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A maker is using Google’s Gemini to generate OpenSCAD code and explore designs for a Fallout-inspired Halloween prop he is building with his son. The AI has produced usable geometry after repeated prompts, but it also ignored design instructions, and the project remains unfinished.
A maker is using Google’s Gemini to help design parts for a Fallout-inspired Halloween prop he is building with his son, including generating OpenSCAD code for 3D-printable components. The project is still in progress: the maker says repeated prompting and manual changes have produced useful designs, but the AI also missed requested details and the finished prop has not yet been assembled.
The project began after the maker’s son chose a costume inspired by Fallout 4. The maker ruled out constructing full power armor within the available time and instead planned a more modest look, with a decorated chest piece and scavenged-style accents. A motorcycle chest protector ordered online was delayed, so the maker said he would use foam and craft materials instead. The prop became the main focus of his design work.
To develop one component, he asked Gemini for code to make a truncated cone with a mounting ring. After several iterations, he settled on combining two truncated cones. The generated OpenSCAD code gave him adjustable parameters, allowing him to change the dimensions before printing. He said a test print, made with filament that was too wet, was still good enough to inform the next version. He plans to enlarge it and add holes for attaching it to a wooden box.
The maker also used Gemini to explore a handle design and to break a fictional tool into printable subassemblies. He said the proposed breakdown was not very useful, though it supported his idea of using pins to join parts with glue. He has modified AI-generated code himself, including changing hole counts and slot dimensions, and is printing a low-density version of another component before deciding whether to print it in a final color or remodel it in conventional CAD software.
AI Helps Bridge Sketches and Models
The account shows a practical, limited use of generative AI in a hands-on project: helping a maker move from an incomplete mental picture to editable geometry and a physical test print. For someone who finds it difficult to model unfamiliar shapes, code that can be adjusted by changing parameters may make early experimentation easier. The maker said the tool helped with steps he usually struggles with, rather than replacing the need to plan or build the object.
The limitations are part of the story. Gemini did not reliably follow requirements for the handle, according to the maker: it left side arms unflush, put pill-shaped holes in the wrong areas and added chamfers he did not want. That meant the output needed review and correction. The project also illustrates a practical trade-off: a quick assembly of separately made pieces attached to a wooden box may meet the Halloween deadline, while a more integrated design could require additional CAD work and time.
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From Fallout Costume to Prop
The maker described the work as a family project with a deadline approaching before Halloween. Rather than reproduce a specific in-game object, he persuaded his son to take a more flexible approach and consider a fictional detector, such as one for a synth, ghoul or mutant. The son will ultimately decide what to call the finished prop.
The planned build combines 3D-printed parts with a small wooden box, with screws, glue or hot glue potentially used to attach individual elements. The maker is also considering exterior wires and other details. He has previously modeled familiar objects, but says coordinating multiple new parts into a cohesive assembly is harder than designing a single component. A separate planned chest-protector substitute and a hard hat with a taped-on flashlight would help establish the costume’s scavenged appearance.
Some components shown in the design process are not necessarily part of the final prop. The maker says green air fittings in one view were printed from McMaster-Carr 3D files to check how fittings and quarter-inch inner-diameter hoses might fit together. He had not decided whether to use inexpensive metal fittings; the test was intended to help avoid ordering an unnecessary range of parts.
“The AI made a lot of mistakes, and I’m also learning how to better constrain dimensions in my prompts.”
— The maker, in the ToolGuyd report
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The Final Build Is Still Open
The prop has not yet been completed, and the maker has not confirmed which generated parts will make it into the finished version. He says he may remodel the handle and other components in Fusion or similar software to gain more control over dimensions and how parts fit together, but time may limit that work. The final appearance, assembly method and choice of fittings are also undecided.
It is not clear whether the rough first version will be ready by Halloween or whether later refinements will be completed in time. The maker’s account is a report of one project; it does not establish how well AI-generated code or designs will work for other users, materials or printers. The reported print was affected by wet filament, so it is not a clean test of the design alone.
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A Rough Version Comes First
The maker’s immediate goal is a rough first version that can be assembled before Halloween. He is printing a low-density handle design and plans to assess whether it works before choosing a final material color or making further changes. The next cone revision is expected to be larger and include mounting holes for the wooden box.
After testing the parts, he may revise the designs manually in CAD software, add exterior details and assemble the prop with his son. He has not provided a confirmed completion date or a final design. For now, the next milestone is whether the test pieces fit together well enough to support a usable first build.
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Key Questions
What is the maker building?
He is working with his son on a Fallout-inspired Halloween prop, potentially a fictional detector. The final name and design have not been settled.
How is Gemini being used?
The maker used Gemini to generate OpenSCAD code for shapes and to explore how a prop might break into printable parts. He then adjusted code parameters and plans to check the designs with test prints.
Did the AI create a finished, ready-to-build design?
No. The maker reported that Gemini missed several requested details and added unwanted features. The designs remain subject to manual revision and physical testing.
Is the prop finished?
No. The maker is printing and evaluating early components. He hopes to make a rough version for Halloween, but has not confirmed that it will be completed by then.
Source: rss
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