Valve released CAD (Computer Assisted Design) files for their Steam Controllers in a ZIP archive yesterday.
The files were released so users can view and make alterations to the controller’s design.
Pierre-Loup A. Griffais, a developer at Valve, detailed the project on the Steam Community page, saying:
“We are making available, under Creative Commons licensing, the geometry of all externally visible parts. This allows you to create and share to your heart’s content, but you’ll need to get in touch with Valve if you want to sell your creations. The archive contains several eDrawings viewer files: from Creo Express and native Modeling, to neutral exchange and 3D print files – for compatibility with a wide variety of your design tools.”
To spur on the process of sharing alternate designs, Valve has also released variations of the battery door, allowing the controller’s wireless USB receiver to fit into a compartment in the controller.
The move has drawn a warm response from the Steam Community, however at the time of this writing, all links to the ZIP archives, hosted on Dropbox, have been temporarily disabled, with Dropbox stating the account’s links are generating too much traffic. It is unknown if the archives will be re-enabled, or if they’ll be hosted somewhere else.
Visit the Steam Community for more information.
