
Ok - roll for initiative, and then let's get started.Ī key element in the design of this project was creating two-sided CNC carvings.
#Gamesbyjames dicebox software#


There are a lot of different options for reproducing this project, but for my design I used: The CNC design is available through the Inventable's Easel at: Hopefully, the tutorials on the process will provide some inspiration for you to create something similar for your gaming table.Īll the files for the project are available at: Using a different set of programmable led's or even a small backlight screen would work well as an alternative to soldering a printed circuit board. You could, for example, use a 3d printer instead of a CNC machine for the box construction. You can (and should) modify the different aspects of the project to suit your abilities, time, and interest. Mounting and connecting the electronics.A layer of epoxy on the outside of the lid that fills in the gaps between the wood.ĭoing this carve took a bit of experimentation, but I think the results were worth the effort.A layer of epoxy inside the lid that provides a foundation for the delicate carve.Doing this involved a two-sided CNC carve with two epoxy pours: I think my favorite innovation in the project was developing a technique to create a delicate carved wooden pattern in a translucent lid. I decided to embed programmable LEDs into a carved wooden dicebox, and then create a translucent carved cover to reveal the lights within. After some experimentation, I found that programmable LEDs shining through transparent acrylic dice could produce beautiful colored designs.
#Gamesbyjames dicebox how to#
As I was building them, I started thinking about how to modify the design to be a bit more magical. Because I have a CNC machine, I decided to make a few of these boxes as gifts for my friends. Although others have reproduced them, this is still the go-to place to find these beautiful boxes. Naturally, I started thinking about D&D projects I could make in my shop.Ī few years ago, the people at Elderwood Academy created CNC carved hexagonal boxes for D&D dice. Besides being an excellent game, playing gives me a chance to hang out with some dear friends who live in another state. After a long absence, I started playing again a few years ago through Roll20. The last step is the contour (2D Contour), once again with the 3.175mm flatend.I started playing D&D in the 1970s with high school friends. So I consider using a ballnose the next time). (Since my settings for the v-bit weren't fine enough, I had to do some sanding afterwards. For the parallel step afterwards chose rest-machining (pic.

TIP: For the first adaptive make sure to leave stock material (pic.

Then after flipping the wood, use the second setup, with a rough pass with the 3.175 mm flatend (Adaptive) and finer lines with the v-bit (Parallell). Since it's important for the pieces to fit, I set the origins for the different steps in the middle of the file.įirst step (first setup) is the inside with a 3.175mm flatend (Adaptive). 3) you'll need to mill from both sides, so you need to use more steps. I used a 3.175mm flat end single flute with a spindle speed of 12000rpm and a cutting feed rate of 650 mm/min.įor the top part (pic. Milling everything using a flat end mill works pretty well. My chosen origin, as defined in the setup, is the bottom left corner. 1) is easy, since there is no super precision needed. In the following I will explain what I used: Modify a chamfer mill as a tool with your v-bits measurements. Then procede to the different steps.Ĭhose the steps you want ( like adaptive etc) and the tool you want to use. Make sure the origin is on the surface of the part you want to mill. Fusion allows several options to chose it. First: define the setup = the orgin of the gcode.
