> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://stem-docs.intellectualpoint.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Capstone project

> Bring everything together - design, print, and finish your capstone project to present to the class.

## Your moment to shine

This is what the whole week has been building toward. Today you finish your **capstone project** - a 3D print you designed or customized yourself - and get it ready to present. You now have every skill you need: assembly, leveling, slicing, and design. Time to put them together.

<Frame caption="Turn your idea into a finished, printed object">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellectualpoint/yASp17638wTnZpJG/images/intro3d/concept.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=yASp17638wTnZpJG&q=85&s=fd6c895f0d2625101bce990f89e7156b" alt="A concept turning into a finished 3D-printed project" width="3000" height="3000" data-path="images/intro3d/concept.png" />
</Frame>

## Finish strong

<Steps>
  <Step title="Finalize your design" icon="pen-tool">
    Make your last edits in Tinkercad. Double-check dimensions, make sure nothing floats, and confirm the model fits your build plate (220 x 220 mm).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Slice with the right settings" icon="scissors">
    In Cura, choose settings that match your goal - thin layers for detail, more infill for strength, supports only where you truly need them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Print it" icon="printer">
    Send it to your Ender 3 and watch the first layer. If a print failed earlier in the week, apply what you learned and try again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Post-process (optional)" icon="paintbrush">
    Remove supports, sand rough edges, glue multiple parts, or paint it - safely and with supervision.

    <Frame caption="Post-processing steps that take a print from raw to finished">
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellectualpoint/O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva/images/intro3d/post-processing.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva&q=85&s=d19f8a689367b4911cb9504de2511e28" alt="Diagram of post-processing steps: support removal, sanding, gluing, and painting" width="1536" height="1024" data-path="images/intro3d/post-processing.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare your presentation" icon="presentation">
    Get ready to explain what it is, why you chose it, how you made it, and what problems you solved.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Your presentation checklist

Remember the four things every presentation should cover:

<Frame caption="A strong capstone presentation covers all four parts">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/intellectualpoint/O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva/images/intro3d/presentation-structure.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=O9vEZP6xEEMFLHva&q=85&s=88faf5c8a0558da7163712726d6b0ff5" alt="Diagram of the four-part capstone presentation structure" width="1536" height="1024" data-path="images/intro3d/presentation-structure.png" />
</Frame>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="What it is" icon="box">
    Describe your print and what it does.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Why you chose it" icon="heart">
    What made this project interesting to you?
  </Card>

  <Card title="How you made it" icon="footprints">
    Walk through design, slicing, and printing.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Problems and fixes" icon="wrench">
    What went wrong, and how did you solve it? (Worth real points!)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Judging reminder

Projects are scored out of **100 base points** plus bonuses. You do not need a perfect print to score well - creativity, effort, and honest problem-solving matter most.

| Category                      | Points |
| ----------------------------- | ------ |
| Creativity and originality    | 20     |
| Effort and complexity         | 20     |
| Execution and print quality   | 20     |
| Problem solving and iteration | 15     |
| Presentation and explanation  | 20     |
| Modeling bonus                | +10    |
| Multiple parts bonus          | +5     |
| Post-processing bonus         | +5     |

<Note>
  A print that failed but taught you something can still score highly. Explain what happened and how you responded - that resilience is exactly what we are looking for.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Be proud of what you made. A week ago this was a box of aluminum bars and screws. Now you built the machine, learned to design, and printed something that came out of your own imagination.
</Tip>

<Check>
  Your capstone is printed (or you have a great story about what you learned), post-processed if you chose to, and you are ready to present it to the class.
</Check>