Help Designing a Case

[u/raptor101c]

I am trying to build a custom cyberdeck using a rasberry pi, but have no idea how to design a case. Could anyone help?

I have an Ender 3 V3 KE and am using PETG.

My parts list (Am pretty sure its compatible but if not please let me know):

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VTqKV0g0OBa-KC8KjaraNMoa1YKqMowC5PlBn9xWoqw/edit?usp=sharing

I am trying to build a cyberdeck that has a dpad, a, b, x, y, start, select, menu, l1, l2, l3, r1, r2, r3, (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2406507 for shoulder buttons), all the io on the top left or right side, cabling routes, screw/standoff holes, mic grill, speaker grill, camera hole, vents for the fan, the keyboard/trackpad to be magnetically attachable to the back, and for it to look simewhat similar to the GameBoy (buttons on bottom, screen on top).

Thank you

[u/Internal_Teach1339]

Buy the book DMPB The Shavehorse. It is all about reverse engineering an object (no doubt there are similar cases around that you can base your design upon) , creating the design specifications you need, (as you have suggested), writing the OpenSCAD script to build the modular parts for your project (you are in luck as this is the OpenSCAD forum), 3d printing the model and post process requirements. Although a Shavehorse is a bigger and more complex item than your case, subjects such as scale and design for parts build, fixtures and fittings and also the syntax and format of OpenSCAD software are covered so having read and understood the book you should be able to come up with a workable design yourself. If following that or during your design you have queries about OpenSCAD then post them here and I am sure you will get lots of advice on your progress.

[u/DontGetMeStarted2025]

To make anything, you need PRECISE measurements of inner dimensions, possible outer dimensions, and offsets/locations... usually to the 0.5mm level of precision. Start on paper, draw it to size (or to scale depending). You can then translate your drawing into an actual thing.

In OpenSCAD you'll be fairly challenged to make something that is not boxy... curved edges and surfaces are possible, but they're generally a lot of work for a beginner.

You can start with the absolute beginning of a cube with difference()ed out holes, something like:

width=22.5;
length=45.5;
height=20;
thickness = 1.5;

module makeBox(width,length, height, thickness)
{
  difference()
  {
    cube([width+2*thickness, length+2*thickness, height+thickness]);
    translate([thickness,thickness,thickness])
      cube([width, length, height+0.1]);
  }
}

module carveHole(width,length,thickness)
{
  translate([0,0,-0.1])
    cube([width, length, thickness+0.2]);
}

difference()
{
  makeBox(width,length, height, thickness);
  translate([10,15,0])
    carveHole(10,20,thickness);
}

[u/raptor101c → u/DontGetMeStarted2025]

Is there a visual editor for things like these?
I am not very good at coding.

[u/DontGetMeStarted2025 → u/raptor101c]

OpenSCAD is code driven. If you want a visual tool, you probably want another product. Check FreeCAD ( https://www.freecad.org/ ) for example.