About this 3D model

No changes from original design. I report original description: UPDATED 2023-07-25: Added a guide on how to use this test, plus other additional info. If you're interested just in using the test, don't read it whole; just read the “What is the Blending Distance (BD)?” section and do the steps of testing, but skip all "Additional Info" and "Advanced uses" sections. On 2023-06-27, Steve from HueForge introduced the new “step test” calibration for the all-important TD in HueForge. This may replace the good “old” FilaScope, for which I made a screw-on version , the step test being faster and more accurate. I liked that, and I felt like it could use some improvements: space for labels, a hole for storage (keychains, etc.), and more steps than 5. Funny enough, my older OpenSCAD Filament Swatch creator already had some (very little) dabbling with filament color blending, and was more than appropiate to enhance the test model. (The guide has notes on adaptation.) The step test(s) They have been made so each panel is adjacent to its nearest variations, so the rows (if more than 1 row) are read in alternate order, starting by topmost row from left to right. That is: the top row goes from left to right, but the second goes from right to left, 3r from left to right again, and so on, like the "snake" game. (The technical term is "boustrophedon", "as the ox plows".) That's because if all rows had the same order, it would be much more difficult to tell if there was a difference between the last panel of a row and the first of the following row. There are 2 size factors: small and card . They come in the original 0.08 mm layer height and 0.05 mm layer height, and have been named for the nearest number of steps (see below). They all have a flat panel-less strip on top for a label, and a 3mm nominal diameter hole (3.3 real) at the top left, spaced 2.5mm from the margins. ( An important note : In the pictures, some of the swatches have a hole "much" bigger than 3mm, as I was testing sizes. Anyway, in PrusaSlicer 2.6 is really easy to drill holes by adding a cylinder-shaped "negative volume" to the object; and you can use the "object coordinates" as reference instead of "World coordinates" (combo box above, left the coordinates and rotation). You then can export the plate contents as STL, and the STL will have the hole in it, so you don't even have to _slice_ in PrusaSlicer if you don't want to.) The small version is 30mm “tall” (in depth, or Y axis), just like the original step test, but some variations are longer/wider: Step test labeled is 30x30mm with 5 steps (same size as the original step test), and a narrow top strip for the label. The 10-step test is 30x55mm with 10 steps, with panels the same size as the original step test. The compact 10-step test is 30x30mm with 11 color steps. The 15-step test is 30x30mm, with 17 color steps. The 20-step test is 30x55mm, with 21 color steps. The 30-step test is 30x55mm, with 32 color steps. The card version is 80x55mm, the usual credit card size, and its variations are: The 10-step card (actually has 9 color steps plus 1 blank) The 20-step card (with 23 color steps). This has 10mm (1cm) panels, and is the smallest version I'd use with a Nix mini 2 color sensor. The 30-step card has 31 steps, also of 10mm panels. The 40-step card has 39 color steps. This is an extreme case to be used with colorless, very translucent filaments. The 95-step card (new 2023-07-07) has exactly 95 color steps. The 125-step card (new 2023-07-07) has 127 color steps. This and the 95-step are very extreme cases, that likely you won't use in front-lit testing. They have been added, mostly, as an experimental object that roughly fits the FilaScope thickness. How to use and print I added a comprehensive PDF guide in the “Other Files” section. You don't need to read it whole , just read the What is the Blending Distance (BD)? section to cover the basic concepts and then do the steps in order, but skip all the Additional Info and Advanced uses sections, until you've got the hang of it and if you want to know more. The modifiers Since the 2023-07-07 update, you can add modifiers to the panels and fine-tune them without interfering with the base, even make the slicer slice them as individual cubes instead of a single surface. (In case you don't know what modifiers are, let's just say that they are objects that are not printed, but instead they modify the slicer settings and behaviour for a given volume (their volume, of course). They may be called "modifier", "modifier mesh", "negative volume" and other names. Refer to your slicer documentation on how add and use them exactly, as the exact method may vary, but they are easy to use and extremely powerful .) In the Files sections, you'll see folders with “modifiers” by the folders with the tests themselves. There are modifiers available for all form factors, sizes and layer heights. All the modifiers have a centering non-printable fillet (unless you're using a 0.15mm