Build a working 3D Enigma machine from reference images and prompts
After watching explainer videos, the author used Astra to build the inner components of an Enigma machine in 3D, writing hundreds of detailed prompts against reference images and building their own inspection tools to check sizes and positions.
Source
primitivesuave on Hacker News · 2026-09-29 · Project link
Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-16.
What they did
After watching explainer videos, the author used Astra to build the inner components of an Enigma machine in 3D, writing hundreds of detailed prompts against reference images and building their own inspection tools to check sizes and positions.
Result (as claimed)
Live at enigma.design (work in progress); 118 points on Show HN.
Tools they used
Cost: GPT-6 Astra: from $10 in / $50 out per 1M tokens.
Set it up
Write a one-page brief
Describe the app in plain words: who it is for, the 3 core screens or actions, and what "done" looks like.
Start the project with your agent
Open GPT-6 Astra and paste the brief. Ask it to propose a stack and a file plan before writing code.
Build one slice at a time
Ship the smallest working flow first, run it, then add features one by one. Commit after each working step.
Test it like a user
Click through on desktop and phone. Ask the agent to add basic tests and fix anything that breaks.
Check security and ship
Keep keys in environment variables, check auth and database rules, then deploy and share the link.
Copy the full setup prompt
Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code. Goal: Build a working 3D Enigma machine from reference images and prompts What the original author did: After watching explainer videos, the author used Astra to build the inner components of an Enigma machine in 3D, writing hundreds of detailed prompts against reference images and building their own inspection tools to check sizes and positions. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Live at enigma.design (work in progress); 118 points on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49896757 Tools they used: GPT-6 Astra Category: Vibe coding & apps Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Codex. Goal: Build a working 3D Enigma machine from reference images and prompts What the original author did: After watching explainer videos, the author used Astra to build the inner components of an Enigma machine in 3D, writing hundreds of detailed prompts against reference images and building their own inspection tools to check sizes and positions. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Live at enigma.design (work in progress); 118 points on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49896757 Tools they used: GPT-6 Astra Category: Vibe coding & apps Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Grok Bot. Goal: Build a working 3D Enigma machine from reference images and prompts What the original author did: After watching explainer videos, the author used Astra to build the inner components of an Enigma machine in 3D, writing hundreds of detailed prompts against reference images and building their own inspection tools to check sizes and positions. Reported result (as claimed by the author): Live at enigma.design (work in progress); 118 points on Show HN. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49896757 Tools they used: GPT-6 Astra Category: Vibe coding & apps Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
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