Death Star plans data card - zenix's build thread
- Thread starter zenix
- Start date
While I agree that from any single frame showing the card with its main background in bright reflection one might derive a white plastic base, I have to say that having now viewed the HD video source a couple times I too agree with the metallic luster interpretation. It's a very brief split second of a view but after watching it several times it does look metallic to me.
I'll await zenix' final determination and post-Blu-ray release product, but it's been fun watching the wonderful progress on this and I'll be purchasing a copy of my own for sure. Nice work!
Dan
I'll await zenix' final determination and post-Blu-ray release product, but it's been fun watching the wonderful progress on this and I'll be purchasing a copy of my own for sure. Nice work!
Dan
Mara Jade's Father
Master Member
Is the a chance the item is white on one side and bare metal on the back? Sorry, just have to ask.
The scene where the disk/card is handed to Leia also suggests a metallic luster. Also very brief but also pretty convincing...
The scene where it's handed to Leia briefly shows both sides - the 'back' side looks to be bare while the 'front' shows the circular gold disk pattern. The base/background material on both look metallic to me.
Dan
The scene where it's handed to Leia briefly shows both sides - the 'back' side looks to be bare while the 'front' shows the circular gold disk pattern. The base/background material on both look metallic to me.
Dan
Based on my experience following this thread from day one, I believe both sides to be metallic. It just doesn't make much sense to me why to prop department would go through the hassle of having one side metal and the other plastic, especially when taking into account the overall thickness of the card.
New Theory: What if the card is machined from aluminum and the makers lazily left the protective (sometimes white) wrap on the backside. Explaining why the underside often appears white.
It's aluminum on both sides. 100% positive.
I took screenshots of every frame that the card is in and will upload the individual photos into an album if anyone is interested. Same reflective quality is seen on both sides. It is a brushed/slightly tarnished aluminum and appears dark gray when not reflecting light to the camera compared to the rebel trooper's white plastic helmet, and appears white or almost glowing when reflecting light back. there are even frames where it's half and half as the angle is changing.
I took screenshots of every frame that the card is in and will upload the individual photos into an album if anyone is interested. Same reflective quality is seen on both sides. It is a brushed/slightly tarnished aluminum and appears dark gray when not reflecting light to the camera compared to the rebel trooper's white plastic helmet, and appears white or almost glowing when reflecting light back. there are even frames where it's half and half as the angle is changing.
dude, absolutely no need to apologize. We're all just nerds being super nerdy about a nerdy movie, staring at grainy screenshots of a little metal card because we want one just like it and are trying to either make that happen or discuss it to death until nobody cares anymore. That's the whole spirit of the RPF. 
dude, absolutely no need to apologize. We're all just nerds being super nerdy about a nerdy movie, staring at grainy screenshots of a little metal card because we want one just like it and are trying to either make that happen or discuss it to death until nobody cares anymore. That's the whole spirit of the RPF.
Yup, well said! We're all here for the same reason - we love working through all these details. Fun!
Dan
me too. I'm totally happy with whatever. I just enjoy supporting the hobby and its members that do all the work for things like this. Being on the cutting edge of new props is difficult when reference is lacking. Bravo to everyone who tries stuff like this. it's very fun.
Mara Jade's Father
Master Member
I thought fans of this prop might enjoy this mashup that is going around...
http://epicstream.com/videos/Check-Out-Rogue-One-Darth-Vader-Scene-Mashed-Up-With-New-Hope-Opening
http://epicstream.com/videos/Check-Out-Rogue-One-Darth-Vader-Scene-Mashed-Up-With-New-Hope-Opening
having a circuit board wth two separate finishes, gold plating, and something else like tin plated copper traces, is very difficult ad expensive. doing it with just onefinish, gold plating, and allowing the aluminum base toshow through the soldermask, is much easier, which is on big reason i thnk the prop makers did it that way. also, in th spaces between the gold, it's darker than the surface material.
i dont think the reference material is clear enough to say its bare aluminum vs soldermask ontop of aluminum.
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I think if you did it in gold plating on an aluminum base, people could weather and add washes to the traces to darken them to their preferred level. Same with the grooves between the gold discs.
Great video and test photos.
Great video and test photos.
Well what's coming now is the two finish on aluminum base,. Tin traces, gold circles, no soldermask, aluminum exposed both sides. The traces are very close using danns sketch plus my ideas, but it's not perfect. Maybe id do a third one, all gold plated, aluminum exposed no soldermask, and we can darken/sand the gold after. We'll see how the batch turns out
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