The Original Egg-Bot Kit

This page is the central documentation site for The Original Egg-Bot kit from Evil Mad Scientist.

The Original Egg-Bot Kit

Main details about the Egg-Bot kit:

• Announcement article at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• Product page at Evil Mad Scientist shop
• egg-bot.com, the official site, featuring the Eggbot FAQ

Getting started with Eggbot: Essential documentation

• Part I: Assembly guide. Two versions are available:

(A) Single-file PDF version: Available here, a 27 MB PDF document (Trouble Viewing? Please click here.)

(B) Page-by-page online version: Available here.

• Part II: Installing software
• Part III: Making your first plot

Ostrich Egg-Bot Kit

• The Ostrich Eggbot Kit -- an extra large chassis for plotting on larger objects

Tutorials

Basic-level tutorial:

• Drawing a smiley face, a detailed example, making a simple drawing in Inkscape and formatting it for the Eggbot

Getting started with Inkscape:

• FLOSS Inkscape Manual, from the makers of free manuals for free software
• The unofficial manual, "Inkscape: Guide to a Vector Drawing Program"
• Inkscape Documentation, at Inkscape.org, with links to official and unofficial tutorials and manuals
• A quick guide to Inkscape, from microugly, featuring hints for Illustrator users.

Advanced topics and tips

General Usage

• Framing and pen centering, tips for getting your drawings placed just right on your eggs
• The Eggbot coordinate system
• Pen choices
• What to print on

Troubleshooting and improving precision

• General Troubleshooting
• Troubleshooting print quality issues
• Improving precision

Designing for Eggbot

• Methods of creating filled regions
• TSP art, a technique for drawing likenesses of photographic images, based upon the Travelling Salesman Problem
• Tracing images in Inkscape
• Hershey Text Inkscape extension for drawing single-stroke text
• Some hints on optimization
• Text for Eggbot

Software

• The Eggbot extensions, a detailed guide to the Eggbot extensions for Inkscape
• Eggbot software release notes
• Japanese resource for EggBot Extensions by MakiYoshida on Thingiverse

Example files

• Example Eggbot Files], on the Eggbot Google Code site.
• Holiday Ornament Designs (2.2 MB .zip file) from the Evil Mad Scientist blog

Special attachments for EggBot

• The Diamond Engraving Tool for Eggbot, capable of engraving hard materials including glass and stone.
• The Egg-Bot Electro-Kistka, a hot wax pen for traditional wax-resist and dye egg decorating.

Hardware

• Hardware reference design
• Updating EBB firmware

More

• Hacks: Some ideas for Eggbot mods
• Running Eggbot from a Raspberry Pi
• Blowing Eggs
• Working with glass ornaments
• Help wanted

Support Resources

Places for questions, answers, and sharing experiences:

• Eggbot-user Mailing list (Please sign up!)
• Eggbot Forum at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories
• See also Archived Forum, with older discussions
• Eggbot Flickr Group where you can share photos of your Eggbot and your Egg-Plots
• Eggbot @ Thingiverse where you can share Eggbot-ready SVG art-- or programs that generate art

Additional support resources:

• EBB page, about the EiBotBoard that powers the Eggbot
• Google Code Project, EggBotCode, where Eggbot software is hosted
• Software Issues List @ EggBotCode, if you have a bug to report