Which version am I building? Current hardware is v3.0.0: follow BUILD_GUIDE.md, with every file bundled at the v3.0.0 release (STLs, Gerbers, Bambu print project, firmware images). Own a v2.x board? Use BUILD_GUIDE_v2.md and the v2.1.0 release instead. v2 and v3 parts are not interchangeable — the boards do not fit each other's cases.
🔦 Buying the LED panel? Read LED Panel Compatibility first. Patternflow scans the panel directly from the ESP32-S3, so the driver IC decides whether it lights up — "HUB75E" on the listing does not, and a spec-matching panel with S-PWM "video wall" drivers stays completely dark with no firmware fix. Since that part number is almost never in the listing, the practical check is the buyer reviews: someone running it off an ESP32 or Raspberry Pi is the best evidence you'll get.
Patternflow is not a single, rigid kit. It is a modular system divided into two core parts:
- Enclosure — how you house the device (3D printed today; laser cut in testing).
- Electronics — how you wire the hardware (custom PCB, or breadboard).
Build those two, flash the firmware, and your Patternflow is alive.
| Enclosure | Electronics | Firmware | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D printed enclosure | Custom PCB, hand-soldered | Browser flash / custom patterns | Current — fully documented |
This is the route BUILD_GUIDE.md walks start to finish: PLA parts on any 256 mm-bed FDM printer, the hand-soldered v3.0 board (all through-hole — deliberately kept first-timer easy), and firmware flashed from the browser. Two ordering shortcuts are wired straight to it:
- PCB — the PCBWay shared project: no Gerber upload, and ordering there supports Patternflow development.
- Case — the MakerWorld listing: tuned one-click print profiles for Bambu printers (STLs in
hardware/case/for everyone else).
| Enclosure | Electronics | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 3D printed enclosure | Custom PCB | Current — BUILD_GUIDE.md |
| 3D printed enclosure | Breadboard / jumper-wire electronics | Available — Breadboard Build Guide |
| Laser-cut enclosure | Custom PCB | In testing — #123 |
| Laser-cut enclosure | Breadboard / jumper-wire electronics | In testing — #123 |
The in-testing paths exist to make Patternflow easier and cheaper to start. A breadboard build is not just a temporary prototype — if that form is enough for you, it is a valid Patternflow build. Want a more finished object later? Move to the PCB and printed-enclosure path whenever you like.
The custom PCB path is stable. PCBA may become a later electronics path for people who want the same PCB with less hand assembly.
To bring the hardware to life you flash it with firmware, and you can create and run your own generative patterns with AI coding assistants.
Custom patterns no longer need a local toolchain: Patternflow's build server compiles a firmware image containing your pattern and the browser writes it over USB (after the first flash sets up Wi-Fi, updates can go over the air). The Arduino IDE route remains only for firmware feature development or targeting a different LED matrix resolution.
- Create custom patterns (recommended) — make a pattern in the Live Editor or Pattern Lab, preview it live, and install it from the browser.
| Version | Guide | Everything bundled |
|---|---|---|
| v3.0.0 (current) | BUILD_GUIDE.md | v3.0.0 release |
| v2.1.0 (legacy) | BUILD_GUIDE_v2.md | v2.1.0 release |