LAYER ART
a Toybox tool
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Turns a picture into a stack of flat plates you can print on a
single-colour printer. Each plate is one filament. Stack them and
the picture appears in real colour, with real depth.


HOW TO START IT
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Double-click   START-LAYER-ART.bat

The first time, it checks you have Python and Node.js and installs
four graphics libraries. That takes a couple of minutes and only
happens once. After that it opens straight away.

If it tells you Python or Node.js is missing:
  Python    https://www.python.org/downloads/
            TICK "Add python.exe to PATH" on the first screen.
  Node.js   https://nodejs.org/   (the LTS button, defaults are fine)
Then double-click the .bat again.

It runs entirely on your own machine. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.


HOW TO USE IT
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1. FILAMENT SHELF (do this first)
   Put in the spools you actually own - name and colour. Every piece
   is then built only from those, so what comes out is printable
   with what is on your shelf, not a colour you would have to buy.

2. NEW PIECE
   Drop a picture in, or click one of the examples. A verdict
   appears telling you how it will come out before anything runs:
     READS WELL     - go ahead
     WILL STRAIN    - printable, but it will be a long build
     WILL NOT READ  - it is a photo or has detail finer than the
                      nozzle; it will come back as noise

   Pick your printer, then hit "Make the stack".

3. THE RESULT
   You get every plate laid out bottom to top, a build sheet with
   the filament and weight for each one, and the STL files.
   "Exploded view" lets you turn the stack in 3D - drag to turn,
   scroll to pull the plates apart, double-click to look straight
   down through it.

   "Print the build card" gives you one page to take to the printer:
   what to print, in what order, in which colour, and how to
   assemble it.

4. PRINTING
   Print each plate flat, one filament each, in the order on the
   build sheet. No supports are needed anywhere, ever - that is by
   construction, not luck. Then stack them with the edges flush.
   The border on every plate lines the art up for you.
   The two frame files hold the stack together and hang it.


WHAT MAKES A GOOD PICTURE
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Flat colours, bold shapes, hard edges, good contrast, and shapes
that touch each other. Poster and sticker art is perfect.

It cannot do: small text (anything under about 4mm tall at print
size simply cannot exist at a 0.4mm nozzle), smooth gradients,
glows, reflections, or busy photographs.

If you are generating art for it, ask for:
  "Flat vector illustration, 6 flat solid colours, no gradients,
   no shading, no soft edges, hard clean edges, poster style,
   every shape touching a neighbouring shape, plain background,
   high contrast"


THE GUARANTEE
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No plate ever comes out in pieces. Anything that would float is
bridged with a thin tab automatically, and the run fails loudly
rather than quietly handing you a chip to glue. Every file is
checked watertight before you see it.
