General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts! Just for fun, I wrote the rudimentary "howto" page above and included pictures. Most of the time was spent in design, and I built the rig over a weekend. So maybe this will inspire others to build their own rig and post pictorials
Location: the bustling metro that is...East Providence, RI
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Wow, that's quite a first post! Your setup is amazing.
We also game with a projector (which is awesome) but the challenge is the throw distance as you mentioned. Even with a short throw lens, you still need some distance from the projector to your surface.
Great write-up too.
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We also game with a projector (which is awesome) but the challenge is the throw distance as you mentioned. Even with a short throw lens, you still need some distance from the projector to your surface.
True dat. ProjectorCentral.com was a life saver. I was amazed that you can get a projector for under $750 that could paint a 44" diagonal 4:3 image from only 31" away. And with perfect focus and uniformity. Without ProjectorCentral I wouldn't know which projectors would work.
That is sweet. Could you give a link to the specific projector you bought at the website you mention?
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector under the tablemat.
Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open
I have to try that too, sometime, when i find a projector and a nice transparent ikea table.
Well, and money to spend on those
It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector under the tablemat. Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open. I have to try that too, sometime, when i find a projector and a nice transparent ikea table.
That's my setup. IKEA makes several good frosted-white tabletops.
My setup however uses a mirror to increase the throw distance, which still isn't big enough for my tastes; has been known to get nudged by feet during play; and certainly isn't easy enough to set up and take down.
It would be better if I had a dedicated gaming room instead of having to set it up and take it down in my living room every session. I am definitely more about a really good, fixed solution than portability.
That's an amazing setup. I wish I had the money and space to dedicate to something like that because it makes the battlemat just gorgeous.
I also noted that you are local to the Cary NC area and frequent All Fun & Games (my favorite game store). If you'd be interested in meeting more ENWorld folks we have an event called the NC Game Day a few times a year where we get together and play RPG's. Our next one is the first Saturday in February. The signup thread will be up in about a month or so.
just saying that's INSANE expensive for a gaming prop.
Someone who enjoys boating once a week goes out and buys a $20,000 pick up and a $12,000 boat. Is that insane lol. I don't think the role playing hobby gets the status it deserves. I enjoy gaming once a week so dropping $750 on a gaming prop seems sane to me
Plus, $750 is chump change for hard-core middle-aged war-gaming enthusiasts with discretionary incomes. Shawn Gately at Blue Table Painting keeps like 4 painters busy year round painting 1,200 - 2,500 point armies for $1,000 or more.
You only need one person in your regular gaming group to have enough bank to build a cool digital map rig, and then all 4-6 of you can enjoy it for years to come
I didn't buy it from that site, I just searched for it on Ebay. There is one for sale for $550 on Ebay right now, probably from the same merchant. It's a good projector, and I plan on using it for business purposes also (it pops out of the mount with just 4 wingnuts).
It would be better if I had a dedicated gaming room instead of having to set it up and take it down in my living room every session. I am definitely more about a really good, fixed solution than portability.
I'd love a good fixed solution also but don't have the space to spare. So portable seemed the way to go, since I can take it where-ever our group chooses to game (which can fluctuate depending on availability).
My first choice was to go with the under-the-table set up but like you I ran into projection size issues. Portability notwithstanding, I had trouble designing a solution that I was 100% happy with. One solution I did come up with was a modified pub-style table. A pub table is 42" tall, and substract 12" for the vertical projector height and you still have about 30" which would be enough for a 43" diagonal 4:3 map. Table materials would get spendy though! At that point it's almost worth just buying a used DLP rear projection TV and lying it on it's side and building a box around it
Lastly, how much contrast do you lose with your setup? In my tests, I lost a bunch of lumens and contrast when reverse projecting onto a frosted piece of glass and some other materials. I wondered about gutting a junk reverse projection TV for it's screen at some point to try out that method.
It's very nice, but it would be even nicer if you put the projector under the tablemat.
Then you woudn't have that big box over the table, nor miniatures casting shadows, and overall it would be more clean and open
The big box actually just seems to "disappear" when you're using it. It's far less substantial in person than in the photos, for some reason. The top is high enough to not block your view of the other folks, plus the legs are only 3/4" in diameter, you hardly notice them. Once I'm sure I'm done fiddling with the design, I'll spray paint it a flat black, and it will be even less obtrusive.
The limitation I've found with reverse projection as you describe is it looks pretty washed out, unless I'm missing something. Projecting straight onto a surface from above creates a gorgeous and vibrant map. I actually like the shadows. In person it adds a sort of reality to the minis because they're casting little shadows on the map I definitely think large props set down on the surface would cast too much shadow though, so in that scenario reverse projection is definitely superior.
Lastly, how much contrast do you lose with your setup? In my tests, I lost a bunch of lumens and contrast when reverse projecting onto a frosted piece of glass and some other materials.
None that I notice. I also have a BenQ projector (not sure what model off the top of my head) but it is really, really bright.
I do suspect that by the time I own a home with a dedicated "Game Room" (fingers crossed everyone!) I am far more likely just to buy a big LCD screen and lay it flat into a custom designed tabletop. (At which point the projector will be used for its actual intended purpose-- Big Geeky Movies.)
For that matter by the time I have a Game Room there may be some Microsoft Surface-type applications within my price range.
I'm with you on the $$$, by the way. This is my hobby. It's nothing at all for most Real Men to go spend $2000 on a wide screen TV just for watching football. I just happen to be using my TV for another weekly pursuit.
I just designed and built a portable digital map rig:
I call shenanigans! I don't believe it really is portable. If it truly is, then you should bring it to my house and run a game with it to prove to us that it really is portable!
None that I notice. I also have a BenQ projector (not sure what model off the top of my head) but it is really, really bright.
Just a tip for anyone wanting to do rear projection (from a guy that used to do AV setups for a living.)
They make special projector screens for rear projection, that can be used with any projector*. It's actually really cool because you can use them in much brighter settings then normal setups.
*You do have to be able to switch it to rear projection mode, otherwise everything is backwards...
I didn't buy it from that site, I just searched for it on Ebay. There is one for sale for $550 on Ebay right now, probably from the same merchant. It's a good projector, and I plan on using it for business purposes also (it pops out of the mount with just 4 wingnuts).
Sean
Yeah, I did read your write up about how you got all the components, I just wanted to see an actual "stat block". Thanks!
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
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