Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it • Hacker News Board

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#31

Post by timdeneau » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 7:50 AM UTC

sixers2329 wrote: post #3

This is actually really awesome- one of my biggest complaints with the steam controller was how the build quality of it felt a little "cheap" (i.e. light & plastic-y when compared to an xbox controller). The technology inside the controller is superb, and I think they had to sacrifice a little on build quality to bring it down to that ~50$ price range. Very interested to see what kind of crazy improvements the commun…

When I tried the 30min demo, it felt about right, meaning that I didn’t notice any fatigue holding the controllers. Which is valuable when you’re moving around much more actively, compared to a traditional controller cradled between your knees.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#32

Post by Artemis2 » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 8:01 AM UTC

rpgmaker wrote: post #28

kibwen wrote: post #8

For those who haven't gotten their hands on a Steam controller yet, I was very impressed. The software is still quite immature (par for Valve), but the haptic feedback in the hardware is immensely cool and the potential configurability is insane. It really is a great middle-ground between mouse+keyboard and traditional gamepads.

Can you use it with non-Steam games?

Yes, but Steam may need to be running

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#33

Post by Artemis2 » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 8:02 AM UTC

kibwen wrote: post #8

For those who haven't gotten their hands on a Steam controller yet, I was very impressed. The software is still quite immature (par for Valve), but the haptic feedback in the hardware is immensely cool and the potential configurability is insane. It really is a great middle-ground between mouse+keyboard and traditional gamepads.

The sounds that play when starting and turning off the controller are emitted by the haptic engines in the pads! It's pretty crazy they have so much control over feedback they can reproduce music.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#34

Post by seanp2k2 » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 8:15 AM UTC

BoysenberryPi wrote: post #30

kefka wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$Companies have a tendency to say what will get them the sale, or even include features initially... and then fail to come through with their promises. So it is a breath of fresh air to see this happen.

Call me crazy but I can't help but think that the large majority of Valve's customers don't care whether the design is open or not.

They probably don't, but they probably had some people internally pushing for this, and seeing how it likely wouldn't cost them much but had the potential to generate a lot of good will and potentially increase demand for their product. Why would they not do it?

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#35

Post by seanp2k2 » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 8:20 AM UTC

sixers2329 wrote: post #3

This is actually really awesome- one of my biggest complaints with the steam controller was how the build quality of it felt a little "cheap" (i.e. light & plastic-y when compared to an xbox controller). The technology inside the controller is superb, and I think they had to sacrifice a little on build quality to bring it down to that ~50$ price range. Very interested to see what kind of crazy improvements the commun…

I'd love to see something like the Xbox Elite controller, where it's a almost-no-expense-spared version for $100-200 with much higher build quality and materials.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#36

Post by seanp2k2 » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 8:22 AM UTC

the8472 wrote: post #16

criley2 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like my dream industry where a fully automated tailoring machine was combined with body scanning. So you could, once a year or whenever, get a scan and have your body in the system, and from there, be able to a) shop online seeing clothes rendered on your body type b) with enough maturity for the system, have the ability to have your favorite styles created in your favorite fabrics on-demand, ready to pick up…

If you really want to dream, throw 3d-weaving into that process to make things actually fit your form instead of flat, sewn-together patches stretching over you.

We're getting there: http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/24028-the-art-of-engi...

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#37

Post by nailer » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 10:29 AM UTC

Joof wrote: post #17

douche wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a pretty excellent controller. It's kind of amazing how many keyboard/mouse only games you can comfortably with a little tweaking of the keybindings. I haven't tried using it directly with my computer, just for couch gaming with my TV and Steam Link. The Steam Link is also pretty cool, but has some serious issues with crashing Steam on my PC - not sure whether it is the Link itself, or Big Picture mode, but it…

Its hard to convince people of the utility though. It also has a pretty large ramp-up time. A friend of mine keeps trying mine out on stuff like cities skylines and determining it's no good. Its somewhat unsurprising, skylines is a very work-table feeling game; replacing a mouse would feel really weird (and take a while to really feel decent). For me it clicked demoing DOOM mods; it felt great on the controller and I…

I wanted to return mine. It was the worst controller I've ever used.

I stuck with it after hearing about other people having similar experiences and changing their minds and now I can't go back to using an Xbox controller.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#38

Post by spb » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 10:54 AM UTC

paulgerhardt wrote: post #22

sixers2329 wrote: post #3

This is actually really awesome- one of my biggest complaints with the steam controller was how the build quality of it felt a little "cheap" (i.e. light & plastic-y when compared to an xbox controller). The technology inside the controller is superb, and I think they had to sacrifice a little on build quality to bring it down to that ~50$ price range. Very interested to see what kind of crazy improvements the commun…

Same designer made the Xbox controller as the Steam one. Lightness was a design goal not a shortfall for the team. Reasoning was that VR is the future, the less fatigue the better.

The Steam Controller isn't for VR. You're thinking of the Vive controllers.

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#39

Post by radiorental » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 11:52 AM UTC

seanp2k2 wrote: post #34

BoysenberryPi wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Call me crazy but I can't help but think that the large majority of Valve's customers don't care whether the design is open or not.

They probably don't, but they probably had some people internally pushing for this, and seeing how it likely wouldn't cost them much but had the potential to generate a lot of good will and potentially increase demand for their product. Why would they not do it?

Not that it's much of hinderance these days but it will make the knock-offs easier and quicker to produce, and of a higher quality. I know the controllers are assembled in the US[1], don't know if the injection molding is too.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCgnWqoP4MM

Re: Valve releases Steam Controller CAD geometry so you can mod it

#40

Post by louhike » Fri, Mar 25, 2016, 12:03 PM UTC

Joof wrote: post #17

douche wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a pretty excellent controller. It's kind of amazing how many keyboard/mouse only games you can comfortably with a little tweaking of the keybindings. I haven't tried using it directly with my computer, just for couch gaming with my TV and Steam Link. The Steam Link is also pretty cool, but has some serious issues with crashing Steam on my PC - not sure whether it is the Link itself, or Big Picture mode, but it…

Its hard to convince people of the utility though. It also has a pretty large ramp-up time. A friend of mine keeps trying mine out on stuff like cities skylines and determining it's no good. Its somewhat unsurprising, skylines is a very work-table feeling game; replacing a mouse would feel really weird (and take a while to really feel decent). For me it clicked demoing DOOM mods; it felt great on the controller and I…

Stardew Valley might not the best example as it was designed to work also with a gamepad. You control the mouse cursor with the right analog stick and the player with the left stick.