#prototyping

[jeeyonshim]

prototyping a descended from the queen game based loosely on phillip pullman’s his dark materials trilogy to get it ready for a playtest next week

[palaeosinensis]

A sea serpent puppet prototype that’s custom made for a furry puppetry workshop at Anthrocon! They’re going to blow it up until the head is about 4-5 feet long with 5 body segments. Look for it in the Fursuit parade!

[techav]

On Using the Right Tool for the Job

I've been working on bringing up the video card for my PikaPC project. It has had me quite confused. No attempt to communicate with the device had any effect.

Everything I was sending it looked right. Address decoding asserted the chip enable, the state machine on the video card recognized it was being addressed, the emulated VLB cycle started. There only thing that was missing was some acknowledgement from the video chip itself.

I added debug headers and attached fine wires to even finer chip leads. I did manage to catch a few errors — I was asserting the VLB address strobe on the wrong clock edge, and I had omitted a couple pull-up resistors. My fixes did not change the result.

Recently a good friend sent me an HP 1670E logic analyzer. It is a 136-channel beast of a machine that is currently consuming over a third of my available desk space. I must admit some hesitance in attempting to use it. Frankly, I was intimidated. But I had a problem that surpassed what my 16-channel USB analyzer could easily tell me. To solve this problem, I needed to be able to see all of my 32-bit address/data bus plus another 8 bus control signals.

I attached the first 40 probes to my protoboard card, stumbled through the menus to learn how to enable and label each channel & configure the trigger event, and pressed Run. The machine waited. I hit enter on the PikaPC terminal to start a bus cycle addressing the video card.

… and immediately saw the problem.

The first step in initializing VGA is to set an Enable bit on I/O address 0x3c3. But the analyzer captured 0x1c3.

Either I had a short, or a missing address signal. I had already confirmed there were no solder bridges or missing signals on the video card, and I was using my protoboard card anyway. So the problem had to be on my main board.

I captured a few more tests —

0xfc0 captured as 0xfc0 ✅

0x7c0 captured as 0x7c0 ✅

0x5c0 captured as 0x7c0 ❌

0xcc0 captured as 0xec0 ❌

Address bits 9 and 10 were identical in all test results, regardless of input. Probing those address pins on the expansion bus buffer indicated a direct short. The problem did not affect normal operation of the machine, so it was not likely that CPU address pins 9 and 10 were shorted together. I traced the two wires from the buffer back to the CPU and found … both wired to the same CPU pin.

I had finally found my problem. It was a quick fix. Once it was in place, I ran the VGA initialization sequence and my monitor immediately sprang to life.

My video card appears to be working. I still haven't figured out the correct incantation to actually draw anything on screen using these S3 chips. That will be the next hurdle.

I might have eventually found this issue using my small analyzer. I would have had to capture the address bus no more than 8 bits at a time, carefully stepping through multiple captures with different test parameters. It would have taken quite a long time, and there's no guarantee I would have noticed the error no matter how carefully I reviewed at the captures. There just isn't any substitute for using the right tool for the job.

[adafruit]

Metro RP2350 take 5 🔄🌟🤞

Sometimes mistakes are made in prototyping; that's why they're prototypes. The error in rev D was funny: while making the QFN80 footprint, the pins got placed clockwise rather than widdershins. Not surprisingly, that board didn't come up at all, so here's a full rip-up and reroute, with the correct pinout this time! Fingers crossed. Hopefully, this is the final revision, and we can move on to other RP2350 boards we have cooking.

[beartitled]

Fellas

It is finally done

👉Portfolio👈

Go explore and click on interactive books✨

It’s best viewed from PC/laptop, bc some interactive parts may not load

If it’s the case for you, don’t worry 🫵 you won’t miss out on fun ❤️🫵

Here’s the compilation of interactive stuff you can view separately 👇

💛Barry - mini visual novel

🔍Bears mega drawing (that you can view under the magnifying glass 🔍)

🔍Undertale x TSP

🔍TSP ice cream chain

✏️Character design: Art blocked

✏️Character design: Purpose

[jonreytrevino]

Client work from 2 years ago. Client wanted some dragon avatars in a limited palette for prototyping purposes.

BlueSky | Ko-fi | Upwork

[ultirapid]

10 Prototyping Methods: Turning Ideas into Reality

Summary The journey of new product development is fraught with challenges, and prototyping stands as a crucial step toward success. By transforming abstract concepts into tangible forms, prototyping enables designers and teams to visualize the product and iteratively refine their ideas until dreams become reality.

Prototyping takes many forms, each playing a vital role in the development process, from simple sketches to advanced virtual reality experiences:

Hand-Drawn Sketches and Diagrams: The Seed of Creativity The journey begins with paper and pencil. Hand-drawn sketches and diagrams quickly capture inspiration, making initial ideas tangible. They serve as a communication bridge within teams, helping everyone grasp the design's intent and providing direction for subsequent development.

3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping: From Digital to Physical 3D printing accelerates the prototyping process by swiftly converting digital models into physical objects. This allows designers to observe product details firsthand and identify design flaws early in the process.

Physical Models: Intuitive Representation of Design Physical models, whether simple blocks or intricate crafts, provide a clear visual representation of design contours and proportions. Even without functional parts, they effectively assess design feasibility and support concept validation for larger projects.

Wireframes: The Blueprint for Digital Products Wireframes clearly illustrate the layout and content structure of digital products. They are invaluable tools for UI/UX designers and serve as a universal language for cross-team communication regarding design concepts.

Virtual/Augmented Reality Experiences: Immersive Engagement VR/AR technologies create immersive environments, allowing users to experience unbuilt spaces, such as theme parks. This forward-thinking testing method enhances the authenticity and immediacy of design feedback.

Feasibility Prototypes: Validating Functionality In the later stages of design, feasibility prototypes focus on verifying the practicality of new features. Whether through digital simulations or physical models, they help designers adjust strategies to ensure product functionality aligns with user needs.

Working Models: Testing Operational Performance Working models assess the actual operational performance of designs, especially for mechanical devices or dynamic systems. Real-world testing enables designers to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of their proposals.

Video Prototypes: Animated Concept Demonstration Video prototypes dynamically illustrate product concepts, processes, or project simulations. They provide an intuitive means to convey design ideas to non-technical audiences, enriching presentation formats and enhancing the persuasive power of design narratives.

Horizontal Prototypes: Testing User Interaction Horizontal prototypes concentrate on user interface design by simulating elements like menus and windows, allowing for the testing of user interactions. This early detection of potential issues in human-computer interaction is crucial.

Vertical Prototypes: Validating Core Software Functions Vertical prototypes focus on verifying database structures and core software functions. By digitally simulating the software environment, they ensure a solid infrastructure and functional capability before formal development begins.

Through these diverse prototyping methods, teams can effectively bridge the gap between concept and reality, ultimately leading to successful product development.