Claude and I got into 3D printing
A short anecdotal on the little positives AI is bringing into the world.
If I can describe the functionality I want from software and have AI help me build it, then surely I can describe the functionality I want from a physical object and have AI help me build that too…
As it turns out, this is totally possible with 3D printing.
I describe what I want to Claude, and Claude designs it all in .stl files which are opened directly in my Bambu studio.
From here I can choose my printer, colors, and Voilia!
And the same principles that I have written about before apply:
Have Claude research best practices, techniques, and examples
Have Claude produce visualizations of key geometrics and structural patterns
Have Claude build out skill files to reference repeatedly regardless of context resets
A custom stackable organizer tray is just one of many useful physical items that Claude and I have designed and built together.
This is what I love about AI.
Someone doesn’t get a 3D printer to learn some complicated design software to manipulate complex coded files. Someone gets a 3D printer to produce physical things that model whats in their head.
But not that long ago if you wanted to make custom 3D models for printing you needed to know one of those modeling software tools.
Not anymore!
AI has made it possible for me to skip the annoying and tedious part and iterate quickly on a physical model in near real time and then print it.
And I think that is cool and positive and one of the many reasons why I have accepted AI into my heart.