Tesseract prop (interactive)

A real-life sized tesseract with lighting effects
3
13
0
105
updated October 16, 2024

Description

PDF

This guide will help you build a movie-size accurate Tesseract prop with interactive lighting effects, perfect for display or cosplay. Follow these steps closely to ensure proper assembly.

Note:
This prop is for personal use only.

NO COMMERCIAL USE ALLOWED without prior authorization. This includes usage in ad-supported media.

If used in cosplay photos or videos, please credit this page for attribution.

 

 

Material necessary:

  • 3-part print, in Fillamentum Crystal Clear Blue or similar translucent filament
    • Print the baseplate stem side up
    • Print the body upside down
    • Print the sphere laying on the cuts
  • 4 M3 brass inserts and 4 M3x10 countersunk head screws.
  • 1 ESP32, D1 mini, or equivalent microcontroller (get the version without pre-soldered Dupont pins).
  • 2 meters of 26AWG ribbon cable.
  • 17 WS2812B PCB-mounted individual 5050SMD led diodes. Buy a few spares, if you are not used to them it's easy to mess up soldering.
  • 1 MPU-6050 accelerometer
  • One modular USB plug plus two thin, possibly transparent, AWG20 wires, 1.5 meters long. Commonly found as part for lighting equipment.

Tools:

  • Soldering iron and solder. Strongly suggest a TS101 or similar, to fit the small spaces.
  • Small pliers.
  • Electrician's scissors.
  • Hot glue gun.
  • Screwdriver.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Print the Components
    • Print the 3-parts of the Tesseract using 100% concentric infill, 0.08 mm layer height, and no brim (except for the LightCap if needed).
    • Speed: Slow the print speed to 120 mm/s or less for PLA to avoid defects.
      (Note: The main body may take up to 24 hours to print.)
  2. Prepare the Microcontroller
    • Connect the microcontroller (ESP32, D1 mini, or similar) to your PC via USB.
    • Load the program attached into the Arduino IDE.
    • If it doesn't show up by itself, remember to create a separate tab named HueFix.h and import the content of the file of the same name.
    • Look online for the PINOUT DIAGRAM of your microcontroller. Look for a suitable pin to be used as data line 
      • For ESP32 use pin 14
      • For D1 Mini use pin 6 
    • Change the lighting pin to your preferred data pin at line #18.
    • Upload the program using Arduino IDE, following the instructions specific to your microcontroller. You may be prompted to install some libraries, in case do so from the Library Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+I).
  3. Prepare the Power Wires
    • Assemble two power wires to the USB plug, using the VCC and GND pins (ignore data pins).
    • Run these wires through the hole at the bottom of the light stem and base of the pillar. The USB connector shall be towards the flat side of the base.
      • In alternative, you could use a pre-made USB cable, but it will be more visible. Just find the VCC and GND wires with a multimeter, and cut the other two. 
  4. Power Lines and Soldering
    • Find the VCC and GND pins on your microcontroller using the pinout diagram.
    • Cut four 15 cm strands from the ribbon cable, ideally 2 red and 2 black, 
    • Connect them to the power wires on one side. Solder two of them to the positive cable (RED) and two to the negative cable (BLACK).
    • You have now two strands of three wires, one positive and one negative. Solder the red wires to the VCC of the microcontroller, and the black wires to the GND.
    • Run one power line (red+black) up into the stem, leaving loose wires in the "ball" area for the LEDs.
  5. Connect the MPU-6050 Accelerometer
    • Solder one power line (the one not leading to the “ball”) to the MPU-6050, connecting VCC to VCC and GND to GND.
    • Run two wires from the SCL and SDA pins of the microcontroller to the MPU-6050, soldering them to the corresponding pins. Check the SCL and SDA pins for your controller on the pinout diagram 
      • for ESP32: SCL #22, SDA #21
      • for D1 Mini: SCL #D1, SDA #D2
    • Ignore the other pins on the accelerometer
  6. LED and Data Line Setup
    • Solder one length of colored wire to a the data pin you chose before on the microcontroller (e.g., Pin 14 on ESP32, Pin 6 on D1 Mini). Run this data line up into the stem along with the power lines for the LEDs.
    • Trim the wires to allow just enough length for soldering.
    • Solder the data line to the “DI” pad on the first LED.
    • Solder the power lines to the VCC (+5V) and GND (-) pads next to the “DI” pad.
    • Continue soldering 3 cm wire patches from the “DO” pad of each LED to the “DI” pad of the next, creating a chain of LEDs spaced 3-4 cm apart.
  7. Testing
    • Connect the microcontroller to a USB power bank for testing.
    • If there’s no light or you see the magic smoke escaping, you may have shorted a connection. Double-check your work and replace any damaged components as needed. Don't worry too much, it happens. 
    • If everything works, wait for the self-check (colored dots), until the lights flash white. It should take roughly 6 seconds.
  8. Final Assembly
    • Glue the LEDs into the holes of the light stem and cap. Ensure the LEDs are firmly secured in place.
    • Glue the cap on top to form a “ball” of LEDs.
    • Mount the microcontroller and accelerometer to the inside of the baseplate. Ensure the accelerometer is flat and securely in place.
    • Install the baseplate on the body of the Tesseract and secure with 4 screws.
  9. Powering Up
    • Connect the USB power bank to the Tesseract.
    • IMPORTANT: Lay the Tesseract flat for 5-8 seconds when powering it up. This allows the accelerometer to self-calibrate. Once it flashes white, it's ready.
    • Notice: you can disable the colored self-check in the program by editing out lines 42-45 

Features:

  • Impact response: The light flashes brighter with a tap or hit.
  • Movement response: The cloud effect speeds up when the Tesseract is moved.

The Tesseract will run for around 15-20 hours on a 10,000mAh USB power bank, with the power cable hidden in your sleeve. 

 

Note:
This prop is for personal use only.

NO COMMERCIAL USE ALLOWED without prior authorization. This includes usage in ad-supported media.

If used in cosplay photos or videos, please credit this page for attribution.

Tags



Model origin

The author marked this model as their own original creation.

License


Highlighted models from creator

View more