A full video sphere is sixty-three printed parts: twelve screen modules at four parts each (case base, lid, stem port, BOOT plunger), plus the hub, twelve screen stems, the long mounting stem, and the pedestal. All of it came off a Bambu Lab X1C in standard PLA.
Clearance parameters
Every fit in the project goes through a variable with a name and a comment, and the comments admit what they are: printer-dependent guesses that get corrected by printing.
| Parameter | Value | What it tunes |
|---|---|---|
stem_clearance | 0.3 mm | Friction fit of stems into hub, port, and pedestal |
ridgeSlack | 0.35 (was 0.2) | How hard the case lid snaps onto the base |
standoffHoleSlack | 0.5 (was 0.2) | M3 self-tap pin fit in the PCB mount holes |
| Port pocket slack | 0.2 mm radial | Stem-port foot in its registration pocket |
The two “was” entries are the interesting ones. Both started at 0.2 mm and both were re-tuned upward after physical parts came off the printer. That loop (print, measure, change one number, reprint) is the actual workflow, and having every fit be a single named parameter is what makes the loop fast.
White, then black
The bring-up parts were printed in white (the hub, stems, and pedestal in the early prototype photos are all white plastic) and the production modules went black. The color call was about attention: on the finished sculpture the screens should be the only bright thing, and black cases recede where white ones pull the eye.
