QRDude User Guide: 2D Panels
Location of controls...
2D mode uses the following settings from the main screen:
- Number of wells
- 2D build depth
- Fin width
- Inverse or Normal
Crossword Area
The colors used for the crossword area are blues for block heights or reds for well depths. By default, deeper wells are shown in darker colors, but the inverse colors can be used, as can the no-color option, by ticking the appropriate checkboxes.
When the dimensions checkbox is ticked, the crossword area is expanded, covering the 3D graphic. The extra room makes it easier to read the well sizes, especially when working in inches.
2D Panel color schemes
Color is used to indicate which style of panel is currently being modelled. These panels have been horizontally shifted to produce a symmetrical panel
When fin width is greater than zero, the left-side and rear fins are added to the drawing as a visual reminder.
Both the finned and finless panels have the same block heights and well depths.
The same green colors are used for either variation.
Both the finned and finless panels have the same block heights and well depths.
PLEASE NOTE (June 2026)
The Depth-optimised Inverse 2D Panel previously described here, as shown below, was based on an incorrect assumption and will no longer be supported from Version 4.50 onwards.
A 2D panel actually uses all the possible depths, so depth optimisation is not feasable. QRDude has been modified from Version 4.50 onwards.
The shift controls
The shift controls allow the panel build to be started at any position in the number sequence. QRDude automatically clicks the Centre button when you access the 2D screen, giving a symmetrical panel. Assymetrical panels, such as those commercially available, can be modelled by pressing the No shift button
Export
The "Export / Generate 2D report" menu option will create the text file qrdude_2d.txt containing the build
information and weight estimate.
QRDude will then attempt to open this file in your default text editor (normally notepad)
If the fin width is zero, the weight estimate is based on using solid blocks.
For non-zero fin widths, it is assumed that floor plates are used at the bottom of each well, and that these are made
of the same material as the fins.
Note that the reported dimensions and weights do not include any backboard.
When building with fins, a backboard can be used, but a more common option is to use a slightly larger floor plate to sit across
the bottom of the fins for the maximum depth wells. This results in a panel that sits off the wall by the thickness
of these plates.
Another option would be to make the fins deeper by the thickness of the plate, and fit a standard sized plate
between the fins as is done for all the other wells - a neater finish, but a little heavier.
Some future version might offer a choice of build style, but for the moment, you'll have to do this bit manually
Maxpic screen
For those keen on eye candy, the maxpic screen shows the 3d panel fullscreen. Click any mouse button or press any key to exit.
Maxdata screen
The maxdata screen is intended as a construction aid, and is particularly useful for building panels when there is a computer available next to the build area.
The maxdata screen shows the crossword style data panel fullscreen. The colors used are the same as used for
the crossword area on the 2d screen, ie blues for block heights, reds for well depths.
If the dimensions
checkbox is ticked, the actual sizes will be shown rather than depth units.
Since the detail on higher order panels can be hard to read,
particularly when working in inches, a floating panel has been added.
This shows the following information for the well under the cursor:
- Well location (row and column)
- Background color of location field is the same as that used for the 3d drawing as a reminder of panel type
- Indication of block height or well depth
- Well Height or depth in depth units
- Physical height or depth in mm or inches
When building the panel, it is handy to make an adjustable jig to set the position of the floor plates for each well. This leads to all the wells of the same depth being done before moving on to the next depth. Double-clicking the left mouse button on any well highlights all wells of that depth in yellow, making it easy to find 'em all...
Double-clicking the right mouse button on any well will highlight all those wells as before, but it will also replace the colors of the other wells. Wells that are deeper than the current well will be shown in a light shade of color (blue or red depending apon whether you are working with block heights or well depths). Wells that are shallower than the current one will be shown in white.
As you are gluing in the floor plates for the current depth, the wells shown in the light color should already
have been completed (assuming you build the deepest wells first). This provides a quick check that you haven't missed any.
If you build the shallowest wells first, you can swap the layer colors by ticking the
inverse-colors checkbox on the 2d screen.
Regardless of which scheme you use, the highlighting can be cancelled by double-clicking the wheel on your mouse.
If you don't have a wheel mouse, you will need to exit the maxdata screen and come back in.
Since the mouse buttons are reserved for highlighting, you need to press a key to exit the maxdata screen. Any key will do.
Some Leggo models
Moving from an N5 2D diffuser to an N7 2D diffuser gives nearly double the area. These models demonstrate this, as well as the increase in the complexity of the diffusion.
Each individual panel is centred in QRDude. The four panels arranged to form the array do not need to be rotated as they are symmetrical.
I didn't have enough blocks to give each layer its own colour but at least got the tops right!
Comparing 2D diffusers for complexity of diffusion
These images show 16 panels for N7 thru N17. A single panel was grabbed from QRDude and put into photoshop to get the 16x array. The darker squares are deeper wells and the lighter squares are shallower wells.
The panels will grow in size as the order increases - they're shown roughly the same size here to make comparison easier.
Some reader's work
