Tesseract prop (interactive)

This guide will help you build a movie-size accurate Tesseract prop with interactive lighting effects, perfect for display or cosplay. Follow these steps closely to ensure proper assembly.

Note:
This prop is for personal use only.

NO COMMERCIAL USE ALLOWED without prior authorization. This includes usage in ad-supported media.

If used in cosplay photos or videos, please credit this page for attribution.

Material necessary:

• 3-part print, in Fillamentum Crystal Clear Blue or similar translucent filament
  • Print the baseplate stem side up
  • Print the body upside down
  • Print the sphere laying on the cuts
• 4 M3 brass inserts and 4 M3x10 countersunk head screws.
• 1 ESP32, D1 mini, or equivalent microcontroller (get the version without pre-soldered Dupont pins).
• 2 meters of 26AWG ribbon cable.
• 17 WS2812B PCB-mounted individual 5050SMD led diodes. Buy a few spares, if you are not used to them it's easy to mess up soldering.
• 1 MPU-6050 accelerometer
• One modular USB plug plus two thin, possibly transparent, AWG20 wires, 1.5 meters long. Commonly found as part for lighting equipment.

Tools:

• Soldering iron and solder. Strongly suggest a TS101 or similar, to fit the small spaces.
• Small pliers.
• Electrician's scissors.
• Hot glue gun.
• Screwdriver.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Print the Components
   • Print the 3-parts of the Tesseract using 100% concentric infill, 0.08 mm layer height, and no brim (except for the LightCap if needed).
   • Speed: Slow the print speed to 120 mm/s or less for PLA to avoid defects.
     (Note: The main body may take up to 24 hours to print.)
2. Prepare the Microcontroller
   • Connect the microcontroller (ESP32, D1 mini, or similar) to your PC via USB.
   • Load the program attached into the Arduino IDE.
   • If it doesn't show up by itself, remember to create a separate tab named HueFix.h and import the content of the file of the same name.
   • Look online for the PINOUT DIAGRAM of your microcontroller. Look for a suitable pin to be used as data line 
     • For ESP32 use pin 14
     • For D1 Mini use pin 6 
   • Change the lighting pin to your preferred data pin at line #18.
   • Upload the program using Arduino IDE, following the instructions specific to your microcontroller. You may be prompted to install some libraries, in case do so from the Library Manager (CTRL+SHIFT+I).
3. Prepare the Power Wires
   • Assemble two power wires to the USB plug, using the VCC and GND pins (ignore data pins).
   • Run these wires through the hole at the bottom of the light stem and base of the pillar. The USB connector shall be towards the flat side of the base.
     • In alternative, you could use a pre-made USB cable, but it will be more visible. Just find the VCC and GND wires with a multimeter, and cut the other two. 
4. Power Lines and Soldering
   • Find the VCC and GND pins on your microcontroller using the pinout diagram.
   • Cut four 15 cm strands from the ribbon cable, ideally 2 red and 2 black, 
   • Connect them to the power wires on one side. Solder two of them to the positive cable (RED) and two to the negative cable (BLACK).
   • You have now two strands of three wires, one positive and one negative. Solder the red wires to the VCC of the microcontroller, and the black wires to the GND.
   • Run one power line (red+black) up into the stem, leaving loose wires in the "ball" area for the LEDs.
5. Connect the MPU-6050 Accelerometer
   • Solder one power line (the one not leading to the “ball”) to the MPU-6050, connecting VCC to VCC and GND to GND.
   • Run two wires from the SCL and SDA pins of the microcontroller to the MPU-6050, soldering them to the corresponding pins. Check the SCL and SDA pins for your controller on the pinout diagram 
     • for ESP32: SCL #22, SDA #21
     • for D1 Mini: SCL #D1, SDA #D2
   • Ignore the other pins on the accelerometer
6. LED and Data Line Setup
   • Solder one length of colored wire to a the data pin you chose before on the microcontroller (e.g., Pin 14 on ESP32, Pin 6 on D1 Mini). Run this data line up into the stem along with the power lines for the LEDs.
   • Trim the wires to allow just enough length for soldering.
   • Solder the data line to the “DI” pad on the first LED.
   • Solder the power lines to the VCC (+5V) and GND (-) pads next to the “DI” pad.
   • Continue soldering 3 cm wire patches from the “DO” pad of each LED to the “DI” pad of the next, creating a chain of LEDs spaced 3-4 cm apart.
7. Testing
   • Connect the microcontroller to a USB power bank for testing.
   • If there’s no light or you see the magic smoke escaping, you may have shorted a connection. Double-check your work and replace any damaged components as needed. Don't worry too much, it happens. 
   • If everything works, wait for the self-check (colored dots), until the lights flash white. It should take roughly 6 seconds.
8. Final Assembly
   • Glue the LEDs into the holes of the light stem and cap. Ensure the LEDs are firmly secured in place.
   • Glue the cap on top to form a “ball” of LEDs.
   • Mount the microcontroller and accelerometer to the inside of the baseplate. Ensure the accelerometer is flat and securely in place.
   • Install the baseplate on the body of the Tesseract and secure with 4 screws.
9. Powering Up
   • Connect the USB power bank to the Tesseract.
   • IMPORTANT: Lay the Tesseract flat for 5-8 seconds when powering it up. This allows the accelerometer to self-calibrate. Once it flashes white, it's ready.
   • Notice: you can disable the colored self-check in the program by editing out lines 42-45 

Features:

• Impact response: The light flashes brighter with a tap or hit.
• Movement response: The cloud effect speeds up when the Tesseract is moved.

The Tesseract will run for around 15-20 hours on a 10,000mAh USB power bank, with the power cable hidden in your sleeve. 

Note:
This prop is for personal use only.

NO COMMERCIAL USE ALLOWED without prior authorization. This includes usage in ad-supported media.

If used in cosplay photos or videos, please credit this page for attribution.