Unfortunately, I have a couple personal roadblocks regarding working on updated Proton Pack plans any further:
- There are companies and people who have had access to the hero prop, but either aren't able to share the measurements or aren't willing. It feels pointless for me to try and scale/rotate photos and blurry screenshots just to figure out the last detail when there's probably a set of molds or measurements already available somewhere.
- There are opinions about what should even be included in a set of plans. Stefan's have always been an "idealized" version, omitting a lot of the crooked and sloppy parts that I personally love to add to my props. How do we accurately show how crooked a fin is or what radius a fillet is when it was probably done fast and dirty by hand in the 1980's?
- How do we document what the right measurement is? What level of accuracy are we going down to? Which prop do we standardize on as the main reference piece? All questions that I don't feel we can all agree on as a community.
- Who owns and moderates the plans? Where does the buck stop on incorporating pull requests for measurements or details? I was working with Julz for a while and that was great, but unfortunately I don't think he's still very active on the boards. (I'm not the most consistent either)
- What software do we use so that anyone can contribute? I would have suggested OnShape, but now I've transitioned to Fusion 360 since keeping all my work in the "cloud" seemed risky in case they ever decided to change their license.
Don't get me wrong, I want nothing more than to develop another set of prints that address some of the shortcomings of Stefan's set. I just think there are a lot of questions that need to get answered first, or for someone to just say screw it and work on it in private and share with the community. Unfortunately, it seems most people who invest a lot of time into these models aren't the most likely to share them openly with the rest of us. I can't blame them and that was partly the reason I wanted to get better at 3D modeling. It's just hard to take on something as complex and revered as the Proton Pack and not get burnt out.
Maybe ranting about it here will re-ignite my spark. Then again, I have a kid now and free time is a luxury I have less and less of as time moves forward.
Kingpin wrote: ↑March 17th, 2020, 2:34 amGraygoryGruesome wrote: ↑March 16th, 2020, 9:41 am So... It's been almost three years since anyone has commented on this... How did the project finish? Is it finished?
Unfortunately it's been dead in the water for years.
I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. Back in 2014 I had never 3D modeled before and SketchUp was the only tool I could find that was free and had online tutorials. Over the years, more advanced software like OnShape and Fusion 360 have released which I (and others it seems) have been learning with other reference pieces:
..and more recently:
I know a lot of the items are going to get harder and harder to find, so it's my intention to release these files (in a safe and controlled location at some point) so that others have access to re-create them or reference them as they see fit.
I've also been working on the RGB PKE meter, GB1 Ghost Trap, and Giga Meter as I get burnt out on other projects. So there's definitely still activity on developing new prop plans. (Maybe just not proton packs for now)