How do you guys plan it all out?

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bobsaget

Supreme [H]ardness
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Jan 24, 2004
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Before a major mod or making a case from scratch... how do you all plan it out?
 
draw pictures........use cad, sketchup.............sketchup doesn't do a lot of detailed measurements though.

Use a paper and pencil. Get an idea of where you are going to put what and how exactly you'll mount whatever.
 
My plans usually consist of cutting shit out and then seeing if it looks good. If it doesn't look good then I cut some more shit out. If it still looks like shit then it was never meant to be. As a result, I have a lot of half mods and crap on my case(and keyboard). Half the keys in my keyboard are painted and I put a bunch of leds in the keyboard but I never wired them up. meh. If I was doing something like building a case then I would probably at least try to plan it out in my head first.
 
wing it... i hardly ever plan shit out...

my speakers are being painted black right now with krylon fusion. so far... really nice... about 3 coats... dont know if i want to seal it or not though
 
I usually let my inner child tell me what he wants. Although sometimes he is a mean little bastard.
 
fallsincluded said:
wing it... i hardly ever plan shit out...

my speakers are being painted black right now with krylon fusion. so far... really nice... about 3 coats... dont know if i want to seal it or not though
Click to expand...

im hoping youre not thinking that layering vinyl dye is going to help
 
I usualy just stare at the case for a month or so, after that it is clear what is going where and what all has to be done. Project Black Lightning sat on the floor for around 2 months as me and my brother threw ideas off each other on what should happen with the case. As a result you get Black Lightning (half his ideas half mine). I think that is the best way to figure out what to do to a case, Just stare at the blank canvas and let your imagination build it for you. Then try to make it look just like it does in your head.

JEEVES
 
I think it over and over in my head. I look at my old cases and imagine what would work and what won't. I also surf the net to get ideas and inspirations. I have a real good talent of imaging things in 3D space, viewing things from any angle, changing stuff at will and just picture it in my head, so no need for me to draw stuff out, my head is the fastest CAD desighner.
 
kronchev said:
im hoping youre not thinking that layering vinyl dye is going to help
Click to expand...
Krylon fusion is NOT Vinyl dye. :eek: Its actually paint that sticks great to plastics, trust me on this one! I was researching it for an xbox mod, and when i tried it, it didn’t work anything like vinyl dye. :cool:

My case design process goes something like this:
1. Idea: decide on what i want to do, basic size shape, stuff like that
2. Sketch: start making crude sketches on paper, refining the idea into something workable.
3. Research: What else can i do to this idea to make it amazing? what has no one done yet?
4. Refinement: Go back and do more sketches, get ideas, make a list of ideas i wan to try.
5. Design: Bust out autocad, make a semi basic 3d design of what you want, try to stay as close as possible to form factor specs, but don’t put much detail in it.
6. Redesign: See problems? go back though steps 3 4 and 5 until you get something your happy with.
7. Planning: Start planning out how your going to build it, what materials you need, how much work is involved.
8. Construction: Do it!
9. Testing: Test your new system, make small tweaks if heat or other problems crop up
10. POST PICS ON [H]!

for step 5, here is an example of something im currently working on. Stuff wrong with it right now includes: Holes too big on mobo, Mobo and all parts floating a bit too high, no support for CD rom and HD, need to play around with positioning on parts, going to move HD away from hsf.
But it gives you an idea. That model took me about a week, but that was only working on it about 30-40 min a day, with little experience, I think now I could probably turn out something of similar quality within 2 days.
NOTE: This link goes to a Deviant art account because my college web space is down right now, sorry!
 
mashie said:
A few post-it notes is a good start then it just take shape as you go along. After all none of the cases has turned out according to the initial plan. You will always have to make changes while you go along building it.
Click to expand...

I'm the same as mashie , I have a plan in my head but very little on paper. I find cad programs tedius and boring to use so I tend to do the odd sketch on paper . :)
 
im looking to make a mod right now of my current case and an old AT case, my process right now is seeing what I have, seeing what I can do, seeing what I can use, and then thiking about designs I like

i plan on paper if I need to get precise spacing, and I photoshop if I am concerned about look
 
I'll draw a few drafts on paper and toy with some ideas...once the tools come out though it's pretty much a wing and a prayer.
 
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