MiniLab

MiniLab is a compact, modular server rack built around 2020 aluminium extrusion and standard rack-unit spacing. The hardware is the project: this repository contains the source STEP models for the frame, mounting plates, panels, shelves, and device-specific modules.

The rack currently targets an 8U build with a 258 × 258 mm footprint. Its module system is intentionally metadata-driven so future rack heights can reuse the same hardware library and mounting rules.

Companion tool: Open the MiniLab 3D configurator to assemble the current hardware modules in a browser before building the rack.

Hardware renders

Top-left	Top-right

These images are rendered from the current STEP-derived frame model. Run pnpm renders after changing the CAD or mounting metadata to regenerate both views.

Hardware specification

Property	Current design
Rack height	8U
Rack unit	44.45 mm
Usable rack height	355.6 mm
Frame footprint	Approximately 258 × 258 mm
Frame material	2020 aluminium extrusion
Module sizes	1U, 2U, and larger modules supported
CAD source format	STEP, exported from Fusion 360

Rack height is a design parameter rather than an application constant. The current frame is 8U, but the catalog and configurator can describe other heights.

CAD source of truth

All original hardware sources live in models/. STEP files are never modified by the web-model pipeline.

The current hardware set includes:

• 8U 2020 extrusion frame and base plate
• Blank and test panels
• Patch panel and patch-panel plate
• Omada switch and HP Mini mounts
• Raspberry Pi and dual Raspberry Pi + OLED mounts
• Dot-matrix and TFT display panels
• Equipment tray

Files containing LaserCut, laser cut, or laser-cut identify parts intended for laser cutting. That manufacturing method is preserved in models/modules.json. No manufacturing method is assumed for the other parts.

The original STEP exports are committed so the hardware remains usable independently of the configurator. Generated GLB, OBJ, and MTL files are build artifacts and are not committed.

Repository layout

minilab/
├── models/                         Hardware source of truth
│   ├── *.step                      Original Fusion 360 STEP exports
│   └── modules.json                Rack dimensions and module metadata
├── configurator/                   Companion React/Three.js application
│   ├── public/models/catalog.json  Generated browser catalog
│   ├── src/                        Placement rules and 3D interface
│   └── docs/                       UI concepts and implementation records
├── scripts/
│   ├── models.mjs                  STEP-to-GLB pipeline orchestration
│   ├── render-models.mjs           Repeatable hardware render capture
│   └── freecad/step-to-obj.py      FreeCAD tessellation step
├── docs/images/                    Generated hardware renders used here
├── package.json
└── pnpm-workspace.yaml

Add or revise hardware

1. Export the revised part from Fusion 360 as STEP.
2. Place the STEP file in models/. Keep LaserCut in the filename when applicable.
3. Add or update the exact filename in models/modules.json.
4. Set the hardware role and a verified integer heightU. Use null when the rack height still needs physical review.
5. Run pnpm models to regenerate the browser assets and catalog.
6. Inspect the part in several U positions using pnpm dev.
7. Run pnpm test, pnpm lint, and pnpm build before publishing changes.

The configurator never derives rack occupancy from tessellated geometry. heightU is explicit hardware metadata, while mounting transforms provide a non-destructive browser alignment layer for STEP exports with differing origins or axes.

Module metadata

Each hardware part has an explicit catalog record:

{
  "id": "1u-blank-lasercut",
  "name": "1U Blank",
  "source": "1U Blank LaserCut.step",
  "role": "module",
  "heightU": 1,
  "manufacturingMethod": "laser-cut",
  "model": "/models/1u-blank-lasercut.glb",
  "mount": {
    "position": [0, 0, 0],
    "rotation": [0, 0, 0],
    "scale": [1, 1, 1],
    "reference": "front-center-bottom"
  }
}

Important rules:

• heightU controls physical occupancy and overlap prevention.
• heightU: null marks hardware that still needs dimensional review and prevents placement.
• role: "frame" and role: "fixed-part" identify rack infrastructure.
• role: "module" makes a reviewed part available in the configurator library.
• mount corrects browser alignment without changing the original CAD.
• preview is only a procedural fallback and is not manufacturing data.

Nine current modules have reviewed 1U envelopes. Raspberry Pi Duo + OLED and Equipment Tray remain unplaceable until their rack heights are confirmed rather than guessed.

Companion configurator

The browser configurator is a visualization and planning aid for the hardware. It renders the actual STEP-derived models, snaps modules to U positions, prevents collisions, supports different rack heights, and makes configurations easy to explore without acting like a full CAD package.

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or newer
• pnpm 10 or newer
• A WebGL 2 capable browser
• Optional: FreeCAD with FreeCADCmd for regenerating real web models

Only pnpm is used for JavaScript dependencies and commands.

Run locally

pnpm install
pnpm models
pnpm dev

Project commands

Command	Purpose
pnpm models	Scan hardware sources, convert changed STEP files, optimize GLBs, and regenerate the catalog
pnpm renders	Regenerate top-left and top-right hardware images from the real web model
pnpm dev	Start the local configurator
pnpm test	Run rack-placement, interaction, and model-pipeline tests
pnpm lint	Run ESLint with warnings treated as failures
pnpm build	Type-check and build the production configurator
pnpm run deploy	Build and publish the companion configurator to Cloudflare Pages

STEP-to-web pipeline

Browsers cannot practically render STEP directly. pnpm models preserves the CAD sources and generates web assets through this pipeline:

models/*.step
  → FreeCADCmd + scripts/freecad/step-to-obj.py
  → temporary tessellated OBJ
  → obj2gltf binary conversion
  → glTF Transform deduplication, welding, and pruning
  → configurator/public/models/*.glb
  → configurator/public/models/catalog.json

If FreeCAD is unavailable, the command still regenerates the catalog and the application uses procedural previews for missing GLBs. Require complete real-model conversion with:

MINILAB_MODELS_STRICT=1 pnpm models

For a non-standard FreeCAD installation:

FREECAD_CMD=/absolute/path/to/FreeCADCmd pnpm models

Generated .glb, .obj, and .mtl files are ignored by Git. The STEP files remain the canonical hardware assets.