Depending on your 3D Printer, you will need to use a slicing program that supports your hardware. We're using a Makerbot Replicator 2 and slicing with MakerWare. We recommend using transparent PLA material for the cover, shell and cone. Transparent PLA difuses and softens the lights from the NeoPixel LEDs.

Our three piece enclosure design will house the Gemma, a recharger battery and the slide switch. The cover is designed to mount a slide switch on top for easy powering access. The cover snaps onto the top of the case. The hanger can be attached to the back of the base. The hanger has a hole that fits on to a small branch or twig. The case design is slim and non-intrusive.

Printing Techniques

Build Plate Preparations
There's a great video tutorial by Dr. Henry Thomas who demonstrations a great technique for preparing acrylic build plates for awesome prints. Wipe down the plate with a paper towel lightly dabbed in acetone. Use another paper towel and apply a tiny dab of olive oil. Wipe down the plate so a small film of oil is applied, this will allow the parts to come off the plate easier.

Live Level
We recommend going raft-less for each piece because it will have the best quality result. Each piece will require a well leveled platform. We tend to "live level" our prints, meaning we adjust the build plates thumb screws while the print is laying down filament. This way we can make adjustments directly and improve the leveling by seeing how the extruders are laying down the first layer onto the build plate. We recommend watching the first layer so that you get a more successful print. If you see the layers aren't sticking or getting knocked off, you can always cancel print, peel it off and try again.

Once your pieces are printed, test out to see if the cover tightly snaps onto the case. Check to see if the slide switch fit through the cutout on the cover. If its too tight, you can use an X-Acto knife to shave off the edges. If its too lose, you can secure it in place with adhesive. The hanger will be attached to the back of the case with doubled-sided foam tape. Set these pieces aside for now. It's time to prototype some circuits!