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Comment by JoshTriplett | Hacker News Reader

This looks amazing. Several times in the last couple of decades, as graphics and physics engines have evolved, I've built little prototypes whose main goal was "this should work using real physics and mechanics", and then built things like marble machines. Games like Crayon Physics always felt so limiting; they were only about things bouncing off each other. I'd like gears that turn and mesh, light that diffracts, motors that naturally work in reverse as generators, and the ability to build machines that use more than one of those effects without any special-casing.

I look forward to playing with this, and extending it!

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I think what you're looking for is a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them. ;)

All jokes aside, this sandbox looks awesome and I want to play with it more. :)

Most importantly, the amount of things in your shed increases exponentially with respect to time.

In the blink of an eye, you'll have old lawnmower blades (for when I start forging), a full shelf of two stroke engines (shame to throw them away, when they almost run), at least 3 power tools that have been used a total of once (but they were on sale), a "random fasteners" drawer, and an entire woodworking area. *

* Woodworking area may only exist in your mind if you're younger than 50.

> Woodworking area may only exist in your mind if you're younger than 50

Why is that?

I believe that comment was to be written as "If you are younger than 50, woodworking area could be still in plans. If you are older, you definitaly already have woodworking area".

My tip for anyone in that position is to start buying stuff, I bought the biggest portable table saw (in retrospect, not the best approach) I could find and progressed from there. At the time I lived in a flat and worked on a balcony.

My first woodworking project was to make a wooden work bench on which I could do subsequent woodworking. The bench is still firm, solid and in use 15 years later.

My first project was a stand for the table saw. Working on the floor was a pain!

> a "shed". It's a space in the real world where all the usual physics apply and you can make things using them.

That sounds interesting; do you have a download link?

There are a few download links but it seems they all return HTTP status code 402.

Thanks, once you are familiar with it you can start extending it right away, a couple of motherboards running custom short scripts could implement all those things you mentioned and then you could make that machine (for example the motor/generator) available for others to use on their own machines!

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