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Author Topic: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing  (Read 5376 times)

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Offline Matt Thorn

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Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« on: October 06, 2010, 10:23:20 PM »

This is a color-changing Luke ROTJ Hero Style (Version 1) that I have finally finished after many months of struggle.

The hilt is one from Korbanth, modified in a couple of significant ways. First, the original Graflex clamp has been replaced with a "Hero Style" (a.k.a. Version 3) control box. Making that box was no picnic. The second modification was much simpler: I powder-coated the lower portion of the choke black in order to make it closer to the prop used in the film. And while I was at it, I put a coat of clear powder coating on the steel emitter, which otherwise would gather rust in the blink of an eye.

At first I tried salvaging a control box from a Force FX, but it looked awful. Then I tried designing one in CAD and having it 3D-printed by Shapeways. This also looked awful. Finally, I consulted with Acerocket, and he was able to sell me parts he had gathering dust. Getting all those parts together was pretty tricky.

Trickiest of all was packing in everything needed to make it a color-changing saber, with sound, while keeping the appearance as true to the film prop as possible.

Oh, and the little triangular LEDs on the control box are actual functioning LEDs.

I had originally wanted to make the rotary switch for the color-changing accessible through a hole in the black thingies on the side of the control box, but this proved physically impossible. So I ended up having the switch accessed by pushing the card forward.

The saber uses a Force FX Yoda soundboard and a LedEngin 10-Watt RGBA. If there is a way in a set-up like this to prevent red and amber from hogging current, I don't know what it is. (Giving the limited space, putting Buckpucks on each chip was not an option!)

There are four chips on the LED, so the number of possible on-off configurations is 16. One of those is "all off," so there are actually 15 colors. These are selected with a 16-position rotary switch. As you can see from the photos, several of the colors are barely distinguishable from each other, which is, again, a byproduct of the red and amber chips hogging current.

There is no charge port, because the gentleman I made it for wanted to be able to change batteries by hand. It uses for AAA batteries.

It may not be particularly stunning to look at, but after all the time, energy, and money I poured into this thing, you're going to see it whether you want to or not.  :P

Here's a video of the saber.











































« Last Edit: October 07, 2010, 05:50:21 AM by Matt Thorn »
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Offline Caine

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2010, 10:28:03 PM »
Sweet, Matt! It's always great to see more and more Hero's these days (I have one on the way as well, although it's not an Uber cool color changer!)

Great work, dude.

Offline Matt Thorn

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2010, 10:30:16 PM »
Thanks, Caine! The links were messed up in my original post. They are working now.
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Offline cloudxen

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2010, 10:30:36 PM »
That's quite stunning matt!
So, what'd I miss?

Offline QUI-GON JINN

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2010, 10:39:58 PM »
Good work Matt....that came out very nice indeed.


Offline gchu149

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2010, 10:40:21 PM »
Oooh. I like... Terrific job Matt! Cool to see it's not difficult to change the colors either.

And Caine, you have quite a collection of Luke ROTJ's...  8)
de CF
Click the link to view my collection at the very bottom of the page:
http://www.fx-sabers.com/forum/index.php?topic=20080.msg330140#msg330140

Offline Matt Thorn

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2010, 11:33:01 PM »
Wow, you guys have made my day. I was seriously expecting a "meh" kind of reaction. I suppose after staring at and tinkering with this thing since last winter, I can only see the flaws.  ::) I was frankly naive when I accepted this order. I charged him only what I initially asked for, but by the time I nailed everything he had asked for, I was deep in the red.  :-\ Still, it was a good experience. And now I know better than to make promises that I'm not certain I can keep (within budget).  :P
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Offline Caine

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2010, 11:38:42 PM »
Wow, you guys have made my day. I was seriously expecting a "meh" kind of reaction. I suppose after staring at and tinkering with this thing since last winter, I can only see the flaws.  ::) I was frankly naive when I accepted this order. I charged him only what I initially asked for, but by the time I nailed everything he had asked for, I was deep in the red.  :-\ Still, it was a good experience. And now I know better than to make promises that I'm not certain I can keep (within budget).  :P

Dude, was it a major pain cutting the triangles out for the LED's? I am using a TCSS Box 1, and I got all the Fennix props goodies including the working triangular LED's. Any tips? I was just going to drill some holes as close to the size as the LED's and then just force them in.

Offline Matt Thorn

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2010, 12:02:46 AM »
Dude, was it a major pain cutting the triangles out for the LED's? I am using a TCSS Box 1, and I got all the Fennix props goodies including the working triangular LED's. Any tips? I was just going to drill some holes as close to the size as the LED's and then just force them in.
Happily, the parts I got from Acerocket had the triangles stamped out already. I can't remember the details, but I think he either acquired them from or made them for someone else, and they ended up never being used. I bought the whole lot from him. P.M. me if you're interested in taking some of them off my hands.

EDIT: Oops. I realized that I forgot to include the little black blocks in the photo. These are a pair of blocks, side by side, which, on the Force FX version, work as a sliding switch. The only thing lacking in the set is a card.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2010, 10:11:00 PM by Matt Thorn »
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Offline Janias Saarkhan

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2010, 04:14:54 AM »
Great job!  Perfect solution for the location of the LED color change adjustments too.  I'm sure your long hours will be appreciated by the new owner.

Offline Janias Saarkhan

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2010, 04:21:42 AM »
BTW...tried to PM you, but your inbox is full.

Offline Yamabiko

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #11 on: October 07, 2010, 04:37:28 AM »
Great work, Matt-san! ;D

I am very glad to see your work after a long time.  ;)
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Offline Matt Thorn

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #12 on: October 07, 2010, 04:59:40 AM »
Thanks, all! Sorry about the PM problem. I just cleaned out my inbox. Please PM me again!
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Offline Mersenne

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2010, 06:26:01 AM »
....... Oh, and the little triangular LEDs on the control box are actual functioning LEDs.

....... So I ended up having the switch accessed by pushing the card forward.

....... a LedEngin 10-Watt RGBA. If there is a way in a set-up like this to prevent red and amber from hogging current, I don't know what it is. (Giving the limited space, putting Buckpucks on each chip was not an option!)

Matt, you've made my day - now I know my journey ahead is possible for my ROTJ plans.

a couple of Qs mate if you don't mind sharing?
Triangular LEDs are driven off what? just the Yoda board? ( I plan to flash at least one, ...... hopefully)
the RGBA is driven from what, if you didn't use Buck Pucks?
and I total dig the 16 position dial and it's location

I bow to you MT
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Offline Rogue Graymatter

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Re: Luke ROTJ Hero Style RGBA color-changing
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2010, 08:58:22 AM »
Wow Matt, your work really is first rate. Looks great! Makes me want a hero saber fairly bad now.... I have you and Caine to thank for that. Thanks guys, I can feel my wallet getting lighter already.
RG

 

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