The Device

[Hydrargyrum]

What praytell program are you using?

He actually mentions this on the top of this page - Cinema4D. I currently use Maya, but my roots are in Cinema4D as well, and didn't feel quite comfortable with Maya until I'd written some tools to do the most handy (to me) features in Cinema4D.

[macmangan]

Ramiel - Well, I didn't want to melt anyones face off, that could leave a mark.

Wrath - I was looking all over for one of those little battery powered ones to se how they worked, but i couldn't figure out the name of these suckers.  Wanted to see how they turned the inner rings, it seems they didn't need to for that gadget.  However, I did remember in Contact, the CNC machine had an inner moving track and that gave me the idea to add the ring edge gear.  Ramble, ramble....

Dman, Hydrargyrum - right on the nose with C4D.  Although I love C4D, it has nowhere near the greatness for animating characters as MAYA.  I use to think I had chosen poorly in the very beginning, but realized I didn't need the super power of Maya to do what I needed.  How cool, you made tools to give you more a C4D feel in some cases.  Thats way out of my league.  I'm just a builder.

[Hydrargyrum]

What I have in programming skill (I'm studying to get into game programming) I lack in modeling skill. I can whip together parlor tricks for Maya tools, but my actual models aren't much in the way of quality.

[Ramiel]

The animation...
http://ramielarium.blogspot.com/2008/03/egyptian-device-test.html
It's just a small, 3 seconds video, but it's a loop done for a test, so...

(man I'm really hi-jacking your thread... I swear that this is the last time! )

[macmangan]

Hydrargyrum - Completely understand.  You need the right person for the right job.

Ramiel - absolutely no worries, my thread is your thread.  Or anyones, just love getting to know people and enjoy the steamy community.  Also, tried the animation but no dice.   

[macmangan]

A few updates.  Plus a low res video to show how it opens.  Still tons to do.

http://www.storybookvideography.com/device/thedevice12vid2a.mov

[macmangan]

wanted to add how it might look from the users point of view.  I added some basic inner ring movements this time as well.   Alter I'll have to carefuly work out some interesting  timing, but for now, just want to see it move.  Next I think I'll start adding the tons of gears.


http://www.storybookvideography.com/device/device12vid3.mov

[Ramiel]

Man, you have no idea how much I'm loving this thing!

[Affian]

How would one describe the movement of the center of the contraption?

[macmangan]

hmmm, the movement of the center contraption.  Well....  The inner 4 arms with optics on them only rotate 90˚ then they stay at that point.  The inner rings themselves rotate so that actually keeping all those innards moving.  I'm getting rotation from the inner rings from edge ring gear.  This will rotate once all the gears are in place to get the mechanical movement to each ring.  The outer optic semi rings simply rotate on one axis.  Lots going on but I didn't want to get to crazy.  I was going to have smaller arms rotating on the bigger arms, but seeing it in 3d space has helped figure out those issues of what not to do.  Now its just putting all the little gears in place so it will look more feasible.  Heres a few gears and shot from the users point of view to see how thing fold into place easier.

[Wrath the Mad]

How would one describe the movement of the center of the contraption?

I would call it "Axial-Eccentric" for the innermost rings with offset axis, and "Axial-Concentric" to describe the lens arms. Not sure if these would be the proper terms, but they do sound cool.

[macmangan]

OOOHHHH!!  cool terminology.   I'll see if I can work into a sentence at work tomorrow.  hehe. 

[Hieronimous Stonebender]

I like the name "the Device", sounds formidable....awe inspiring. But will it eventually have an actual name?

[Ramiel]

Honestly "The Device" is the coolest name for this... Device.
It sounds like a "Rambaldi" artifact (from the TV show "Alias")

[Hieronimous Stonebender]

I just re-read the first post, and "The Device" probably is the best possible name. Sort of the end-all, be-all, final peak of accomplishment....

Deep voice and plenty of reverb:THE DEVICE

[macmangan]

hehe, you guys are great.  Actually the Device was just what I originally started calling it with intent of renaming it, now it seems to be sticking.  Especially since it would sound pretty cool reading that in some journal.  in reality though, this device is the key, to the real device.  Using it for some cool drama when the kids later find out that the device is actually huge, and the KEY(small device) is like the brain. A whole twisty thing at the end is always fun. They think they are looking for a key to bring out its full potential, when they actually need the large device not knowing they have the key.  Anywho, blah di Blah.  Not that that makes any sense out of context.

[macmangan]

A bit of an update.  Added some of the gear work to the inner rings.  Still more to go.

[Lady Penelope]

I think I'm in love.

[Commander Obadiah]

It shouldn't look so real. It shouldn't look so real. It shouldn't look so damned real! I want one!

Commander C. Obadiah

[heavyporker]

 Unnngh!


 This is so awesome that it actually physically hurts.

 Damn you and your awesomeness!

[Ampère Volt]

Wow... that is gorgeous! That video is amazing...
What a gobsmacking great Device!! 

[macmangan]

you guys and gals are very kind with your words.  A few things still feel a bit weird, but thats why I wanted to build it in 3D first.  Try to work out all the kinks, or most of them.  I've actually started gathering the materials.  After seeing such grate work from scratch here with gears, I'm going to scratch build the whole sucker and the gears to get exactly what I want.  And the brass will be brass.  Can't wait.

Here's a shot of it it open and a close of some of the new gears.

[Captain_Minty_Gearhertz]

wow 

[elliot]

I was quite remiss for not posting my compliments earlier.

This work is magnificent in its' design and rendering. 
The progression of images shows the brilliant, creative thinking behind the finished art
and the final effect is pure, world-class Steampunk. 

Thanks so much for posting!  Art 'Elliot' Donovan

[Stella Gaslight]

That is gorgeous. I can't wait to see it move.