enigma.design
Show HN: A working 3D model of an Enigma machine
I watched the excellent Veritasium video [1] on the Enigma machine, and watched the full animation by Jared Owen [2], but was still a bit confused on how the inner mechanics of an Enigma machine work. I used Astra to build out the inner components through a combination of reference images, writing out hundreds of extremely detailed prompts, and building my own inspection tools to ensure that every part is sized and positioned in a historically accurate way. It's still a work in progress, but would love any feedback on the experience so far! 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsBZOcqZerk 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybkkiGtJmkM
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Really cool project! The only thing I noticed is that the performance feels a bit slow at times, and it could use a little more fluidity, especially when interacting with the model. Other than that, everything feels really well done. Building something like this in JavaScript/HTML, especially with a 3D model this detailed, must be quite challenging from an optimization standpoint. Great work!
Good job, I like the many cutaways to show exactly what's going on inside. You may be interested in my simulation of Enigma (https://enigma.virtualcolossus.co.uk) which I wrote back in 2021 (pre-AI!). One of several I've done. Try it on an Android phone to look around it in VR or on PC/Mac for easier use. You can even send messages to other users over the internet using the radio & Morse key.
Cool work. There are some of this educational gems here. Is there a site which combines these treasures (like in a virtual museum?)
Neat, would be great to have it in WebXR with hand tracking, imagining 2 modes : - AR where the machine can be put on your desk, next to documents - VR where the machine is in context, e.g. a 3D model of German Naval Signals HQ in Guernsey, eventually stepping back to a broader context.
I love the presentation! Would you mind sharing the source code?