Patternflow

# Patternflow v3.1.0 — the browser does everything now

> **Historical (2026-07).** Long-form notes for one release, kept as written. Release notes since 3.2 live on [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/releases); `CHANGELOG.md` at the root is the complete record.

**Hardware unchanged** — the v3.0 board and case carry over exactly as they are. This release is the software half of the instrument catching up: a pattern community, firmware builds that run on a server and flash from the browser, wireless updates, and one important piece of safety guidance.

**Building one? Start here → [BUILD_GUIDE.md](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/blob/v3.1.0/BUILD_GUIDE.md)** — about 30 minutes of (deliberately easy, all through-hole) soldering, 30 minutes of assembly, ~10 hours of printer time, around US$100 in parts.

## ⚠️ Safety first: power through the screw terminal only

The v3.0 board's USB-C power input is **withdrawn from service** ([#221](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/issues/221)): a USB-C-powered board ran fine for 20–30+ minutes, then smoked at a connector pin. The failure is *delayed* — "it seems to work" proves nothing. Until the redesign passes:

- Power the board through **`J4`, the 2-pin screw terminal** (strip a USB cable, screw the wires in).
- **Leave `USB1`, `R1`, and `R2` unpopulated.**

[BUILD_GUIDE §2](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/blob/v3.1.0/BUILD_GUIDE.md#2-power-input--use-the-screw-terminal) has the full story and photos.

## Highlights

### The Community
Patterns now have a home: **[community.patternflow.work](https://community.patternflow.work/community)**. A live feed you can play — hover any card and the pattern runs, scroll-wheel turns its knobs — with detail pages where you edit the code in place. Publish from Pattern Lab, and remixes record their fork lineage so you can see what grew out of what. Patterns that ship a hardware-verified `.h` are flagged and filterable for when you want something to flash right now. No account needed to browse or edit; username + password only to publish.

### Firmware builds, from the browser
The toolchain is gone ([#230](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/issues/230)): a build server compiles a complete firmware image containing your pattern — about 30 seconds — and the browser writes it to the board over USB (desktop Chrome/Edge). No IDE, no board package, no registry editing. And after the first flash sets up Wi-Fi, **Send over Wi-Fi** ([#232](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/issues/232)) pushes the next builds to the device with no cable at all. The Arduino IDE is now only for firmware feature development or targeting a different matrix resolution.

### Pattern Lab, the studio
Pattern Lab grew into the professional editing tool: batch AI generation in-app (bring your own free Gemini key), color ramps, custom frames carried end to end (`// @matrix` travels from the lab through the community sandbox into the firmware conversion), session autosave, and a mobile-first Copy prompt / Paste response flow. Unused features were cut so the tool stays sharp.

### The website
The pattern section was rebuilt around how Patternflow actually works now — try 42 presets one tap away, make your own with AI, then Pattern Lab and the Community carry it to hardware. The build section answers the two questions every builder asks first (**~US$100, ~1 hour of hands-on work**) and routes ordering straight through the [PCBWay shared project](https://www.pcbway.com/project/shareproject/Patternflow_An_LED_synthesizer_776d796c.html) and the [MakerWorld case listing](https://makerworld.com/en/models/3072492-patternflow-open-source-led-synthesizer-case#profileId-3459015). A new interactive [project roadmap](https://patternflow.work/roadmap) shows the whole plan on one map.

## Hardware note

No new board, no new case. `patternflow_v3.0_gerber.zip` remains the board to order, and the v3 case files are unchanged — grab either from the [v3.0.0 release](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/releases/tag/v3.0.0) or the attachments below. On v2.x hardware? Everything stays bundled at [v2.1.0](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/releases/tag/v2.1.0).

## Assets

- `patternflow_v3_firmware.zip` — prebuilt ESP32-S3 binaries (the browser-flasher image: 34 presets + 3 custom slots) with esptool offsets in the included README
- `patternflow_v3.0_gerber.zip` — the verified board (unchanged from v3.0.0)
- `patternflow_v3_case_stl_pack.zip` — all v3 case STLs (unchanged from v3.0.0)
- `patternflow_v3.3mf` — Bambu Studio project (4 pre-arranged plates; same as the MakerWorld listing)
- `patternflow_case.blend` — Blender source for every printed part (Git LFS; attached so *Download ZIP* users get the real file)

Full details in the [CHANGELOG](https://github.com/engmung/Patternflow/blob/v3.1.0/CHANGELOG.md).

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Firmware & web: MIT · Hardware & designs: CC-BY-SA 4.0