The front .stl has 142398 facets, and crashes SolidWorks when converting it to surfaces or a solid body. If you can’t get it open either, we might need to make a version with simpler geometry to convert, or edit the mesh with a program designed for animation stuffs. For a free example, Sculptis.
I’m gonna let SolidWorks try to convert it, but we (at least I) might need their original files.
If no dice, I’ll make changes to lower the resolution, or, as we can’t 3D print this thing anyway unless we send it to be powder printed (thanks for the heads up @Godzil), make a new model with the dimensions from the stls.
If we make a new shell from scratch, a discussion of the changes and suggestions needed would be in order. (For example, the dots and lines next to the screen should obviously be removed, but how should we go about the thing on the side? The overhang on the back? The Screw thing?)
(Hey it didn’t crash! It took an hour, but didn’t crash!)
(Nope, crashed anyway)
I have a dial caliper and an engineering background, so when we get our hands on the GameShell I’ll contribute my effects of getting source files for the CAD rendering of the shells by reverse engineering one.
In any case, a redesign from the ground up would be the best long-term solution moving forward instead of what’s generated by any STL-to-CAD convertering process.
I agree with that. My hope was that we could get decent measurements from the stl’s if anyone could get them open. Otherwise, I might open it as a mesh (which I can’t edit) and can create a new model around it with decent accuracy. Then it would be easier to change with a base to work with if anyone is interested in that.
What programs do ya’ll intend on using? I might be able to export in those formats if I make any decent headway in the next day or two.
A 3D printer friendly complete redesign of the front and back is likely the best option overall. but it will be harder to design for without any idea of the dimensions of the internal pieces.
I don’t know if I care for the way the game she’ll is with the caps holding the case together, and think a different method could look more appealing. Standard threading and screws or press fitting the front and back would look better, imo, but would make the internals less accessable.
Well I would not use the mesh for measurement, not sure what fusion360 did but after importing, playing with their mesh tools to try to level the back and exporting again as STL I got something completely off size
So I will not use an imported mesh as size guide
edit: Oh crap, my printer has lost it’s calibration, going to take hours to recalibrate…
What should be also added is the (transparent) shells for the PCBs, and design for the D-Pad and buttons, would probably need to wait to receive our gameshell for that
I personally use Fusion360 and Cura for slicing. And like @kajirye said, the benefit with the redesign would be that we make a shell more fit for 3D printing and different attachment system better fit for 3D printing.
The mesh is measured in mm units, and so far the measurements I have gotten from it seems to confirm that. For example, the buttons are ~0.87 cm, the case is 8.45 cm by 13.7 cm extruded by ~ 0.975cm with a 1 Deg taper. These measurements are at least consistent with the original Gameboy and the Gameboy Sp.
My goal is to get measurements in the same units used by the mesh then, if they are wrong, size the resulting stl to whatever the proper units are for the original
Be sure your import and export settings for stls are correct!
Those settings screw things up ALOT
That is not the size Cura give me for the STL files. (will put them here tonigh)
For some reason, I think that Fusion think the unit of the STL files are cm and not mm so all the size are 10x the normal one. Easy to fix with a “10%” resize but yet that’s weird, maybe it ignore the (non standard) header that say “it is in mm” ?
By the way @yong not sure who to ask at WOW for that, but could you release non STL files for the case?
Even if it is not the same as the official one you use for the molds.
Not sure what would be the best format for sharing to not be tied to a specific CAD package (maybe STEP?) I don’t think we need the full design files, just something which is not a mesh format like the STL file, that would help us on making a 3D printing friendly version of the GameShell shell. (would be nice too to have the other plastic part like the shells for the PCBs and the button)
None of the programs I used sized the stl files the same. One was in feet, one was in cm, one was in inches. I think it defaulted to whatever your program expects by default.
Most of the stl files I’ve used (I used to be the 3D print “guru” for my high-school, aka my teacher didn’t know what he was doing and assigned me to do it) didn’t auto detect size, so I had to interrogate the students to find what units they exported with, or how big it was supposed to be.
@yong, I’m also behind @Godzil’s request. So far guessing the dimensions isn’t bad but I don’t think my recreation is going to be easy to put into blueprint format within a reasonable time frame.
I asked gameshell for the case 3d files in a different format (NOT .stl) and they said they would provide it, but a month+ has gone by with no further contact from them.
I am able to modify the stl files to work in fusion, but it requires me to “simplify” the model so it has less facets (which means it is less detailed and has potential flaws)
Would really like gameshell to just provide multiple 3d file formats from their master model to save us all the issues.
While I’m a fan of simplicity, the fact that the models for the cases were designed for an injection mold and not for the bottom-up, layer-by-layer printing design of a 3D printer is leading me to believe that unless Clockwork has another design that is better suited for 3D printers then the only feasible option is a community-designed one.
Well my remix of the front is printable with just to support for the side connector. But these are super fragile, not really worth to print TBH.
What we really need if the blueprints with proper size for each parts so the top and bottom shell could be used as drop-in replacement from the official one.
My current plan of action is to make those blueprints once we get our hands on the GameShell by getting the proper size from a dial caliper. If we get them prior, all the better, but the general vibe I’ve been getting so far is that all of this stuff will be given out to the community once we all have the product / will come with the product.
I gonna try to get the top shell recreated over the weekend, but my studies will need to take priority.
Should I get blueprints from the stl files done, I would much appreaciate if you guys were to go over them/compare them to the actual gameshell when you guys do your measurements. I think peer reviews will necessary! XD
@QuantumKraken, @Godzil,
We will release the stp and stl file to our community in about one month, as you know, it’s Chinese New Year time now. Sorry for not being able to keep it updated soon enough.
