How Was It Done

To get things done I decided not to

• make Power Point (TM) presentations
• write Word (TM) Document
• use TeamTrack (TM) (who the needs it anyway)
• use ClearCase (TM) (an over engineered piece of shit)
• use Visio (TM) for drawings
• use a 3D tool or CAD program

but

• type in basic VRML code using the splendid VrmlPad editor
• draw with a pencil on paper
• use an eraser for corrections

and

• make it work (prove that it can be done)
• make it nice (refactoring code)
• make it fast (but only where it makes sense)

When I had the basics in place I mailed Rick Furr the owner of The Calculator Reference a splendid website with a large section on the Curta with a request for some measurements.
View the version I send to Rick
Over the next months I received every measurement I asked for and lots of suggestions too.
Rick measured many of his Curta parts and also sent photographs of all the details.

From then on it was a matter of stepwise refinement

• fix a few mistakes
• call other mistakes features
• add another part or two
• think of a new gimmick

and the result is

• 70 .wrl files with the actual VRML worlds (total: 118 kB)
  • 1 main file of 8 kByte
  • 69 prototype files between 1 kB and 5 kB each

• 15 images texture files (total: 227 kB)
  • 2 x image texture for settings wheels (hi and lo-resolution)
  • 2 x image texture for results wheels adder (hi and lo-resolution)
  • 2 x image texture for results wheels turns counter (hi and lo-resolution)
  • 1 x image texture for base (bottom) plate
  • 1 x image texture for the colar
  • 1 x image texture for the indentations in the settings shaft of 12 kB
  • 3 x image texture for color settings wheels (3 kB each)
  • 1 x image texture for the reversing lever shaft
  • 1 x image texture for the body (standard)
  • 1 x image texture for the body (with color setters)

• 12 wave files for the sounds (total: 619 kB)