MegaSphere
Description
MegaSphere ========== This set of files will allow you to build a 360 degree pixel MegaSphere for holiday lighting shows anywhere from 3' diameter to 7' diameter (or even more). Three main parts are required, the top, middle and bottom sections form the main structure of the sphere. The Spar connectors allow using two rods instead of one to increase the sphere size, while providing central support and helping maintain spacing of the spars. 32 x .187" x 56" rods are used for the main sphere (3' diameter), and 32 x.312" x18" rods are needed for the central supports. These can be ordered from goodwinds.com. (Links below) The fiberglass rods are cut to the desired lengths, then the spar connectors slid onto the .187" rods. Insert the ends of the .187" rods into the top and bottom sections, then insert the .312" rods into the center part. The spar connectors are then inserted into the center fiberglass rods, and M4 set screws lock the rods in place using the holes in the various parts. Extending beyond a single rod for very large spheres ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Center Spar Connector is designed so that two rods can be inserted and held in place using two M4 set screws allowing the overall circumference of the sphere to be increased. The small holes in each part are used for M4 set screws so that each rod can be locked in place. Since each rod is inserted 1" into the top and bottom sections the screws may not be required there, but the model does provide the capability if wanted. Print Settings ------------------ I printed using ABS with 7 shells/walls, and 20% gyroid infill. All parts are designed to be printed flat on the bed with no supports. Assembly ------------- To assemble the MegaSphere, first start by cutting the Fiberglass rods to length. The thinner .187" rods are cut to 56" (assuming a 3' sphere), and the thicker rods cut to length based on your sphere. The 3' sphere these are ~16" Start by placing the bottom printed part, mid and top part onto the 3/4" pole. These should be placed at the appropriate diameter for the size of sphere you are building. Thread a thin rod through the spar connector, and center it along the length of the rod. Insert one of the thicker rods into the center support, then insert one end of the thin rod into the bottom sphere printed part. Make sure the rod is fully inserted. There is a 1" hole at either end, so the rod will be securely held in the printed part, even without using an M4 set screw to secure it. Carefully flex the rod and insert the other end into the top printed part. At this point, check that the holes in the top middle and bottom parts are aligned, and that the distance is correctly set to create a smooth sphere. There is more than enough flex in the .187" rods when cut to 56" to create a 3" sphere. Longer rods will have less flex required, making larger spheres easier. While it may seem concerning to be bending these rods, they are quite flexible at this diameter and length. Once the distance of the three parts around the pole is set, and you are happy, there are holes in the shaft of the printed parts, that can be used to insert a screw through the pole to prevent the parts from moving. Take the spar connector and place it over the centre thick rod. The fiberglass rod will flex to allow you to slip the connector over the rod without pulling our either end of the rod or having any over-flex. If desired, you can now insert an M4 set screw into the hole in the top, and bottom printed parts to prevent the rod from being able to back out. Note that the assembly is remarkable strong and stable even without the set screws. Two set screws can be added to the spar connector. One connects the center thick support rod so it cannot flex out, and the other holds the thin rod in place to prevent the center spar from moving. Again these are somewhat optional as the structure is very stable without them. I recommend now installing the opposite side of the sphere by repeating the process above to create a circle. This will keep the rods in equal tension. From here, just go around the sphere adding rods one by one until you have all 32 installed. There are multiple options to install the pixels, however my recommendation is to use flat pixels rather than bullet pixels and zip tie them directly to the rods. I spaced the pixels @ 2", meaning that each spar needs 28 pixels. I start at the bottom and run 28 pixels from the bottom to top, then bring the string back down the next spar to the bottom. Currently the 360 sphere @ 3" uses 896 pixels, which I have configured as 4 strings of 224 pixels. With this configuration and 12V pixels, no power injection is required. You could easily reduce this number of pixels by increasing the spacing, or double it and change the spacing to 1". There really is no hard rule ... configure it to match what you want! In xLights, the standard sphere model can be used to setup your sphere. If you prefer to use pixel strip, you can install the pixels into the strip then attach that to the rods. It's your preference really! Storage ---------- The rods can be removed from the main printed top and bottom to allow the rods to be stored flat to save space. Using the ZipTie Saver file gives caps for either end of the rods to prevent the zipties and therefor the end pixels from slipping off the fiberglass rods. When disassembling, first remove the central spar connector from the centre spar, which will release the outer curved rod. Then remove one end of the rod and put one of the savers over the rod. Repeat at the other end. Since the sphere is built from multiple pixel strings, continue to remove rods until you read the end of the pixel string. XLights Configuration ----------------------------- The prop uses a standard xlights sphere. I'm using 4 ports currently, so the xlights setup is 4 strings, 224 nodes/string and 8 strands/string. This will weave the pixels up and down the sphere. Start at the bottom, run 28 pixels up, then 28 back down the next spar ... repeat until done. Preview and Build Videos ---------------------------------- More coming soon ...
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