3DMake - Accessible 3D modeling and printing software

3D printing is an affordable gateway to tactile graphics, allowing you to share and print them at home. And unlike a braille embosser, a new working 3D printer can be purchased for $200 USD. It’s no surprise that there are Blind makers, artists, and educators out there who have gotten started with 3D printing. However, most of the tools for 3D CAD (designing 3D objects) and slicing (preparing the 3D designs to be printed) are completely inaccessible.

Until today, none of these tools have been designed with Blind users in mind. That’s why I’m working on 3DMake, a single tool that combines the functions of creating a part, previewing that part non-visually, slicing it, and printing it, all without relying on visual output. 3DMake uses the OpenSCAD madelling langauge to let you design 3D models in your text editor using a screen reader. It uses the Gemini AI to automatically describe your models. It has an advanced algorithm to automatically orient your print. It uses the modern PrusaSlicer engine to slice your models, while giving you fully accessible control of your printer settings. And it provides tactile previews of your models to help you catch mistakes without having to run a long print every time.

While developing 3DMake over the past few months, I’ve gotten in touch with many Blind Makers who are doing interestign things with 3D printing despite the broken tools they’ve got to work with. We need and deserve something better. 3DMake is about taking the workarounds out of learning to design and print your first model, and about reducing the iteration time as you develop more and more models. I have a long list of innovative features, quality of life enhancements, documentation, and interface improvements that I’m continuing to make, and each one will have a meaningful impact on making 3D printing more accessible.

If you’d like to learn more, you can visit the 3DMake documentation page and download a copy. There’s also an accessible demo video showing a screen reader interaction with 3DMake’s various functions.

by Troy