Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is another video about time! A word clock is a different way of telling time using words instead of traditional numbers or clock hands. In part 1 I explain how I designed a printed circuit board for ANAVI Word Clock around XIAO ESP32C6 using the free and open source software KiCad. Part 2 is dedicated to the case and its 3D printing. OpenSCAD is free, open-source 3D modeling software that creates models through code instead of interactive drawing. It is written in C++ using the Qt framework and runs on major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux distributions. I am using it on Ubuntu. Rather than manipulating shapes with a mouse, users write scripts that define geometric objects and combine them using operations such as union and difference. OpenSCAD processes these scripts to generate 3D models, which can be exported as STL files for 3D printing or in other formats for further editing in CAD programs. In my opinion, the main benefit of OpenSCAD is that it allows users to create parametric designs, with dimensions and other properties controlled by variables in the script. The front-facing part of the clock, which contains the letters, is defined in anavi-word-clock-top.scad. One of the challenging aspects of designing this part is using stencil-style letter shapes to ensure that letters such as O can be 3D printed correctly without creating unsupported or detached sections. The positioning of each letter is also very important, as the letters need to be arranged precisely so that the correct ones can be illuminated to display the words representing the current time.
🎥 Related Videos
===
Build a Word Clock with XIAO ESP32-C6 | Part 1: PCB Design with KiCad
youtu.be/Wtqm-hPrgqk?si=-NVpjFmGa9hA9__D
Level Up Your 3D Printing: Install Brass Thread Inserts Like a Boss with Mintion Nutopress Pro
youtu.be/T0TfuHULOTA?si=yIgwIvXo5eYy7CgP
🔗 Useful Links
===
OpenSCAD software for creating solid 3D CAD objects.
openscad.org
Seeed Studio Fusion
seeedstudio.com/fusion.html
Seeed XIAO ESP32C6
seeedstudio.com/Seeed-Studio-XIAO-ESP32C6-p-5884.html
ANAVI Word Clock design files
github.com/AnaviTechnology/anavi-word-clock
📚 Chapters
===
0:00 Intro
2:05 Design Attempts
3:31 Open Source
7:28 Tools
9:40 Assembly
14:16 Conclusions
This is another video about time! A word clock is a different way of telling time using words instead of traditional numbers or clock hands. In part 1 I explain how I designed a printed circuit board for ANAVI Word Clock around XIAO ESP32C6 using the free and open source software KiCad. Part 2 is dedicated to the case and its 3D printing. OpenSCAD is free, open-source 3D modeling software that creates models through code instead of interactive drawing. It is written in C++ using the Qt framework and runs on major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux distributions. I am using it on Ubuntu. Rather than manipulating shapes with a mouse, users write scripts that define geometric objects and combine them using operations such as union and difference. OpenSCAD processes these scripts to generate 3D models, which can be exported as STL files for 3D printing or in other formats for further editing in CAD programs. In my opinion, the main benefit of OpenSCAD is that it allows users to create parametric designs, with dimensions and other properties controlled by variables in the script. The front-facing part of the clock, which contains the letters, is defined in anavi-word-clock-top.scad. One of the challenging aspects of designing this part is using stencil-style letter shapes to ensure that letters such as O can be 3D printed correctly without creating unsupported or detached sections. The positioning of each letter is also very important, as the letters need to be arranged precisely so that the correct ones can be illuminated to display the words representing the current time.
🎥 Related Videos
===
Build a Word Clock with XIAO ESP32-C6 | Part 1: PCB Design with KiCad
youtu.be/Wtqm-hPrgqk?si=-NVpjFmGa9hA9__D
Level Up Your 3D Printing: Install Brass Thread Inserts Like a Boss with Mintion Nutopress Pro
youtu.be/T0TfuHULOTA?si=yIgwIvXo5eYy7CgP
🔗 Useful Links
===
OpenSCAD software for creating solid 3D CAD objects.
openscad.org
Seeed Studio Fusion
seeedstudio.com/fusion.html
Seeed XIAO ESP32C6
seeedstudio.com/Seeed-Studio-XIAO-ESP32C6-p-5884.html
ANAVI Word Clock design files
github.com/AnaviTechnology/anavi-word-clock
📚 Chapters
===
0:00 Intro
2:05 Design Attempts
3:31 Open Source
7:28 Tools
9:40 Assembly
14:16 Conclusions
