Gametable modification

[rjdafoe]

I posted in another thread that I would post pictures of my work on my gametable. Here they are. I started a blog here and will update it as I continue work.

The finnished product will be a touchscreen built into our gametable using a wii remote and a few light pens. The projector will display from under the table.

EN World D&D / RPG News - rjdafoe

 

[Steel_Wind]

Nice progress.

You should look into projector screen material used for rear projection. I am not saying that other materials will not suffice, simply that purpose made projector cloth used in rear projection will suit your purposes best.

You might find that a projector screen used in an older projection screen TV will work admirably for this purpose.

I presume the intent is to mount the thick plexiglass below the table surface (under the hole) and cut and fit the std thickness plexiglass panel perfectly into the hole so the whole surface of the table is level once all materials are installed?

Nice find on the projector and the extra lamp was a real bonus for that model.

As I have been saying for a while, the cost of projector technology has plummeted. This is extremely accessible technology now for those of us who are grown ups and have jobs (not GREAT jobs mind you - simply a reasonable job).

 

[rjdafoe]

Thanks for the idea. I called up a local tv repair shop where I have taken a couple of TVs to in the past and he is selling me an old rear projection TV screen for $5! This should work perfectly.

Yes, the idea, although I have not worked it out fully yet is that the plexiglass will be even with the rest of the top of the table.

I am also looking at materials to cover the rest of the table to make it a whiteboard surface. That way people can use the surface for any number of things - HPs, damage done (we have 1 person that keeps a running list of all damage he has done), etc.

 

[Festivus]

Hmm, you got me thinking. What if one took a 50" rear-projection TV set (or even a modern flat panel) and mounted it horizontally in a hole like you had, and then laid a sheet of plexy over the whole thing. Viola, you have a gametable without the need for the projection system (which is noisy, hot, and has expensive bulbs).

For the price some folks are putting out there for these setups it seems one could obtain a flat panel.

 

[rjdafoe]

That is the idea I had at first - getting an LCD TV and building it into the existing table with plexi over the top....

I wound up with this becuase the projector is quiet and came with a spare bulb for $524 shipped. Not much more expensive than a good 32" LCD and I have control over the size of the picture.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Hmm, you got me thinking. What if one took a 50" rear-projection TV set (or even a modern flat panel) and mounted it horizontally in a hole like you had, and then laid a sheet of plexy over the whole thing. Viola, you have a gametable without the need for the projection system (which is noisy, hot, and has expensive bulbs).

You don't want an old style std res TV for this purpose. The resolution on it will be far too low at std TV res or even at SuperVHS resolution. This is just not what you want. Not even close. Pixel density matters for this application - and it matters a LOT. With a pixel density that is too low, your image on a per inch basis on the map degrades massively.

(Std TV looks as good as it does to the human eye because the image it displays is always moving. Freeze that image, and the image quality instantly becomes rather poor.)

In my opinion, you want XGA at 1024x768 or higher for tabletop projection. (Higher resolutions are too expensive right now, but at the current cost of XGA projectors, I wouldn't even look at a 800x600 projector unless it was gift (or just STUPID cheap) let alone a standard res TV).

IMO, a battlemat and wet erase are preferable to std res TV.

For the price some folks are putting out there for these setups it seems one could obtain a flat panel.

Yes, but there are significant reasons why projection is handier in use.

The ability to optically focus the image to make images with hard-coded grids scale easily (optical scalability) is very useful at the table. Less important, (but still handy) is the ability to project on top of 3d objects on the table top.

Moreover, the cost of projection technology is still far cheaper than flat panel displays.

In five years (probably less), I don't expect this to remain true and flat panel technology will take over.

The one Ace-in-the-hole is if pico stlye projectors brighten considerably. Samsung has a 1000 lumens ultra portable projector that is very promising due out this spring. Up that lumens ratio by a factor of 50-75% and reduce the size even further on the projector?

Extremely portable projection tech doth hath its gaming advantages. An Optima pocket projector with 50 or 100 lumens is a toy. If it has 1700-2000 Lumens? That's no longer a toy - that's Coolest. Gaming Projector. Evar.

 

[Festivus]

Checking the specs for a Sony KDF-E50A10 shows it goes up to 1280x768 resolution, plenty higher than a projector, and I am sure that there are others. Folks dumping rear projection screens for LCD TV sets might make them cheap to find. It was just a thought anyhow, I am not modding my table till I have a room big enough to hold it.... years from now given the state of the real estate market.

 

[rjdafoe]

The work continues with Part II

http://www.enworld.org/forum/blogs/rjdafoe/2388-making-my-gametable-modern-part-ii-trial-error.html

 

[Steel_Wind]

It's starting to look suh_weet!

K+ and mad props. If you tell me you aren't getting excited about this now - I'm calling you a liar

 

[falcarrion]

Tracing paper also works. Check out the NIU group website. Great site for multitouch table info. They have a section on products used for tables. You might want to check out rosco grey material if the shower curtain doesn't work out.