Hitch Hiker's Guide Case Mod (AKA "Mostly Harmless") - Part 3

Part 3 - Construction wrap up

Work log 07-26-08

Aaah... it's not POSTing! Don't Panic! There were only a few glitches during
the final stages, most were stupid mistakes, like forgetting to move the Clear
CMOS jumper to it's normal mode position. (Nothing gets the blood pumping like
a failing Power On Self Test [POST] during the last week...) Move that jumper
to the correct position and verify the system board will POST, the video works,
memory is detected, and it should be ready to install in the case.

Component installation includes wedging the motherboard into the case (wow,
was that a tight fit!) Once the system board is in place, wiring up all of the
switches, LEDs, and feeding the cables that cannot be run internally, such as
the combined VGA / USB touch screen wires can proceed. A cable runs from the
big red button to the COM port in the rear; a pair of cheap "sport"
speakers is wedged in beside the fan underneath using some stick-on Velcro.
All exposed cables and some internal ones are concealed with yellow split-loom
tubing, which is dry-brushed to match the case on the external cables. Hard
drives are mounted on the door, and all cables and power connections made to
the components. Installation of the Operating system went well, and all utilities
for the touch screen and Matrix panel seem to be working fine.



The shell's appearance is aged by dry brushing the yellow paint with several
different "dirt" tones.



Internal connections are run from the Guide's touch display (VGA and USB) and
the USB mini keyboard. Wire connections for the power switch to the LED base,
the eject button for the DVD drive, and to the front panel pins for the Hard
Drive and Power LED are made. Power for the VGA display is connected to the
12 volt wire of a Molex drive connection. Split loom tubing hides most of the
loose power cables and should help with air movement inside the case. The small
speakers and bottom case fan can be seen in that oval cut out that was let in
the base panels.

The VGA cable and touchpad USB cable pass out an opening in the rear panel.
External cables are covered with more yellow tubing and dry-brush aged like
the side panels. The Matrix Orbital PLED panel died in the first month of use.
I replaced it with a backup PLED panel, which also died. The current panel is
still a Matrix Orbital panel, but is now LCD, and has been working fine for
several years now.



The USB thumbpad and Matrix Orbital display are connected to a USB connector
left inside the case. An amplifier speaker circuit board was modified so its
on-off button and volume control extend through a rear card slot. (Even though
the video clips are random, they get really annoying when played over and over
during the day. This way they can be turned down or off when not showing off
the case to visitors.) As a late upgrade, the two 40 GB IDE drives were replaced
with two 120GB SATA drives. These are mirrored using the onboard RAID chipset
to provide basic RAID 1 data redundancy.

---

Presenting the yellow, slab-like, Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy file
server:



A view of the embedded Hitch Hiker's Guide with an appropriate background wallpaper.



The green guy with a glowing red button and text display.



A view of the finished 42 panel.

---

Screen saver: The default screen saver for the internal display started
with the basic Windows slide-show screen saver; the directory it uses for the
source images contains a selection of Rod Lord illustrations (from the original
BBC video series), screen shots from the on-line BBC version of the HHG adventure
game, and several images that I assembled based on text phrases from the game
or related to the HHG universe. Screen shots from the online game were enlarged
to better fill the 800x600 screen size of the guide-display and combined with
text commentary from the game.

After a bit of searching I found another screen saver utility to install that
includes multimedia support. SourceForge.net has a project by Dave Anderson,
appropriately called Daves AV Screen Saver. It still provides the random display
of my screen shots and images, but also will play several animated video clips
with sound that were extracted from the original HHG Television production.



Just some of the screen captures, videos, and extras that came with the Infocom
game that appear randomly when the system is on.

Play Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy!: As of December 1, 2011, it
appears you can still play the BBC versions of the game. Version 1 was found
at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game_nolan.shtml
and this page includes the link to version 2 at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game_andrew.shtml



The BBC version of the Hitch Hiker adventure game.



The Infocom version of the Hitch Hiker game running in the WinFrotz window.



The red button uses a micro switch with a common, a normally-open, and a normally-closed connection.

Red Button: I removed the micro switch and installed a bright red LED
in the base to illuminate the button, and then replaced the switch. The switch
contacts are wired to a db-9 connector that is plugged into the rear serial
port so that a +5 volt or -5 volt (relative to ground) is passed to the Carrier
Detect signal pin. I wrote a program in Visual Basic that runs when Windows
starts to monitor the serial port's pin status. When a change is detected (the
button pushed) a text message is sent to the LCD display. A timer function can
also change the message after a delay if no one pushes the button during the
preset time period.

How the program works: When a 25-pin COM port is enabled in a Visual Basic
application, pin 20 (DTR) goes 'low' while pin 4 (RTS) stays 'high'. My program
monitors pin 8 (Carrier Detect) and sends a random text message to the Matrix
Orbital display, which also appears as a COM port in Device Manager. The button
connects three wires to the system's (9-pin) COM port: Common goes to CD (pin
1), Normally-Open goes to DTR (pin 4), and Normally-Closed goes to RTS (pin
7). A simple text file contains a list of phrases that are loaded into memory
when the program starts. One of these phrases is randomly selected an sent to
the USB display on a button-push or timer event. The program is written such
that additional phrases could be added to the text file. If the file does not
exist, it will be created the first time the application runs and the default
list will be saved to the new file. A configuration file also is created, specifying
the COM port assignment for the Matrix Orbital display and the Red Button port.

Phrases displayed on the LCD display are limited to two lines of 20 characters each. I compiled a list of phrases from the text game along with a few from the books and made up a few that seemed relevant. Here's the default list:
Earth: Mostly harmless.	President Beeblebrox is a Swell Guy	Guaranteed to work normally for life.
What do you get when you multiply 6 by 9?	I'm Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun To Be With	DON'T PANIC!
010101 010101 010101 010101 010101 010101	The Secret: Bang the rocks together, guys	G.S.A.: THERE IS NO SUCH AGENCY
You have no tea.	Please relax, you are perfectly safe..	Another fine product of Sirius Cybernetic
6 * 9 = 42 (in base 13)	Go stick your head in a pig - SCCMD	The ultimate answer is 'forty-two'
Mostly Harmless	NUTRIMAT MAIN MEMORY OVERLOAD	How many roads must a man walk down?
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE	NUTRIMAT RESERVE MEMORY OVERLOAD	Share and Enjoy...
The Universe: Avg. Population = 0	NUTRIMAT PROCESSOR OVERLOAD	Sense, Common: order part #31-541
Space: really big.	WAIT...Checking Sub-Etha-Net database...	Resistance is useless!
Please do not press the red button.	NUTRIMAT GOING ON LINE	Can YOU afford a Magrathean Planet?
Please do not press this button again.	SHIPBOARD COMPUTER ACCESSED	Babel Fish: Small, yellow, leechlike...
It has little pink and blue flowers.	Happy to be of service	The Universe: Monetary Units: none
Out to lunch. Please Come back in 2 years	Buy Santraginean Mineral Water	G'GUGVUNTS=0 DOG=VL'HURGS=0 3800
If Life or Death, go ahead and PANIC.	Please do not block the tiny robot panel	Petunia Articulation Oh no, not again...
Legendary planets can be dangerous	Avoid Vogon poetry appreciation chairs	I THINK THEREFORE I AM
Improbability Factor = 2^39,745:1 against	You are in Galactic Sector ZZ9 PLURAL ZA	Look at me, brain the size of a planet
This is the thanks I get?	That was NOT the autopilot Button!	You should know I feel very depressed.
This routine check will take 14.9 years	This SCC product has a lifetime guarantee	Press for Advanced Tea Substitute
Don't even think about leaving...	NUTRIMAT RESERVE MEMORY ACCESSED	This SCC lifetime guarantee is expired
Is that a babel fish in your ear?	NUTRIMAT PARALLEL PROCESSORS ON LINE	Zaphod Beeblebrox is just this guy-y'know
Support the Galactic Anti-Litter Program.	** NUMBERS BEING ** CRUNCHED... **	Please do not press this button again.
MegaDodo Publication HHG Model Mark II	Pressing the red button won't help.	FOOTNOTE 12: Famous&recursive footnote.
Get Joo Janta peril-sensitive sunglasses	(We were lying about the exit to port.)	Pleased to meet you. I'm your computer.
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal-AVOID	Thank you, thank you.	Digital Watches are neat.

Hitch Hiker's Guide Case Mod (AKA "Mostly Harmless") - Part 2

Part 2 - Reconstruction

Work log 06-29-08

A panel is cut out of sheet steel and attached to the bottom of the case with
a length of piano hinge. Aluminum angle provides reinforcement along the cutoff
sides and provide a flat surface the panel will close against. The original
side panel of the case is cut to add an extension to the bottom on the opposite
side, and triangular sections of sheet steel added at the front and back. Aluminum
angle is riveted to the sides to provide additional support. Screw holes are
then drilled and tapped at the top edges of both panels.

The power supply was opened and mounted to the internal motherboard tray. Power
wires are run to the rear of the case and wired to the power connection and
switch. Push buttons are installed for the system board power and reset switches.
(One for power and two for reset.)




A power supply is installed in the case, with the power connection socket and on/off
switch extended to rear panel connections.



Side panels are attached with length of piano hinge anchored with pop-rivets.
An opening is cut though the interior panel for the DVD drive. The original
case panel is split for the guide panel, with the lower vented section on the
bottom.



The second panel is made from a piece of galvanized steel sheet, and is also hinged for access to the system board and drives.

---

Work log 07-05-08

A slot is made in one side panel for DVD drive to eject through. Openings for
a Matrix Orbital MX620 LCD display and a big red button are made in the front
panel. The diameter of the red push button assembly is an odd size, so instead
of a hole saw, multiple drill holes are made, and the mounting hole is cut with
clippers before grinding it smooth.



Both the button and LCD module must be installed below the power supply, but
above the DVD drive.

After these minor modifications, I started construction of the base plate assembly.
This is made from two sections of 1/2 inch MDF with a thick acrylic core. The
clear core is made from two pieces of 0.20 inch acrylic glued together with
rough-ground edges to scatter the light. 36 yellow LEDs are hot glued into the
hole in the acrylic panel, and wired together in 12 groups of three.



Two layers of acrylic are sandwiched in between the MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard),
and illuminated by yellow LEDs.

The MDF needs to be sealed to accept paint smoothly like non-porous plastic
and metal, so a coating of epoxy is applied. The epoxy thickened with talc and
tinted with a little yellow tempera paint.



Yellow epoxy seals the MDF to create a smooth, non-porous surface for painting.

---

Work log 07-06-08

The guide is assembled from a small 7" LCD touchscreen and a tiny
USB thumbpad that tested fine as a basic PC keyboard. I attached the
keypad to the screen with a dab of superglue, and then trimmed a piece
of PVC sheet to round out the lower section. A plastic floor protector
is attached to hold one of the HHG badges. An on-off button (yellow)
and momentary-contact button (red) are installed for the LED base and
DVD tray. Gaps are filled with epoxy colored with aluminum powder.





The Guide -- before and after touchup with silver paint. A magnet from an old
hard drive is hot glued into the disk to hold the badge in place without glue
or physical alteration of the back.

---

Work log 07-13-08

Drive preparation: The switch and LED are removed from the optical drive and
wires attached to connect to the button on the guide. Although two standard
drives could be wedged inside the chassis, I elected to install a pair of 2.5
inch notebook drives. The drives are mounted slightly offset to keep the cable
connector spacing close. To prepare the case for detailing, thin sheets of plastic
are attached to the sides and front of the case with epoxy.





Wires are attached to the DVD-RW drive and will be connected to an LED and button
assembled into the guide.

Two 40GB notebook drives are mounted with an air gap for improved cooling and
a slight offset to keep the cable connectors closer.

(The two IDE drives were later replaced with dual SATA drives for better performance
and more space.)



Epoxy is used to hold styrene sheet to the metal panels of the case. Openings
can be traced and cut before positioning the sheet, or after it has been attached
to the case, by drilling through the openings from inside the case. Detail will
be added to the plastic surface using plastic cements that will not bond to
metal securely.



Epoxy does not adhere particularly well to sheet metal and some plastics (or
any non-porous material that has a very smooth or polished surface.) Roughing
the metal and plastic surfaces with a grinding wheel creates a texture that
helps, and cuts through the beige paint of my reused case panel.

---

Work log 07-20-08

Kit bashing and other stuff: Using cutout pieces of white styrene sheet,
printer parts, and assorted pieces of plastic stuff in one of my scrap
boxes, I built up some patterns and symbolism from the Hitchhiker books
and game. Additional parts were used from some Walthers Cornerstone
Series kits (933-3114 - piping kit and 933-3126 - transformer kit.)
Douglas Adams fans know the ultimate answer is "42" so this
was used for the first layer. Other variations such as patterns of four
and two, and even a binary version appear on this side of the case.

Bottom fan: A small 80 mm fan is added on the bottom, positioned in
the opening that was left in the MDF and acrylic base. Power still needs
to be run for the lights and fan, but it's one more thing out of the
way. The DVD drive is mounted in the base of the case and the light
assembly reattached. The DVD tray is shimmed out to the level and angle
of the side panel. Kit bashing continues on the Guide side of the case...



Plastic parts from old printers, toys, and other scrap parts add surface detail
to the case panels. Sheet styrene is used to form geometric shapes and simple
patterns. A visit to the local hobby store turned up a variety of scale-model
parts and textured sheet used for creating buildings and industrial settings
for model train layouts.



Evolution of the 42 side panel. Yes, that's a big "42"
across the surface. Some of the shapes are just to add interest and texture
to the panel, but other arrangements include at least two groups of four large
bars with two small bars, a stylized "6x9?", and the number
42 in binary ("00101010").

---

Work log 07-22-08

Well, that's not going to work... While I was working on adding detail
to the sides, I realized that the large cover on the optical drive would
prevent opening that side panel of the case. Ripping off the cover plate,
I modified it with two pairs of magnets and a strip of plastic to keep
the panel aligned. The drive cover can now be removed to access that
side of the case or to get to the tray-ejection hole in the drive.



More printer parts and flat shapes fill the Guide's side panel with patterns.
I built up several layers of styrene on the DVD tray to match the angle of the
case, and to extend the strip slightly above the surface.



Problem: The drive cover was glued directly to the tray, until
I realized I wouldn't be able to open that side panel with it there.

Solution: A couple of rare-earth magnets hot glued to the tray and to the cover
allows the DVD tray cover to pop on and off as needed.

---

Work log 07-24-08

Prime Coat: I finished up the panel detailing during the week and masked out
the openings and any embedded hardware (i.e. The Guide, DVD tray, etc.) to prepare
for painting. A gray printer went on first, followed by a single coat of yellow.
Since I will be aging / weathering the case detail next, I deliberately used
only a single coat of yellow, creating a slightly uneven, shaded appearance.
Some final touchup and dry-brush work should finish off the shell.



I took the HHG Case outside for painting, with the buttons, guide openings masked.



After primer-coating the case panels. The two MDF base panels have been removed
for priming and painting separately.



A single coat of yellow goes on over the primer coat.



A view of the front and rear after coating with yellow paint.





The base panels receive a coat of yellow. The uneven shading is very noticeable
without the distracting patterns and shapes.

Next, the panels are masked and a coat of metallic gold paint is added to reflect
the light from the LEDs.



Maximum PC Mod Shop Games Challenge:



Create your best mod featuring a brand,
character (or characters), or theme from a game of your choice.

Green Guy: The front of the case (with the red button and Matrix display)
will have the round, green, grinning character logo near the top. I considered
a couple of different approaches to his creation, and decided to do one in clear
acrylic with LED backlighting. Three layers of 0.20 in. acrylic were glued together.
A printout of the logo was taped to the back, and the shape rough-cut on the
band saw. This was then rough-shaped using metal burrs, and then detail added
and smoothed with fine burrs. A good rubbing with brass brushes results in a
soft, frosted finish that will diffuse the LED lighting better. Paint over the
rear gives the acrylic color when the LEDs are off, and some black and white
paint accent the mouth and teeth.

A matching hollow opening behind the mouth is carved to embed the LEDs in.
A 3 mm Red LED is embedded in the base of the tongue, and three wide-angle,
green LEDs are positioned in the opening. Hot glue fills the opening, holding
the LEDs in place and insulating the contacts. A Molex connector is attached
to feed 12 volts to the three green LEDs (connected in series) and the 5 volts
connects to the red LED. I toyed with the idea of connecting the red LED to
the hard drive LED pins, and could still do this at a later time by wiring
things separate.



I don't have any 1/2" acrylic to carve, so three layers of .20" are glued
together. After gluing a copy of the character to the back, the shape is rough
cut on the band saw.



Using metal burrs and a flexible shaft, the 3-D version of the character takes
shape. The paper pattern is removed, and the back of the carving is painted
green, the tongue red, teeth white, and the open mouth black. Green and red
LEDs with their current-limiting resistors are hot-glued into the rear.



Power-testing the final carving. The green LEDs are connected to the 12 volt
(yellow) wire, and the red LED is connected to the 5 volt wire (red). (The red
LED could be connected to the Hard Drive panel connection if desired.)

Next time: construction wrap-up, screen savers, and LCD panel programming.