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Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

mockmechanics.com

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Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#111

Post by Joker_vD »

felipereigosa wrote: post #24
luminati wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate a bit more on “formalize mechanical devices”? That has really piqued my interest especially since you mentioned dance choreography as an example. Do you have any examples/prior art you found interesting? One of the topics I occasionally like to think about is how to formally describe manufacturing steps in some structured/programming language. Maybe your program could be it. Would love to hear oth…

Well, I was really into formalizing stuff when I was in college, you know proving that a cryptographic algorithm was correct by formalizing them as black boxes talking to each other, that sort of thing. Then I just started thinking about how to formalize mechanical things. One of the very things I remember is coming to the conclusion that all motions of a machine can be implemented as a combination of linear and rota…

I think the prior art you're looking for kinematics and robotics... and I distinctly remember that e.g. for multi-joints robotic arms you can actually use methods from the algebraic geometry instead of calculus (so you solve polynomial equations instead of differential equations).

Also, no one in this thread mentioned Opus Magnum from Zachtronics which has some quite neat mechanical movement in it.

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#112

Post by felipereigosa »

Joker_vD wrote: post #111
felipereigosa wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I was really into formalizing stuff when I was in college, you know proving that a cryptographic algorithm was correct by formalizing them as black boxes talking to each other, that sort of thing. Then I just started thinking about how to formalize mechanical things. One of the very things I remember is coming to the conclusion that all motions of a machine can be implemented as a combination of linear and rota…

I think the prior art you're looking for kinematics and robotics... and I distinctly remember that e.g. for multi-joints robotic arms you can actually use methods from the algebraic geometry instead of calculus (so you solve polynomial equations instead of differential equations). Also, no one in this thread mentioned Opus Magnum from Zachtronics which has some quite neat mechanical movement in it.

I just saw the intro video for Opus Magnum and it looks really cool.

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#113

Post by frompdx »

felipereigosa wrote: post #28
frompdx wrote: post #26

Awesome project. Can you share which libraries you are using with this project?

org.clojure/clojure obviously, org.clojars.nakkaya/vecmath, org.clojars.nakkaya/jbullet, batik and lwjgl. All the other stuff, the opengl shapes and whatnot I wrote myself over the years, mostly to learn how to do it. In fact I probably can speed up this program a lot by not using my own code for those parts where libraries are available.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing!

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#114

Post by imtringued »

dkersten wrote: post #4

That's pretty cool! It seems like a weird mixture of physical contraptions (lego/meccano etc) or minecraft redstone circuits, and something you'd see in Media Molecules' Dreams (especially the graph-motion). I just watched the Tetris video and it reminded me of this mechanical pong game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBoe3yM9IKs What inspired you to create this?

It looks more like a lean version of gary's mod. Although that game lets you build very complicated things a lot of people end up just playing premade games instead of building their own stuff, so there is still a lot of room for a more focused "maker" experience.

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#115

Post by jermaustin1 »

I came here originally thinking this was going to be about stuff like how before CNC, machining lathes had series of levers and knobs that controlled gearing that would then cut different patterns into the part being machined.

I watched a great video on Adam Savage's YouTube channel [1] about his lathe and setting up the levers to make nuts and bolts on it. Thus mechanically programming.

1: https://youtu.be/98MCz9gQaiE?t=622

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#116

Post by ZeikJT »

imtringued wrote: post #114
dkersten wrote: post #4

That's pretty cool! It seems like a weird mixture of physical contraptions (lego/meccano etc) or minecraft redstone circuits, and something you'd see in Media Molecules' Dreams (especially the graph-motion). I just watched the Tetris video and it reminded me of this mechanical pong game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBoe3yM9IKs What inspired you to create this?

It looks more like a lean version of gary's mod. Although that game lets you build very complicated things a lot of people end up just playing premade games instead of building their own stuff, so there is still a lot of room for a more focused "maker" experience.

Yeah, Garry's Mod + Wiremod

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#117

Post by ZeikJT »

felipereigosa wrote: post #85
skellystudios wrote: post #83

Really cool project – but I found it took quite a bit of digging before I could work out just how cool it is. Have you thought about making the gallery from videos or even gifs? The movement is sort of the best part, and a bunch of people (like me) might skip the long video on the homepage.

Interesting, I think I'll do that, I even already have the gif for the tetris machine, but I ended up not using it.

GIFs are inefficient and pretty resource intensive, if possible use video formats instead. Modern machines are optimized for running video so they work quite a bit better.

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#118

Post by a1369209993 »

taneq wrote: post #56
JoshTriplett wrote: post #29

This looks amazing. Several times in the last couple of decades, as graphics and physics engines have evolved, I've built little prototypes whose main goal was "this should work using real physics and mechanics", and then built things like marble machines. Games like Crayon Physics always felt so limiting; they were only about things bouncing off each other. I'd like gears that turn and mesh, light that diffracts, mo…

I think what you're looking for is a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them. ;) All jokes aside, this sandbox looks awesome and I want to play with it more. :)

> a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them.

That sounds interesting; do you have a download link?

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#119

Post by punnerud »

felipereigosa wrote: post #99
punnerud wrote: post #96

The JAR-file can easily be decompiled: http://www.javadecompilers.com/data/30.10.20/77670d3f04408fb... Should support the developer on Patreon (see he mention it, but can't find a link). I think this a great work that deserve to be supported!

Here you go: https://www.patreon.com/mockmechanics I'm super thankful already for all the support I received with all the comments from you guys. But if you want to support me a little more, now you can.

$100 on Patreon your way :)

Re: Show HN: What would mechanical programming look like?

#120

Post by athenot »

a1369209993 wrote: post #118
taneq wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think what you're looking for is a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them. ;) All jokes aside, this sandbox looks awesome and I want to play with it more. :)

> a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them. That sounds interesting; do you have a download link?

There are a few download links but it seems they all return HTTP status code 402.
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