PVC Designer

Guides and discussions about building water blasters and other water warfare devices such as water balloon launchers.
User avatar
SEAL
Posts: 2537
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
WWN League Team: Catskill Mountain SEALs
Contact:

PVC Designer

Post by SEAL » Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:27 pm

PVC Designer is a really cool program that allows you to stick pipe together to try out different homemade designs. It was created by Scavenger, who is not active anymore. I believe he posted it here a while ago, but I should probably make a new thread for the newer generation to use.

Here is the link to the download page.

Don't worry, it's not spyware or anything that will mess up your computer. People have used it for years, and it's completely fine. It is missing a few fittings, and you can't do 3D designs, but it will help you get the idea of what your blaster will look like, and if it will work or not.
~Hotel Oscar Golf~

We probably won't be back, but the legacy lives on.

HBWW
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm
Location: MI
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by HBWW » Tue Sep 07, 2010 9:25 pm

I should note that PVC Designer doesn't work at all on Windows 7, period. (With a little luck and a ton of time screwing around, you may be able to get it to work with the XP mode provided in W7 Professional/Business/Ultimate.) Not sure on Vista. Neither of the OS's compatibility modes really do anything and most of the time trying to run any program in compatibility mode won't work at all. You can try it yourself and see if it works and it probably won't.
HydroBrawl Water Warfare

Discord: m0useCat

User avatar
SEAL
Posts: 2537
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
WWN League Team: Catskill Mountain SEALs
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by SEAL » Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:22 am

Good point, I forgot about that. I use XP, not W7, so it runs for me.

So yeah people. If you have W7 or possibly Vista, then you'll have to stick to paint drawings or just plain drawing on paper (What I did before I found PVC Designer.). Sorry.
~Hotel Oscar Golf~

We probably won't be back, but the legacy lives on.

User avatar
isoaker
Posts: 7115
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:51 pm
Location: Elsewhere
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by isoaker » Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:01 am

Yeah, am a little surprised that it doesn't work even in the virtualized Win XP-mode in Windows 7; seems to be looking for direct access to the graphics card. Pity; 'tis a fun program.

:cool:
:: Leave NO one dry! :: iSoaker.com .:

FredCompany
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 4:11 pm

Re: PVC Designer

Post by FredCompany » Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:40 am

Someone should make a flash version (I might be able to get my friend to) so people who use Mac and Linux can use the PVC designer

User avatar
isoaker
Posts: 7115
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 1:51 pm
Location: Elsewhere
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by isoaker » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:32 pm

FredCompany wrote:Someone should make a flash version (I might be able to get my friend to) so people who use Mac and Linux can use the PVC designer
Would be cool to have a Flash version of this. I could theoretically make some of the drag'n'drop elements, but my Flash skills are rusty. If your friend could help the community out and make a version, that'd be sweet!

:cool:
:: Leave NO one dry! :: iSoaker.com .:

User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 1026
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:32 pm
Location: Mars, CA

Re: PVC Designer

Post by martianshark » Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:23 pm

Hi FredCompany. :)
CA99 wrote:It's funny because you can get 5 water bottles and a pencil for much less than $90.

HBWW
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm
Location: MI
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by HBWW » Mon Jan 03, 2011 7:57 pm

I'm taking a web design class for college this sememster. At the end I may or may not learn enough flash to put together a program like this.

Better yet, it'd be worth making one in 3D, but I have to spent a lot of time figuring things out.

I'll see what I can do. No promises as usual, but I myself could benefit from a re-dux of PVC designer with more parts, flexibility, and Windows 7 compatibility. Ideally (for best compatibility cross-platform), it would be done in Flash or Java, but I'm terrible with Java.
HydroBrawl Water Warfare

Discord: m0useCat

cherylfoster
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:33 am

Re: PVC Designer

Post by cherylfoster » Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:49 am

Designer PVC is a very cool program that lets you pipe sticking together to try different models home. It was created by Scavenger, which is no longer active. I think posted here some time ago, but probably should make a new topic for the next generation to use.

HBWW
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm
Location: MI
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by HBWW » Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:29 pm

Well, a friend recommended Visual C++ for this, and he can apparently write a quick 2D resize (zoom in/out/pan) script that works quickly, and VC++ is definitely more viable for this than Java.

Flash may end up being the way to go.

The reason I didn't create a new topic is because the project isn't quite rolling yet. If anyone can contribute to this, let me know. My friend could create the code necessary for this quite easily, but I'm pressed on time and lack the coding ability to do so. I'll have to get back to this later.
HydroBrawl Water Warfare

Discord: m0useCat

User avatar
SEAL
Posts: 2537
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
WWN League Team: Catskill Mountain SEALs
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by SEAL » Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:26 pm

Are there any more thoughts on creating a new version? After lightning took out our hard drive, we swiched to Windows 7, so I can't use this anymore. I doubt I could be of much help, since I'm pretty useless when it comes to programming and such, but it would be cool if someone made a new and improved (3D?) version.
~Hotel Oscar Golf~

We probably won't be back, but the legacy lives on.

User avatar
martianshark
Posts: 1026
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:32 pm
Location: Mars, CA

Re: PVC Designer

Post by martianshark » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:29 pm

I would be interested in a new version too, although I can't do anything to make it.
CA99 wrote:It's funny because you can get 5 water bottles and a pencil for much less than $90.

HBWW
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm
Location: MI
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by HBWW » Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:10 pm

Best suggestion I can make now is to use Sketchup or something; perhaps I could create a library of 3D pieces to use for it but at the moment I'm too busy to get to something.

Perhaps what I ought to do is make it in the UDK. It would help me get more familiar with it and learn how to work things up in the UDK better for the FPS project. Plus, it would be in 3D.
HydroBrawl Water Warfare

Discord: m0useCat

User avatar
atvan
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 5:19 pm
Location: A place you've never heard of

Re: PVC Designer

Post by atvan » Fri Jun 10, 2011 3:50 pm

I could help with making parts for Google Sketchup. The pipe would easy, but it might be best just to make a ring shape and let the user pull it to whatever length they want. In Sketchup Pro (which costs money) you could even make the valve open and close, or add a rotatary nozzle selector that actually rotates. No point in spending to get that though. The fittings would be harder, but I might be able to make some, idk. Also, it is a pain to move stuff around in Sketchup, or maybe I'm just clueless. I do know that it is not just drag and drop like in PVC designer though. Google Sketchup, however, is nice for other things to. For example, it is sometimes used to design RC planes.

I see two ways of doing this.
The one that makes the most sense is- have a thread where people post request for fittings to be made. If you feel you have the ability AND TIME to make the fitting(s), then reply in the thread that you will do so, then post a link when your done. This could also be done through PM, but would likely lead to multiple people making the same parts.

Or- have people make fittings at will and post them to some thread.

Finally, everyone should use the ID and OD from McMasterCarr to make sure all parts are compatible.
DX wrote:In the neanderthal days of K-modding, people would lop off the whole PRV
Well, not that much soakage.
Beware the Purple

HBWW
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:12 pm
Location: MI
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by HBWW » Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:03 pm

What we need is consistency, so base fittings and pipe should be done preferably by one person, and extra fittings can be done by others.

This actually gives me an idea for Project Soaking Trident (a water warfare FPS I'm working on in the Unreal Development Kit, which I will further document as I make progress on); create a 3D PVC designer in it for building homemades, which has the added benefit of being usable for ideas.

If someone wants to create a base library, go ahead. I'm still too busy at the moment, but after June 20th I'll be free to work on PVC Designer 2.0 and Project Soaking Trident.
HydroBrawl Water Warfare

Discord: m0useCat

DX
Posts: 3495
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:35 am
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by DX » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:43 pm

Did this ever get off the ground?
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

User avatar
SEAL
Posts: 2537
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 11:37 am
Location: Charlotte, NC
WWN League Team: Catskill Mountain SEALs
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by SEAL » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:23 pm

I think it exploded in the hangar.

But like I said, I wouldn't be able to help with much, so it would be up to someone else.
~Hotel Oscar Golf~

We probably won't be back, but the legacy lives on.

User avatar
atvan
Posts: 1226
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 5:19 pm
Location: A place you've never heard of

Re: PVC Designer

Post by atvan » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:24 pm

No, the doors weren't big enough, and the wingtips broke off. I have much more limited time during the school year, but XC is finally done (the season was as long as my summer break) and I will have more time than I had.

I might rebuild the plane.
DX wrote:In the neanderthal days of K-modding, people would lop off the whole PRV
Well, not that much soakage.
Beware the Purple

Fishfan
Posts: 544
Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:06 am
Location: Florida
WWN League Team: Havoc

Re: PVC Designer

Post by Fishfan » Wed Jun 20, 2012 9:55 am

Does anyone know what this screwing around is? I have window 7 home premium, so maybe I could get it to work.

DX
Posts: 3495
Joined: Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:35 am
Contact:

Re: PVC Designer

Post by DX » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:47 pm

Does anyone have the expertise for this project yet? The original program still works for me on my old XP desktop, but it would be nice to even just have a port of it to a newer OS. It's also missing threaded adaptors and screw-in plugs that are nice to have for pumps and reservoirs, not to mention WBLs.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests