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A maker is using Google Gemini to help design and print components for a Fallout-inspired Halloween prop with his son. Gemini generated OpenSCAD code that the maker could adjust, but it also missed design instructions and produced errors, leaving the maker to revise parts and decide how to assemble them.
A maker is using Google Gemini to generate and revise OpenSCAD code for 3D-printed parts for a Fallout-inspired Halloween prop he is building with his son. The project is still underway: the maker says AI helped turn an incomplete idea into usable model geometry, but its mistakes and the work of assembling the parts remain his responsibility.
The original plan was a costume connected to Fallout 4, but the maker decided full DIY power armor was not feasible in the available time. Instead, he and his son are working toward a character with a decorated chest piece and a handmade prop. A delayed motorcycle chest protector also led him to consider foam and craft materials for the costume, while a hard hat and flashlight could contribute to its scavenged look.
The maker focused on creating a prop with components that would stand out. He used Gemini to help model a truncated cone with a mounting ring, eventually approaching it as two connected truncated cones. Gemini supplied OpenSCAD code, which allowed him to adjust parameters such as dimensions rather than start the model entirely from scratch. He reports that an initial print, made with filament he later found was very wet, was good enough to inform the next iteration.
For another part, Gemini-generated code became usable after repeated prompts. The maker then changed parameters himself, including adding holes to a mounting plate and adjusting slots. He was printing a low-density version to test it before deciding whether to produce a final print or remodel the components in software such as Fusion. The design is not settled, and the maker says he may use a small wooden box as a base, attaching separately designed parts with screws or glue.
AI as a Workshop Design Aid
The account offers a practical example of AI being used not as a finished-product button, but as a design and prototyping aid. Generated code gave the maker a starting point he could inspect and edit, helping him explore shapes before committing to a more detailed model or print. That may be useful to hobbyists who can describe a form but find it difficult to translate a mental image into CAD geometry.
The limits are visible in the same project. Gemini missed instructions about flush side arms and the placement of pill-shaped holes, and added chamfers the maker did not want. The maker still had to identify those defects, refine the code, assess test prints and plan how separate pieces would fit together. The report therefore describes a human-led workflow, with AI reducing some tedious modeling steps rather than replacing design judgment or hands-on fabrication.
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From Costume Idea to Printed Parts
The maker had experience modeling objects he had designed before, but found new designs harder when the final shape was not clear in his mind. That challenge became more pronounced when a prop needed multiple parts that would ultimately attach and function as a cohesive assembly. He describes that planning and integration as more difficult than modeling a single component.
He also tried asking Gemini to break down a fantasy tool shown in online wikis into printable subassemblies. He found the suggested breakdown unhelpful, though it supported his existing idea of using mounting pins for glue-on assembly. His son wants external wires, and the maker is considering how to incorporate them. The family’s plan is to create a rough first version and refine it if time allows before Halloween.
“The AI made a lot of mistakes”
— The maker, in the ToolGuyd report
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Design and Assembly Still Open
The report does not establish whether the unfinished prop will be completed before Halloween or what its final appearance will be. The maker has not settled on the final material or color, the exact arrangement of components, or whether he will keep editing OpenSCAD code or remodel parts in another CAD program. He also has not decided whether to use inexpensive metal air fittings; printed fittings are being used to check how potential parts could fit with quarter-inch inner-diameter hoses.
It remains unclear how well the test prints will fit together once the whole prop is assembled. The maker says the current prints are for visualization and iteration, not proof that the final design is ready. His son will decide what to call the prop, which the maker has suggested could be a detector for synths, ghouls or mutants.
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A Rough Version Before Halloween
The next step is to evaluate the low-density print and revise the parts, including a planned larger cone with mounting holes for attachment to a wooden box. The maker expects to build a rough first-version prop from individually designed components, potentially using screws, hot glue or other adhesives. If the assembly works, he may print selected pieces in their final color; if not, he can change the geometry or remodel parts manually.
The maker says the project is a collaboration with his son and that time is limited. He has not yet reported a completed prop or final costume. Any later update would show whether the AI-assisted models and the planned assembly method proved workable in the finished build.
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Key Questions
What is the maker building?
He and his son are making a Fallout-inspired Halloween costume and prop. The prop’s final identity and design are not yet set.
How is Gemini being used?
Gemini generated OpenSCAD code for model components, including a pair of connected truncated cones. The maker can change parameters in the code and use prints to test the geometry.
Did the AI produce a finished design?
No. The maker reports that Gemini ignored some instructions and added unwanted details. He is correcting the output and planning the parts’ assembly himself.
What happens to the prop next?
The maker is testing low-density prints and plans to attach components to a small wooden box. He hopes to make a rough version for Halloween, but has not confirmed that it will be finished by then.
Source: rss
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