Pacific Highlands Ranch Library IDEA Lab
IDEA Lab hours differ from library open hours. Please call the Pacific Highlands Ranch Library
for a schedule.
Upcoming Programs
2pm - 3:30pm
All Ages
12pm - 2pm
Adults, Older Adults
2pm - 7:30pm
Middle School Age, Teens
5pm - 7pm
All Ages
6pm - 7:45pm
Black History Month Film Screenings
Middle School Age, Teens
The Pacific Highlands Ranch Library IDEA Lab focuses on prop and set design, a theme inspired by community conversations held by the library. Our makerspace features a 3D printers, a Glowforge laser cutter, 24" desktop cutting machine, a 3D scanner, dye sublimation, a sewing/embroidery machine and a button maker. We aspire to collaborate with our patrons to create community-led programming.
Makerspace
![Photo of a Glowforge laser cutter with an engraved ODI on wood.](/sites/default/files/styles/1200_width/public/2024-10/20240925_121635.jpg?itok=UBuOfdJl)
- 2 Flashforge Adventure 3D Printer
- Bambu Labs X1 Carbon
- Einscan Pro HD 3D scanner
- Glowforge Pro Laser cutter
- 24" Silhouette Cameo Pro
- Brother NS2850D Sewing/Embroidery Machine
- Cricut EasyPress
- Dye Sublimation printer/Sawgrass SG500
- 15" x 15' Clamshell Heat press
- 2.25" button maker
- Multimedia iMacs and MacBook with Adobe Creative Cloud software
Lab Policy
![Image of Skyline Hills Library's IDEA Lab with laptop, tools, and vinyl cutter.](/sites/default/files/sk-idea-lab2.jpg)
Frequently Asked Questions
Volunteer Opportunities
Resources
The following technology software resources list is compiled to provide you with suggestions for web-based, downloadable, open source, freeware and low-cost software to use on your personal devices. Some may be accessible in the IDEA Lab.
Open Source 3D Modeling Software
- Blender - Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software.
- Design Spark - Resources & tools to aid engineers in design process.
- Meshmixer - A state-of-the-art software for working with triangle meshes.
- OpenSCAD - Create solid 3D CAD objects. Available for Linux/UNIX, MS Windows/Mac OS X.
- SketchUp - 3D modeling software that's easy to learn and incredibly fun to use.
- Thingiverse - Download files and build them with your laser cutter, 3D printer, or CNC.
- TinkerCAD - 3D CAD design tool. Quickly turn ideas into a CAD model for a 3D printer.
- 3D Slash - 3D modeling software with a unique interface: "slash" a cube using a set of tools to create a 3D design.
3D Splicing Software for Printing
- MakerBot Print - Free software to prepare, manage, and share 3D prints.
- Orca- A free open-source slicing software designed to convert 3D models into G-Code,
- Ultimaker Cura - Ultimaker Cura prepares your model for 3D printing.
Open Source Electronic Prototyping
- Arduino - Enabling users to create interactive electronic object.
Computer Programming
- Code Academy - An online freemium interactive platform that offers free coding classes in 12 different programming languages (Python, Java, JavaScript, Ruby, SQL, and Sass, markup languages HTML and CSS).
- Pure Data- An open source visual programming language for multimedia.
- Raspberry Pi - A tiny and affordable computer. Learn programming.
- Scratch - Create your own interactive stories, games, & animations.
- Supercollider- A platform for Audio Synthesis and Algorithmic composition.
Web Development
- CodePen - A social development environment. Allows you to write code in the browser, and see the results of it as you build. A useful and liberating tool for developers of any skill, and particularly empowering for people learning to code. Focusing on front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and preprocessing syntaxes that turn into those things.
- Coffeecup - Responsive Web Design Tools and HTML Software.
- W3Schools - A web developers site, with tutorials and references on web development languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, SQL, Python, W3.CSS, and Bootstrap), covering most aspects of web programming.
Free Graphic Design Software
- Canva - Online graphic design platform used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content.
- GIMP - A free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting between different image formats, and more specialized tasks.
- Inkscape - Professional quality vector graphics software (Linux, Mac OS X & Windows).
- Ink/Stitch, for designing machine embroidery patterns.
- Inkcut, for controlling 2D plotters, cutters, engravers, and CNC machines.
- Krita - Raster graphics editor, designed primarily for digital painting & animation.
Video Editors
- DaVinci Resolve - Professional offline and online editing, color correction, audio post production and now visual effects.
- Kizoa - Online Movie Maker/Video Maker/Slideshow Maker. Personalize photos/videos/music with effects, text, & more!
- Lightworks - Professional non-linear editing system for editing and mastering digital video in vari-ous formats, including 2K and 4K resolutions, and television in PAL, NTSC, and high-definition formats.
- Shotcut - Cross-platform video editor for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Photo Editors
- Adobe Photoshop Express Editor - Get all the essential tools, including Lightroom and Photoshop, for crafting incredible images every day.
- Fotor - Free online designer and editing tool catering to all your photographic and image creation needs! Add filters, frames, text, stickers and more.
- GIMP - Free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting between different image formats, and more specialized tasks.
- Pixlr Editor - A free robust browser photo editor. Have full control over your images, including layers and effects.
Free CNC Milling Software
- Easel - 3D Carving Made Easy. Design, import, and carve for free from a single program with Easel.
- Inkstitch - An open source machine embroidery design platform based on Inkscape.
Project Ideas & Resources
- Instructables - Learn how to make anything with Instructables. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions, online classes, and a vibrant maker community.
- Inventables Projects - Inventables: the hardware store for designers. We help designers buy the products they need.
- MAKE - Celebrates your right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology to your will.