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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Soulcon on August 22, 2004, 09:13:19 am

Title: New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Soulcon on August 22, 2004, 09:13:19 am
With a little work and some cutting or routing I really think these little gems could make a very unique arcade system. Just think of the backlite possiblities. I don't know after I looked at a few of there examples it really got me thinking of funky plans. :) Well here they are!
What do ya think?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/cubegoodies/toys/6950/

-Soul

Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Hoagie_one on August 22, 2004, 09:58:58 am
yeah we used to do nintendo characters that way in paint.  now we can do it physically.
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Excretious on August 22, 2004, 12:32:07 pm
This is too cool!

(http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/action/large/2107a5e.jpg)
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: pocketbikez on August 22, 2004, 03:26:36 pm
that would look really cool made into a full rectangle marquee, sandwiched inbetween plexiglass and backlit. nice find
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Martoon on August 22, 2004, 03:27:39 pm
Very, very cool!

If you go directly to the PixelBlocks website http://www.pixelblocks.com (http://www.pixelblocks.com), it looks like you can get 200 packs of individual colors for $5.50 each, which might be a better option if you have a specific design you want to make (just get the colors you need).

And Stewart Toys http://stewarttoys.zoovy.com/category/constructiontoys.pixel_blocks (http://stewarttoys.zoovy.com/category/constructiontoys.pixel_blocks) looks to have better prices than ThinkGeek.  They also have the single-color 200 packs for $5 each, but they don't have the full selection of colors that pixelblocks.com has.
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: gprime on August 22, 2004, 07:52:30 pm
or... make the entire machine out of them!

if i had a lot of time, and money, i would *so* do that.  ;D
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Knoxximus on August 22, 2004, 09:03:10 pm
I wish I was artsy.....all I can do is compose music :'(
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: hunky_artist on August 23, 2004, 03:02:46 am
hey! music IS art.... just the kind you hear not see  ;)
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: simplygriff on August 23, 2004, 11:05:18 am
Cool.  There is a retailer about 7 blocks from my house that sells these.  I may go check them out.  
-G
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Martoon on August 23, 2004, 11:56:32 am
Just thinking over some numbers for using these for a marquee (backlit, obviously).  It says they're about 3/8" cubed, and from looking at them, I'm guessing that size is center-to-center when they're connected.  So if you wanted to make a marquee that consisted of a solid sheet of these, it would come out something like this:

Let's say the marquee is 36" X 9".  That would be 96 blocks X 24 blocks, or 2304 blocks.  The prices for the sets of blocks tends to come out to around 2 to 2.5 cents per block, so you'd be looking at $50 to $60, which isn't as bad as I thought it might be.  If Stewart Toys got the 2800 piece set back in stock, you could pick that up for $46 + shipping, but it might not have the selection of colors you want.  I think you might be better off getting the single-color 200 packs for $5 each and getting the colors you really want.

If anyone actually gets some of these, please let us know how they are. :)

Another cool pic:
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Martoon on August 23, 2004, 12:50:35 pm
Slight correction to my numbers.  I just did their interactive "Digital Stained Glass" thing on their website with a test 65 x 65 pixel image, and the 65 x 65 block pattern it gave me said it had a size of 20.3" x 20.3", which means each block covers about 0.3123" (a little less than 3/8").  So a 36" x 9" marquee would actually take 115 x 29 blocks, or 3335 blocks.
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: snekse on August 23, 2004, 04:43:34 pm
 :o

These would make awesome Marquees.  The only thing better would be entire side art out of something like this.  Expensive, but cool as hell.  Do something like a false wall so you can backlite your side art!  How cool would that be?

 :o
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: Soulcon on August 25, 2004, 11:15:02 am
You could also make a funky panel for those who don't want Coin Slots. Or haven't been able to find one for there converted cabs. I was thinking of picking about four boxs of the P{roffesional and 2 of the black and white to make things alot easier in color selection. Plus I can make a ton of things for multiplpe arcade systems. Just a thought.

-Soul
Title: Re:New idea for a funky sideart or Marquee?
Post by: patrickl on August 25, 2004, 02:40:42 pm
I thought I was having a deja vu experience ... PixelBlocks - Better than LEGO?
 (http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=20255;start=msg164166)