brl2stl

License: MIT · source

brl2stl turns braille into plastic. Give it a braille file (BRF, the exchange format of braille embossers) or plain text, and it produces a 3D-printable model in STL or 3MF — the formats slicers take — as signs, labels, flashcards, book pages, even jigs for embossing paper by hand. Type, watch the live preview, export the model, slice, print.

The defaults are the ones that matter. Text is translated to contracted braille (Unified English Braille, Grade 2) through Liblouis — the same open braille library that sits on the links shelf — with a built-in uncontracted fallback, and a warning, when Liblouis isn't there. Dot dimensions default to the Americans with Disabilities Act signage standard (section 703.3), with presets for Marburg Medium — the embosser standard most of the world uses — and others, plus per-dimension overrides for matching a particular embosser.

It runs however suits you: a desktop app, a command line, a web interface, or a Docker container — cross-platform, zero required dependencies. Releases carry standalone desktop apps that need no Python at all, and a build script produces the same for Linux.

Python, on PyPI as brl2stl. Code and step-by-step documentation — from getting started through the printing and emboss-jig guides — at github.com/leavesofgrass/brl2stl.