Two Open Source Projects Combine to 3D Print a Working Replica Key Using a Flipper Zero
Measure the bitting with a Flipper Zero and generate an STL with keygen, and you'll have a working — albeit plastic — key copy in no time.
Pseudonymous Redditor "No-Lock216" has demonstrated how to combine an open source application for the Flipper Zero multitool with a web app to decode a key and 3D print a functional plastic replica — good for a few lock operations before breaking, at least.
In a recently-published video demonstration, No-Lock216 uses Zinong Li's Key Copier app running on a Flipper Zero — the popular though sometimes controversial electronics multitool-stroke-virtual-pet that took the crowdfunding circuit by storm. The app is simple, and effectively takes the place of a key measurement gauge: the key is laid flat against the Flipper Zero's display and the depth of each cut on the screen moved to match its physical equivalent. This provides a series of "bitting" numbers, which can be used to cut a working copy of the key.
At least, that's what you'd normally do. No-Lock216's demo goes a step further by introducing another open source tool into the workflow: Eric Van Albert's keygen, a web app and command-line Python tool that can take the measurements from a gauge or the Key Copier app on the Flipper Zero and turn it into a 3D-printable STL file.
No-Lock216 shows the process from start to finish, and demonstrates how the 3D-printed key can indeed open the targeted lock — though, being printed in plastic, it's more of a single-use item than a real replacement. The 3D printed version could, however, be used to create a mold to cast a more robust replica in metal, or a particularly well-heeled maker may have access to a 3D printer capable of producing metal objects — a process which would likely be considerably slower and more costly than simply visiting your local locksmith and having a new key cut from a blank.
The full video is available in No-Lock216's Reddit post; the Key Copier app is published on GitHub under the permissive MIT license and is also listed in the Flipper App Store, while keygen is available in a separate repository under the public domain Creative Commons Zero license.
