Simulator for 3D Printing of QR Codes

QR codes can of course also be printed with a 3D printer - the corresponding 3D models can be created with the help of TinkerCAD and its shape generator for QR codes.

If you download the 3D model from TinkerCAD as an STL file and feed it into a "slicer", you get a "G-code" file with instructions for the 3D printer. Alternatively, any program for controlling 3D printers is suitable, provided it can also save the generated G-code as a file.

A guide explains how to use the pages in this website, their behaviour may be adjusted in the settings.

Data Preparation

Using the following form, the last two layers of the QR code to be printed can be extracted from the G-code file and downloaded in a JSON format suitable for the print simulator.

Drop your File here
(or click and choose a file from the file request dialog)

Status: choose a file to be uploaded

Download

Simulation

The following video shows the path travelled by the nozzle of a 3D printer as it prints out a QR code.

The path data actually comes from the G-code output of a slicer for the underlying 3D model, but only one of the two uppermost layers is alternately displayed.

The G-code was processed using the form shown above and stored in a JSON file - the actual visualization is done using Processing.

Processing Sketch and a matching sample JSON file can be downloaded from here as a ZIP archive:

• QR_Code_PrintSimulator_www.rozek.de.zip.

Please note that the processing library "Video Export" by Abe Pazos is required for the video output. Tim Rodenbröker has written a nice tutorial for this.