Integration Project

Worklog Time!

This is just a ‘started worklog’ to let everyone know where this project is going. As you probably know by now, the plan is to integrate the computers and electronics into my room; so that pretty much whatever I decide I want to do, I can do, whether it be listen to my music in both rooms at once, display my download stats on my TV in my bedroom, listen to my music in the shower-whatever. So this isn’t as much about the modding of the PC’s but the modding of the surroundings for the PC’s. This project will probably eventually be a ludicrous amount of hardware hacks; I’m planning to a fair deal of USB interfacing to help manage all the connections.

I’ll have one desk, and I want to be able to control most of the action from there. I’ll have 2 computers as a part of this mod, one for playing games on (Integration Project Stage 1) and one that runs Red Hat Linux, modded with a fallout theme and running as a mini-server. That’s Stage 2, and won’t get underway for a short while.

Down to business! The first stage of the integration is the desk. I need to have somewhere to put my PC’s. As the fallout case is a flat desktop thing, I decided to make a pull out drawer for it. As the worktop is pretty high, I also decided that there should be a lower part for the keyboard and mouse, with it’s own lighting that won’t disrupt the image on the monitor. I’ve already put up shelves and wired in a 5.1 surround sound system. The Modem and Wireless Router are already integrated, as is a small fridge which, for some reason, seems like a good idea. It makes a fair bit of noise so it’s not turned on at the moment. But when I’m having friends over to gaze at my workmanship, I’m sure we can crack open a couple of chilled cokes. These following pics are pretty self explanatory; but they show I went about putting the whole desk together. They also might give you a little clue as to just how crazy I really am…

My Desk before.

The runner attached to the wall.

The middle support.

And the tray goes in...

Attach one keyboard desk and some lighting...

And viola!

To answer any questions in advance; yes, I will tidy those cables up, and yes, I know I’m a crap carpenter. Feel free to post questions and suggestions, I’ll try and answer every post.

Anyway folks, that's all for now; let me know what you think of the idea. I know I haven't really explained it fully here, but I think my plans will become apparent in due time.

-Dave

I think the carpentry looks pretty good, and the lights are a nice touch. I've been wondering what all this integration talk was about, now I get it. I was actually heading in the same direction with my wooden media center as far as integrating as many functions as possible under one hood. But I hadn't thought of mixing several comps into the project, good idea.

I should really explain this properly. As i don't have access to that scanner at the moment, my amazing sketches will be skipped out at this point, in place of some photographs. I'll make this as short as possible.

I live on the top floor of my house, which consists of 3 rooms; my bedroom, my study, and my toilet. The toilet is between the two rooms. In one room, i have my desk, and all my computer stuff. In the other, i have my TV, my DVD's, and my Gamecube.

Anyway, Here's the plan for now. First, here's a photo off my desk that shows the whole thing.

And here's my TV and stuff.

As you can see, i've allready started integrating mess into my room. I hope to clean all that crap up a little before this gets major underway.

Anyway, one of the first thing i want to do is get a second monitor, and then have the option of having the second monitor showing either the server or as a second monitor to the main case. The main case is going to sit to the right on the desk, so i'll have to move my pin board, and as i'll be hopefully getting another 17 inch monitor as well to fit in there, i haven't decided where to put iit. I want to control both computers with the same mouse and keyboard, so a simple KMV switch here will do the trick.

But, i also want to be able to pass an S-video signal down a wire, with an audio signal, to the TV in the other room. As for the TV, i'll be making a SCART box with a built in amplifier that's going to drive 2 huge Tannoy Speakers that are supposedly worth over a grand each. That should make all my movies sound sweet! But, i also want to be able to play my music on them; also, i want to be able to play music on both my 5.1 system in the study, and on the large speakers in my bedroom. So this involves a bit of manipulation, or, in the words of Jack Black, some "studio engineering". (That's his definition of studio engineering...cutting wires and pulling things!)

Anyway, in the end, i plan to be adding all sorts of things: i have a plan for a USB interface for the KMV switch that will let me 'roll the mouse' from the gaming computer onto the server, and vice-versa, but we'll have to see how that pans out.

This is almost impossible to explain without some doodles; so i'm going to give up just now and hope that you all have a vague idea of what's going on untill the gaming box is finished and i can get my scanner back.

Anywho, feedback and questions are welcome, even though i've explained this pretty poorly at the mo.

And yes, that is a fake hand lying on the floor.

-Dave

"As the fallout case is a flat desktop thing, I decided to make a pull out drawer for it."

idea: why don't you make the mini-server in a drawer.. and have the front of the "drawer" a flip-down keyboard on the inside.. this way, u'll have access to the pc in a really scifi way. of course, the server you are building will be a feature, so u wouldn't really want to hide it in a drawer.. but, hey.. i thnk the idea is nice..

Everything looks nice.. both worklogs are great! And the idea too :)

OMG Dave is a cannibal!!! Just look at that hand, of which, every drop of blood has been sucked out!! LOL I'm kidding. What is with that hand anyway?

The hand was a gift from a friend. It's just fun to play jokes on people with.

Plus, it gives me something to prop up my Mr Flibble puppet.

-Dave

Looks nice. I'll follow this closely.
About KMV and USB, there is a project (can't come up with the name right now) (OSS) that runs a server to handle mouse and keyboard, then you can have numerous clients, ie PCs that can be controlled with the same mouse + keyboard. This way, all you need to do is setup the server + client and the configure the server to relocate the signals to the client whenever you slide the mouse over one of the edges of your server screen (kind of what you were talking about but software managed). I think you can control several other computers this way too (one for the left side, one for the right, top and bottom of the screen, for instance).

Another idea that i have been playing around with is bluetooth interface and proximity possibilities. This way, you take your handheld (I assume you got one :)) and when you get too far away from one bluetooth receiver the volume will increase (there are algorithms for this at the mythtv project, in C i think). Alternatively, when the proximity to one receiver is higher than to the one currently active (ie you changed rooms) the server will switch music from your bedroom to your livingroom or bath or whatever.

Neat, but doesn't work if there are more then one of you in your household. Can't be a big argument over who's handheld has priority...

just a few thoughts.
-.erik

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Originally Posted by DaveW

The hand was a gift from a friend. It's just fun to play jokes on people with.

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The possibilities are endless..

Dave, can you give me a hand?

Sure, here you go... :D

Maybe that's how you got it.

Quote:

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This way, you take your handheld (I assume you got one )

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Actually, i havn't got a handheld. They aren't so popular in the UK to be honest, and they're very very expensive over here: about the same price as a decent laptop. In fact, i can only think of one person who has one. It's also a very nice idea, but unfortunately i can only mod the upstairs of the house, and if i modded downstairs my mother would go ballistic. Oh, to move out...

Quote:

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The possibilities are endless..

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This is actually true. If i wanted i could write a book called "1 zillion sqillion things to do with a fake hand", but i wouldn't be able to pick a zillion squilion of the best.

-Dave

If you wanted a handheld, you could buy an older axim x3 for like 70 bucks American.

The next person that's in your room that makes you mad, tell them that your hand has an anti-theft device. And when they ask how, throw it at them as hard as you can.

Have you considered a remote desktop program instead of a kvm?