September Project Party Sign up thread

[Darren Jeffries]

Sign Up here for the September 2008 Project party.
Want to know more? See this article:

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/page,12.html

[CaptOblivious]

I'm committing! I will be either scratch-building a girder bridge for my Akihabara Station bit, or doing a second modular diorama (perhaps with some scratch-building) of the Suigun Line (I'll be finishing the other one first, of course!). Haven't decided which yet.

[Martijn Meerts]

I'll join in with an as of yet unknown project ;)

[Bernard]

I'm in, I just have to buy more duct tape ;D.
I'll probably do a diorama. I'm now researching photos of what I might do.

I'll join in with an as of yet unknown project ;)

[C62]

I will build a diorama.

[CaptOblivious]

I've wanted to do something urban, and Kashirigi's paper diorama has inspired me. I think I will do a small slice of Ameyoko arcade (see http://flickr.com/photos/tomoyoshi/340431068/ ). This is a famous shopping arcade in Ueno, just south of Ueno station, that used to be a black market just after WWII. The arcade is built beside and under the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines and Tohoku shinkansen. It's just slightly north of Akihabara Station, too. I'll scratch-build the entire thing out of styrene and cardstock...it'll need a ton of people, too, which will be the expensive part I guess. I might try my hand at a little street lighting, too. Maybe.

[Bernard]

Whoa Capt! Talk about needing people! That is an interesting photo. Remember the ebay seller who has people for as very reasonable price.
I was even thinking about using the photo you put in the gallery of the viaduct and the traffic scene. (I need to work on city scenes and streets)

[Martijn Meerts]

I'm likely building an urban diorama as well, although it depends on whether I get my materials in time.

The idea is to have a double tram line going under an elevated double shinkansen line. There'll be a tram stop as well as the end of a shinkansen station. Traffic lights, tram track built into the asphalt, plenty signs and probably plenty people as well. Tracks will be live so trains can be photographed both in the dark and with the lights on. All buildings and street lights will also be lit and digitally controllable somehow. Diorama will be 30 x 40 cm and without any specific prototype.

Well, that's the idea, whether it'll work remains to be seen, and I doubt I'll get the whole thing done in time, but that's the idea anyway =)

[kashirigi]

Now that I've got my basic wiring finished and DCC installed, I'm sure I can come up with something. At least, something more interesting than installing a decoder.

[kashirigi]

Hey Cap'n,

If you need a crowd, I just put up a review of sorts (with pictures) of the cheap e-bay people.

[kashirigi]

Just to keep everyone informed, here's my idea for my project. I may cheat a little and start early. . . .

[CaptOblivious]

Just to keep everyone informed, here's my idea for my project. I may cheat a little and start early. . . .

Yeah, wow, that's pretty awesome. Much nicer than my first sketchup model (although it translated into a paper model very well)—photos of which are to come.

(I keep saying that...)

[Martijn Meerts]

I'll refrain from making a 3d model of my diorama, because I know I'll go crazy on the details and turn it into a fully textured, physically accurately animated monster, and complete forget to build the actual diorama...

The idea is in my head, that should be enough =)

[kashirigi]

The danger of that is pretty real. . .

However, I think it's offset by the fact that a CAD program can produce measurements far more accurate than I can draw with a pencil.

[marknewton]

I'll sign up too - I can always use a bit of motivation! I think I'll build a Koban, they've always fascinated me, and I've got some nice Tomytec cars to park out the back.

I rather fancy this one as my prototype:



All the best,

Mark.

[marknewton]

Just to keep everyone informed, here's my idea for my project. I may cheat a little and start early. . . .

Oooh, nice rendering, Kashirigi! What did you use to create this?

Cheers,

Mark.

[kashirigi]

It's a Google Sketchup rendering.  I think it's the easiest 3D program I've ever used.

[Martijn Meerts]

Got a package today, but again didn't include the parts I need for the diorama. I really hope they'll get here in time, otherwise I'll need to improvise... A lot ;)

[CaptOblivious]

OK, I have to renege: I'm feeling intimidated by Ameyoko. Instead, I'm going to work on a bridge that needs scratch building for Akihabara Station: the one on the right-hand side of this photo:


I've got a preliminary plan drawn up, and it seems a far sight easier than some other things I'd been thinking about. More to come in September!

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, ordered some backup parts in case the items for my original plan don't arrive in time. Of course, with only about 4 weeks left until September, I might not get the backup parts in time either  ::)

[marknewton]

Well, I've drawn up my koban,  mostly at work during the quite moments between trains.

l]

Nothing as flash as Kashirigi's rendering, but it'll do for my purposes. I've laid in a supply of sheet styrene and ABS, Evergreen shapes, and assorted bits and bobs. I'm intending build the structure by starting out with a perspex box, that I will skin with ABS to form the window reveals, etc.

Cheers,

Mark.

[Concept Model Trains]

Count me in.  I've got some spare Bachman track that I'll use to make a small layout.  I don't have a lot of time but I'll have a go!

[Martijn Meerts]

The last major bits and pieces arrived last weekend, so I'm all set to go =)

After seeing the bits and pieces though, I noticed my idea will take a bit longer than 1 month ;)

[CaptOblivious]

The last major bits and pieces arrived last weekend, so I'm all set to go =)

After seeing the bits and pieces though, I noticed my idea will take a bit longer than 1 month ;)

Yeah, I just re-read your project description...sounds incredibly exciting, and incredibly time-consuming :D Can't wait to see it though!

[Darren Jeffries]

What would be good is if we could make use of the Blog facility here on the board to document our progress.

What do we think?

[CaptOblivious]

That sounds a good idea. How does one access it?

[Darren Jeffries]

From the front page.... left menu... or if you are using a default SMF theme, it is on the top line menu.

[Martijn Meerts]

Well, September being over and all, I guess very few of us actually had any time to really work on it ;)

Myself, we had a project launch at the end of September at work, which meant lots of extra hours to get it done in time. Also, the online game I'd been following for about 2 years finally got released in September, so quite a few late nights went into that.

I will eventually work on the "September project" and post progress here though, but it's become more of a "2008-2009 project" ;)

[CaptOblivious]

I got some good work done on mine...less than I'd hope, but quite a lot, considering (for the newcomers, I'm a new father  ;D )

I'll continue work on my project, posting regular reports on my blog.