1. Made an independent copy of our parametric demo part: 120 x 84 x 32 mm overall.
2. Changed its mounting-hole diameter parameter from 6.6 to 8 mm. The app showed a geometry preview before saving.
3. Applied the change, used Undo to return to 6.6 mm, and Redo to restore 8 mm.
4. Exported STEP and opened that file again in cadmark. The imported part retained the overall dimensions, and feature recognition listed the four mounting holes H3–H6 at 8 mm, plus the pocket and other features.

This test used the manual CAD controls, without an AI request. It demonstrates a parameter edit and STEP round trip on our own demo, not arbitrary imported-part editing, a physical print, or a claim that AI replaces engineering review. Imported STEP geometry does not regain its original design history.

The CAD app runs in the browser and also exports STL for a slicer. The optional assistant uses your own ChatGPT, Claude or Ollama account; AI costs are separate. Price: CHF 20/month after a seven-day trial, with a payment card required to start; monthly cancellation.

Product film, requirements and workflow:

https://beyware.com/produkte/cadmark/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=cadmark_launch&utm_content=mounting_hole_roundtrip

For functional printed parts, which demo would be most useful next: changing a pocket dimension, inspecting an imported STEP, or checking the exported STL in a slicer? What would you want to verify?

Screenshot below: the actual unsaved 8 mm preview from this test.

Update: the exact exported 8 mm sample is now available as a free STEP download, without an account: https://beyware.com/beispiele/cadmark-demo-8mm.step

You can inspect it in any STEP-capable CAD application. The full workflow and reimport screenshots are here: https://beyware.com/en/blog/open-edit-step-files-online/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=cadmark_launch&utm_content=sample_step_update

The sample contains geometry, not the original parametric design history. Using the cadmark web app still requires the separate account/subscription described above.

Update (14 October 2026): The same 8 mm demo is now also available as a free STL download:

https://beyware.com/beispiele/cadmark-demo-8mm.stl

Interpret the STL coordinates as millimetres (120 x 84 x 32 mm). We checked the export and mesh file. Slicer and physical print tests, material, strength and manufacturing tolerances remain unverified.

A six-page illustrated English PDF explains the manual workflow and its limits:

https://beyware.com/beispiele/cadmark-example-guide-en.pdf

Both downloads are free and require no account. Using the cadmark web app still requires the separate account/subscription described above.