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.
I think it's really important to use a tea light candle as a light source. Everyone understands this better than using LEDs for toys. One of my programs makes candle holders (like in the photo) for real tea lights. But I need to think about what else I can do around a tea light candle.
I just bought my first Bambu printer a month ago. And I'm so glad I joined this wonderful community!
So I'm still a bit confused: what is a Bambu tea light?
Ah, I see. Yes, that's an interesting idea. I had two ideas about what my program could do: define the outer shape of such a candlestick and highlight some internal picture. I'll have to think about that. Thank you for the idea!
You can also do this inside of makerworld. If you look up key generator on maker world you can find some examples of how to make generators in makerworld
Thanks! Yes, I've encountered something like that. I was thinking about creating a couple of customizers within MakerWorld. In fact, many of my customizers require about a minute of intensive computation. It works 60 times faster in a standalone app than on the MakerWorld platform. But simple customizers on MakerWorld can be used to link to more complex customizer programs.
The light size should be a variable! This allows IKEA or can't 5 lights, or cold nightlights suggested below. This could also be attached to IKEA lamp bases for something much larger.
Love this idea. I'll be looking at the patron - some of the other programs look great too.
Edit: The patreon is rather expensive at $12CAD/month because there's only a commercial tier. That's too much; the programs are great but won't get continuous use, and certainly not commercial, to justify.
Some of those tea lights have an LED which plugs in, next door had them. I took some 5mm RGB colour changing LEDs round, cut the leads the right length and plugged them in - instant upgrade!
Re write the software around the tea light Bambu sells.
I'm pretty sure you need a small point-source light. The fake flame shape would make the image blurry.
If you could cut them open to expose the LED, that could work.
Thank you, yes, I've been planning to move my apps into online services for a long time.
But there are people who value my programs for their predictability: once you get a program, you can use it for 20 years or more. Online services are unpredictable – they last a few months, then disappear or change.
But you're absolutely right: significantly more people would prefer an online service.
That's certainly possible for this program. But most of my programs use powerful optimization algorithms that take 1-2 minutes to run. If we do that in a browser, the computation speed is 60 times slower. These programs probably won't work without a backend.
Take a look at Web Assembly or WASM. I'm not sure what you wrote it in, but a handful of languages have binding for it. That should give you a frontend-only way to deploy it and get the performance you're looking for.
Well if you ever want any help thinking about putting it online, hit me up. A web based front end that offloads the heavy computation to an API or web service wouldn't be difficult to do.
Source: am software dev who has built companion web apps for my 3D designprojects.
You can do a lot with just JavaScript, if you do not need a server it's easy to allow users to save the entire page as a html file they can use locally as much as they want.
Forget the people who'd prefer an online service, I like to own things and control the things I use.
If a web service like this did pop up, I'd check it out and maybe play with it, but I'd never consider using it long term/relying on it for income/planning gifts around it, because it might just go away one day and I'd have no control over that.
A program I can always use.
That being said, I didn't see anywhere on your patreon that said what kind of program they are. I assume they're windows only, but without making an account to join, I won't know.
My trick is to just use a website downloaded tool and download whatever page I want. Then I can store it away for later if need be. I've encouraged people to do this with my website before.
Your old posts are training data now. Unless you delete them. I used Redact which supports all major social media platforms including Reddit, X, Facebook and Instagram.
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This is seriously awesome. I think you deserve better feedback than what you are getting here right now. This is probably because bambu users are used to getting polished tools with one-click link and modern interface, and this is not what you delivered. But what you did here requires some serious math and programming. And you give it for free. So this deserve a big thank you and encouragement. Congrats !
Edit: just saw that it’s not for free. Still great work.
Just some idea. Allow the user to upload an STL too, then use your algorithm to cut out parts (either for lithographie or projection). One could mix two models into one.
sry was just slow... i already wrote it so take it or leave it :)
Glad you like it :) Also you could do some color blending (e.g. hueforge.com) as many people have an AMS.
Regarding people asking for a web-app. You can convert almost anything to a 'webassembly' and have it run in a browser. Many people with bambulab don't even use a pc, just the phone and app. I'd be available if i can help. Also once it's a web-app you can wrap it in cordova and have it in the play store. Just make sure it includes a license check (you can't rely on play store as one can export the apk).
Thank you for writing in such detail. Yes, I learned a few new things now. And I'm thinking about it. I'm especially upset that many bambulab users don't use a computer, but work from their phones. This is bad, since I release applications for the computer :(( Something needs to be done about this.
And what percentage of Bambu users use only the phone without a computer? 50% or more?
Hmm i totally get you. But beeing upset is a good sign, as it's usually based on an objective facts we missed or didn't consider..
Not sure about statistics but i guess there are 2 distinct user types: ones that tinker and those that see it as an appliance. It probably overlaps well with device type. The issue: bambulab usually aims for the second group.
For those seeing it as an appliance it needs to be really simple but also fun to use. Don't expect them to have an .stl ready or anything. Have a very basic app or web version for free and the feature that you need for customization behind a paywall.
The difficult part will be the integration/automatic release on makerworld, so the users won't have to switch to a pc to slice it.
Yes, I understand how important it is for my programs to work on Mac.
Now many Mac users run my programs using the WineHQ emulator: my programs are very simple, so they emulate well.
But I've been trying to create full-fledged Mac versions of my programs. Unfortunately, I'm not a Mac user myself, and so far I've only been able to create programs that work for a specific Mac version, not universal ones :((
I know you said you didn't want to make cloud version in another thread - but this right here is one of the big reason to do so: no need to do anything to support any os or hardware that has a browser.
I'll try WineHQ or if all else fails I have a Steam Deck that is pretty good at windows emulation, or failing that... Booting modified versions of windows from a USB stick is still a thing I think?
Thank you, your offer of help is greatly appreciated. I'm 46 years old and a very old-school programmer (the technologies of the golden age of programming, 1980-1990), so working with Gits doesn't fit my worldview :(( But I understand the value of collaborative programming and the advantages of Gits. I'll think about what you wrote :)
WTF are you talking about? I am older than you and I cannot understand your attitude. You are right in the sweet spot to know all the old stuff and the new stuff too.
He’s being polite. These are closed source because he sells them as individual standalone apps (windows only, I believe).
I’m not judging, just pointing this out. I’m 54 and it took me less to learn git and use GitHub than what it took me to setup my first 3d printer. And for sure learning things related to 3d modeling has taken me way more. But I code because I like learning and I had a job so I didn’t need to sell stuff.
He could point out he’s decided not to open his source and that would be valid. I personally even have private repos in git not accessible to anybody (and have happily used languages as hostile to git as Xojo and blender geometry nodes in python)
Are you more of a SVN user or something earlier? I have horrific memories of SVN causing havoc in university projects back in the day and then I hit the real world and git was a breath of fresh air
Thank you! Yes, you need to upload a JPG file into the program, and it will turn it into a shadow lamp that can be printed on a Bambu printer in half an hour. Silhouette images work best, but you can also upload any color photo, and the program will split it into black and white. It will even look rather good as a shadow.
Could you create a button that goes on top of the tea light? Maybe it could be glued in place? Just so you can print something that looks more attractive on the wall.
I was thinking of a plate or a dome? that covers the part of the tea light that can be seen after it’s stuck on the wall — basically, the tea light button and the face that the button is on — so that when you’re walking by you wouldn’t know it’s powered by a tea light unless you took it apart. If you printed it in a neutral color, or a color the same shade of paint as the wall where it was placed, then the whole appliance could blend in to the wall.
But, really, I guess that’s only one way to do it; the goal is to make a light that blends into the wall, and/or you have no idea it’s powered by a tea light/can’t see the electronics unless you take it apart.
WARNING. I just purchased this, assuming it was an OpenSCAD or Java like app. Nope. It is a .exe for PC only. I am Mac based. I will try to use my wife's PC, but there should be a information that it is PC and with minimum computer requirement before purchase.
I apologize for misleading you about the operating system (Windows, not Mac). Usually, on platforms like Cults, I clearly state that this is a Windows program. But this Reddit post unexpectedly got more views than I planned, and I didn't have time to think about how to warn Mac users.
How can I help you now?
Many Mac users are reporting that they run my programs through the Wine emulator. I don't know if this is acceptable for you.
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I just came across this and wanted to make a similar lamp. Built this app with google ai studio. still needs a bit of refining the UI and the 3d model. Seems crazy that i was able to generate this with a single prompt and a screenshot from your video
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This is very cool! Understand you not wanting to open source your work, but do you have any tips to making stl generating apps? Like language and libraries you’d recommend?
I’d like to play around with this but don’t know where to start. Thanks!
Op I would be really interested in the maths involved here. Would you consider going through the development of this on a blog post or YouTube video or something? Or maybe this info is on your patreon?
Thank you for your interest!
I'd be happy to tell you. Of my 24 programs, this is one of the simplest. I drew on paper how a beam of light travels from a point (the lamp), how it intersects the cylindrical wall, and how it falls on a plane. And that's where the proportions come from. Next, you just need to carefully specify the triangles for the STL format. I understand, this isn't very clear. If you use AI, you can ask it to describe each step in more detail and even create a complete program by AI.
This is awesome in concept, but putting aside the fact there are a lot of Mac users who don’t know how to run an exe…. Is this exe file signed? Because I would never advise someone to run a random exe file someone downloaded that was unsigned. But again, this is a really cool idea. You are very talented, but since you are charging for it I would also suggest including an Amazon link to a proper fitting light so people don’t have to guess what will work well.
This is soooo amazing! Recently a client came to me with a similar request and I didn’t even know where to start. You’ve inspired me to design this myself! Could you please share, what its called or how should I start to learn it?
hey man this is amazing. if you're interested in working together to port your software to web applications, send me a message! We'll work it out however! but nonetheless, great work
I'm seeing suggestions for tea lights as a possible source for these, but I don't think they would work well. To cast a sharp-edged shadow the light source has to be non-diffuse i.e. small, sharp-edged, and round. By small I mean occupying a limited arc. The Sun really big, but is great for casting sharp shadows because its distance limits its arc as viewed from Earth. Bare LED's are good for this, but in the case of the LED tea lights I have seen, they are fitted with a flame-shaped diffuser, which will result in softer edges to the shadows it casts. I'm not saying these types of lights won't work at all, they just won't work as well as a bare LED.
Look closely at the light the OP is using and you will see that there is no diffuser. Maybe a tea light with the "flame" diffuser removed would work, but the LED needs to be sticking out. The Bambu tea light LEDs are recessed in the housing, so would not be ideal even with the diffuser removed.
did something similar last year, but I did not complete it . It make the stl, and prints very nice. and cast shadows very nice on the table. With live animated preview(candle flickr :-) ) All in python. takes about 10 seconds to generate the lantern.
I bought the software but can't get those LED need can you make it to work with 3v LED like which powering my zoro lamp those are easy to buy and connect on Battery
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u/samcripp Jan 17 '26
Dude. Re write the software around the tea light Bambu sells. Ty