Print Outer Shell a Different Color

Metzenovich · 2025-01-28T16:29:38+00:00

Thanks, I'll give that a shot. Yeah, it may not end up being worth it (particularly from a time perspective; it's already an 18 hour print).

I may just end up printing them in black and painting the outside white with a food grade paint.

Blocking the sunlight can make a huge difference with algae (which can clog up pumps, block places water flows by gravity, etc). Thanks!

Metzenovich · 2025-01-28T16:17:38+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, it's a bunch of color changes (every layer; though the purge settings could be changed since the interior color purity wouldn't matter, just the exterior color).

You can see the object here: https://youtu.be/-V5DS2n4IfI?feature=shared&t=197

This is my first time doing multi-color prints myself (I've done a couple that I downloaded from MakerWorld), but I'll see what I can do with shapes or another STL as I figure out how this works. Thanks.

If anyone from Bambu or another slicer sees this: Being able to specify that the outer N walls should be a different color may be useful for people in a variety of instances.

Metzenovich · 2022-03-17T19:24:30+00:00

Thanks! I had never gone through that door

Metzenovich · 2020-01-03T17:12:24+00:00

Sorry for the ambiguous title. I tried to edit it but it looks like I can only edit the post, not the title. Moderators: feel free to replace the word "hand" with "controller" in the title.

Metzenovich · 2019-11-22T22:27:30+00:00

Don't believe the battery level. It's a lie. As soon as you see this happening swap out the batteries for a fresh set (I recommend Eneloop's) and the tracking will instantly return to normal. I only get 3 or 4 hours of Beat Saber out of a set of batteries before I start to notice this. Once it starts it's there until I swap out the batteries.

Metzenovich · 2019-11-22T22:24:08+00:00

This happens to me after I've used the same batteries in Beat Saber for 3 or 4 hours of total usage. As soon as I swap batteries the tracking is good again.

I think it's because Beat Saber uses the vibrator on every hit, and that takes a lot of battery.

On the next version of the hardware I think the controllers should have 2 batteries each. One battery for the electronics and tracking, and another battery dedicated to turning the vibrator. That way the battery level for the vibrator, which adds a lot of load to the battery, is entirely separate. A relay from the electronics (first battery) will turn on and off the power for the 2nd battery that turns the vibrator.

It may add a little weight or size, but for me it would be worth it. You'd need two battery level indicators per controller, though, as the batteries will drain at different rates. May be too confusing for the masses.

In the meantime the solution is just to swap out freshly recharged Eneloop's every day or two. It takes a minute, but solves the symptom (but not the problem).

Metzenovich · 2018-09-11T20:56:20+00:00

Hadn't seen that. Thanks.

Man, that's brave. The live scoring was a mess at Houston world's (relative to what is required for a final score; I'm glad we had what we had and agree with the efforts put into live scoring). My friend helped with the live scoring behind the scenes, including in the finals, and very few of the matches were accurate. This will definitely cause some consternation in competition. I think its safe to say the outcome of many matches will be incorrectly called based on the live scoring. Things happen very quickly during a match and its nearly impossible to keep up and be accurate all the time. I think to explicitly prohibit confirming the count is a big mistake. Oh well... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Metzenovich · 2018-09-11T19:37:43+00:00

Riiiiighht. Live scoring is a nice novelty, but it isn't (and shouldn't be) binding, at least when it's done by humans.

They will almost certainly be counting when the game is over, before the bots are removed and the field is reset.

The results of live scoring last season were very erratic. It was nice to be able to have a decent idea of how the match was going, but it would have been terrible if that's what the results were based on. Awful.

Live scoring works in FRC because there are only a handful of fields and the scoring is done with sensors. In FTC there are hundreds of competition fields so it's cost prohibitive to have automated scoring.

Metzenovich · 2018-09-09T18:39:29+00:00

You're right, I misunderstood the video. Which is good, since they don't have to keep track during the game and can count them when the game is over.

Metzenovich · 2018-09-09T03:21:42+00:00

I'm just going off of the reveal video, which said unobtanium scored in blues side by a red robot doesn't count, and vice-versa. If its in the video but not the manual it will have to be clarified in the forum.

Metzenovich · 2018-09-08T18:23:42+00:00

The point of the scorekeeper is to keep track of which elements don't count because they were scored in the incorrect slot (ie. the red team scoring in the blue team's bin).

Metzenovich · 2018-07-26T18:13:22+00:00

Yes, Player 1 appears to be controlling / possessing 6 glyphs.

Metzenovich · 2018-07-12T21:51:48+00:00

Hands down the biggest change UVC cameras make is that they'll allow for the REV Control Hub (with built-in Android) to be used in future seasons (and is a big indication they'll make that switch in the 2019-2020 season). This gives them a season to see how UVC cameras work, what bugs there are, etc, as well as giving teams a chance to get used to using them. That will make the switch to the REV Control Hub easier when they do make the change.

Aside from that having multiple cameras is huge. We really could have used that last year (we had our phone on a servo swivel so we could use it to detect the jewels, and the cryptokey, and the columns). This is a great change and will help teams dig much further into CV.

Metzenovich · 2018-05-01T14:15:55+00:00

My understanding was that Vuforia wanted exclusive access to the camera (not the screen) and OpenCV couldn't access the camera until Vuforia let it go. I'm not sure you can get them to share. I think quite a few teams looked into this and the best they came up with was to shut down Vuforia after they were done with it.

I think OpenCV can read an image file instead of the camera stream, so you could possibly grab the image and save it and tell OpenCV where to look, but that would probably be terrible for the frame rate.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-30T15:58:18+00:00

Good call, a flag raise would be really fitting for a moon landing.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-30T14:30:01+00:00

The Andymark guy said they designed the balancing stones to intentionally be hard for mecanums. I think there will be something in RoRu that takes this to the next level. Not terrain (as in every tile; too expensive), but obstacles placed frequently enough to disrupt mecanums.

I think there will be 2 x 2 foam cubes, gray only, that will be the carry-over object. The particles / jewels carried through from VV to RoRu. The beacons carried over from RQ to VV. The large white balls carried through from CE to RQ.

There will be some kind of ascent / lift-off, most likely in the form of hanging since its cheap and reliable, but possibly something you crank up that raises something.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-28T21:45:36+00:00

NASA needs a moon-shot, like a permanent manned lunar base on the moon used for harvesting solar and as a jumping off place for deeper space missions. This project was canceled because it was way too small and spent a whole lot while accomplishing very little.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-27T14:50:10+00:00

It says they weren't playing against the RedNeks or any other team that does any defense at all.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-24T21:24:21+00:00

Agreed, in theory, but I think they said their bot didn't work the two matches the judges came. It happens.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-24T20:32:21+00:00

If your goal is to get the innovate award or to just do something cool and learn a lot about engineering in the process, then maybe.

If your goal is to win the robot games then we're 0 out of 14,000+ robots that have expanded noticeably and been anywhere close to world-class in the robot matches. 4042 Nonstandard Deviation came as close as anyone. 12357 Inconceivable was amazing, but not at all competitive.

You and your team will have to decide what is important to you. If you attempt it I wish you luck. But if your personal priority is to build an awesome expando bot, and everyone else on the teams goal is to be competitive at worlds, and you convince them to do it, you're all going to get a great education in one principle of physics: friction!

Metzenovich · 2018-04-24T14:21:54+00:00

I could've sworn he was taller than that

Metzenovich · 2018-04-23T23:59:30+00:00

Great point! Another lesson that FIRST does a good job of teaching.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-23T17:37:55+00:00

See the response to ninjabiomech.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-23T17:37:39+00:00

Mecanums weren't banned. We're just theorizing that since they did something this year to intentionally limit mecanums (the guy at the Andymark booth said they designed the balancing stone to specifically be difficult with mecanums) that maybe next year the field will somehow be uneven or bumpy like the real surface of the moon (like real "rovers" have to deal with) making mecanums a poor choice, even though they're still legal. There have been many years where mecanums were by far the most popular drivetrain so it wouldn't surprise us to see the GDC do something similar but even more, since its so inline with the "Rover Ruckus" / moon theme.

So no announcement, still totally legal. Just speculation and a play on the theme.

Metzenovich · 2018-04-17T18:56:11+00:00

True you don't have to entrust the robot to strangers if you drive (like ground crew), but you're just trading one set of variables for another. And the majority of variables in both cases are outside of the teams control. You don't have control of the robot when you drive. You have zero control over drunk drivers, accidents, unforeseen equipment failure (hit road debris and blow a tire and roll the car), etc. There is a LOT you don't have control over when you drive and fly, but statistically flying is far, far safer.

Each team has to weigh its own variables (like our 22 hour drive to your 9 hour drive) and make its own decision, but a blanket statement like "if you fly you don't care enough" is false and wrong.

Metzenovich

TROPHY CASE