Carson Design & Prototyping

Print Compass – New Version Drop

Been building a small tool lately for 3D printing called Print Compass.

The idea is simple: figure out the best orientation for a model before you open your slicer.

The newest update adds Support Shadow Visualization, which projects where supports will likely form based on overhang geometry. It makes it much easier to see how changing orientation affects print difficulty.

✔ Analyze STL files directly in the browser
✔ Compare orientations for support, stability, and height
✔ Export the rotated STL when you find the best setup

Everything runs locally in your browser. No installs, no uploads.

👉🏻👉🏻Try it here: https://www.carson-designs.com/printcompass

Still evolving, but already proving pretty useful.

(And yes… Bowser is currently the test subject.)

🚀 I just launched a new tool I’ve been building.

It’s called Print Compass.

If you do any 3D printing, you know that one of the biggest challenges is figuring out the best orientation for a model before slicing. The way a part is positioned can dramatically affect:

• support requirements
• strength along layer lines
• print stability
• total print time

So I built a lightweight browser tool that helps analyze STL files and recommend better orientations automatically.

What it can do right now:

🔹 Load STL files directly in your browser
🔹 Analyze multiple candidate orientations
🔹 Recommend options like Best Balanced, Lowest Support, and Best Stability
🔹 Apply the recommended pose instantly
🔹 Export the STL already rotated and ready for slicing

Everything runs client-side in the browser — no install, no uploads, no backend.

You can try it here:

https://www.carson-designs.com/printcompass

This is still an early milestone (v0.2), and I’m planning improvements like higher-resolution search, better strength scoring, and visualization tools.

If you’re into 3D printing or design, I’d love feedback.

CAR-NOVA.i

PrintCompass | CAR-NOVA LAB

🎄 Christmas is coming fast 🎄
Still hunting for a gift that actually gets used?

Our notebooks are built for thinkers, tinkerers, planners, dreamers, and the beautifully over-caffeinated. Whether it’s sketching ideas, tracking projects, journaling late-night thoughts, or plotting world domination, this is the notebook that keeps up.

✔️ Clean, bold design
✔️ Tons of space to think freely
✔️ Zero fluff. All purpose.

Perfect stocking stuffer. Even better personal upgrade.

🎁 Grab yours before the holiday rush

Https://www.carson-designs.com/notebooks