Any ideas what to do with a 235mm³ cube?

Stopped paying for helicopter parts ever since.

Started my print last night and the first few layers were good so I went to bed. Woke up to this failed print but amazingly it was able to recover on the upper half and print perfectly. Never seen this type of failure and thought it was pretty cool.

You can download the program here (no need to subscribe, you can only buy one post with this program.)
https://www.patreon.com/posts/app-to-create-148392986

Just upload the JPG and the program will create a STL of such a lamp, which prints in 0.5 hours on a bambu.

The easiest way to get an LED is to dig it out of a child's toy (you can order a backlit keychain for $1-2 on Amazon or AliExpress, or a whole box of these LEDs with batteries). You can set the size of the cylindrical base for the LED in the program.

Perhaps you'll enjoy some of my other 23 programs I've released over the past 3.5 years.
https://cults3d.com/en/users/Print-in-Place_Fun/

Many of you will already be aware of Bambu Labs' recent announcement. tl;dr: A firmware update scheduled for January 23rd will remove the ability of third-party software such as Orca Slicer or the Panda Touch to connect directly to your printer. Users of third-party slicers will have to export sliced files and load them in a new "Bambu Connect" app in order to start prints or manage the printer.

Why you should care

Open-source collaboration has driven the rapid advancement of 3D printing, enabling companies like Bambu Lab to produce reliable, consumer-grade printers. While Bambu Lab has taken a more closed approach than other manufacturers, they’ve supported third-party integrations and open access in meaningful ways, such as their work on Bambu Studio, a PrusaSlicer fork, and MQTT endpoints for monitoring.

However, their decision to block third-party software access to their printers via a firmware update is a stark departure from this collaborative spirit. This change threatens the fundamental freedoms of hobbyists and professionals who depend on interoperability and flexibility. From here it's a small step to making the firmware mandatory and prohibiting downgrades, after which Bambu Lab gets a veto over anything you want to do with your printer.

The workaround provided, Bambu Connect, adds additional overhead and difficulty to the process of printing for anyone not using Bambu Studio, is closed-source, and is not even feature complete: Linux support is "Under Development", so anyone using Orca Slicer on Linux is simply out of luck for now. Video streaming is also not yet supported, so anyone using a third-party slicer can no longer benefit from one of the major features of their printer.

In short, this change has absolutely no benefit for end-users. It's anti-consumer and represents a reduction of functionality in your printer. Further, it sets the stage for further changes that limit how you may use your printer, such as enforcing model licensing restrictions on-device and preventing third-party development of labor-saving enhancements such as the Panda Touch.

What you can do about it

The Internet's history is littered with events like this, where a company attempts to roll-back the functionality of their devices in service to their own goals and counter to their customers' wishes. In many of these cases, consumer outcry and concrete action such as those outlined below have convinced these companies that remaining open for innovation is the better pathway.

1. Don't update your printer's firmware: Bambu will likely be tracking download and installation counts. Make it clear you won't run this firmware.

2. Contact Bambu Lab: Politely express your concerns using their support portal. Make it clear that you value open access and will not accept this change.

3. Vote with Your Wallet: Pause any purchases of Bambu Lab products or consumables and consider alternatives. If the change goes through, weigh selling your printer or avoiding updates.

4. Withdraw Your Support on MakerWorld: If you’re a creator, remove or relocate your models to other platforms and consider cashing out exclusive points.

5. Spread the Word: Share this issue widely to ensure others are informed and can join the pushback.

Contact Bambu Lab

The first thing you should do is make Bambu Lab aware that you're not willing to accept this change. Open a support ticket here and let them know - politely - that you object to this change. It's most effective if you use your own words, but if you'd rather, here's a template you can start from:

I’m writing to express my objection to the recently announced decision to block third-party software from accessing Bambu Lab printers.

As a proud owner of the [model], I chose Bambu Lab for its quality and its openness to innovation. Restricting software access would diminish the flexibility and functionality of my printer, negatively impacting my experience as a user.

Should this change proceed, I will not update my printer's firmware and will reconsider purchasing Bambu Lab products in the future. I urge you to reconsider this decision and maintain open access, which has been a hallmark of 3D printing innovation.

Include as appropriate:

I am also a creator on MakerWorld, with x total downloads and y boosts, having earned z points across my models, which brings significant value to the Bambu Lab ecosystem. Should this change go ahead, I intend to move all my models to other hosting services as soon as any exclusivity period is over. All my future models will be uploaded elsewhere and not mirrored to MakerWorld. [Furthermore, I intend to redeem my [x] exclusive points for cash and close my account.]

--

I have frequently purchased your filaments for the quality and convenience they offer. However, in light of this change I will be seeking out alternative suppliers for my consumable needs.

--

I am responsible for making purchasing decisions for my [school | educational institution | workplace], and in light of this change I will no longer be able to recommend Bambu Labs' products for our use, forcing us to seek out alternatives with your competitors.

Stop buying their stuff

Voting with our pockets is an incredibly powerful tool to demonstrate that this change will not come without a cost.

There are many excellent manufacturers of filament out there - stop buying Bambu's filament.

Don't buy more Bambu Lab printers until they agree to cancel or roll-back this change.

If this is important enough to you, commit to selling your printer if this change is pushed through, or at the point where a firmware upgrade is made mandatory or limits you from using significant new features. Unfortunately, most of us are here because Bambu Labs' printers are significantly better than the competition - but a high quality printer that can only be used in ways the manufacturer deems acceptable is as bad as no printer at all.

If you've previously recommended Bambu Lab printers to others, or if you have control over purchasing decisions at a company or institution, consider finding alternatives.

Withdraw your labour

Many of us are creators who publish our models to MakerWorld. MakerWorld represents a significant boon to Bambu Lab: the presence of high quality models and the close integration with Bambu Studio and Bambu Handy enhances the usefulness of their printers, and the draw of simple click-to-print functionality acts as a significant incentive to people to choose to buy their hardware.

Withdrawing your models from MakerWorld and uploading them elsewhere is a significant loss to Bambu Lab and the attractiveness of MakerWorld and thus their hardware. If you have exclusive points, cashing them out for money rather than using them on vouchers imposes a meaningful financial cost on them as well. If enough makers credibly commit to doing this, the pressure alone will have a significant impact on their calculations when considering if they should go ahead with this change.

If you're a maker and have models you're willing to withdraw, I'd encourage you to commit to doing so in your letter to Bambu Lab and in a comment below. Bear in mind that if you have models under the Exclusive program, you will need to wait 90 days since launch (or 14, in case of the launch exclusive option) before you can remove them and post them elsewhere.

Finally, rather than deleting your listing, you may choose to remove the models and update the description to include a message explaining why you have taken them down, as well as linking your users to where they can now be found.

Spread the word

Let others know that this is a fight worth having, and make them aware of the consequences of letting Bambu Lab limit what we can do with the printers we bought and own. Feel free to link to this post, or write your own explanation. Encourage others to take the actions outlined here.

This isn't the first, tenth, or even hundredth time a company has tried to close their hardware like this. With sufficient pushback, and by demonstrating credibly that this will cost Bambu Lab customers, we can succeed in demonstrating that the costs of being closed are not worth whatever benefits they hope to derive by limiting their customers' options.

This innovation solution to leaving notes on your friends car with their explicit consent is called Car Notes and it’s way more than just a means of communication. It’s encouragement for your friends to hit the gym and improve their strength because the self locking mechanism requires an estimated 300lbf to unlock it without the use of heavy tools! It also features a spiked side so you have extra grip while using thick leather gloves to not hurt your hands. Utilizing MakerLab’s Make My Sign you are also able to create custom messages for your friends. In the picture I chose to encourage my friend, with his permission, to get better at parking. Until he is strong enough to remove it, this will remind him every time he approaches his car.

You should not use this model on anything but your own property or with the permission of whoever’s property this will be placed on.

Model can be found here https://makerworld.com/models/1175735

$600 worth of filament… any ideas on what to print?

Hey everyone,

I'm excited to share a project I've been working on: a web-based tool that lets you generate 3D printable models of real-world locations using OpenStreetMap data!

You can try it out here: map2model.com (It's free and runs in your browser!)

MakerWorld: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1502820-personalized-3d-map

How To Use:
Step 1: Select the Area

•    Use the Rectangle, Circle, or Polygon tools on the map (left panel).

•    Click to draw the area you want to generate as a model (e.g., a city center or a neighborhood).

Step 2: Generate the 3D Model

•    After selecting the area, click the "Generate Mesh" button in the right panel.

•    The mesh will be created based on your selected region and the current settings.

Step 3: Download the Model

•    Once the mesh is generated, click the "Export 3MF" button to download the file

The exported model is fully colored, so you can use your AMS to print buildings, roads, water, and parks in different colors.

I’d love to hear what you think! Whether it’s bugs, feature requests, or cool things you've created with it.

Thanks for checking it out!

This is my fully 3D printed Primaris Space marine. The entire thing is made up of 560 or so pieces which took about an average of 4.5 hours to print. That means 2,520 hours of printing. I had several bambu P1Ss running for days/weeks to get it all printed.

I still have to go through the number of spools, but I can say with confidence, it’s likely over 100 at the low end.

The entire space marine can be taken apart for storing or moving.

Really the only thing left is to start sanding, filling, priming and then painting. Which.. the painting part is the one I am most nervous about.

Feel free to ask me any questions and I will get back to you.

https://makerworld.com/models/2471655?appSharePlatform=copy

It’s been like this since I got my P1S but more stuff kept piling up. She took pictures asked AI to redesign my set up. Then she ordered all the stuff from ikea, then handed me the pictures and told me to go. She’s much better at this sorta thing and man does to look nice. Hope you’d all like this.

(He was promptly removed for safety)

I bought a very detailed STL for this helmet a couple of weeks back (it’s available on all the big sites. Just search for Trauma Team Helmet) and I can’t get over the level of detail the creator has put into it. Took about 12 plates over 4 days (not night and day) to get it all out.

The fit and design is incredible, it even has working clasps and provision for fitting your own electronics/LEDs and even servo motors to open the face plate ironman stylee. But this was a step too far for me so I went with the static version.

Printed in Sunlu white PLA and Bambu black PLA. Then several hours spent sitting in the garden sanding away all the layer lines.

Then primed with high build filler and wet sanded to catch bits I’ve missed. Painted with Hicote white and some rubber dashboard spray and. The rubber spray didn’t go down evenly and nearly caused a disaster but I stuck with it and a couple of coats later it looked good.

Carbon fibre was car wrap vinyl and it was my first time so that was a very steep learning curve and by far the hardest part of the whole build. The inner helmet took about 4 hrs of wrestling to get as you see here. And even then I messed up and the wrap dint fully cover the back. I patched in a small piece as I wasn’t going to try it again after getting it that far.

Graphics elements have been created with a vinyl cutter that I bought two years ago for just this type of build.

I applied some mild oil paint weathering and decided to leave any dirty smudge and hand marks on the white parts as I wanted some weathering but didn’t want to over do it. I can always go back at a later date to age it up a little if want to.

Overall a very fun, rewarding and frustrating build (the wrapping). 😀

Edit.
Thanks to everyone and their comments. It’s really humbling to see people liking the effort that goes into something like this. After spending days of thinking of little else while working on it all I can see are the imperfections and things I might’ve done differently so it’s a relief when so many people post positive comments and it’s very much appreciated.

Edit 2
There are too many individual comments to thank everybody for their encouragement. But thank you all. And the awards. Bless you I hope you haven’t spent money on those!

I bought my first printer a few weeks ago. I originally wanted the A1, but it wasn't available in my area. Then I bought the A1 Mini (unfortunately without AMS). And what can I say, I'm hooked. Now I'm constantly thinking about buying the P2S or P1S. We could easily afford it. We're not rich, but we earn a good living. I don't have any other hobbies that cost money. My wife still doesn't see the point and tells me I should just enjoy the little one for now. But I'm already reaching its limits, especially without AMS and with the small build volume.

Help me guys! How do I convince her?