3D Mapping laser backpack is the nerdiest backtoschool item ever

[Maes]

Now, if only they made a version with a direct-to-Doom/WAD firmware...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/203064/3dmapping_laser_backpack_is_the_nerdiest_backtoschool_item_ever.html

[gravager]

Pretty sure you would get suspended from any grade school 'round here for carrying that.. in my old district they only allow transparent plastic or mesh book bags. Luckily most of the kids have learned to conceal their weapons and narcotics in a girlfriend's purse or a body cavity.

Scanning your school into a .wad so you could live out your dreams of roaming the halls with a double barreled shotgun sounds like fun to me though.

[printz]

gravager said:

Pretty sure you would get suspended from any grade school 'round here for carrying that.. in my old district they only allow transparent plastic or mesh book bags. Luckily most of the kids have learned to conceal their weapons and narcotics in a girlfriend's purse or a body cavity.

WHO CARES? Being able to make maps like that is AWESOME. I WANT THAT TOOO :(

EDIT: Lol I'm afraid people will make the games too realistic after this. Or unoriginal. But still, cool.

[DoomUK]

I think I'm missing something. What are the serious/practical applications for such a contraption?

[gravager]

Batman missions

[Maes]

DoomUK said:

I think I'm missing something. What are the serious/practical applications for such a contraption?

In theory, making 3D maps/models of environments without painstakingly laying down polygons/linedefs etc. by hand. Sure it will need some cleanup, but hey..

[printz]

DoomUK said:

I think I'm missing something. What are the serious/practical applications for such a contraption?

If it really works and is not a hoax: making a 3d model of a building or a place. Useful for whatever simulations are needed, not just games.

It's like a real AutoMap too, it seems to work by the same principle.

[Xeros612]

gravager said:

Pretty sure you would get suspended from any grade school 'round here for carrying that.. in my old district they only allow transparent plastic or mesh book bags. Luckily most of the kids have learned to conceal their weapons and narcotics in a girlfriend's purse or a body cavity.

Heh, so you go to a school of paranoia. Urban, I presume?

I'd actually kind of like to get my hands on this though. Then I can create levels without learning how to use engine editors. :P

[Stupid Bunny]

printz said:

It's like a real AutoMap too, it seems to work by the same principle.

If they rename the product to AutoMap then I will totally buy one.

[Quasar]

Just imagine one day we'll be able to walk into a building and do this:

*MAP DATA ACQUIRED* (cue item get theme)

[printz]

Hopefully the id crew will borrow this contraption and release Doom 4 much earlier, seeing it's all on Earth.

[The Lag]

gravager said:

Batman missions

this is the best thing you have ever said.

[bgraybr]

gravager said:

Scanning your school into a .wad so you could live out your dreams of roaming the halls with a double barreled shotgun sounds like fun to me though.

I think that some kids have already lived out that dream.

[Nomad]

Yeah, I think I remember something like that. Derrick and Eustace or something like that.

[Technician]

Yeah, but they failed to kill the demons.

[Maes]

The ceiling crumbled and they were unable to kill.

[gravager]

My school was faaaar from urban actually. My shop teacher used to hang up dead game animals and skin them out back, during class. If you guessed I'm from Alabama you are correct.

I'm not sure why they came up with that rule; maybe it was a rampant drug or theft problem, or the people in charge just wanted to seem hip by doing what a lot of pansy educators were doing somewhere else. When I started elementary school in 1990 there was no such rule, it came about later. I don't think I saw a single backpack or book bag in high school, we carried our shit around and complained about it.