Mint Motive MotiveMesh
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Open standard · Public domain (CC0)

MotiveMesh design brief

Why MotiveMesh exists, who it is for, the principles it follows and what it deliberately is not.

Version 1.0 · Public domain (CC0 1.0)

1. The problem

Workshops, sim rigs, garages, creator desks and kitchens fill up with things that need a place: tools, controllers, cards, pens, cables, spices. 3D printing can make a perfect holder for each of them, but most printed storage is made one piece at a time. Parts from different makers don't fit together, a holder designed for PLA is either too weak or too heavy in another filament, and wall-mounted parts rattle, sag or need screws for every piece.

Existing open systems solve part of this. Gridfinity is excellent for drawers and desk trays on a 42 mm grid. Pegboard systems such as SKÅDIS are good for hanging things. Neither was designed for printed wall panels that carry heavy accessories without rattling, or for parts that change their construction to suit the material they are printed in.

2. The goal

One open grid that works on the wall, on the desk and inside a rig, where:

  • any accessory can go anywhere on the grid and lock in place with no rattle;
  • every part prints on a normal printer with no supports;
  • the generator builds each part for the filament it is printed in, so a part in ASA or carbon-fibre nylon uses less plastic and a part in PLA stays strong;
  • the look suits the place it lives, through three Auras;
  • anyone can make compatible parts, because every dimension is published and public domain.

3. Who it is for

  • Driver-makers: sim racers and car people who want controllers, headsets, tools and cables mounted on their rig or garage wall, in engineering filaments, looking like motorsport hardware. They are the Paddock.
  • Creators and desk workers: people with cameras, cards, pens and cables on a desk that should look calm and tidy. They are the Studio.
  • Home and kitchen: people who want storage that is easy to clean, soft to touch and warm in colour. They are the Galley.
  • Designers: anyone with CAD who wants to publish parts that fit a shared standard.

4. Principles

  1. Open. The standard, the documents, the reference files and the generator are public domain. There is no licence to sign and nothing to pay. A part is "MotiveMesh compatible" if it meets the specification.
  2. One grid. Everything sits on 30 mm. Accessory widths are whole multiples of 30 mm less a small gap. There are no half-units.
  3. Zero rattle. Parts are held by a mechanical lock (the twist-lock pin) or by magnets pulling against a flat face, never by friction alone on the wall.
  4. Supportless. Every part prints without supports in the orientation the generator exports. Overhangs stay at or under 45°, and bridges stay short.
  5. Material-aware. The material decides the construction. Strong, stiff filaments get an exposed lattice skeleton; PLA and PETG keep solid walls; the Galley hides its structure inside a smooth shell.
  6. Honest numbers. The generator reports plastic, rough print time and relative stiffness against the same part in solid PLA, including when a choice makes a part heavier.
  7. Built in parts. Large items, such as the Desk Pod, are split into parts that each print well, rather than one part that needs supports.
  8. Colour has a job. The accent colour marks the parts you touch or turn: pins, keys, clips, faceplates and dividers.

5. Scope of version 1.0

  • The 30 mm grid, tiles, the twist-lock socket and pin, connector keys and magnet pockets.
  • Accessory back plates, and the bin, shelf, hook and tool tray built on them.
  • The Desk Pod: sleeve, side panels, faceplates, window clips, dividers, link frame and link keys.
  • Material profiles for PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PETG-CF, PA-CF and TPU.
  • The three Auras.

6. Out of scope (for now)

  • Compatibility with Gridfinity or SKÅDIS. They are separate systems with their own generators.
  • Load ratings. Version 1.0 has no tested load figures. Loads depend on filament, print settings and the wall; test your own parts before hanging anything heavy or valuable.
  • Metal hardware other than wood screws for tile corners and 6 × 2 mm magnets.
  • Detents on the twist-lock (a click at the locked position). Proposed for a later version.

7. What success looks like

  • A pin printed on one printer locks into a tile printed on another with the default clearance.
  • A maker can design a compatible accessory from the specification alone, without opening the generator.
  • Community parts on VERTEX mix freely on the same wall or desk.
  • Parts in engineering filaments use noticeably less plastic than solid PLA without feeling flimsy.

8. Known risks

  • Fit depends on printer calibration. The fit test tile and the clearance setting exist for this reason.
  • The twist-lock has been designed and modelled but not yet load-tested across many printers. Version 1.0 stays a draft until it has been.
  • The Galley's double skin is heavier than a plain part, by design, for a smooth and stiff shell. The generator says so.