Dragon Rig Setup Guide

What you need

An active Rollsight subscription (for parts list + STL file access), a 3D printer (or printing service), PLA or PETG filament, and the camera/display from our parts list below.

• Active Rollsight subscription (for parts list + STL file access)
• 3D printer (or access to 3D printing services)
• PLA or PETG filament (marble, metallic, silk, or standard colors; see Filament section)
• Small display (Raspberry Pi Pico with LCD or similar) and micro camera. See recommended hardware below.

Recommended hardware

You provide your own camera and display. The following have worked well in testing. All links are to Amazon (affiliate-style short links) for reference; you can source equivalent parts elsewhere.

Camera

Use either a low-light capable USB camera or ensure the dice tray has adequate lighting in the room. Poor light leads to blur and missed reads; a camera that handles low light well, or a well-lit tray, makes a big difference.

• Recommended: USB micro camera (Amazon). Good success in real use. It has a manual focus lens, which is great for Rollsight—you can focus precisely on the tray.

Pico display and board

For the chest display, a Raspberry Pi Pico with a small LCD works well. You’ll need a Pico (or compatible RP2040) and a display module.

• Pico display (Amazon)
• Arduino/Pico board (Amazon)

USB: one port for camera + display

The camera and the Pico display each use a USB connection. If you don’t want to use two ports on your computer, a small USB hub/splitter works. This has worked well in testing:

• Plugable 2-in-1 USB splitter (Amazon). Two devices from one port; bus-powered, no extra AC adapter.

Step 1: Download STL Files

1. Log into your Rollsight account
2. Navigate to Downloads → STL Files
3. Download the complete Dragon Rig package (ZIP file)
4. Extract all STL files to your 3D printing workspace

Step 2: 3D Printing

The model is designed to fit on a 9×9" print bed, a common size for most consumer 3D printers. Each piece fits within that footprint. Print the pegs included in the package; they’re used to align and hold the interlocking parts during assembly.

Recommended Settings

• Layer Height: 0.2mm (for detail) or 0.3mm (faster)
• Infill: 20-30%
• Supports: Required for overhangs (especially dragon head)
• Material: PLA (easiest) or PETG (more durable)
• Print Temperature: Follow your filament specifications
• Bed Temperature: 60°C for PLA, 80°C for PETG

Step 3: Post-Processing, Assembly & Finishing

Cleanup & assembly

1. Remove all support material carefully
2. Sand any rough edges (especially where camera and display will mount)
3. Clean all components thoroughly
4. Assemble the pieces using the printable pegs: the interlocking parts and pegs hold the dragon together without glue.
5. Insert the camera and display into their mounts, route cables, then either use it as-is (held together by the interlocking design and pegs) or glue the joints for extra stability and a cleaner, permanent finish.
6. Test fit camera and display modules before gluing, so you can still adjust or remove them if needed.

Filament color options

PLA is available in a huge variety of colors. Popular choices for the Dragon Rig include:

• Marble: Marble White, Limestone, Sandstone, Marble Brick, Slate Grey (Polymaker Panchroma, Flashforge, others)
• Metallic/Silk: Gold, Silver, Copper, Bronze, Rose Gold, Coffee Gold (AMOLEN, Geeetech, Flashforge, etc.)
• Standard: Black, White, Gray, Red, Blue, Green, plus matte, silk, neon, and gradient options

Finishing the print (optional)

Finishing and painting are optional. The dragon works great straight off the printer. The steps below are for a polished look if you want it.

• Sanding: Start with 120–220 grit to remove layer lines and bumps, then 320–400 for a smoother surface. Focus on visible areas (face, body, tray rim).
• Filling (optional): Use filler primer or a thin filler (e.g. Bondo spot putty) for large gaps or layer lines, then sand again.
• Priming: A coat of plastic-friendly primer (rattle-can or airbrush) evens out color and helps paint adhere. Light sanding after primer can improve smoothness.

Tray surface (important for Rollsight): Rollsight's dice detection and recognition are trained and tuned for a black or dark tray background. Light or brightly colored trays often cause missed dice, false positives, or lower accuracy. If Rollsight struggles on your tray—missed dice, wrong reads, or the detector firing on the tray—line the tray with black self-adhesive felt cut to size; this often fixes the issue. We recommend Caydo 12PC black self-adhesive felt sheets (Amazon): peel-and-stick, no glue, easy to remove or replace. For best results from the start, use a black or dark rolling surface. A marble slab or tile works well (prefer dark)—e.g. marble option (Amazon). Otherwise use dark (preferably black) solid-color construction paper cut to fit.

Dice readability: Clear or translucent dice are harder to read; dice similar in color to the tray (e.g. dark on black) are also tougher. Dice with unusual fonts, symbols, or non-standard pips are fine once you train them—Rollsight learns from your examples.

Painting (optional)

Painting is entirely optional. The print looks great in raw filament; paint only if you want a custom look.

• Paint type: Acrylics (e.g. Vallejo, Citadel, or craft acrylics) work well on PLA/PETG and are easy to correct. Spray primer and topcoats are fine if you mask the camera lens and display area.
• Base coat: Apply a solid base color first; darker bases (e.g. dark green, black, bronze) make dry-brushing and weathering pop.
• Dry-brushing: Use a light color (gold, tan, light green) on a mostly dry brush and lightly drag over scales and raised details to bring out texture.
• Wash (optional): A thin dark wash (diluted dark paint or ink) in recesses adds depth; wipe excess off raised areas.
• Seal: A clear matte or satin varnish protects the paint and unifies the finish. Avoid heavy gloss unless you want a shiny look.

Step 4: Hardware Installation

Micro Camera Installation

1. Position inexpensive micro camera in the dragon head mount
2. Ensure camera lens has clear view of dice tray
3. Secure camera with provided mounting hardware or adhesive
4. Route USB cable through internal channels to base

Display Installation

1. Mount small display (Raspberry Pi Pico with LCD or similar) in the chest cavity
2. Connect display to Pico following display manufacturer instructions
3. Route USB cable for power/data to base
4. Ensure display is visible through chest opening

Step 5: Software Setup

1. Install Rollsight software on your computer
2. Connect Dragon Rig camera via USB
3. Launch Rollsight and go to Settings → Camera
4. Select the Dragon Rig camera from the camera list
5. Enable Display in Settings → Display
6. Rollsight will auto-detect the display on the configured port

Step 6: Calibration

Rollsight gives you several calibration options to get the best recognition from your Dragon Rig camera:

Capture area mask

In Settings → Camera you can set the capture area mask—the region of the image Rollsight uses for dice recognition. This lets you match different camera resolutions and dice tray shapes (the Dragon Rig tray is built-in, but the mask still helps focus the recognition area and ignore edges).

Other calibration options

• Camera Focus: Camera menu → Calibrate Focus (if supported)
• Zoom: Frame the dice tray properly
• Rotation: Fine-tune in Camera menu if dice appear tilted
• Background calibration: Settings → Calibrate Background for optimal recognition
• Lighting Boost / Camera Normalization: Enable in Settings if the image is too dark or you want consistent results

Step 7: Streaming Setup (Optional)

The Dragon Rig camera can be used as a video source for streaming:

1. Open your streaming software (OBS, Streamlabs, etc.)
2. Add a new Video Capture Device source
3. Select the Dragon Rig camera from the device list
4. Position and resize the camera feed in your scene
5. Your viewers can now watch your physical dice rolls!

See our OBS Studio guide for detailed streaming setup.

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

• Train your dice using the Training mode
• Set up VTT integration (see integration guides)
• Configure streaming if desired
• Start rolling and enjoy!