Gamecube Controller Model

[upsidedownportal]

Hey All,

I was wondering if anyone here has been successful in getting a very accurate 3D model/scan of the front plastic of a gamecube controller. I am currently playing around with my schools 3D scanner, so I'll be reporting back here on my progress. I really want to capture the depth of the button wells and such. I also need to capture the screw holes so I can give them the screw pattern in Inventor. I want to print a custom front for my controller to give it some custom flair.

 

[necroTaxonomist]

I've seen a control stick model before, but not the whole controller.
If you manage to get it scanned in right, please do share. I think 3D printing our own stuff is really the future of Melee, so that in the year 20XX, when Nintendo has stopped manufacturing GC controllers, the Fox monks can continue the scene.

 

[upsidedownportal]

I grabbed a flat white spay can today and I am going to paint both plastics. I might work on buttons and such as well. I'll post an update here when I get something scanned in.

 

[Yeroc]

I clicked on this thread having a certain expectation of what the title implied. I was not disappointed. This is a thread I am very interested in following, since I had this idea 2 years ago but didn't have the time to work on it.

 

[upsidedownportal]

I've got the controller painted and I'm starting scanning today. I want to do two or three scans per item which then all get aligned and trimmed into one model. I will probably have one model done by the end of this week.

 

[Kiusthugs]

Interested for the model too

 

[upsidedownportal]

Slight setback. Was working with the scanner today and the anti malware software from the school kept terminating my scanning program (****ty ass officescan). I'm not in Thursday or Friday, and probably will be set back to getting the first model (the front plastic) Monday or Tuesday, unless I can get two scans done tomorrow. Tech guy should be in to disable officescan near the start of the period so I can work on it. What I could see looked really good. Glad to see there's other people interested in this, and I'm surprised no one did it before me.

 

[TheSmashHusky]

Have you made any progress with the scan? I was thinking about this today too and saw your post here.

 

[TheSmashHusky]

Theoretically you could make silicone molds to make duplicates of a original gamecube controller with nearly a 100% precision. But then you are limited to the materials you can use to mold with, much like the limits of materials usable for 3d printing. I would really like to try and get a good scan to a CNC router to try and make controllers out of light weight metals or natural materials such as a burl from a Birch tree.

 

[EPsilon933]

What about the circuit board? Any way the community can replicate those?

 

[Kadano]

About a year ago, I scanned the front plate at a local hackerspace. The result was very bad, it would have taken about as much work to remove all the errors as to create the shape in a modeling program by measuring the controller from scratch.

Idk if that was just a bad scanner and others are more accurate though.

 

[upsidedownportal]

Yeah, the scanning has gone... Interesting. The scanner had the accuracy to scan it most definitely, but the controller is just too big for the scanner. That means that I have the front and back scanned, and the sides scanned separate, etc. What I have got all scanned I will be getting off the school computer tomorrow after my chemistry exam. It will really help with modelling process. Unfortunately I don't have the personal ability to finish the model (I have mainly worked in Autodesk Inventor, and don't have experience with anything to do this type of modelling) and I'm hoping the community can take what I've got and turn it into usable models.

TheSmashHusky I would be interested in creating molds, definitely going to look into how to do that.

 

[The20xx]

Hey All,

I was wondering if anyone here has been successful in getting a very accurate 3D model/scan of the front plastic of a gamecube controller. I am currently playing around with my schools 3D scanner, so I'll be reporting back here on my progress. I really want to capture the depth of the button wells and such. I also need to capture the screw holes so I can give them the screw pattern in Inventor. I want to print a custom front for my controller to give it some custom flair.

You're making a 3d printed gamecube controller? (If you can find the model) DANG that should look amazing. If you manage to make one you have to upload a picture.

 

[TheSmashHusky]

That's good news! However, i think its unfortunate that you couldn't print the parts in one piece. Someone could put them together digitally but that would risk on changing the proportions slightly. Worth the try, but i think i'll pass! I'll look around and see if there are any printing services around here with a fair price to scan the parts in a big enough scanner. I have a little cash problem right now so if its pricy it may have to wait.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv7QHQ0bc_0 <- here is a video of making a silicone mold. Making a mold for continued use is best left to a professional. Without making any research i bet it's expencive to get professional help, but its also quite expencive to buy your own silicone and coat material et cetera. You will also get a less desired result. But it's possible to make your own.

 

[MookieRah]

What about the circuit board? Any way the community can replicate those?

I'm sure they already have. Remember how they had Tatsunoko vs Capcom on the Wii? I bet somebody made a chip that worked for that for fight sticks, and I wouldn't be surprised that it was tailored for the gamecube ports.

 

[Scrungo]

Did this ever happen? Anyone make a model for it yet? I printed the stick actually and it came out pretty well. Check it:
(I'm not bizz, he just shared my post)

https://twitter.com/Bizzarro_Flame/status/714971695598034944

 

[Dolla Pills]

Is this a legal grey area?

 

[-ACE-]

Is this a legal grey area?

I wouldn't have a problem with any switching of sticks as long as the dimensions are the same. A stick with a more narrow/thinner shaft would be capable of hitting inputs a regular stick couldn't. The 3d printed stick in that picture looks nice and could be more durable.

 

[Dolla Pills]

I wouldn't have a problem with any switching of sticks as long as the dimensions are the same. A stick with a more narrow/thinner shaft would be capable of hitting inputs a regular stick couldn't. The 3d printed stick in that picture looks nice and could be more durable.

I mean like if people start printing parts/ controllers and especially if they distribute them is that a licensing issue? I have no idea myself

 

[-ACE-]

I mean like if people start printing parts/ controllers and especially if they distribute them is that a licensing issue? I have no idea myself

Yeah I'm clueless lol.

I kind of want to try dipping a control stick in high quality epoxy to give it a clear, hard outer cover that won't wear. As it is I'm having trouble locating OEM control sticks. All the ones on ebay/amazon clearly don't have the same rigid texture in the rings (seems somewhat worn compared to what comes on a brand new controller). I tend to wear them out quickly. OEM C-sticks would be nice also but the ones on ebay look like they could suffice even if they don't last as long.

If this 3d stuff catches on I'd be interested in trying some.

 

[upsidedownportal]

This will be a hella bump, but I suppose I should update this after all this time. In the end, the scanning did not work. Even using one of the higher end consumer scanners, the scan was not good enough to be usable. The clean up and model tweaking would probably take years to get 100%. My main problem was that the controller plate is just to big to use the most accurate scanning mode, and the next most accurate does not have the detail. So I could end up with unfinished models or low detail models. Doing multiple high detail scans and trying to stitch them together was pretty painful as well.

Honestly, without access to the tens of thousands of dollar scanners that exist, this is a dead project. Not to mention that the scanners software was painful to work with.

Although my last idea that I ran out of time to try was taking the shells and cutting them into pieces and scanning those and stitching that together. I've got the class for one last time next semester so maybe I'll try that.

 

[Raycu]

If we're going to start this, I think we should redesign the controller somewhat. Maybe move the shield buttons, and make them more indented, so there's less strain on the hand, and make the grip also less strain inducing.

 

[upsidedownportal]

R Raycu Oh yeah, that is the ultimate end goal. Honestly I could get the buttons scanned in a couple days and the trigger mechanism in another couple. The shell is what gives the most trouble.

 

[Raycu]

I think the left shield buttons were moved down to the left side of the controller, along with the a, x, y, and b buttons down so it's with the thumbs. After all, a lot of the issues with the controller is the way it's gripped, and how you have to hit the shield buttons the way you do.

 

[Gaster]

I found a shell model, but it is missing the inside bridges and screw holes, I can't model for the heck of it, if anyone can it would be amazing for the community. Controller model