Project Logs

Collapse

• VR Integration

  Sp4m • 09/30/2022 at 04:22 • 0 comments

  VR Support for Linux is still in it's infancy. I think If I'd set up a Windows partition on my steam deck, this would work much better, but it still works.
  
  Using ALVR, side-loaded onto my Quest, and installed on the Steam Deck in Desktop mode (https://github.com/alvr-org/ALVR/wiki/Installation), it pretty seamlessly connects and renders a VR environment.
  
  

  I'd like to try SumulaVR (https://github.com/SimulaVR/Simula) or XrDesktop (https://uploadvr.com/xrdesktop-collabora-linux-vr/), but I haven't had the opportunity yet.

• The CPC Cepter

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 04:24 • 0 comments

  Here it is, in it's glory!
  The Comprehensive Peripheral Cluster, Cepter
  

  Check out that CAM lever. It's a Keyblade from Kinddom Hearts. I made that!

  This would look better if I had a proper screen, but I wanted to show off my water-color maps of Elden Ring.

• Steamdeck Device Mount

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 03:36 • 0 comments

  I'd tried a handful of SteamDeck mounting kits, and the DeckMate (even the version I printed at home) stands out above the rest.

  https://deckmate.me/

  I made my own mount that would connect to the ring-mount, and featured VESA-compatible prongs that I could use for additional accessories, if desired. 

  I printed the support "beams" of the deckmount with a rough texture (called fuzzy skin) in PRUSA Slicer, so it would have a little more friction when clamped onto the rings, and that (plus some rubber washers) seems to hold quite nicely.

• Ring-Mount Keyboard

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 03:30 • 0 comments

  Finally, I needed a way to connect my keyboard and device, so they could be adjusted if necessary. 

  Why do I need to adjust them? Because I like to make things difficult.

  The E-Waste Gods had graced me with a Gen-1 Apple Magic Keyboard. I made these parts to securely affix it to the hilt, using Cam-levered 5mm "go-pro" compatible bolts. It took a lot of trial and error to get the mounts to fit the keyboard properly, but it works just as well as I'd hoped.

• Projector Box (Pommel)

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 03:23 • 0 comments

  I needed a pommel of some sort to help keep the weight balanced. 

  Initially, I just made a storage box that would fit my laptop charger, or extra cables/tools. 

  This was basically perfect, and painfully over-engineered. The "lid" of the box has a slot that lets the box seat easily, without needing maker-beam to attach to the far side of the box. This was good, but I was ahead of schedule, and I was going to VEGAS for a hacker convention (I HATE VEGAS SO MUCH). I had to kick it up a notch.
  

  BAM! This little box houses a "PIQO" projector that I'd kickstarted a few years back. The projector is mounted inside a free-spinning cylinder that allows for Y-axis adjustment, while all necessary controls remain accessible. The projector also has its own batter, good for about 2 hours, though it can also be powered from the connected powerbank. 

• Constructing the Hilt

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 03:09 • 0 comments

  I apologize. I'd written a detailed and hilarious story about all the work I went through to build this hilt, and how I even considered building in an umbrella holder, but then my network connection pooped, and I lost my work. So this is what you get.
  
  Starting from the awesome Katana design made by Grzywa on thingiverse, I traced over the mesh, and made my own copy that more specifically met my requirements. https://www.thingiverse.com/grzywa/designs

  I cut out material to allow the makerbeam (1 cm extruded aluminum bars) to run through the middle, added a cable channel, and made adjustments to the model to facilitate vertical, supportless printing.

  I built in a cut-out, so I could add this dangerous looking wi-fi antenna that came with my motherboard. (It was too easy to get this on a plane initially).

  This is the most substantial part of the build, and I ended up printing quite a few prototypes before I was satisfied. 

• The Big Box

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 02:25 • 0 comments

  The first thing I had to design was the "Big Box." Initially I made a triangular container, inspired by an awesome Lego Space ship... but it felt both too large, and was too small to house both the power bank and the hub :^(. So for Round 2, I went with a rounded square, and I thought that did the job just right. I sized it as small as I could while still fitting the power bank, and made slots for the hub as well. The whole thing is designed to be printed without supports, because supports are my nemesis.

  I apologize for the terrible angle of this (and surely the rest) of the captures. I barely know how to use Fusion 360.

• The Practical Use Case

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 00:21 • 0 comments

  The Comprehensive Peripheral Cluster was born out of a need to connect a suite of dongled-devices to my various simpler computational slabs.

  My Smartphone, Surface, Tablet and Steamdeck are all compatible with keyboard, mouse, and external displays, provided I've got a way to connect and transport them.

  Hence, the Cyberdock. I say Dock, since the computational power is externally sourced.

• Cam Lever 2.0

  Sp4m • 09/21/2022 at 00:15 • 0 comments

  The first version of my Cam Lever wasn't large enough, or strong enough.
  

  However, sizing it up was easy, and with the help of some print-on supports, the whole thing prints in one piece, without supports. Hooray!

  I also made a variation that uses a keyblade handle instead of a lever.
  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5516126
  

  https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5523470
  

• Building a Cam Lever

  Sp4m • 09/08/2022 at 13:52 • 0 comments

  This is my first post, which is weird, because my project is almost done. I have some back-filling to do.
  

  I think a cam lever is a convenient way to attach and tighten the various bits and bobs to my ring mount, but the "real" ones are expensive. Even worse (or better?!) I can't find one for download online, free or paid.
  

  This (and the summer heat) smells like an opportunity to make the world better!
  
  Time for CAD.
  

  Figure 1. I placed the cam-shaft hole too-far off-center. Can you tell this is my first time?

  Figure 2. I'm self-taught in Fusion360, so there are always weird things that I don't understand. For example, I can't select the circular sketch here. No idea why.  

  
  Figure 3. Version 1 of the Cam Lever is ready for printing! I'll have to try it out tonight.

  This process took me about 2 1/2 hours.

View all 10 project logs