HAL 9000 Panel (2001:A Space Odyssey) - pg.5 final Update

[nalyom9]

Ooh, pretty. Which lens is that?

Hi Joberg and mrwax,
This is my glass lens with the plastic moebius one over it. Glass lens is more shallow than the plastic. Cant decide what to do for the best look.

 

[nalyom9]

 

[Markus]

I am really interested in how you achieved the colors - that yellow glow in the middle and the surrounding red.
For my HAL builds I have (so far) been using the 100mm plastic arcade buttons.
For the first version I followed the suggestion from the Adafruit tutorial, using a red colored button, and I added a white 0.5W 8mm LED.

The center looks somehow realistic (the size of the bright area is defined by an aperture, a black cardboard disk with a hole, which could maybe be reduced). But I did not like the red color over the whole area. So, for my second version, I opted to use a clear lens and a red 0.5W 8mm LED.

I think this looks better, having the bright red center fading into black - but it's missing the yellow center. So, I am still looking for improvements (that's why I asked you how you achieved your look).
Please notice that both photos do not exactly reflect how they look in reality. For the first one, the red area is not as bright as seen in the photo - and for the second one, the area around the light is also much darker, making it look much more like the movie (again: except that it's missing the yellow center).

 

[nalyom9]

I am really interested in how you achieved the colors - that yellow glow in the middle and the surrounding red.
For my HAL builds I have (so far) been using the 100mm plastic arcade buttons.
For the first version I followed the suggestion from the Adafruit tutorial, using a red colored button, and I added a white 0.5W 8mm LED.
View attachment 1354052
The center looks somehow realistic (the size of the bright area is defined by an aperture, a black cardboard disk with a hole, which could maybe be reduced). But I did not like the red color over the whole area. So, for my second version, I opted to use a clear lens and a red 0.5W 8mm LED.
View attachment 1354053
I think this looks better, having the bright red center fading into black - but it's missing the yellow center. So, I am still looking for improvements (that's why I asked you how you achieved your look).
Please notice that both photos do not exactly reflect how they look in reality. For the first one, the red area is not as bright as seen in the photo - and for the second one, the area around the light is also much darker, making it look much more like the movie (again: except that it's missing the yellow center).
View attachment 1354055

Hi Markus
I assume you are asking me about the yellow glow in the centre of my Hal? If so what you are looking at is the Mobieus kit with its plastic dome, however I have a glass 70mm lens under it, but you can see how much more shallow it is compared to the Mobieus one. As regards the yellow glow, this is just a bit of a trick of the light, I just moved the camera around until I caught that flare. It seems it is the nature of an led under a spherical dome that it can look so different from angle to angle. This you can see in the last pic. I don't know if my glass lens is adding anything to the look. I'm not so sure how to go about maintaining that glow from any pov.
PBateman

 

[joberg]

I like the shallow one better

 

[nalyom9]

I like the shallow one better

Thanks!

 

[Markus]

Hi Markus
I assume you are asking me about the yellow glow in the centre of my Hal? If so what you are looking at is the Mobieus kit with its plastic dome, however I have a glass 70mm lens under it, but you can see how much more shallow it is compared to the Mobieus one. As regards the yellow glow, this is just a bit of a trick of the light, I just moved the camera around until I caught that flare. It seems it is the nature of an led under a spherical dome that it can look so different from angle to angle. This you can see in the last pic. I don't know if my glass lens is adding anything to the look. I'm not so sure how to go about maintaining that glow from any pov.
PBateman

I agree, that this depends a lot on the POV. Furthermore it will likely also look different in a photo as compared to perceived by eye. I will probably add a photo-mode in which the LED intensity is strongly reduced, so that the contrast between the eye and the rest of the faceplate is lowered, so I can take photos that resemble HAL's appearance in the movie. This will also require to adopt the exposure to get the overall dark look. As a little test, I reduced the brightness in the two photos from my previous message. And this already makes a significant difference. If the LED brightness was lowered, it would probably look much closer to the screen capture from the movie.

The left image (with the red lens) has too much red (which would be reduced if the LED was less bright). The right image has too little red around the bright center. But maybe this could be improved with a second (inner) lens element.

 

[nalyom9]

I agree, that this depends a lot on the POV. Furthermore it will likely also look different in a photo as compared to perceived by eye. I will probably add a photo-mode in which the LED intensity is strongly reduced, so that the contrast between the eye and the rest of the faceplate is lowered, so I can take photos that resemble HAL's appearance in the movie. This will also require to adopt the exposure to get the overall dark look. As a little test, I reduced the brightness in the two photos from my previous message. And this already makes a significant difference. If the LED brightness was lowered, it would probably look much closer to the screen capture from the movie.
View attachment 1354289 View attachment 1354290
The left image (with the red lens) has too much red (which would be reduced if the LED was less bright). The right image has too little red around the bright center. But maybe this could be improved with a second (inner) lens element.

Hi Markus
I now have a pile of glass lenses now, and I have tried putting an extra lens element in the centre, but, I have to say it didn't really change anything in any noticable way.
My theory is Kubrick probably played around with his own camera lenes and lighting rather than the Hal prop itself. Of course, we, the audience, only get to see Hal from the angle the director had chosen. I imagine one could drive ones self to distraction trying to reproduce that wee yellow glow.

PB

 

[j_holtslander]

I have taken the image of the nameplate from earlier in this thread and recreated it as a high fidelity vector graphic suitable for printing.
The font was "Grotesque Becker" which has been converted to outline format for the file. (So no font required.)
The blue is set as #45A9B9 (R69, G169, B185) which was sampled from the original image.

Because this board doesn't allow for SVG image uploads here is the code for the image file.
You'll need to copy/paste it into a blank text document and then rename the file so the extension is .svg instead of .txt

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[joberg]

^^This is HAL speaking

 

[3Dsf]

I have taken the image of the nameplate from earlier in this thread and recreated it as a high fidelity vector graphic suitable for printing.
The font was "Grotesque Becker" which has been converted to outline format for the file. (So no font required.)

Fun timing! I've been researching the typeface used on the HAL 9000 logo for the last while. I'm afraid I don't think you're quite correct, since Grotesque Becker is a modern digital recreation of an older font, but you're really close.

The original faceplates used custom-printed decals, and the artwork to make them most likely used Letraset dry transfers. Specifically they appear to have used Letraset Grotesque 9 Outline White. This is Letraset's version of the Grotesque No. 9 typeface that was developed by Sheffield, UK-based type foundry Stephenson Blake, in 1906. Stephenson Blake Grotesque was a series of somewhat strange sans-serif typefaces, which had something of a revival in popularity in Britain in the 50s and 60s.

For more obsessive details, read on:

HAL 9000’s faceplates - The Age of Plastic

- NK Guy

 

[alensatemybuick]

Fun timing! I've been researching the typeface used on the HAL 9000 logo for the last while. I'm afraid I don't think you're quite correct, since Grotesque Becker is a modern digital recreation of an older font, but you're really close.

The original faceplates used custom-printed decals, and the artwork to make them most likely used Letraset dry transfers. Specifically they appear to have used Letraset Grotesque 9 Outline White. This is Letraset's version of the Grotesque No. 9 typeface that was developed by Sheffield, UK-based type foundry Stephenson Blake, in 1906. Stephenson Blake Grotesque was a series of somewhat strange sans-serif typefaces, which had something of a revival in popularity in Britain in the 50s and 60s.

For more obsessive details, read on:

HAL 9000’s faceplates - The Age of Plastic

- NK Guy

Wonderful resources, NK Guy.

I am working on my own Hal replica, based on the Moebius kit (due to cost concerns). I am simulating the mitered corners with razor cuts, but the chamfered edge detail I won't be replicating. I tend not to worry much about the screws on the outer edge, as they were never shown or the side profile, which is an accommodation for electronics, etc. The real trick with the Moebius kit to my mind is the lens, and painting it to reasonably look like machined aluminum. I will know if I have succeeded...shortly.

 

[3Dsf]

Wonderful resources, NK Guy.

I am working on my own Hal replica, based on the Moebius kit (due to cost concerns). I am simulating the mitered corners with razor cuts, but the chamfered edge detail I won't be replicating. I tend not to worry much about the screws on the outer edge, as they were never shown or the side profile, which is an accommodation for electronics, etc. The real trick with the Moebius kit to my mind is the lens, and painting it to reasonably look like machined aluminum. I will know if I have succeeded...shortly.

Glad you like the page!

Yeah, the Moebius kit has its pros and cons, but is relatively affordable! As for the lens - the original lens is metal, but it's also black enamelled paint, so painting it shiny black should make it look okay. I've been modelling a 3D replacement for it, but I don't know how well the engraved lettering will print.

 

[alensatemybuick]

I actually painted my lens holder flat black and polished it with a cloth to active a sort of “burnished“ appearance. I don’t like the kit decals as the “a” in Kogaku is clearly the wrong font, so won’t be using that. Even though the face has a simulated grain, I’ll be using a vinyl faux ”brushed metal” material as Valor has, more to avoid the need for careful painting than anything else.

 

[alensatemybuick]

sorry for double post

 

[3Dsf]

Yeah, it is a shame that they used a goofy non-font like Rocko Bold or whatever it is, when the original lenses have engraved lettering...

 

[j_holtslander]

Fun timing! I've been researching the typeface used on the HAL 9000 logo for the last while. I'm afraid I don't think you're quite correct, since Grotesque Becker is a modern digital recreation of an older font, but you're really close.

The original faceplates used custom-printed decals, and the artwork to make them most likely used Letraset dry transfers. Specifically they appear to have used Letraset Grotesque 9 Outline White. This is Letraset's version of the Grotesque No. 9 typeface that was developed by Sheffield, UK-based type foundry Stephenson Blake, in 1906. Stephenson Blake Grotesque was a series of somewhat strange sans-serif typefaces, which had something of a revival in popularity in Britain in the 50s and 60s.

For more obsessive details, read on:

HAL 9000’s faceplates - The Age of Plastic

- NK Guy

Wow great page you linked to.
I’m currently working on the Moebius kit which arrived in the mail today and am using a Master Replicas/Artifactory lens I found on eBay. I’m looking into recreating the nameplate as a printed aluminum plate and I’m using brushed dark aluminum vinyl for the main faceplate as opposed to painting it. I’d like to scratch build the whole thing but I don’t know where to get the aluminum sides from.

 

[3Dsf]

Wow great page you linked to.

Glad you like it. It was a stupid amount of work.

I’m currently working on the Moebius kit which arrived in the mail today and am using a Master Replicas/Artifactory lens I found on eBay. I’m looking into recreating the nameplate as a printed aluminum plate and I’m using brushed dark aluminum vinyl for the main faceplate as opposed to painting it. I’d like to scratch build the whole thing but I don’t know where to get the aluminum sides from.

Replacing the sides would definitely help. The Moebius kit is injection-moulded and so it doesn't have parallel sides - you have that angle from the injection draft. The originals were just 1/8" aluminium bar mitred on the corners - if you're patient and super careful you could cut the pieces by hand.

 

[alensatemybuick]

Wow great page you linked to.
I’m currently working on the Moebius kit which arrived in the mail today and am using a Master Replicas/Artifactory lens I found on eBay. I’m looking into recreating the nameplate as a printed aluminum plate and I’m using brushed dark aluminum vinyl for the main faceplate as opposed to painting it. I’d like to scratch build the whole thing but I don’t know where to get the aluminum sides from.

Can you share which dark brushed alum. vinyl you are using? I am starting to think black is too...black.

Gunmetal? Graphite?

 

[j_holtslander]

Can you share which dark brushed alum. vinyl you are using? I am starting to think black is too...black.

Gunmetal? Graphite?

This is what I bought. Black Brushed Steel