Stringart Machine

The concept and development of this machine took nearly two years.

I started this project because I was deeply fascinated by string art.

At first, I created artworks by manually hammering nails and wrapping strings one by one. During that process, I discovered that string art machines already existed — but their prices were extremely high.

I began to imagine the possibilities.

If string art could be created faster and more easily, it could be used in many different ways. It could become more accessible, and even be sold at a reasonable price.

That idea led me to build my own machine.

The biggest challenge was that everything had to be made by hand.

As you will see throughout this project, I continue to explore many different ways of using string art to create new kinds of artworks. At the same time, the machine itself is constantly evolving — becoming faster, more precise, and capable of producing better results.

I hope that many people will use this machine and take part in the next stage of evolution of string art.

Tools

1. Electric Drill
2. Used for drilling holes in wood and metal parts.
3. Drill Bits
4. 6 mm drill bit
5. 3 mm drill bit
6. For making mounting and guide holes.
7. Wood Saw (Hand Saw)
8. For cutting wooden components.
9. Hacksaw (Metal Saw)
10. For cutting metal parts such as steel rulers or brackets.
11. Router / Trimmer with 6 mm Collet (LINK)
12. Used for precise edge trimming and slot cutting.
13. 3 mm Trimmer Bit (LINK)
14. For fine grooves and detailed routing work.
15. Single Handle Right Angle Clamp (LINK)
16. To securely hold parts during cutting and drilling
17. 2PC Aluminium Flat Bar 100x10x20mm (LINK)
18. Metal ruler (LINK)
19. Plier
20. To push up the pin of the pin header
21. Hot Silicone Gun
22. 3D printer, laser processing machine

Materials

1. 2pcs Any Wood board
2. 15 to 17 mm thick, 325x425mm
3. machine body, router table
4. 10pcs MDF board
5. 6mm thick, 300x300mm
6. String art circle frame
7. to find the location to cut the groove with the trimmer.
8. It is cheaper to go directly to a local woodworking shop and buy it.
9. 1pc Square wooden pillar
10. 190x46x20mm
11. 402 Polyester Sewing Thread (LINK)
12. black
13. 602 yarn is also available.

Parts

1. 1pc Nema17 17HS3401S Stepper motor (LINK)
2. 1pc Stepper motor driver
3. TMC2225 or A4988
4. 1pc 42 Stepper motor driver expansion board (LINK)
5. 2pcs Servo Motor (LINK)
6. 6pcs Tactile Tact Micro Mini Switch (LINK)
7. 12x12x10mm
8. Slide Switch (LINK)
9. Handle length 5mm
10. Power Supply Step Down Module (LINK)
11. Dupont Cable (LINK)
12. Heat Shrink Tubing (LINK)
13. 1pc Stainless steel Glue Needle (LINK)
14. Model : 18G
15. 1pc Arduino UNO (LINK)
16. 1pc UNO Proto shield (LINK)
17. 1pc 12V 5A SMPS (LINK)
18. 1pc 20 teeth GT2 Timing Pulley (LINK)
19. Bore Diameter: 5mm
20. Teeth Width: 6mm
21. Building block (LINK)
22. 75x25x145mm
23. machine legs, servo holder, thread fixer, stepper bracker
24. 2pcs Bracket Ceiling Plate Mounting Iron Bar (LINK)
25. 35mm
26. 2pcs Drawer Slides (LINK)
27. 6inch(150mm)
28. 4pcs Door Roller (LINK)
29. 4pcs M4 bolt (LINK)
30. Length 20mm
31. 4pcs M4 Nylon Lock Nuts (LINK)
32. 4pcs M4 Hex Nuts (LINK)
33. 2pcs M3 Flat Countersunk Head Screw Bolt (LINK)
34. Length 20mm
35. 2pcs M3 Hex Nuts (LINK)
36. 8pcs M4 Standard Flat Washer (LINK)
37. 4pcs Countersunk Screws (LINK)
38. M4, M3, M2
39. 4pcs Wood Interior Construction Screw (LINK)
40. 38mm
41. Double Sided EVA Foam Tape (LINK)
42. 10mm
43. 4pcs Metal Paper Clip (LINK)
44. 25x43mm
45. Bendable Drinking Straws
46. Round 6mm thick
47. Clear(To be clearly visible when passing the thread through)
48. L-Shaped Corner Brackets (LINK)
49. Round Neodymium Magnet (LINK)
50. 10x3mm
51. Used to maintain thread tension.
52. Magic Sponge (LINK)

In this step, you will prepare the main body of the string art machine.

Using the simple drawings shown in the video, cut the MDF to the specified width, height, and thickness. Make sure all dimensions match the drawings accurately.

After cutting the plywood pieces, drill the required holes according to the drawing. These holes are important for assembling the machine later, so take your time to align them correctly.

Additionally, prepare a steel rod with a diameter of 6 mm and a length of 30 mm. This rod will be used as the rotating shaft for the turntable, so it should be straight and sturdy.

In this step, you will create the two gears used in the string art machine by using a 3D printer.

There are two different gears:

1. A large gear that will be attached to the rotating turntable
2. A small gear that will be mounted on the stepper motor shaft

The small gear has 20 teeth, and the large gear has 80 teeth, creating a 4:1 gear ratio for smoother and more precise rotation.

The gears were designed using Tinkercad.

You can find the Tinkercad design link and the STL files attached in the Related Files section. Simply download the STL files and print them using your preferred 3D printer and filament.

Another way is to use the attached svg file to make gears with a laser processing machine. The material can be 6mm thick MDF.

Make sure the printed gears fit securely on their shafts before moving on to the next step.

In this step, you will make the rotating turntable and attach the large gear to complete the assembly.

The turntable is made from a 1 mm thick Foamex (PVC foam board).

Cut the Foamex board into a perfect circle with a radius of 155.2 mm.

You can see the exact cutting method in the video.

In this project, a circle cutting tool was used, but any method is acceptable as long as the result is an accurate circle. For example, you can use a CNC machine, router/trimmer, or laser cutting.

Improvements:

The size of the turntable and round picture frame are exactly the same. When cutting the round picture frame with a trimmer in Step 6, cutting the Formax board together is the perfect method. When making a video, I had a hard time using a circular cutter because I didn't know this method.

Once the circular plate is ready, slide it onto the shaft installed in the machine frame from Step 1.

Apply double-sided tape to the surface of the turntable, then insert the large gear onto the same shaft and press it firmly onto the turntable.

Make sure the turntable and the large gear are perfectly centered and aligned on the shaft. Proper alignment is important for smooth and stable rotation.

In this step, you will add the legs to the machine body, install support rollers for stable rotation, and mount the stepper motor with the drive gear.

Making the Legs with Jenga Blocks

The legs of the machine are made using Jenga blocks.

Jenga blocks are used because they are inexpensive, standardized, and easy to obtain.

Each Jenga block has a size of 75 × 25 × 15 mm.

Attach one block to each of the four corners of the machine body using screws. This completes the legs.

Installing the Support Rollers

To ensure stable and smooth rotation of the turntable, install four rollers under the turntable.

The exact positions of the rollers are clearly shown in the video.

Although rollers may seem simple, finding the right small parts can be difficult.

You can find it by searching for “sliding door roller” at an Open Marketplace. Please refer to the product image.

Attach the rollers using double-sided tape.

To reduce noise and vibration, place 5 mm thick EVA foam between the roller base and the machine body.

Mounting the Stepper Motor and Gear

Use a NEMA 17 stepper motor (17HS3401) for this machine.

Mount a 20-tooth aluminum pulley/shaft adapter onto the motor shaft, then attach the small 3D-printed gear to it.

Something to note:

When fastening the gear to the aluminum shaft, there must be no looseness. If it is loose, just insert a thin piece of plastic in place. If the gear hole is too narrow to fit, heat the aluminum shaft with a torch and then push the gear into it.

Finally, check that the small gear and large gear mesh properly and rotate smoothly, as shown in the video.

In this step, you will install the stepper motor on the underside of the machine body and create a simple mounting mechanism that keeps the gears properly engaged.

Making the Stepper Motor Bracket

The stepper motor bracket is made using Jenga blocks and a hot glue gun.

First, assemble the Jenga blocks into a bracket shape that fits the stepper motor. Use hot glue to temporarily hold the blocks together.

Once the shape is fixed, securely attach the bracket to the bottom of the machine body using screws.

Adding a Spring for Gear Engagement

To ensure that the small gear and the large gear remain engaged at all times, use a spring mechanism that gently pushes the stepper motor toward the large gear.

Attach a spring between the motor bracket and the machine body so that the motor is constantly pulled in the direction of the large gear.

The spring should not be too strong.

It only needs enough tension so that the two gears stay in contact when the system is not moving. Too much force can increase friction and wear, so light and flexible tension works best.

This setup allows the gears to stay meshed smoothly even if there are small alignment errors.

This is the most difficult and critical step in the entire build.

Here, you will create a circular string art frame with perfectly spaced pins.

In traditional handmade string art, nails are hammered into a board and strings are connected between them. However, it is almost impossible to maintain perfectly even spacing between nails by hand—unless you use a dedicated nail-inserting machine.

This machine uses a different approach.

Using Pin Headers for Perfect Spacing

In electronics, pin headers already provide extremely precise spacing.

The standard pin pitch is 2.54 mm, which is ideal for string art.

For this project, use 40-pin pin headers (pins connected as a single strip).

You will need 8 pin headers, resulting in a total of 320 pins arranged in a circle.

Preparing the MDF Board

Use a 6 mm thick MDF board as the base.

You need to cut a circular groove with:

1. 3 mm depth
2. 3 mm width (height)

This groove must be extremely accurate, because the pin headers must fit perfectly without gaps or overlap.

Cutting this circular groove is challenging, but it is achievable. It took 3–4 attempts to get it right.

Finding the Correct Radius (Trial-and-Error Method)

First, calculate the theoretical radius of the circular groove and use a router (trimmer) with a 3 mm bit to cut a test groove in MDF.

After cutting the groove, place the pin headers into it and check the fit:

1. If there is a gap after installing the last pin header, slightly reduce the radius and try again.
2. If there is not enough space, slightly increase the radius and retry.

By repeating this process, you can find the exact radius that fits all 8 pin headers perfectly.

Once the correct radius is found, mark it by cutting a shallow reference groove on a clean MDF board.

Later, you can align the trimmer to this reference groove and reproduce the exact circle every time.

Tilting the Pins to Prevent String Slipping

One important detail that should not be skipped is slightly tilting the pins of the pin headers.

If the pins stand perfectly vertical, the string can slip off the pins due to the tension created when the string is wrapped around them dozens of times during the string art process.

To prevent this, the pins need to be tilted slightly inward, as shown in the video.

Clamp the pin header firmly in a vise, then use a metal ruler or flat steel bar to gently push the pins so they lean at a small angle.

Be careful not to bend them too much—only a subtle tilt is needed to help the string stay securely hooked.

After tilting, install the pin headers into the MDF groove as described above.

This small adjustment greatly improves reliability during string wrapping.

Installing the Pin Headers

After completing the final groove, apply wood glue evenly into the groove using a syringe for precision.

Carefully insert the pin headers into the groove and press them into place.

Once the glue dries, the circular pin frame is complete.

This method allows you to create a high-precision circular string art frame that would be nearly impossible to achieve by hand.

In this step, you will introduce the electronic components required to drive the stepper motor and test the actual rotation of the turntable.

Main Controller and Code

An Arduino Uno is used as the main controller.

The Arduino code is uploaded as an attachment in the Related Files section.

Power and Wiring

An SMPS power supply is connected to the stepper motor driver to provide motor power.

The VCC and GND from the driver are also connected to the Arduino.

An ON/OFF switch is soldered directly onto the Arduino shield, and the video clearly shows the soldering and wiring process step by step.

All electronic components used in this project are listed in the Parts List at the top of this page, so you can easily identify and purchase them by referring to the video.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are two common points where mistakes often occur:

1. Incorrect stepper motor wiring
2. The stepper motor wires must be connected correctly. If the wiring order is wrong, the motor may not rotate or may vibrate loudly.
3. Forgetting to set the driver VRef
4. The VRef of the stepper motor driver should be set to around 0.5 V.
5. This step is very important and should not be skipped. The video explains this process in detail.

Stepper motors themselves rarely fail.

If the motor does not rotate, or if it makes unusual noise and moves incorrectly, first:

1. Recheck the motor wiring
2. Measure the driver VRef with a multimeter

In most cases, this will help you find the problem.

Testing the Rotation

After completing the wiring, upload the code to the Arduino and test the rotation by turning on the ON/OFF switch.

Confirm that the turntable rotates smoothly and consistently, as shown in the video.

Things to check:

If the rotary plate trembles from side to side at the moment of rotation and stopping, the meshing of the gears is not good. In this case, it is necessary to increase the elasticity of the spring. In other cases, when the sound of grinding gears is heard from the step motor, it is when the gears are meshed too strongly and the step motor loses steps due to lack of torque. In this case, it is necessary to weaken the elasticity of the string.

The data was stored so that the rotating plate rotates half a turn and returns to its original position, repeating the process three times and finishing. You should mark the starting point with a pencil and test whether it returns to its original position.

This step introduces the core idea of the machine: building a cross slider using inexpensive, thin drawer slides.

The goal is to create a functional X–Y sliding mechanism while significantly reducing the overall cost of the machine.

Choosing the Drawer Slides

Use two 3-stage drawer slides with a collapsed length of 150 mm.

Only the inner rails are used in this design.

The outer rails are not needed and should be removed.

Making the Cross Slider

Separate the inner rails from both drawer slides.

Arrange the two inner rails in a perpendicular (90-degree) configuration to form a cross slider.

The exact connection position and orientation are clearly shown in the video.

Drill the required holes in the rails and connect them using M2 countersunk bolts.

Make sure the bolt head is positioned horizontally so as not to interfere with the sliding motion, and cut off any remaining bolt sections.

Reducing Play and Improving Stability

Ideally, the rails should move only forward and backward.

However, some drawer slides have side-to-side play due to bearing clearance.

If the rail moves slightly left and right, gently compress the outer rail using a vise to reduce the clearance.

This small adjustment can significantly improve stability.

Minimizing bearing play is very important.

If there is too much looseness, the slider may hit the pins when the string is under tension and passes between adjacent pins.

Taking the time to reduce play will result in smoother motion and more reliable string placement.

In this step, you will install the needle that allows the string to pass between adjacent pins.

3D-Printed Needle Holder

The part used to hold the needle is 3D printed.

It is designed to be mounted directly onto the drawer slide using two M3 × 18 mm bolts.

Most drawer slides of this size already have pre-drilled holes, and this holder is modeled to match those holes precisely.

Mounting the Holder and Needle

Attach the 3D-printed holder to the slider using the M3 bolts and nuts.

Do not overtighten the nuts—tightening them too much may cause small cracks in the printed part. This is usually not a serious issue.

The most important point is that the needle itself is firmly fixed and does not wobble during operation.

Needle Specifications

The needle diameter and length are clearly listed in the Parts List, along with a link to the product used in this project.

Please refer to the list to select the correct needle.

Once installed, the needle should be positioned so that the string can smoothly pass between pins without touching them.

In this step, you will mount the cross slider assembly onto a vertical pillar and attach it to the machine body.

This assembly must be rigid and stable, so the needle position remains accurate during operation.

Removing the Mechanical Stoppers

Before mounting, remove the mechanical stoppers (protrusions) on the drawer slides that limit their travel.

These stoppers can be removed using a metal fatigue method.

Grip the stopper firmly with pliers and bend it left and right repeatedly. After several cycles, the metal will heat up slightly and snap off cleanly due to metal fatigue.

No cutting tools are required—just make sure to work slowly and carefully.

Once removed, the slider will have a full, unrestricted range of motion, which is essential for this machine.

Making the Support Pillar

Use a wooden pillar approximately 190 × 46 × 20 mm.

You can use MDF, plywood, or solid wood—any rigid material is acceptable.

Fixing the Slider to the Pillar

Attach the cross slider to the pillar using screws.

Use small screws so they do not interfere with the sliding mechanism.

As shown in the video, use the existing holes in the drawer slides whenever possible. This makes alignment easier and prevents damage to the rails.

Attaching the Pillar to the Machine Body

Position the pillar exactly as shown in the video.

Then fix it to the machine body using L-shaped brackets.

Use brackets with a thickness of at least 1 mm to prevent bending and ensure sufficient rigidity.

Secure the brackets to both the pillar and the machine body using M3 or larger screws.

Final Alignment

The most important point in this step is to ensure that the pillar is perfectly vertical.

Adjust the screws carefully and use a square ruler to check alignment.

Keeping the pillar vertical ensures smooth and accurate needle movement between the pins.

In this step, you will install the button set on an Arduino proto shield to control the machine.

Buttons and Switches Used

The control panel consists of:

1. Six 12 × 12 mm tactile switches
2. One 3-pin slide ON/OFF switch

The buttons are assigned as follows:

1. 4 tactile switches for controlling the cross slider movement
2. 2 tactile switches for controlling the turntable rotation

The slide ON/OFF switch is used to switch between adjustment mode and execution mode.

Mounting and Wiring

The slide ON/OFF switch must be soldered onto the proto shield to ensure a stable connection.

The tactile switches, however, can be installed without soldering.

They are mounted using a press-fit method, allowing easy installation and replacement.

For wiring, you can use Ethernet (LAN) cable wires, which fit well into the proto shield and tactile switch pins. This makes it possible to connect all tactile switches without soldering.

Wiring Reference

The wiring diagram and Tinkercad project link are included in the Related Files section.

Refer to these files to confirm the correct connections before proceeding.

Once installed, verify that all buttons respond correctly before moving on to the final step.

In this step, you will test whether the stepper motor rotation matches the pin spacing correctly.

At this stage, the servo motors are not connected yet.

This test is essential to confirm that the needle consistently passes between adjacent pins as the turntable rotates.

Test Preparation

To achieve accurate results, the circular pin frame must be centered as precisely as possible on the turntable.

Both the turntable and the circular pin frame were cut using the same theoretical radius with a trimmer, so they should match in theory.

However, small errors can occur during fabrication, so manual visual alignment is still necessary.

Carefully center the circular frame on the turntable and secure it using four clamps.

Insert the turntable onto the main shaft of the machine body.

Pull the stepper motor slightly backward, then release it so the gears mesh naturally.

Initial Alignment

Set the ON/OFF switch to OFF.

Rotate the turntable by hand to roughly position the needle between two pins.

Use the buttons connected to A4 and A5 to move the turntable in very small increments until the needle is positioned exactly between the pins.

Running the Test

Press the tactile switches connected to A1 and A3 at the same time.

This triggers a test sequence where the system advances one step at a time, repeating 320 steps in total.

While the test is running, visually observe the needle position and confirm that it remains between the pins throughout the entire rotation.

Watching all 320 steps can be tiring on the eyes, but this is a critical verification process and should not be skipped.

What to Look For

Pay close attention to how much the needle deviates from the center between pins.

In the video, the needle movement during all 320 steps is shown in real time, with on-screen explanations indicating whether the deviation is acceptable or not.

If the needle stays consistently between the pins, the mechanical and rotational accuracy is confirmed, and the machine is ready for the next stage.

In this step, we set up the vertical-axis and horizontal-axis servo motors and verify their electrical operation.

At this stage, the servos are not permanently fixed. The main goal is to correctly define the initial (home) position of each servo motor.

1. Servo Motor Mounting Overview

Servo motors are temporarily fixed using a hot glue gun.

1. Vertical-axis servo motor
2. Mount the servo on top of the shaft where the cross slider was fixed in a previous step.
3. Once the position is aligned, temporarily secure it with hot glue.
4. Horizontal-axis servo motor
5. There is no dedicated mounting surface for this servo.
6. Use the pre-drilled holes on the slider to attach a single Jenga block with screws.
7. Mount the servo motor on this Jenga block and secure it with hot glue.

2. Connecting the Servo Horn to the Slider

1. Attach a 3D-printed linear bracket to the servo horn.
2. To connect this bracket to the slider, install a fixed shaft on the slider.
3. Use an M4 bolt to securely fasten the shaft to the slider.

This mechanism converts the servo’s rotational motion into linear movement of the slider.

3. Power and Signal Wiring

1. The servo motor is powered by a 5V regulator (12V step-down).
2. Connect the servo signal wire to Arduino digital pin 6 (D6).

4. Functional Test Procedure

1. Press the tactile switches connected to pins A1 and A2 to verify that the servo motor operates correctly.
2. A critical point to check:

When the Arduino reset button is pressed,

the servo horn must move to the correct reference (initial) position.

This position defines the mechanical zero point and is essential for all subsequent steps.

5. Important Notes

1. Do not permanently fix the servo motors at this stage.
2. Fine adjustments and final mounting will be performed in later steps.

In this step, the servo motors are fully installed and the machine is powered on for the first time.

Because this is a critical step, it is strongly recommended to proceed slowly while watching the video and follow each action carefully.

1. Linear Bracket Installation

1. The linear brackets used for power transmission are provided as:
2. Tinkercad links
3. Downloadable files (attached)
4. Connect the brackets to each other using M4 bolts.
5. Washers are required, and silicone lock nuts are used to prevent loosening during operation.

Why washers are necessary

To ensure that the servo horn and the slider are aligned on the same straight line, a spacer is required.

Washers are used to finely adjust this distance and achieve proper linear alignment.

2. Servo Motor Wiring

1. Vertical-axis servo motor
2. Signal → Arduino digital pin D6
3. Horizontal-axis servo motor
4. Signal → Arduino digital pin D5
5. Power connections
6. VCC and GND of both servos are connected to the OUTPUT of the 5V regulator

In MARK0, servo motors are fixed using a hot glue gun because no dedicated servo brackets exist in this version.

Although this is not ideal structurally, it does not affect functionality.

3. Initial Positioning Before Power-On

1. Connect the SMPS power supply.
2. Manually rotate the turntable so that the needle is roughly positioned between two pins.
3. Use the A4 and A5 buttons to finely adjust the needle position.

4. First Execution Procedure (Important)

1. At the first startup, servo motors may behave unpredictably.
2. Before starting:
3. Use the A1 and A2 buttons to move the needle upward, away from the pins.
4. Set the ON/OFF switch to ON to start the operation.

5. Verification and Retry

1. If the machine operates normally with no visible issues:
2. Set the ON/OFF switch to OFF
3. Lower the needle closer to the pins
4. Start the operation again

If the needle consistently passes cleanly between the pins, the setup is successful.

This is the final step of the MARK0 build.

In this step, the thread must be guided from a 60/2 or 40/2 thread spool, passed through the needle, and prepared for actual string art operation.

Although this may seem simple, it is one of the most delicate and difficult steps in the entire build.

1. Important Recommendation

In the video, a custom thread-guiding system was built using a combination of various parts I already owned.

However, I strongly recommend that you create your own solution for this step.

Some of the parts used in the video:

1. Are available only in Korea
2. Are no longer manufactured

What matters is the principle, not the exact parts.

2. Basic Thread Path Structure

The basic structure is as follows:

1. Thread comes out of the spool
2. Passes through a 6 mm flexible straw
3. Passes through a gravity-based tension ring made from a clip
4. Passes through another 6 mm flexible straw
5. Finally passes through the needle

Except for the tension ring, this structure is designed to have almost no friction on the thread.

3. Why Friction Must Be Minimized (But Not Eliminated)

1. Minimizing friction is the most important goal
2. However, a small amount of tension is still necessary

When the needle moves backward to hook the thread onto a pin, the thread momentarily becomes loose.

At that moment, the thread needs to be gently pulled to maintain proper engagement.

This function is achieved by the clip-based tension ring, which applies a small downward force using gravity.

4. Designing Your Own Frame

1. Follow the straw and clip usage shown in the video
2. But design the supporting frame or structure in your own way
3. As long as the thread path is smooth, stable, and adjustable, the exact shape does not matter

5. A Small but Critical Tip (Highly Recommended)

Here is a simple and very effective way to add controlled friction:

1. Take a magic sponge (melamine sponge)
2. Twist the straw into the sponge to create a cylindrical hole
3. A sponge cylinder matching the straw diameter will be formed
4. Insert this sponge piece into the hole where the thread enters the straw from the spool

This adds just enough friction to the thread without damaging it.

It’s a surprisingly effective solution.

Final Note

With this step completed, the MARK0 build is finished.

MARK0 is the very first version of this machine.

It is mechanically complex and requires patience, but understanding this version makes it much easier to understand all later upgrades.

If you’ve reached this point—

you’ve already done the hardest part.

– Web Page Overview

This is the main screen that appears when you click the link to my custom string art generation web page.

– Opening an Image File

This image shows the screen after an image file has been loaded.

Before generating string art, it is important to understand how image quality affects the result:

1. Higher resolution images produce better results
2. If the subject is darker than the background, the final result may appear too dark overall
3. If the subject is too small, the string art result will be unclear and low in detail

For best results:

1. Use a high-resolution image
2. Make sure the subject is clearly distinguishable from the background
3. The subject should occupy a large portion of the image

– Left Menu Settings

This image explains the settings located in the left menu.

Here you can configure:

1. Number of pins
2. Number of strokes (line count)

These two values directly affect:

1. Image detail
2. Generation time
3. Final visual density of the string art

– Generating the String Art

This image shows the string art generation process after clicking the Generate button.

Once the Generate button is clicked:

1. All previous setting buttons in the left menu become disabled
2. The interface switches into generation mode

During this process:

1. You can toggle between the original image and the string art preview
2. The simulation continues until no more lines are added

When the drawing stops, the generation process is complete.

For proper evaluation of the result, it is recommended to:

1. View the screen from at least 2 meters away

This distance better represents how the final physical artwork will look.

– Balance Menu Explanation

This image explains the Balance menu.

The Balance setting adjusts the overall grayscale brightness of the converted image.

1. Increasing balance makes the image brighter
2. Decreasing balance makes it darker

After adjusting the balance:

1. Click the Regenerate button
2. The simulation restarts using the updated balance value

– Balance Comparison Examples

These two images show how different balance values affect the final result.

By comparing them, you can clearly see:

1. Changes in contrast
2. Differences in line density
3. Overall readability of the image

Adjust the balance until the result looks visually pleasing and clear.

– Exporting the Data

When you are satisfied with the result, click the Data button.

This will:

1. Download a .txt file into your download folder

Inside this file is a list of numeric data representing pin-to-pin movements.

– Arduino Upload

1. Open the Arduino sketch
2. Locate the designated section for string art data
3. Copy and paste the numeric data from the downloaded .txt file
4. Upload the code to the Arduino

Once uploaded, the machine is ready to execute the string art pattern.