New Republic Flight Trainer

[Monkeyvoodoo]

Well lets see. You need a 4 way, 8 way, analog, rotating one, a spare and a trackball for all 4 players.....oh and a keyboard tray.....oh and 12 buttons each.....and an admin panel.... and a steering wheel, star wars yoke, paperboy handlebars duhhhh, periscope, dancepad and periscope.

Oh













Cupholders.

You forgot the shotguns for big buck hunter.
It will play big buck hunter right?


Sent from a pineapple under the sea

[Le Chuck]

I'm having a dilemma.  I'll put it to the group for input. 

R2's drink tray in ROTJ is a deep gold with black detailing.  It is a pretty iconic look but if I do that then the controls will pretty much need to be gold and black - which I'm not super crazy about. 

I have been planing to do the CP tray in Silver as a base with white and blue - like the rest of R2.  This will give me a third color to work with on the CP and I like the different combos I can work with significantly more.  I keep returning to gold tho, I'm worried that the tray will lose the "pop" if it looks like a component of R2 rather than a retrofit. 

What say you oh forum goers - stick to canon as much as I can based on the nature of the build ---or--- forge on into unexplored territory? 

[yotsuya]

I say stick with canon.

[mcseforsale]

How about make them look like drinks?  You can still maneuver a joy that's shaped like a shot of super nerdy drink glasses.  Anyone have a shot of the drink tray full?

AJ

[Maximus]

Not surprising to hear this from me but...

Screw canon.

R2 never had frikkin' joysticks or buttons either but you are going to put those on without a second thought. You're designing something that has a specific aesthetic and continuity to it, don't compromise it  just so Star Wars purists won't give you a hard time.

[Monkeyvoodoo]

I say keep it canon. Lucas may have strayed but we expect greater things from you


Sent from a pineapple under the sea

[yotsuya]

Not surprising to hear this from me but...

Screw canon.

R2 never had frikkin' joysticks or buttons either but you are going to put those on without a second thought. You're designing something that has a specific aesthetic and continuity to it, don't compromise it  just so Star Wars purists won't give you a hard time.

Well, to be honest (since you mentioned it), I wouldn't put joysticks and buttons on the tray, either. When LeChuck first unveiled this setup, I thought the R2 unit was solely going to house the guts of the machine plus the projector for the flight trainer. I was surprised when he later posted that he was planning on putting game controls on unit. Cupholders on it I can see making sense because that's what the tray is for. Joystick and buttons in order to play Street Fighter? Not so much. That's just me. I think the R2 unit looks fantastic, and I wouldn't compromise it's looks by putting controls on top of it.

[PL1]

If you want to keep it canon and have the option of joysticks and buttons on R2D2:

-- Build the drink tray/cupholders to look canon.

-- Build a removable/portable CP (or 2) that can be secured to the tray and plugged into a USB port.

As long as the CP mod is done in a different style than the drink tray mod, the CP could look like a mod to the drink tray mod.

Bonus points for making the CP low-profile by using Goldleaf/Sanwa/Seimitsu buttons and putting the drink tray (blue) cupholders (green) where the joystick bases will fit into them.

Hollow out space (yellow) for the wires and encoder between two layers of MDF (tan) and include a protective cap (gray) over the part of the joystick that protrudes into the cupholder.


Scott

[jdbailey1206]

Okay here is a new idea.  Why not just have a gigantic joystick that controls everything? (ie buttons, regular joystick, tron joystick, yoke, spinner, trackball, etc.)  I've shown a reference below in case there is any confusion.     

[Le Chuck]

Good points of view!  Thanks for the recommendations, keep it coming.

Yot - to be fair I revealed my intention to use joysticks and buttons on the tray back in the first R2 post (73ish), but I can totally see your point of view on the matter.

The tray already has a 7^o slope so it's designed from inception to be a CP, just needing to figure out how to thread the needle.

Joel's opinion is both no surprise and also where I've been leaning - but I really like hearing from folks and seeing different ideas on how to handle things now that I'm at that stage of the build (thanks Scott, your feedback is always innovative). 

[yotsuya]

Yot - to be fair I revealed my intention to use joysticks and buttons on the tray back in the first R2 post (73ish), but I can totally see your point of view on the matter.

The tray already has a 7^o slope so it's designed from inception to be a CP, just needing to figure out how to thread the needle.

I went and reread that post, and yes, you do allude to it being a CP. I guess when I first read it back then I thought it was solely going to be for drinks, as that was what it was for in the movie (see my "protocol droid" post a few down from it).

Joel's opinion is both no surprise and also where I've been leaning - but I really like hearing from folks and seeing different ideas on how to handle things now that I'm at that stage of the build (thanks Scott, your feedback is always innovative).

When I say stick with canon coloring, it's solely in agreement with your concern on the aesthetics of the piece. I agree with you completely that a silver-colored tray will blend in too much with the R2 coloring. A gold tray will provide a clear contrast while looking more authentic, and will satisfy any observers who care about it being canon. I think deep down inside you do care about authenticity, as I know you are a real Star Wars fan yourself. After all, you redid the R2 dome, when honestly it probably looked fine to all of us observers.

Your work is solid, Le Chuck, and I like the fact that you solicit feedback and don't take it personally when something might not vibe with your vision. That's the mark of a confident man. I have no doubt that whatever you choose, you'll make it work.

[Maximus]

Pffft I don't follow canon and look how well my stuff turns out...

[mcseforsale]

Dude. that's so awesome.  Amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Subscribed.

AJ

Pffft I don't follow canon and look how well my stuff turns out...

[yotsuya]

What do you mean, that fits the Stars War canon perfectly.

[Maximus]

"STARS WAR!"

In a galaxy a long far away, a secret 5 year mission to discover new space ships and wizards will commence for the good of mankind.

SO SAY WE ALL!'

(Pffft and you think I haven't read all 4 books)

[Le Chuck]

Yotsuya  x 1000

What you said about the color and blending in is where my concern has been as well. 

Whatever I do I'll take a considered approach and if it doesn't work, well, it's only wood - we can try again. 

Joel:  I've been working on a Stars War back tattoo with Jar Jar and Gandalf throwing tribbles at eachother, I'd like you to take a look. 

[yotsuya]

I think Stars War is, after Doctor Whom, one of those under the radar things that will break out pretty big.

[Maximus]

Joel:  I've been working on a Stars War back tattoo with Jar Jar and Gandalf throwing tribbles at eachother, I'd like you to take a look.

I'm not falling for that "hey Joel come and see my new tattoo" trick for the third time

[Vigo]

Thinking outside the box here. Can you make drink joystick covers? Meaning, you put a couple dummy beverages that slip over the joysticks when not in use. When in use, just pull the drink cover off and then you can make the joysticks look however you want. The buttons can just blend in with the tray with a black.

That way you can honor canon and have your own color joystick, and help keep your joysticks dust free.

Thinking off the top of my head, the way I would (try to) make the covers would be to start with real glasses that look star wars accurate, carefully drill holes in the bottoms of the glasses and insert a joystick sized hollow cylinder with a cap into the hole. This will be the area the joystick slips on. Paint the outside of the cylinder whatever color your drink is gonna be. I would probably make it something dark looking, like Guinness colored. Then get some craft water, that gel stuff they use in artificial flower vases to make it look like the fake flowers are really in water. Add dye to make it a dark enough that the cylinder inside is not noticeable and pour it in the glass.

If you want to cover up the buttons as well, you could make a whole control panel cover like this. Permanently attach your fake glasses onto a top overlay panel that slips on top of the control panel. Cut out an empty area on the bottom of the overlay panel to make clearance for buttons. Pull the whole panel off when in use. Then the only thing out of canon is that R2's drink tray will be about 3/4th of an inch thicker. (and I realize it is a complex shaped panel and would be a lot of work to make, but you are the infamous Le Chuck, you can handle it.)

[jdbailey1206]

Went back to the drawing board and worked out a solution to your problem.  We can just transpose the game controllers for arcade parts.

[WaRpEd]

Hey Lechuck I love where your going with this build the attention to detail is inspiring. That being said a balanced approach seems the best way, the tray holder was a retrofit of R2 so I would go with a different color as well maybe a gun metal grey.I like vigo's idea of a false drink topper. Keep up the great work.

[Le Chuck]

Bondo, glaze, hi-build primer, four coats of paint with progressive sanding on the dome.  Getting there.

[Maximus]

Shiny!!

[jdbailey1206]

Well lets see. You need a 4 way, 8 way, analog, rotating one, a spare and a trackball for all 4 players.....oh and a keyboard tray.....oh and 12 buttons each.....and an admin panel.... and a steering wheel, star wars yoke, paperboy handlebars duhhhh, periscope, dancepad and periscope.

Oh













Cupholders.

Something like this?----->   

[TopJimmyCooks]

Well lets see. You need a 4 way, 8 way, analog, rotating one, a spare and a trackball for all 4 players.....oh and a keyboard tray.....oh and 12 buttons each.....and an admin panel.... and a steering wheel, star wars yoke, paperboy handlebars duhhhh, periscope, dancepad and periscope.

Oh













Cupholders.

Something like this?----->   

Man, hadn't seen that one.

Griffmax-You're missing one obvious arcade control considering the dome - Planetarium projector!?  for playing tailgunner on the ceiling!

[BadMouth]

I think an analog trigger stick in the center raised section of the drink tray would be good, especially with Star Wars Trilogy being playable with Supermodel.
Not much depth to work with there, so you'd probably have to go with an old PC one instead of a Happ.

Then standard joystick and button layout on each side of that and drink-holders in the front raised sections.
Guns could go in holsters on the speeder bike.  (this project does still include a speeder bike?)

If R2 had a drink-holder attachment, it's not inconceivable that there were other attachments utilizing the same design.

[Le Chuck]

The speeder will be the controller for SW Trilogy. Not a bad idea having multiple CPs tho. Hrm...

[Vigo]

The speeder will be the controller for SW Trilogy.

All that work to just play a Jakks TV game? 

[jdbailey1206]

The speeder will be the controller for SW Trilogy.

All that work to just play a Jakks TV game? 

Vigo why not just change your profile pic.  I have attached it below.   

[jdbailey1206]

Le Chuck.

Hope I'm not offending you with my jokes.  You do amazing work and I feel like I might have stepped on your toes with my past posts.  Either way keep up the good work and I'll try not to hijack your thread in the future. 

[Le Chuck]

Le Chuck.

Hope I'm not offending you with my jokes.  You do amazing work and I feel like I might have stepped on your toes with my past posts.  Either way keep up the good work and I'll try not to hijack your thread in the future.

Dude, have no idea what you're talking about.  You're fine in my book.  Keep on keeping on.  Sorry if I gave you a wrong impression some how.  Hugs, nohomo, etc ad nauseum. 

[Le Chuck]

Just as an open note to everybody - if I have a problem with you I will very much let you know in no uncertain terms.  That said I rarely have problems with anybody.  I gather that I tend to give off a vibe that reads otherwise from time to time.  Several people have run into this, rablack, hyper, jd, lots of folk I like.  That's part of the nature of communicating through short blocks of text; however, if you met me in person you'd realize that I'm a somewhat prickly cantakerous guy that tends to give off a vibe like he's upset about something while not being bothered in the least...um, well, nevermind about the text bit then.  Known issue.  Back to work minions!

[mcseforsale]

You must be new around here.  Just think of LeChuck as your big brother.  You'll get punched in the arm a lot, but at night, you can use his toothbrush to wash the toilet.   

AJ

Le Chuck.

Hope I'm not offending you with my jokes.  You do amazing work and I feel like I might have stepped on your toes with my past posts.  Either way keep up the good work and I'll try not to hijack your thread in the future.

[Vigo]

Le Chuck.

Hope I'm not offending you with my jokes.  You do amazing work and I feel like I might have stepped on your toes with my past posts.  Either way keep up the good work and I'll try not to hijack your thread in the future.

[Sam Eagle] Le Chuck may not be affronted by your ill-mannered commentary, but I, however, am offended that you insinuated that I suffer from a "Carpathian Kitten Loss". I, for one, am appalled by this degenerative behavior! To ensure that the quality and moral content of this thread is upheld, I demand you cease this repulsive behavior at once! Am I the only decent, upright, and normal one here? Why I remember a time when this forum was about decency and respectability! [/Sam Eagle]

[Le Chuck]

You must be new around here.  Just think of LeChuck as your big brother.  You'll get punched in the arm a lot, but at night, you can use his toothbrush to wash the toilet.   

AJ

Right!  Wait...wut

[jdbailey1206]

Nevermind the man behind the stupid double post.

[jdbailey1206]

You must be new around here.  Just think of LeChuck as your big brother.  You'll get punched in the arm a lot, but at night, you can use his toothbrush to wash the toilet.   

AJ

 

I just didn't want to come off as Annoying Childhood friend meme.  Or worse Scumbag Steve.  My wife says I have a humor that is an acquired taste.  Maybe thats why she giggles when she sees me naked.   

[yotsuya]

You must be new around here.  Just think of LeChuck as your big brother.  You'll get punched in the arm a lot, but at night, you can use his toothbrush to wash the toilet.   

AJ

 

I just didn't want to come off as Annoying Childhood friend meme.  Or worse Scumbag Steve.  My wife says I have a humor that is an acquired taste.  Maybe thats why she giggles when she sees me naked.   

That, or your tiny pee-pee.







Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwweew.......just kidding.   

[lcmgadgets]

[Sam Eagle] Le Chuck may not be affronted by your ill-mannered commentary, but I, however, am offended that you insinuated that I suffer from a "Carpathian Kitten Loss". I, for one, am appalled by this degenerative behavior! To ensure that the quality and moral content of this thread is upheld, I demand you cease this repulsive behavior at once! Am I the only decent, upright, and normal one here? Why I remember a time when this forum was about decency and respectability! [/Sam Eagle]

 
I can hear Sam's voice as I read this. That's EXACTLY how hw would have said it.

[jdbailey1206]

...You're fine in my book.  Keep on keeping on.  Sorry if I gave you a wrong impression some how.  Hugs, nohomo, etc ad nauseum.

Le Chuck.  Did you just Joe Dirt me?  I'm more worried about that than the man love.  (no homo)