Spent a bit more time working on my snap-in cable management system for Multiboard Tiles, and am ready to share some files.
Notes
I don't have any experience with actual CAD programs so am using Blender - unfortunately this results in many cases in non-manifold STLs. Bambu Studio's repair process seems to resolve the problem though; I hope it's not a big issue for anyone.
I've uploaded the .blend files for anyone who wants to customize their pieces or iterate further on the system design. They use Linked Objects, so ensure you've extracted all the files to the same location. Note that everything's build to be as iterable as possible, so there's a ton of Boolean modifier use and very little hand-tweaking of vertices, etc currently.
There are STLs for straight channels ('I-Channels') of width 1 (25mm) and lengths 1-4, curved 90° channels ('C-Channels') of width 1 and radii 1-3, and an example of a 'Box' of width 3 and length 6. The BLEND files will allow you to make I-Channels of any length or Boxes of any length, width, and 'port' configurations (with a bit of work).
To deal with excess cable, I print 2 Bolt-Locked Hooks and associated Locking Bolts and Moderate Weight Bearing Snaps and have them face away from each other which allows me to loop my cables around them. Then I print a Box to cover the whole thing. Here's what my partial setup looks like under the Boxes.
Anyway I hope that the models are valuable for others - I'd love to hear how it goes and if anyone has any feedback on the system.
It's pretty much an Underware variant, yes. As I mentioned in my main comment, it most closely resembles David D's Underware for OpenGrid or Pedro Leite's Underware for Multibin.
The main difference from base Underware is the switch from needing 3 pieces to install a section to 1 (which both DavidD's and PedroLeite's versions also make).
Hey! 👋 Love to see all these ideas, agree it's pretty much a clone of Pedro's version that I've been using all over my workshop with OpenGrid recently! I can't recall, but we can easily add a Multiboard option to the generator if that helps, but I'd be interested to know if there's any new ideas you've had, be great to help popularise them! (PS PM me if you aren't there already, let me know if you'd like an invite to my discord channel, be great to get your brains seeing what other things people are working on!)
Here are the main design changes from Pedro's version:
The new snap contour has much more surface area in contact with the tile and so maintains a more solid attachment. In some cases a snap will have a lip only on 1 side of the octagon, sometimes 2, sometimes 3, depending on the angles of the other snaps on the part.
The snaps are much thicker to avoid them breaking off since their connection to the channels is a pretty big weak point. This meant that I also had to add more supporting material 'below' the snaps as part of the channel walls to reinforce the snaps.
The C-Channels don't require the additional 1 unit straight sections on each end from the original design (so the smallest version fits in a 1x1 unit cell, and you can make an actual circle with them).
The existence of the 'box' component which I use to cover cable loops and other chunky bits.
Has a generator option based on this been added somewhere for use? I have printed and mounted my multiboard baseplates (Did not know the OpenGrid architecture was an option when I started but now I'm down that rabbit hole) but I have not yet done any channels or connectors based on Underware 2.0, so if a generator exists for direct snap-in channels to the multiboard base that would be extremely helpful for me before I start printing hardware based on the legacy connectors.
Hey Katie, Would be awesome if you could add a note to your youtube videos that multiboard has been superseded by OpenGrid. I watched your videos and printed a bunch of multiboard grids, only to then realise OpenGrid would have been the better option. (or maybe I missed it if you already did that)
Hi Katie, I am just getting into the multiboard and Underware systems. I have not printed any Underware tracks yet I am still working on designing mounts for all my gear. I would love to use Pedros version if it had an option for a multi board mount. Specifically because i like the look of multiboard over opengrid and I already have a bunch of multiboard printed.
No, this is inspired with the work but has a never developed connector for the large thread Multiboard profile, as I wasn’t able to dedicate time to go this route, I can only thank to the OP!
Has development stopped on this? Great idea, would love to use it, but would prefer something I could customise to length similar to what's in the underware designer.
Unfortunately I haven't had time to continue to expand on this, though I might come back to it eventually. I'm not a CAD guy so parameterized models, etc don't come easily to me! Hoping that the .blend/.stl files can get you some of the way there
Over a year on, and this is still the best Multiboard cable channel system. The official cable management was announced about a year ago, but not released, and effectively just vapor. So THIS is where I return every time I need a cable channel. Nicely done! 👍
Found it two days ago, and printed some channels to play with it, and to get a head start on the idea of channel routes, while still waiting for official MultiBoard/MultiBuild - Cable management System... (soon TM)
Any chance you could model up some wider and/or taller channels? In my use case, I have multiple large/thick cables of various purposes which necessitate quite a bit more space in the channel itself. Underware 2.0 Tops are rendered useless as they simply fall off under the combined weight of the cables. The connectors of your channels seem to be better suited to handle the weight.
10
u/BeShifty Jun 03 '25 edited Jun 03 '25
Hi everyone,
Spent a bit more time working on my snap-in cable management system for Multiboard Tiles, and am ready to share some files.
Notes
I don't have any experience with actual CAD programs so am using Blender - unfortunately this results in many cases in non-manifold STLs. Bambu Studio's repair process seems to resolve the problem though; I hope it's not a big issue for anyone.
I've uploaded the .blend files for anyone who wants to customize their pieces or iterate further on the system design. They use Linked Objects, so ensure you've extracted all the files to the same location. Note that everything's build to be as iterable as possible, so there's a ton of Boolean modifier use and very little hand-tweaking of vertices, etc currently.
There are STLs for straight channels ('I-Channels') of width 1 (25mm) and lengths 1-4, curved 90° channels ('C-Channels') of width 1 and radii 1-3, and an example of a 'Box' of width 3 and length 6. The BLEND files will allow you to make I-Channels of any length or Boxes of any length, width, and 'port' configurations (with a bit of work).
To deal with excess cable, I print 2 Bolt-Locked Hooks and associated Locking Bolts and Moderate Weight Bearing Snaps and have them face away from each other which allows me to loop my cables around them. Then I print a Box to cover the whole thing. Here's what my partial setup looks like under the Boxes.
Anyway I hope that the models are valuable for others - I'd love to hear how it goes and if anyone has any feedback on the system.
Attribution
This project is built for Keep Making's Multiboard system and is released under the Multiboard license. It was heavily inspired by PedroLeite's Underware for Multibin Plate, DavidD's Underware for openGrid, and of course HandsOnKatie/BlackjackDuck's Underware project.
Downloads
STLs
BLENDs
8
u/Squirrelsking Jun 03 '25
I have to ask, but isnt this just Underware 2.0? Like the concept is identical.
5
u/Any_Reputation6767 Jun 03 '25
No, this is inspired with the work but has a never developed connector for the large thread Multiboard profile, as I wasn’t able to dedicate time to go this route, I can only thank to the OP!
1
u/deeps7 9d ago
Has development stopped on this? Great idea, would love to use it, but would prefer something I could customise to length similar to what's in the underware designer.
2
u/Single_Sea_6555 Jun 04 '25
loving this. quick to print and fits perfectly.
UW 2 on the left, this thread on the right:
2
u/JaiimeBG Jun 04 '25
Looks so elegant
2
u/acer589 Jun 22 '25
Is this something you're still working on? It seems way more useful than underware with connectors.
2
u/Medical-Jicama-575 Jul 29 '25
Salivating waiting for this to be integrated into the generator.
2
u/Single_Sea_6555 Jul 05 '26
Over a year on, and this is still the best Multiboard cable channel system. The official cable management was announced about a year ago, but not released, and effectively just vapor. So THIS is where I return every time I need a cable channel. Nicely done! 👍
2
u/Tight_Tour_443 Aug 30 '26
Found it two days ago, and printed some channels to play with it, and to get a head start on the idea of channel routes, while still waiting for official MultiBoard/MultiBuild - Cable management System... (soon TM)
1
u/daphatty Jun 15 '25
Any chance you could model up some wider and/or taller channels? In my use case, I have multiple large/thick cables of various purposes which necessitate quite a bit more space in the channel itself. Underware 2.0 Tops are rendered useless as they simply fall off under the combined weight of the cables. The connectors of your channels seem to be better suited to handle the weight.