#! /usr/bin/env python
 
import os
import sys
import shutil
import string
 
for root, dir, files in os.walk(sys.argv[1]):
    if len(dir) == 0:
        copy_from = sys.argv[2] + '/' + root.replace(sys.argv[1],'').translate(
                string.maketrans(':<>\|*?','_______'))
        try:
            for file in os.listdir(copy_from):
                if file == '.directory' or file.endswith(('.jpg','.jpeg','.png','.gif','.bmp')):
                    copy_file = copy_from + '/' + file
                    shutil.copy(copy_file, root)
        except OSError: pass

#!/usr/bin/env ruby
 
require 'find'
 
bad_str = ":<>\\|*?\""
bad_files = Array.new
 
Find.find(ARGV[0]) do |file|
	bad_files.push file
end
 
# reverse array so bad directories come after the files
bad_files.reverse!
 
bad_files.each do |file|
	basename = File.basename(file)
	if basename.count(bad_str) > 0
		dirname = File.dirname(file)
		new_file = File.join(dirname, basename.tr(bad_str, '_'))
		puts [file, ' -> ', new_file].join
		File.rename( file, new_file )
	end
end

Here it is before I skinned it down past the membrane. At this point, it looks the most like a “real” metroid.

Skinned it down past the membrane, and now it’s ready to be lit up for the first time.

You can’t actually see the real first time it was lit up. I only used one candle at first, and no light came through. I had to add 5 more to make it look good. For the rest of the process of carving it, I used a flashlight instead of lighting six candles every time I made a small change.

The pincers were cut out fully to make that part shine the brightest.

Here is a picture of me carving it. I started it while my wife was at work, so she took it when she came home.

This is the final revision. All of the metroid is completely skinned. The brain things in the center are rounded, and the things that attach them to the rest of the metroid fade away into the rest of it now.

Here it is lit up with a flashlight in the kitchen. This picture was taken with a muffled flash, so I could show more detail.

This is it outside on our makeshift patio. The process is complete.