New Long term project T3M4

Post your question, tips, or tutorials for all Star Wars related costumes here.
User avatar
rebelbuttkicker
Posts: 586
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:15 pm
First Name: Greg
Last Name: Gentry
TK Number: 0
Location: Fairview, MO (the southwest one)

Post by rebelbuttkicker »

Sweet! put some big guns on it! :P
Incognito Trooper
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

Once I was (finally) able to get into the T3 builders yahoo group they had true dimensioned drawings. I have decided to make it full size for effect!
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

Did a test of the motor controls the other day. They didn't work so I am re-writing the control program in C instead of visual basic. Hopefully I can do another motor test Friday.
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
User avatar
rebelbuttkicker
Posts: 586
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:15 pm
First Name: Greg
Last Name: Gentry
TK Number: 0
Location: Fairview, MO (the southwest one)

Post by rebelbuttkicker »

Darn... :cry:
Incognito Trooper
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

lets just leave it at the test didn't work! Back to the drawing board.
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
TK 3181
501st Legion Member
501st Legion Member
Posts: 1847
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:09 am
First Name: Brandon
Last Name: Lauthern
TK Number: 3181
Location: Springfield, MO (Underland.)
Contact:

Post by TK 3181 »

doh!

Hey Tony, I was flipping through the channels last night and I came across a system for show cars that controls all of the windows, locks, electric accessories etc for custom autos. The cool part is that is was all blue tooth and the control unit was..get this... your cell phone. I can't remember the name of it (big help, I know) but it shouldn't be too hard to find. I couldn't help but think it'd be a cool way to secrety control a droid at cons. I just thought I'd share. Good luck with your droid. We're all watching. ;)
Brandon Lauthern

Image

**Crushing the Rebellion...LIKE A BOSS!!**
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

I am probably going to skip the control surfaces for right now in the design process and move on to the actual construction of the legs and body. This will give me time to work out the bugs with the controller and not halt progress all together.

I don't know if it was a over current problem or a defective chip but lets just say that it wasn't a good thing.

Once the controller is working correctly moving the droid around will be just a matter of firing up the laptop and driving it via remote desktop (over adhoc wifi). I think sometimes I expect too much of myself. I gave myself a year to complete this project and for some reason I keep pushing myself to complete it faster than that. I just need to slow down with it and stop pushing myself.
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
TK 3181
501st Legion Member
501st Legion Member
Posts: 1847
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 7:09 am
First Name: Brandon
Last Name: Lauthern
TK Number: 3181
Location: Springfield, MO (Underland.)
Contact:

Post by TK 3181 »

I hear you there. Slow down. . . breathe. . . and try not to cut off any fingers.
Brandon Lauthern

Image

**Crushing the Rebellion...LIKE A BOSS!!**
User avatar
mrivorey
Posts: 1355
Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:54 pm
First Name: Christopher
Last Name: Moody
TK Number: 394
Droids Owned: R2-D2
Location: St Louis
Contact:

Post by mrivorey »

Cmndr Falken wrote:I gave myself a year to complete this project and for some reason I keep pushing myself to complete it faster than that. I just need to slow down with it and stop pushing myself.
I gave myself 2 years to complete R2, and I still don't know if that will be enough. 0_o It'd be nice to finish it earlier though! Hope you get your bugs worked out soon.
Chris Moody, TK-394
Garrison Web Liaison / Webmaster
https://www.facebook.com/cmmoody
User avatar
judge_hellfast
Posts: 2414
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:22 pm
First Name: Christopher
Last Name: Haze
TK Number: 4293
Location: Port Royale
Contact:

Post by judge_hellfast »

One of the things I think we all experience is the excitement to get a project over and done with so we can see the end results. I hate that when that happens. We get so engrossed in projects that we tend to get away from the fun part of life and building. Setting projects aside for a while to do other things helps me get back in the swing of things to complete a project another day.
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

mrivorey wrote:
Cmndr Falken wrote:I gave myself a year to complete this project and for some reason I keep pushing myself to complete it faster than that. I just need to slow down with it and stop pushing myself.
I gave myself 2 years to complete R2, and I still don't know if that will be enough. 0_o It'd be nice to finish it earlier though! Hope you get your bugs worked out soon.
for most of the R2 builders I have met their R2 is an ongoing project for them they are never really done. Most take 3 or 4 years to even get them to a point where they are showable.
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

Well to a degree I am back on track. I reviewed my design and specs with the company that makes the controller (dimension engineering). They said that my design was within the normal operating specs of the device and agreed to ship me a replacement controller. Maybe I will have the base frame (the droid's hind quarters) built so I have a place to put the controller when it arrives.

Wooohoo!
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
User avatar
rebelbuttkicker
Posts: 586
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:15 pm
First Name: Greg
Last Name: Gentry
TK Number: 0
Location: Fairview, MO (the southwest one)

Post by rebelbuttkicker »

Sometimes I need to take a break from assembling and painting Warhammer Fantasy figures so I don't get sloppy (Still looks like crap though... :x ).
Incognito Trooper
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

Well I made a full size template for the sides of the rear feet. I will take a picture of the template later but lets just say T3M4 is going to be a big droid.

(the bottom of the template is 16.5 inches long and it is nearly 10 inches tall. His feet are going to be six inches wide.)

I did make more progress on the computer side while I am waiting on the replacement controller. I was able to interface my wireless xbox 360 controller to the control program I wrote. Each of the colored buttons and the start button represents a sound and the D-pad is used to drive the unit. The left and right bumper buttons transition from low speed to high speed. The wireless unit was able to function through two walls from the far end of my house. Using the Xbox controller will keep me from having to have two laptops. I will only need the one laptop inside the droid.

I think my wife is very tired of hearing T3 sound effect files already ;)
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
User avatar
Cmndr Falken
70th Explorers Garrison
70th Explorers Garrison
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 8:11 am
First Name: Tony
Last Name: Pierce
TK Number: 6994
Droids Owned: BB-H8
Location: Kanas City, MO
Contact:

Post by Cmndr Falken »

Well I figured I would post some pics of my progress

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4 ... =771234618

The side panels for the body and feet are cut and edge plained. Going to try and make these 2D panels into a 3D model over the weekend ;)


Edit moved photos to facebook for faster load times.
Last edited by Cmndr Falken on Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tony Pierce
Gladstone, MO
Post Reply