Death Star plans data card - zenix's build thread
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division 6
Master Member
I just watched the movie again this afternoon.
The card is a thin (silver) metal plate and the bottom bar is stepped.
The card is a thin (silver) metal plate and the bottom bar is stepped.
I really think it's white, and just looks silver because of the lighting/reflection. You really only see it for these three frames when it's close up, and then later from the side when it's given to Leia.
It's in his right hand here, side view.
Super thin though. I'm pretty sure the way it was manufactured was the etching method. The material I used for that is FR4, fiberglass coated with copper. Perhaps it was made the other way circuit boards are made, with an aluminum base, then a dielectric layer, then coated with copper, but that top surface around the gold/copper area isn't going to be the exposed aluminum... it'd be the dielectric layer, which would then have been coated with a white soldermask. The back would be silver in color this way. If I can get my hands on that other type of board I'll try it with that.
This is that style, aluminum base, white shiny solder mask:
How do you remember the stepping? I feel like it might be black bar on both sides, front and back.
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We got too much on our plates buddy! R2's, data cards, dark sabers, regular sabers.... Too much too keep up with at once[emoji38].
division 6
Master Member
Even my niece said it looked like a thin piece of metal.
There was a shot of the end of it and you can see a higher area on the right side.
Kinda like stacked legos.
There was a shot of the end of it and you can see a higher area on the right side.
Kinda like stacked legos.
I'm not 100% convinced that that frame shows light actually coming through the card. I totally see how an argument can be made saying that light is coming through, but I'm not sure.
No, there's not light coming through in that frame. Go frame by frame right up to and right past that frame. I just did it several times and the optical illusion presented in the frame you posted is very clear. You can see that the area on the right where it looks like the light is shining through actually isn't and is just next to it. This frame, the lights are off and it's hard to see the edge of the card, but the edge is clear of the light and the light is just shining next to it, not through it.
That light on the right, where the left most part of the light that looks like it might be shining through the card, that left area is viewable in different frames and it looks the same, even when the card isn't in front of that light.
I'm even more convinced now that this is the aluminum base style of board
That light on the right, where the left most part of the light that looks like it might be shining through the card, that left area is viewable in different frames and it looks the same, even when the card isn't in front of that light.
I'm even more convinced now that this is the aluminum base style of board
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division 6
Master Member
Excellent work on this Zenix. It's refreshing to see some old school deduction going on here and also that you're experimenting with various finishing options.
The brushed metal vinyl would be the best option for a "stunt" version and the gold plated version being the Hero model. Very impressed.
The brushed metal vinyl would be the best option for a "stunt" version and the gold plated version being the Hero model. Very impressed.
Cool.I believe so.
Keep in mind you are using a blurry low res pyrate copy as reference.
And the times I've seen it in theaters. I'll check again next time. It's so hard since it's so fast. Maybe I'll sneak in for the ending of an earlier screening before my next full viewing to double dip.
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Either way, we will know for sure when it comes out on DVD. We can get better shots of it then:/.
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That's the real trick that faces all fabricators that want to get on projects early. When the Blu Ray comes out, we may find that contrary information to what is being planned now. It's always a gamble but I think Zenix has it right. The white design matched the rebel ship and helmets so it looks like it "belongs".
I placed a prototype order with a professional PCB making shop. To do this you need to make Gerber files, which are totally separate from the typical AutoCAD design I do. It's not easy to convert. I got it done last night but I'm not documenting that process because I don't know it well enough to do so, and others have done that already anyway. It'll take some time to get it back from them. So we'll check back in on that in about two weeks.
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