Here you go.
Let me know if you need any dimensions.
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Thanks @PGale!
Could you give me dimensions of the following?
- how deep is the slot in the backplate that takes the remote?
- the position and size of the horizontal slot for the “foot” on the bottom of the remote.
- the diameter of the curved corners on the remote - ideally what size UK coin is closest to them in diameter a 1p? 2p?
Thanks
I’ve not got my digital calipers to hand (somewhere in a load of boxes in the garage after a move!)
Approximate measurements from a ruler:
- approx 3mm
- foot (top of remote) 24-25mm long 3mm wide and it’s a rounded design. Centre line is 6mm from the top edge of the remote.
- 2-3mm radius (much smaller than coin)
Remote is 34x91mm 10mm deep
As I said, fairly approximate measurements and would need to be more accurately measured with calipers before risking a 3D print!
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Thanks! They’ll be good enough to rough out the design and I hope to start rolling out my Hue lights over the next month or so, so I’ll be able to take better measurements when I get my first dimmer kit.
Nice work guys, looking forward to seeing this come together 
M.
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Keep us updated. There are a few people who I think would be interested.
Will do!
The outer dimensions of the full cover are 94mm x 94mm x 17.5mm (w x d x h), so the 92mm hue dimmer fits perfectly on top with 1mm at the top and bottom.
I’m undecided yet whether not not to add a little “extension” piece at the top and bottom so there’ll be “walls” all the way round the dimmer, or whether to only have the “walls” on the long sides of the remote.
Dave
Right, one CAD model using the dimensions from @PGale (thanks Paul) and the Philips website.
I even modelled the dimmer module with its individual buttons and the images on the buttons - just for completeness. 
I need detailed measurements off of a hue dimmer before I could get this 3D printed as a prototype; but this should give you an idea of how the final “Cover with mount for Hue dimmer” will look…
Click on the images to view them full size.
I designed it to take two 25 x 10 x 1.5mm neodymium magnets in a recess in the centre of the inside of the plate (see the back view) behind where the remote sits.
Each one is a 2.2kg pull so two of em should hold the remote on nicely LOL… This is probably overkill, but I won’t know until I try it!
Good work Dave.
Is that back plate all one piece? Not sure about the chamfers and differences in outlines? Personally I think a flatter, clearer design would work better aesthetically. What do you think? Maybe there’s a reason for that?
Cheers,
Paul.
Yes, it’s all one piece.
The chamfered edges around the front and back of the body of the cover are there because I based it off of my design of the cover with slots.
I chamfered it on that one because I thought that it made the design more interesting than it just being a plain white box… The rear chamfer I found made it look better once it was “mounted” on a rendering of light switch
I can certainly take the design for it holding the Hue Dimmer and tweak it and make the surround for the remote all part of the front instead of a raised section…
Watch this space
Right, here’s the modified version of the full cover with a recess for the Philips Hue Dimmer unit. It’s now a completely flat front with the inset area for the Hue Dimmer to sit in.
I’ve omitted the front bevel as per Paul’s suggestion (@PGale) , but kept the rear bevel as it does look better with it I think.
Click on the images to enlarge.
The sides are straight, and the top and bottom edges flare out in the same manner as the previous design to give enough height for a “wall” above and below the Dimmer unit.
I designed it to leave 1mm clearance around the remote when it’s in place.
What to folks think?
Well done Dave - I think it looks great. 
If you wanted to refine even further - How about a very small chamfer around the front face to soften very slightly? Or can you do small radius’s? Not sure about the limitation of the printing.
What kind of cost do you think it’d be - have you used minimum material wall thicknesses etc to keep costs down as much as possible?
Have you had previous designs made in the same plastic - what’s the finish like?
Cheers!
Hi Paul
I can do a minimal chamfer around the front edge - can’t do a radius because Sketchup Make won’t join the ends up LOL.
As for cost, I have no idea at the moment - the full cover with the slots in the front was £18.34 (ex VAT) to print, and that had 2mm thick side walls and a 1mm thick front plate, with the “waffle” walls inside for extra strength. I didn’t want to go thinner to avoid any risks of breakage.
I’m trying to tweak this one at the moment to minimise material used for 3D printing, but I doubt it’ll be cheap to print even so.
I’ve not used this printer service before, but if they’re anything like shapeways it’ll be a slightly grainy, semi-matte creamy/white.
My plan was to get 3D printed prototypes made up to ensure they work, and then get a price for tooling and minimum order quantity for the two designs (probably now for the cover with slots and this hue dimmer cover) and run a kickstarter to get them produced in white ABS by injection moulding - which should bring the cost down a bit per finished item.
And I just uploaded the STL file to the people who are printing the first two prototypes and their system has come back with a quote of £60.50 ex VAT to print it.
I’ve hollowed out the face surfaces to be 1mm thick, so I’m going to try hollowing out the walls as well and see how much I can bring the cost down to.
UPDATE -
Hollowed all the walls to as thin as I dare risk getting them, leaving a 3mm thick border at the top and bottom as needed to allow for the chamfers and the inset “dock” for the dimmer. Front face at 1mm thickness.
Cost to print £28.80 excluding VAT.
Mmm, that’s quite pricey. Maybe I’ll have to get myself a 3D printer - wanted one for a while! but was waiting until they get even better.
I’m tweaking them even further to see if I can bring the cost down even more for printing.
Those prices are for the part to be printed using laser sintered nylon - so you get a better finish than with the home 3D printers that melt plastic filament to build up layers. But it’s more expensive as the machines cost a fortune!
if my cases where I did this … I just removed the old switch and wired the wires together to be always on…,… put a blank faceplate on and used a stick on battery switch ie rf9500…
Hi Larry - that is indeed an option, but some of us don’t fancy wiring the sockets to be permanently live!
Dave
Right. I’ve pared the models down as much as I dare and removed all the internal “lattice” supports, so we’re looking at wall and front plate thicknesses all of 1mm.
The one for the dimmer is now coming out at £21.25 inc VAT to print in nylon and have polished, while the one with the two slots in the front is coming out at £25.80 inc VAT (due to the extra material to give the slots the nice bevelled edges). The changes to the design to get the 3D print cost down mean that it would not be able to be injection moulded
So far the only one thats coming out reasonable in print cost is the one to let you use a standard blanking plate, so I’m not sure it’s worth me trying to tweak the designs which cover the the entire light switch front and wrap round the sides any further.
I’m going to try taking the design for the frame that just sits on the front of the switch with magnets and make a version of that one that has the Hue Dimmer mount incorporated into it - by eliminating the side walls that wrap round the switch completely it should bring the cost down dramatically.
So if there is going to be a kickstarter at some point it’ll probably be for the frame to use your own blanking plates, and the frame with hue dimmer mount.
This is exactly what I’m looking for, adding additional z-wave switches or hue taps/dimmers isn’t going to make me very popular with the other half! this’ll make things nice and simple and stop her from turning off the lights completely 
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