The first step is to know what you're creating, and you won't know that until you try to repair the large Tesla coil in the lab.

After Ryan has given you the blueprint to use --

-- come back to Mason's computer and open the program; the blueprint will appear in the upper right. Your goal here is to reproduce the piece one layer at a time. Read to the end of this hint for a screenshot showing how the final layout should look.

The four grids at the left represent the four vertical layers you'll be building. Click anywhere on the bottom grid to place a block on the lowest level, and you'll see it appear on the three-dimensional view in the middle of the screen.

The view in the middle rotates, as if it's on a turntable; however, notice that when you do this the grids at the left don't move. This means you have to keep a pretty clear mental image of what you're doing.

I've found the best success with this little chore by starting on the bottom and building up using one view for reference, then moving on to the next view and adding or subtracting the blocks that don't fit.

This is a difficult task and one that takes a flexible mind and a sharp understanding of physical space. If you're like me, it'll probably take you quite a few tries until you get it down. Just keep at it and save your game every once in a while to preserve your progress.

When you think you have it nailed, click on the "Print Design" button to send it to the 3D printer in the lab. If you built the piece correctly, Nancy will tell you so; if she doesn't say anything, well, try, try again. Or you can go ahead and create it just to see what you get.

Totally flummoxed by this? Here's the final design that works:

After you press the "Print Design" button, go down to the 3D printer in the lab, click on the screen at the left, and press "Print." The actual creation process takes 12 hours, so go change from day to night or vice versa, then come back to the printer, open the box at the right, and see your creation. If it's a blob, you need to try again; if not, you're good to go.