BuckoA51 wrote:Sounds good but I know nothing of these things! Tell me more?
When I have some free time, I'll mock up something to illustrate the two.
Guspaz wrote:No need to scan anything (well, the flap anyhow), just measure and design it to scale in a modelling program.
That's correct. All it takes is a vernier caliper, some some basic metrology know-how and a CAD program.
Guspaz wrote:My bet is that they're using ShapeWays (SLS)
Yes, the parts that Helder sells come from Shapeways. SLS is preferred by myself because the process yields very good surface finish and the printed part can be polished to give a smoother look.
For my own personal projects I've migrated to using Sculpteo since they offer gray and black colored plastic in polished form. To me, having the option to choose between those two colors is invaluable for things I create. Sculpteo is typically twice as more expensive than Shapeways but they tend to print curved surface much better, offer option to print at higher resolution (at additional cost), and they also provide the option to choose print orientation (useful for controlling surface texture and dimensions) when ordering large quantity of parts.
Guspaz wrote:A better material might be the polished metallic plastic (it's gray), but it's even more expensive:
Mechanically speaking, Aluminite (metallic plastic) is more suitable for parts that under goes compressive pressure/load. For more flexibility/resiliency, the regular variety is still a better choice.
Guspaz wrote:How big is the trim on the SFC? Does it fit within the max dimensions from Shapeways?
Roughly about 160mm x 157mm, just outside the maximum limit of Shapeway's polishing constraint.
Guspaz wrote:BuffaloWing actually has a bunch of stuff for sale on ShapeWays, so they definitely do use them. He's only got an RCA rear panel, though, not the multi AV ones:
Thank you for plugging my links. While I have since learned how to design PCBs on my own, it's not my area of expertise so Helder is continuing selling those multiout as a joint-venture.
BuckoA51 wrote:All very interesting finds, thanks! BuffaloWing care to comment on this? I've never done any 3D printing etc but this is certainly an exciting idea.
This widening project is something I always wanted to do with 3D printing. I have both JPN Super Famicom and the American SNES. Despite the fact that I grew up with the American version, I always preferred the industrial design of the Japanese housing. As everyone have discussed, it all comes down to the cost. At the end of the day most people just want to play the games, only a small niche group of people will ever care how their system look. I understand this and I don't fault people having this sentiment.