Scarfwearer's Console Room

[Scarfwearer]

 I made a wall-panel-full of roundels and tried them in place. Here's how they look:

In the left picture, only the left panel has the new roundels. The uneven lighting on that panel is because the strip lights down the middle are missing.
Up close the roundels are actually not terribly well formed, but with a bit more practice I might get the mould heating even enough. The nice thing about vacuum forming is that each roundel is done in about a minute.
They change the ambience in the console room quite a lot, even with just one panel of them - it seems cosier and more enclosed.

Crispin

[kiwidoc]

 They make a visible difference Crispin - very nice     Are you going to yellow-ise them or is that a factor of the brightness of the lights?

[purpleblancmange]

 As usual Crispin, what a fantastic job you've done there and I totally agree with what you say, they do change the look of the room. Just when you think your project can't get any better, it does!

Lovely pictures too.

[dematerialiser]

 It looks *amazing* Crispin. Now all I need to do is convince my wife that our study really should look like yours...    Whoa there - got a Tardis to build first..!

I love the spread of light from the new roundels. Is vacuum forming difficult to do - is there a guide somewhere?

cheers
Chris

[Mark]

 Thoses new roundels do look great Crispin. Where the original ones in your console room just plain perspex (i.e. no relief detail?).

[Scarfwearer]

 I'm sure there are plenty of guides to vacuum forming online, but I'm not sure where. It doesn't seem too hard - but you shouldn't necessarily follow my method as I'm a beginner at this. There may even be people on this site who can advise.
The roundels I'm making are very white. I'm not sure whether I can make them yellower. Ideas anyone?

I've put up some web pages describing the fun I've been having on my website: http://relative-dimensions.net/Console%20Room/vacuum-former.htm. Just follow the 'Next -->' buttons.

Crispin

[dematerialiser]

 Thanks for that link, Cripsin (disclaimers noted re: beginner's methods    - for a beginner it looks pretty darn good to me..!

I loved the picture of the console room with only the ceiling lights on - you mentioned they're computer controlled, what gadgets are you using to do that with? Are you controlling via a pc and is it programmable? (I'm planning to remote-control my tardis lighting - dimming, sound fx etc,)

cheers
Chris

[Scarfwearer]

 Thanky kindly,

I have a couple a computer lighting control methods in use.

There's a home-automation product over here called X10 (not to be confused with the wireless security cameras). Looks like it exists in the UK as well, though I don't know where. Radio Shack has them in the states sold as 'Plug N Power'. You can buy a computer interface kit that plugs into a serial port, which is what I do.

I also use relays for some parts - PC relays which run on computer voltages driving 12V input relays which can switch mains voltages. The PC relays are driven by a mixture of parallel port direct access (via a shareware driver) and a USB digital I/O device.

I wrote some custom software to drive all that and bring it to life...

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

My TARDIS suffered a power failure today. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the eye of harmony, so I have to depend on terrestrial power which comes over wires on poles. These either blow over or get hit by something about twice a year, so the power systems are on Battery backup. When the power fails, the TARDIS rings the cloister bell, which is spooky when the house is silent and the console room is dark. This time I remembered to take some pictures:


Eventually even the Battery backup fails (usually minutes before the power comes back on). When power returned, I stumbled around the pitch dark console room with a light stick manually restarting the systems, as the lighting is on computer control and has no manual override. Fortunately the doors will just push open or closed, so I don't need a crank handle, a la "Death to the Daleks".
The displays glow brightly in the dark. I realise I haven't really shown what's on them:

   

The left display shows power meters for the various systems, drive system status and flight mode. The needles are low in the picture because it was taken whilst the battery backup was recharging.

The right display shows motion indication, artron energy uptake, power drains, etc. The flashing red bar lower right is a fault indicator, which reminds me to check the fault locator, which is available as another display mode. The vertical green stripes are a display fault (not indicated).

I suppose the English are known for being a bit eccentric...

Crispin

[meantimebob]

 oh wow, that is just stunningly beautiful! I love your displays as well.

Going back to your new roundels, they really do make the room look even more authentic. Aren't you tempted to make them in fibreglass though?

[Scarfwearer]

 I'm sure the roundels would look better in fibreglass - much more authentic - but I'm fibreglass-averse.
I also have around 100 roundels to make, and I can crank out one every 1-2mins by vacuum forming. Using GRP would take a long time I think, even with several moulds.

Crispin

[kiwidoc]

 Scarfwearer - how do you keep surprising us?!? That is amazing, and it's great ot see close ups of your panels too - they actually have read-outs which relate to real things!!

[dematerialiser]

 Thanks for the info on electrics, Cripsin - I'll check out the X10 computer controllable stuff when the time comes.

Awesome displays on your console!!!!
How did you make them? At this point I'm imagining that they're either custom built LCD's, or computer screens mounted underneath the console..
Are they touch-sensitive, or button-operated?

so many questions!   


cheers
Chris

[Scarfwearer]

 The displays are 15" LCD computer monitors. I got the kind which come off their stands, so I could build a wooden cradle under them. The computer in the console has two dual-head video cards and two sound cards with front and rear outputs, so it can drive four displays and six speakers independently.
The displays are not touch sensitive - all the settings are controlled by butttons and switches elsewhere on the console.

Crispin

[Scarfwearer]

 I just have to pass on a tip I figured out in the last few days.
I was just cutting some of my roundels in half (you're amazed...) and had trouble with the plastic chipping in the table saw. Even going slowly didn't help. The cracked ice pattern lighting diffuser I'm using is around 1mm thin, and where the relief bulges up I'm cutting an unsupported area - hence the splitting.
My solution was to stick masking tape along the cutting path and cut along the middle of that. End of problem! Nice straight cut edges again.
There can't be many people out there cutting roundels, but I dare say the tip might come in handy for something...

Crispin