CP-1 Command Pod: The VR Space exploration project

[SpaceHedgehog]

Finished beveling all the edges and routing out the insets for the materials to sit in:

Beveling:



Inlays:







The depth of the inlay for the wire mesh is about 2mmm whilst that for the rubber and artwork is around 7mm.

Edit: That's it for today ...

[markc74]

Really nice work mate. I really like that you're following the same theme as your other cab so they go together. I'll be doing the same when I build my pinball cabinet (called "Flip" obviously!).

Sucks having a cold and working with MDF though...

Edited for grammar. Because my mum told me to.

[ChanceKJ]

...my pinball cabinet (called "Flip" obviously!).

  

[SpaceHedgehog]

Really nice work mate. I really like that you're following the same theme as your other cab so they go together. I'll be doing the same when I build my pinball cabinet (called "Flip" obviously!).

.

Thanks for that  I'll look forward to your pinball cab; if it's anything like your Blip cab, it will be most excellent. I'm not just saying this when I consider your machine to be the best traditional style cab I've seen on here. My kind of colour scheme with something 2001'esque about it. Understated, meticulously detailed and frankly, a veritable classic. A great name for the new project, but you know that already

Just a simple pic to show the position of the throttle for this build. The bottom of the case will be about level with the top of my knee when attached:

[SpaceHedgehog]

First fine ribbed rubber insert complete. Backing board cut:



Rubber cut:



Glued together using this:



In-place:

[SpaceHedgehog]

I've completed the second rubber inlay and cut the first section of mesh:

[BorgDog]

Very nice work! 

Out of curiosity, how did you do the large bevel around the edge?  It is very smooth and consistent.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Thanks BorgDog  It's done with a router/chamfer bit. Very easy to do really provided you have a nice straight perimeter/edge to work with. All this has been done with a hand held router rather than a router table.

Mesh done for both sides:



Upright with throttle:



It's starting to look like something now.

Edit: Ejection seat stickers turned up in the post:



These will be embedded into the build behind some acrylic - not sure where yet.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Artwork/logo will be simple. I may resize the font a fraction smaller:



It will be black rather than gray, naturally.

Edit: Font is Neuropol X if anyone's interested.

[jackiabu]

I am so enjoying follow your projects.

You are doing an amazing job.

By the way i see where you put the position of the throttle for this build...You do not have a problem with the USB cable length? i ask this , because I built something similar in the past  to my arcade machine.

But in the end I found a solution ...http://jackiabu.blogspot.co.il/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=2

anyway keep the amazing job you doing 

[SpaceHedgehog]

Thanks jackiabu  The USB cables for both the throttle and the stick (they have 1 each) will be fed into a Neutrik USB adapter located on the top of the side pods.



I have only made the sides for these pods so far. There will be a section 4cm in width between these which gives me space to attach the Neutrik connector to. The USB cables from these adapters will be fed through the underside of the seat into a USB hub located in the back of the seat - I'll be making an access hatch so I can get inside easily. The USB hub will connect to a USB repeater so I don't run into any issues with overall USB cable lengths:



There's plenty of space inside the cases to accommodate any 'excess' cabling from the HOTAS so it won't look untidy.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Trying to come up with a logo that's not over-stylized but simple and effective. This is what I've come up with:



Thoughts?

[Slippyblade]

Feels like the letters need depth to them.  Like a bit of extrusion or something.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Interesting idea, like an inverted drop shadow or something?

[ChanceKJ]

I'd say flat. sans serif,  Just a slightly thicker than medium weigh Helvetica variant. maybe add some gaps in the P and break up it's Counter.  More of a futuristic military font. Something you'd see on Space:Above and Beyond, but before going the full rustic future dystopian spray paint feel.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Cheers Chance, I'll look at that font. I did find another good one - AR DESTINE. Still trying to make the the logo pop a bit but my Photoshop skills are somewhat lacking. I think this is much better than the first:



Improvement?

[njay]

Do you have a ingame name yet?

so i can shoot you from the sky? 

[SpaceHedgehog]

Do you have a ingame name yet?

so i can shoot you from the sky? 

Yes, it's Commander Marcus Antonius (connection with Cleopatra with the asp and all that - tenuous link with snake ship names in the game, I know). Feel free to engage 

More work on the artwork. More complex than originally envisaged but getting to the point where I'm happy with it. I've taken the window shape into consideration when putting this together:



Edit: Frontier are the developers for Elite Dangerous btw.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Hmmm ... nearly there I guess ... for now. Added a couple of lines to make it look more like corporate branding:



Anyone who's good at Photoshop, it this any good or are there any other simple effects I could be looking at?

[Slippyblade]

I like it, it has the depth I was thinking about.  Though the '1' looks a little off.  How's it look as a single piece?

[SpaceHedgehog]

Thanks for that Slippy. Your idea about the depth has definitely made a difference. I wish you hadn't mentioned the '1'; I'll have a look at that now ...

[SpaceHedgehog]

Still experimenting on the '1' ... Artwork printed out in draft. I will shrink this by a few percent for a better fit - it's too close to the edge at present:

[AzureKnight]

On the "1", to me it is the font.  I've never been a fan of fonts that round the top right corner of a 1.  I like the the Robotech font personally 

If you keep this font I'm not sure what you can do, if you square off that top corner then it might look really odd compared to the CP.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Ok, after checking out the Robotech font, I decided it was an option. It doesn't lend itself to using the inner stroke approach so I used it on the outside instead. This is what I cam up with:

Looking for some feedback/critique from you guys on this as I like both:

[Generic Eric]

Ok, after checking out the Robotech font, I decided it was an option. It doesn't lend itself to using the inner stroke approach so I used it on the outside instead. This is what I cam up with:

Looking for some feedback/critique from you guys on this as I like both:

Send it to the printer!

Your diligence is noted Commander, your Freagle awaits!

[Slippyblade]

Yep, I think we have a winner.

[ChanceKJ]

Ok, after checking out the Robotech font, I decided it was an option. It doesn't lend itself to using the inner stroke approach so I used it on the outside instead. This is what I cam up with:

Looking for some feedback/critique from you guys on this as I like both:

Yep. This for sure. I like it minus the amount of gradient. I'd tweak it a bit and give it less (or none at all). Maybe a version where there's no "3D" effects and it's just a flat looking image? Simple and subtle.

[AzureKnight]

I think it looks great (although I'm biased as I already admitted to liking that font).  I like the 3D depth on it due to the fact that you have beveled edges everywhere on the project so it seems to blend well.

[SpaceHedgehog]

Thanks for the input and feedback guys    It looks like the newer version is the clear winner. I think Chance has a point - maybe a slightly less gradient. Going to get the proportions for this right now and send off to have it printed on some nice card.

[dkersten]

I was thinking that would look fantastic printed on vinyl with a glossy laminate, then adhered to a board you mount behind like the other panels...

[SpaceHedgehog]

I was thinking that would look fantastic printed on vinyl with a glossy laminate, then adhered to a board you mount behind like the other panels...

Right with you there on the glossy finish dkersten. I'm going to sandwich the card between some 3mm acrylic (waiting for that to arrive) and some backing board

I'll use the same approach as the R-Pod:

[SpaceHedgehog]

I have cut out the frames for the inside sections of the outer panels. The perimeter pieces will be glued into place:

[SpaceHedgehog]

I started work on the inner sections of the left pod:





These will not be supporting structures. This is to be the full width of each of the side pods (89mm total):

[SpaceHedgehog]

I started on the LED cluster for the downward sloping side on the rear of the side pod. Just trying to get the spacing how I want it; it just needs to be reasonably subtle and unfussy:

These are held in with Blu Tac at the moment. The bezels will eventually be epoxy'd in place and the LEDs hot glued into those:

[SpaceHedgehog]

The dark red vinyl (which will sit behind the black wire mesh) arrived today. The picture doesn't accurately portray the colour at all unfortunately. It's a couple of shades darker:



The 3mm acrylic also arrived.



I also ordered the artwork so hopefully that will be here in the next few days.

Currently cutting the supporting pieces for the side pods ...

[SpaceHedgehog]

Still working on the support structures and perimeter pieces but a bit of a diversion with the vinyl:

[SpaceHedgehog]

I've cut enough perimeter pieces and supporting blocks to start gluing things together. The remaining blocks will be straight cuts rather than angled ones so are much simpler. I will will need to apply the glue to the pieces in 2 passes. I will complete the left pod first and then start on the right pod.

The screws have been countersunk to enable them to be screwed (and glued) into the outward face once everything is ready. There will be more pieces to accept the HOTAS poles and also an additional brace running across the centre.



I have also cut the hole for the Neutrik USB connector in the top panel:

[emphatic]

Really like the logo!

[Superfrog]

Really like the logo!

+2
 

Great to see this one coming together

[jaharr01]

Damn I look at your $hit and it just makes me feel completely inadequate.Totally awesome build. You got some mad skills Bro.