However in this case, the shape of the gnomon stick itself has been mathematically designed with precisely-placed holes (affectionately referred to as ‘swiss cheese’) so that it can redirect sunlight into the shape of actual numbers, meaning you can read it as easily as you would a smartphone or any other digital clock.Īs he explains in a comprehensive YouTube video (included below), Julldozer built the sundial algorithmically using OpenScad to create a matrix for each number shown on the dial. He then combined these number matrixes into an open source 3D printable model, which is available to download on Thingiverse. To create his, he 3D printed the gnomon with 0.1mm layers, and the other elements with 0.15mm layers using its Ultimaker 2. The digital sundial was designed to display the time from 10 am to 4 pm in twenty-minute increments. Speaking of time, you’ll need a lot of it if you want to 3D print one of these for yourself. According to Julldozer, each digital sundial takes roughly 35 hours to 3D print due to the precisely placed holes and their tiny circumference. Since the sun annually moves +/- 23.5 deg in declination, this digital gnomon sadly won't work when the sun heads toward the summer solstice from about 1 May to 10 Aug and likewise blanks out in the winter from about 5 Nov to 5 Feb.“Basically it’s ideal for ‘High-Tech Artisans.’” “You can only craft it with hobby/prototyping tools, and only very slowly (one every 1.5 days),” he said. The only down-side is that the dotted numerals have light tunnels placed too close together, resulting in an entrance angle of only +/- 15 deg. This digital gnomon is a wonderful addition to both the world of dialing and 3D printing. Even with a fast 3D printer, the dial takes about 35 hours of printer time. His free, open software script allows 3D printing for either the Northern or Southern hemisphere.įor those who do not have a 3D printer, he makes the digital dial available from his on-line store for $54 USD plus shipping. The sundial is adjustable for any latitude and rotates slightly to accommodate daylight savings time, site longitude, or the date's equation of time (though no markings are made so making these angles are guesswork). He accurately describes how a sundial works good (except of course for placing a penguin at the north pole) and how the "tiny tunnels" generate "a complicated Swiss Cheese" of holes and grooves that result in a gnomon that casts sunlight in a dotted pattern of numbers that change promptly every 20 minutes running from 10am (10:00) to 4pm (16:00). In a Mojoptix video (available in both French and English) the inventor describes how the digital gnomon shows digital time by making virtual "light tunnels" that burrow through a half-cylinder 3D software object. His software design (dated 13 October 2015) uses the 3D open software OpenSCAD described as "The Programmers Solid 3D Computer Aided Design Modeller". French inventor and maker of things Julien Coyne of Mojoptix has created an intriguing digital sundial gnomon that can be 3D printed.
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