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Thread: Anyone want to help out?

  1. #1
    Junior Member sqyire's Avatar
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    Question Anyone want to help out?

    I am going to be doing a new video series and hopefully announcing an initiative on social paintball's website to post/share/train and promote open source 3d design and distribution of parts for paintball. The goal being to make designs that can allow people to play cheaper and share models along the lines of what thingiverse.com is doing, only for paintball. I work at a new fabrication lab and have access to multiple types of 3d printers and CNC machines (tormach/shop sabre, etc.) I am looking for people to work with who wouldn't mind me featuring their work in the videos in exchange for the output I can make of their models, and of course full credit on the vids etc.

    At first I just want a few items to inspire kids. I am wide open to ideas, but would be nice to have some quality models that would be handy for those who have access to an extruder etc. Maybe general items like paintball pods, generic masks that can use industry lenses, magazines for specific markers, etc. But, I am mostly just wanting to inform/educate and encourage sharing of models etc, and hopefully it will evolve to a good open resource from then on.

    Just something I am going to do and need some of my pball playing artist/engineers to help if it sounds like fun to you? So, this is mostly about inspiring youth to use their time and computers to acquire new skills and play pball more affordably, and due to my affiliation with social paintball they are willing to provide resources for the potential exposure this may bring/traffic to website. That will keep it all free and open. Let me know if any part of this interests you. If so please email me at sqyire@gmail.com

    thanks,

    --justin

    Socialpaintball.com

  2. #2
    CAD Monkey skibbo's Avatar
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    Supports Inception Designs
    I'm in. Sent you an e-mail.
    Team Akkadian Paintball Squad

    B.S. Mechanical Engineering UW-Platteville 2012

    Quote Originally Posted by neftaly
    Simon Stevens said that will be totally fine and nothing bad could ever happen. Ever.

  3. #3
    I like the idea of open source and actually used to have an open source forum section on here before the server crash. It wasn't as busy as I had hoped. I've talked to several other major people in the industry about making some open source projects a reality.

    There are many things here that the community shares, we host files here, and on the Google drive that Yoda set up.

    I would however be very nervous about someone thinking they could print a goggle frame and use it with a manufacturers lens. Not only would it fail, it wouldn't pass ASTM, and potentially it would be very dangerous.

    Rapid prototyping parts works for some situations, but certainly not all. Not for safety equipment or pressure containment in my experience.

  4. #4
    I think one of the biggest sticking points in open source is that it has historically been mostly software, and physical goods/designs are somewhat difficult for many people to grasp as open source (and also an aspect many people are less likely to be willing to freely share their work on).

    Regardless of the issues, I've been a pretty vocal supporter of open source for paintball for a while. There is an open source marker project on MCB - not much traffic in it anymore, but I update it on occasion.

    So, quite interested to see where this goes. You can most likely count me in.

  5. #5
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    Open source? Count me in.

  6. #6
    Insider bronc's Avatar
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    This is actually something we are looking at, but for the code that's going to drive our electronics. We were also thinking of open sourcing upgrade parts for our gun after it comes out, allowing people to do exactly what you're talking about.

    I'm a big supporter of open source. And we've got to move away from the patent wars we've seen the last 10 years. It's killing all innovation.

  7. #7
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    Open source is mostly about crowd sourcing information. I agree that there are some things we shouldn't do. But what really should be done (Note, I have a 3D printer for start up on this) is something that I was going to tie into some future gun work I wanted to do. Might as well start now, and I will add our work and CAD backbone to the mix as we get rolling. This really is based off of the Ion and Jack's Etha and of course, the paintball firing chicken. We were going to start something with this on our own, but there is no reason not to do this now.

    We do cosmetics. A gun (as y0da can attest to!) is a pain to open source. BUT: Getting basic CAD files for the Ion and Etha for mounting points and related we come up with a batch of cosmetic upgrades to the guns (and maybe masks/loaders.) Maybe even do a body/grip for the Ion that allows easy mounting of other stuff.

    Then we let the CAD guys go crazy, and host the files 'open source' style. You can download, say, a favorite Military gun. Or a fantasy gun, say Jayne's 'Vera'? Or really go crazy and your scenario team can build a set of X wings and one of you can print a Death Star helmet that attaches to a mask or hopper. Add some LED's and things will get very interesting.

    We can use Thingiverse or make a 'Pewpewiverse' ourselves.

    Really it would be a a field day for the skibbo crowd, who have CAD, calipers and talent and no outlet that produces real items. Well, this would be it. Those without CAD can order whatever is cool, even request some stuff for a small fee. Then print it however, themselves or through Shapeways or related.

    It would really put a whole new level on customization that never has been done before. I would make scenario games amazing works of talent and art.

    We need to do exterior CAD of guns, and also do the shells themselves.

    The Ion and Etha are prime candidates. The Trracer also, maybe even the spyder pump and of course the Phantom. Guns that have sold a lot, are cheap and good would all be good choices. But anything is game.

    Note, if it is not done here now, we will be doing it in the future. This is one of those things I think the industry would really get a kick out of, and would be just plain FUN.
    Last edited by pbjosh; 04-13-2013 at 09:53 AM.

  8. #8
    Insider new ion?'s Avatar
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    Since you mentioned vera- I named my mini that!

    Just had to put that out there...

  9. #9
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    I think the bottleneck is production, not the design stage - sharing information in order to let people be unique seems a touch counter-intuitive to me.

    Lower the cost of customizing, and you'll get more of it. I think that the cost associated with design is already plenty low.

    Also:

    https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...03402089_n.jpg

  10. #10
    Junior Member sqyire's Avatar
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    Great points and was good to see so much activity already on here and on grabcad and some other sites. Thingiverse already has a few great molds and other parts for paintball, maybe the mask would be a mold not a 3d part, who knows, that all sorta comes later. First part is seeing how many of us could/want to work together and how to set it up for the public.

    So, question is, does simonized want to collaborate with social paintball on this? Seems like you are way ahead, maybe its something to work together on to ensure responsibility/oversight in the process etc.?

    No question here about safety concerns. After all, I'm the guy years ago blowing apart barrel blockers on youtube and shooting lenses point blank etc. amazing how unsafe a barrel bag is if the bungie is set wrong... http://youtu.be/EiNaqtsBrsU yet only recently some companies have addressed that design issue. So, certain parts I could prototype output and conduct testing, but ultimately I don't want safety to become a fear tactic to put the kabosh on this effort which only serves to delay progress and give lobbyists time to shut down open source 3d for the public. Models are models, a mask model output on an extruder on the market now may be unsafe, but what about a few years from now on a stereolithography 3d printer, or some other process. The equipment will get there. Making sure the models are published open source and stay way ahead of the inevitable mass manufacturing push back through government policy is what I see as the key to eventual success in more affordable/accessible paintball equipment. I mean the crayola pad ear protectors on the jt masks passed safety tests, but not my inspection as a father when I bought a new mask for my daughter.. so even tested products are not necessarily safer than anything else (and I apologize if that is someone's design on here, especially if its one of yours simon, but just an example that even current manufactured products may not be entirely safe)

    So, safety for sure, but the models themselves come first anyhow. Basically, I just want help/collaborate with whoever is interested to do this open source and get it exposure for paintballers and all the models out there. Hopefully this inspires the younger generations to working with 3d cad design and output (which is very rewarding). I work at a university for 15 years now, so ya, I believe in this and will back it up.

    Quote Originally Posted by Simon View Post
    I like the idea of open source and actually used to have an open source forum section on here before the server crash. It wasn't as busy as I had hoped. I've talked to several other major people in the industry about making some open source projects a reality.

    There are many things here that the community shares, we host files here, and on the Google drive that Yoda set up.

    I would however be very nervous about someone thinking they could print a goggle frame and use it with a manufacturers lens. Not only would it fail, it wouldn't pass ASTM, and potentially it would be very dangerous.

    Rapid prototyping parts works for some situations, but certainly not all. Not for safety equipment or pressure containment in my experience.

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