Tom Clancy's The Division (original character build)

I'm actually looking at doing something like this.
The projector looks nice, but probably not visible in most situations and I'd imagine its a big power draw.

I have a copy of Awesomeness's beacon design on order from Shapeways (if I didn't blow it ... I'm a software guy, not a hardware guy, so 3D printing is a first for me).
Seriously Awesomeness, thanks for making it available (again very not a designer ... more integrator and programmer).

I had already picked up a couple of neopixel rings from Adafruit before I even found this website and you all, so it felt like a good fit.

After it gets here in a week or two I'm going to see how much space there is and start playing a bit to see what components I can I can fit to do what. :)

Ideally I'd love to have a shoulder module w/lights & sound (have been stockpiling sound clips from on-line) that could be triggered/co-ordinated from an integrated watch but I have to see how realistic it will be for me to put together all the pieces (especially since I've only done something like this once before. :) ).

Base goal is Shoulder Beacon only w/rechargable battery (usb rechargable), lights and on/off switch (probably reasonable depending on space available).
Co-ordinated Sound is next up on my list (Adafruit has what looks like a nice small sound board I can integrate to an arduino based system, and a flat speaker) ... size permitting.

Have started looking at watches, and would LOVE to gut one and have the buttons trigger the action of the Beacon, but not sure how realistic that is (from a fabrication perspective. from a costuming perspective I'd love to do it and it would be cool if possible):

  • "repurposing" the buttons on the watch - not sure if I can get them to work ... never pulled one apart and tried
  • getting a wireless connection between them - sounds power hungry, would need more components on both sides so there are space questions, and the interfaces for wireless may be needed to connect the sound board
  • getting a wired connection between them may be possible, but I'm not very happy to have wires running from my left hand to my right shoulder (unless maybe I make breakaway connectors ... which sounds like a possibility at least ... damn ... now I have to think more seriously about this). There is still the question about the interface between them.

Absolute pie in the sky (as in I'd love to if I could figure out how, but probably wont because the ideas don't make sense time and/or materials wise) would be to fabricate multiple units and get them to "link" (probably via bluetooth low power) so it would know when people "joined/left" your party (and act appropriately), and/or throw in a GPS unit so it knows where it is and designate certain areas as "Contaminated" or "Dark Zone". w/appropriate effects. :p

I live in NYC and work in Chelsea. The Division had me hooked the minute I saw the multiplayer trailer where they came out of the subway and re-took the BoO. Everything looked "right". It may not be the NYC I live in, but its a really close analogue and I love how many of the visual landmarks are available. Sadly Massive didn't include the building I work in so my dream of "fighting my way to work" from Penn Station (where the BoO is) never actually happened.

(sorry for going on a bit in my first post on therpf ... I get a bit verbose when I get going)

(EditL cleanup rambling a very small amount)
A lot of that is probably doable, electronically, but likely won't fit inside the beacon shell without designing your own boards for the components. A possible option is to keep many of the internals in the backpack, and just run a ribbon cable up through the shoulder strap to the beacon for lights/antennas/etc.

It would be a significant challenge to repurpose the watch buttons. If you've ever taken apart a watch, the external buttons you see are usually just caps that press on metal strips on the watch circuit board. Those metal strips act as crude/simple electrical switches. So once you take the board out, there really is no switch any more, and you aren't going to find too many switches on the market that will fit in their place (that's why the watch maker had to design those metal strips in the first place).

In any case, I'm going to be making a watch model soon.
 
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A lot of that is probably doable, electronically, but likely won't fit inside the beacon shell without designing your own boards for the components. A possible option is to keep many of the internals in the backpack, and just run a ribbon cable up through the shoulder strap to the beacon for lights/antennas/etc.

It would be a significant challenge to repurpose the watch buttons. If you've ever taken apart a watch, the external buttons you see are usually just caps that press on metal strips on the watch circuit board. Those metal strips act as crude/simple electrical switches. So once you take the board out, there really is no switch any more, and you aren't going to find too many switches on the market that will fit in their place (that's why the watch maker had to design those metal strips in the first place).

In any case, I'm going to be making a watch model soon.

I've taken a watch apart once or twice, and figured as much, just didn't remember the details because its been so long.

Its amazing to see all the wonderful possibilities of what technology makes possible now-a-days (even with needing to design your own board).

Pretty much what I figured though which is why the ideas got more and more pie-in-the-sky. Its painful to see HOW and WHAT could be done, but not always be able to do it.

Good luck with the watch and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out! :)
 
so. got startet with my gear.
I got myself a budget gear slinger. but it does the job very well.
Of course there will be more added to it.
just wantet to share with you
IMG_20160409_192929.jpgIMG_20160409_192941.jpgIMG_20160409_192952.jpg
 
Hey Agents,

Finally got my brick completed. I had it 3d printed locally, sanded primed and painted by me. Lights are a 16 neopixel ring driven by a gemma board. I am really happy with how this turned out. Now on to the watch!

View attachment 612143View attachment 612144


This looks great! Where did you get you get it printed at? Was starting to look into getting one printed but not sure where to get it printed from.
 
This looks great! Where did you get you get it printed at? Was starting to look into getting one printed but not sure where to get it printed from.

You can get them printed a ton of places (as previously discussed a few times in this thread). Shapeways and XYZPrinting are two places to start.

If you think you might use it for other costumes, a 3D printer is a really useful thing to have. I have a $400 DaVinci, and it's incredibly helpful.
 
Question for patch knowers: If I wanted to have a SHD patch made, and I happened to know someone with one of those fancy custom image patch maker sewing machines, would I be able to get some kinda file off someone with the programming already set in order to help save time? I asked a friend and she said the image had to be "digitized" so that it knew what to do and then stopped answering my questions lol
 
Question for patch knowers: If I wanted to have a SHD patch made, and I happened to know someone with one of those fancy custom image patch maker sewing machines, would I be able to get some kinda file off someone with the programming already set in order to help save time? I asked a friend and she said the image had to be "digitized" so that it knew what to do and then stopped answering my questions lol

Not really, though their explanation is a bit vague. You need a digital vector file. If you just have a raster picture file, they will have to vectorize it. Then, the vector file has to be run through software (typically unique to the sewing machine / brand) to tell the sewing machine how to stitch it all out. Then, they actually end up doing this a handful of times, until it comes out looking good, because the first tries sometimes have goofy looking stitching.

Briarwood Makery is selling patches from the vector artwork I made, for $20. (I don't get anything out of it, it just seems that for only $20, why waste time trying to redo what has already be done?) http://briarwoodmakery.com/product-category/embroidered-patches
 
This looks great! Where did you get you get it printed at? Was starting to look into getting one printed but not sure where to get it printed from.

Thanks!

This was my first real foray into 3d printing. After some research I used 3dhubs.com as I was able to find a printer where I lived so I did not have to pay shipping. The only problem I ran into was getting the diffusers printed for the led ring which I had to get printed at a different hub because they need to be transparent and mot everyone prints transparent materials.
 
This was my first real foray into 3d printing. After some research I used 3dhubs.com as I was able to find a printer where I lived so I did not have to pay shipping. The only problem I ran into was getting the diffusers printed for the led ring which I had to get printed at a different hub because they need to be transparent and mot everyone prints transparent materials.

Specifically, most hobbyist grade 3D printers use plastics called ABS and PLA, and you need PLA for the lenses. Natural uncolored ABS is opaque and cream colored, and PLA is clear transparent. Expensive commercial 3D printers have many transparent materials available, but those companies will generally charge more.
 
M4 update, vinyls done! Love that stuff, so much better than spraying with stencils! And the best thing...I have 7 more of the SHD logo ones, gonna slap 'em on everything!

12994546_1066886016702384_3705612922905828494_n.jpg13000235_1066886083369044_5163857147522388540_n.jpg

Also ordered a pistol, gonna give it the same treatment when I have time :)

Edit: This has been posted on Facebook but not here: a pretty sweet lookin' DZ bag can be preordered here.
the-division-cosplaying-game-dark-zone-bag-_-hazardous-_b.jpg
 
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A little Diskussion about the go Bag.
What do you think about the every day use with a fully packed sling Bag. I tried a couple of things like running and jumping. I think a sling Bag would not be the propper thing to go on a Mission like in the game. A normal Rucksack would be the better solution i think.
Whats your opinion?
If this post May not be a proper Part of this threat, i apologize and it May be deletet by the host.
 
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A little Diskussion about the go Bag.
What do you think about the every day use with a fully packed sling Bag. I tried a couple of things like running and jumping. I think a sling Bag would not be the propper thing to go on a Mission like in the game. A normal Rucksack would be the better solution i think.
Whats your opinion?
If this post May not be a proper Part of this threat, i apologize and it May be deletet by the host.

Actually, the single shoulder go bag style does work. I have a messenger laptop bag made by Chrome Industries and it really works nice.

http://www.chromeindustries.com/metropolis-messenger-bag-1

It has a fully adjustable seat belt style clasp with a cinch strap, and it also has a smaller strap that wraps around your side and connects
to the front to _really_ secure it in place.

Now, granted, the messenger style bag is different than the backpack style, but the idea is the same.

Either way, it's a nice bag and really works well. If you could find a single strap rig in a backpack style, it would work fine I'm
sure with the second, smaller retention strap.
 
A little Diskussion about the go Bag.
What do you think about the every day use with a fully packed sling Bag. I tried a couple of things like running and jumping. I think a sling Bag would not be the propper thing to go on a Mission like in the game. A normal Rucksack would be the better solution i think.
Whats your opinion?
If this post May not be a proper Part of this threat, i apologize and it May be deletet by the host.

A sling bag is a HORRIBLE choice if you were really conducting operations similar to the game. The weight of all this equipment is far more in real life than people otherwise imagine, and even a framed ruck with shoulder straps is at times inadequate. The in-game characters are probably carrying 50-75lb of equipment, even if we ignore the absurdity of the quantities they carry (e.g. loaded 30rnd magazines are about 2lb each, so the 700ish rounds of ammo they are carrying for one rifle alone would be about 23-mags / 40lb!).
 
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