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RubyConf 2018 - Ruby for Makers: Designing Physical Products With Ruby by Andy Glass Rubyists are creators. While we’re traditionally tasked with building digital products, our skills can cross into the physical medium too. This talk demonstrates a non-typical way to use code to create products: building a Ruby program that generates dynamic plans for laser-cut physical products (e.g. laptop stands, picture frames, notebooks, etc). With size, fonts and patterns as variables, our app programs a system that allows a user, or a computer, to design an infinite number of variants. Attendees will leave inspired to explore new avenues to use their skills to do what we do best: create.
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In the talk titled "Ruby for Makers: Designing Physical Products With Ruby" presented at RubyConf 2018 by Andy Glass, the speaker explores the potential of Ruby for creating dynamic plans for physical products through laser cutting. The main theme revolves around leveraging Ruby, typically associated with digital product creation, for innovative physical product design. Key Points discussed include: - **Community and Inspiration**: Andy begins by highlighting the collaborative spirit within the Ruby community that inspires creativity and innovation. He reflects on personal experiences of unexpected achievements using Ruby, portraying it as a tool that enables limitless possibilities. - **Project Concept**: Initially, Andy aimed to present at RailsConf but pivoted to propose a Ruby program to generate customizable laser-cut products. This shift set the stage for merging web applications with physical design. - **Research and Business Model**: Before diving into coding, Andy emphasizes the importance of researching existing solutions and validating the business case for a customizable e-commerce platform reminiscent of Nike ID, aiming to facilitate user-driven design and fulfillment processes. - **Example Projects**: He references projects like "Make a Box," a dynamic design tool for creating custom boxes, and businesses like "Printful," offering automated printing and fulfillment integrated with Ruby, which inspired his approach. - **Technical Implementation**: The technical portion includes using the Prawn gem to create a Ruby application that can generate designs based on user inputs. This includes setting up templates for various products such as laptop sleeves and notebooks, as well as incorporating SVG graphics using external APIs like the Noun Project. - **Customization Techniques**: Andy details several customization methods, including adding text, graphics, templated designs utilizing tweets with a Twitter API, creating random patterns of equilateral triangles, and building nested designs with shapes. - **Final Thoughts**: He concludes with insights on the limitless creativity within such projects and how they offer opportunities for revenue generation while enjoying the design process. He encourages attendees to explore these concepts, leverages community resources, and shares his project on GitHub. The key takeaway from the presentation is the call for Ruby developers to venture beyond digital confines, using their skills to innovate in the physical space, thereby creating products that reflect limitless creativity and potential.
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