I know you don’t want to disappoint Snolon. Come learn about microcontrollers at our Intro to Arduino Workshop on Tuesday, February 7th at 7 PM.

The workshop will cover the basics of microcontrollers through the Arduino platform. You can learn to make your own happy Snowlon, or any number of other fun, useful, quirky projects. The Arduino platform is versatile and lends itself to many applications, both small and large in scale. 

In the workshop we will go over both the hardware involved in an Arduino board and peripheral electronics as well as the software and programming to make it all work. No previous knowledge or experience in either electronics or programming necessary. The workshop fee ($60) includes two and a half hours of instruction, an Arduino board, and electronic components for the hands-on exercises. All you need to bring is a computer and your exciting project ideas.

To reserve your spot call Metrix Create: Space or stop by our shop on Broadway.

7:36 pm  •  19 January 2012 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Besides being fun an colorful, resistors are a very useful electronics component found pretty much in every electrically powered device we use. Want to learn how they work? Been itching to trick-out your old phone/toaster oven/lighting fixture?Interested in building your own electronics devices? 

Come to the Intro to Electronics Workshop on Tuesday, January 31 at 7 PM.

You’ll get to learn about voltage and current, diodes, resistors, capacitors, and more. Through building a variety of circuits, you’ll learn how the basic elements of electronics work and interact with each other. You’ll walk away with some very useful knowledge and a box full of components for you to start your own projects.

No previous knowledge or experience necessary. Call Metrix Create: Space to reserve your spot in the workshop or come by to sign up. $50 gets you two and a half hours of instruction and all the materials for the workshop.

6:27 pm  •  19 January 2012 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Recently, Metrix has lent its tools to some interesting time piece projects. They both use the sky to get their time readings and they both use high-tech fabrication methods, but they couldn’t be more different in their functionality. One [top] is a digital LED clock that is run by a microcontroller and gets GPS readings through a GPS module for its time calibration while the other [bottom] is the newest addition to the ancient tradition of sundials. Read on to learn a bit more about how these timepieces were made…

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11:47 pm  •  18 January 2012 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

New workshop time!

Prompted by the shop’s collection of 7400-series integrated circuits, I’m going to be teaching a workshop on digital logic design on Saturday, January 14 2011. Digital logic is the sort of thing that makes up a computer at the deepest, darkest level — we’re talking trues and falses, ands, ors, and nots.

(Wikimedia Commons,
K-map 6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 anti-race.svg)

You might have used an Arduino to control a simple circuit before, and thought to yourself “there’s got to be a simpler way”. For many things, there is! If you’re triggering a set of operations in a row, or waiting for certain conditions to be satisfied before another action will happen, then a simple digital logic circuit is probably all you need to use.

In this workshop, we’ll be making a few different things, such as a push-on-push-off switch and a bar-graph display. We’ll go over design techniques like truth tables and Karnaugh maps, which let you design logic circuits with just a pencil and paper.

You should be familiar with electronics before taking this workshop. If you’ve taken the Intro to Electronics workshop, you should be all set!

Like all of our workshops, you’ll walk away with some fun things. You’ll get a breadboard and a selection of ICs, LEDs and buttons and a textbook with information on how each and every 7400-series IC works internally.

11:00 pm  •  30 December 2011 by chronomex   •  view comments

Did you miss November’s Inkscape for the Laser Cutter workshop?
Well good news for you, the next one is happening tomorrow, December 13th, from 7-9:30!! You still have time to make all those amazing gifts and cards before the end of the month!
Learn how to use Inkscape to cut a variety of materials- wood, acrylic, paper, leather & more!

Want to make the perfect gingerbread house? Cut it on the laser cutter. (Yes, this has happened!!) The laser cutter is also great for cards and other gifts. (You can still use the laser for cutting out the chassis of your robot too, don’t worry. :) )
Remember, if you can’t make it tomorrow, it’s okay. Contact me for questions regarding individual lessons- allison@sweetium.com

6:34 pm  •  12 December 2011 by allisonatmetrix   •  view comments

Are you looking for an activity that distracts you (or your child) for a couple of hours, is fun and lets you get something AWESOME at the end that you’ve created? Look no further! I will be leading a Holiday Card makeshop this coming Saturday, December 10, from 2-4. Only $25!!!

Never been to a makeshop? The idea is simple. Metrix provides the materials and tools, you bring your computer and your brain and I will be there for two hours to help guide you on how to use Inkscape to cut paper for your cards! This is not the in-depth workshop that I normally lead on Inkscape. The point of this is to be creative, and let me help you out if you get stuck. Make as many cards as you have time for!

This is great for the whole family! Start your kids early on lasers! Make up to Grandma for all those missing thank-you notes with something handmade!

Call Metrix to sign up!

12:01 am  •  6 December 2011 by allisonatmetrix   •  view comments

This blog has seen a lot of interviews with people working on really neat electronics, coding, building, and DIY projects. It’s the sort of thing that Metrix was created and is now known for. But those aren’t the only things that happen here! I recently got the chance to talk with Ryan DeMita, a video game concept artist who sometimes uses Metrix as an office for working on his artwork. As someone who has been playing video games for years, concept art is something that I’ve always really enjoyed looking at; it was really neat to finally meet someone who makes it for a living!

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1:08 am  •  4 December 2011 by allisonatmetrix   •  view comments

Feel that a regular holiday card this season just isn’t going to cut it? Make a re-programmable board that displays whatever holiday cheer message you give it. Bonus: Program it remotely to show the appropriate messages of well-wishing at all other special occasions.

Feel that all the time you have to spend with your family this holiday season is taking you away from your social media? Make holiday lights that respond to Twitter feeds.

Determined to beat your neighbors in the holiday house decorating contest? Make a multi-blink pattern, GPS timed lighting display that will be the envy of your whole block, and maybe even the next block over. 

All of this is possible with just one tiny microcontroller board: Arduino!

Come to the Intro to Arduino Workshop, this Thursday, December 1 to learn how an Arduino board works and how you can program it for your exciting holiday projects. We will be going over the basics of the board, how to talk to it with your computer, and how to interface it with hardware. All you need to bring to the workshop is yourself and your computer. We’ll provide the Arduino boards and electronics.

What: Intro to Arduino Workshop

When: Thursday, December 1, 7-9PM

Where: Metrix Create: Space

Why: Because you want to make everyone jealous

How: Call or come in to sign up

Cost: $60 [includes instruction time, Arduino board, and electronics components]

7:16 pm  •  26 November 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Diamonds are so last year. This holiday season give your loved ones real bling and impress them with your electronics know-how. You can make unique, fun, cost-effective gifts and the skills you need for that are just a workshop away.

Come to the Intro to Electronics Workshop this Tuesday, November 29. You will learn basic electronics theory through building circuits and experimenting with common electronics components. You will get a kit of parts that includes everything you need for the workshop as well as to get started on your very own holiday gift projects. 

What: Intro to Electronics Workshop

When: Tuesday, November 29, 7-9PM

Where: Metrix Create: Space

Why: Because you want your gifts to be way cooler than everyone else’s

How: To sign up, call or drop in. 

Cost: $50 [includes instruction time and all materials]

5:21 pm  •  26 November 2011 by plamena-at-metrix   •  view comments

Looking for some inspiration? 

Ken Inoue has been making wonderful presents for his loved ones this year using Inkscape, the laser cutter and some aluminum stock from Online Metals in Ballard.   He’s been nice enough to share the files to this smart and simple Tea Warmer on Thingiverse.

We love to see people make awesome things and share them with others. From the beginning at Metrix Create:Space, we have offered a Thingiverse Discount. If you share with the world, we share with you.  Get up to 40% off your laser cut and 3D printed parts by becoming a Member today!

The best time of the year for making something special for your friends and family is right now, what will you make?

6:00 am  •  19 November 2011 by mattw-at-metrix   •  view comments