Project: Gardens of Versailles

[Datech]

Ok, so a month behind schedule and on the heels of the still technically unfinished Passion, here is The Gardens of Versailles!

The following is the main part of my Future Projects post from a while ago but updated to what I currently have. At the bottom is the newest piece for this case, an image of the CAD file I'm sending off to some waterjet guys for cutting. Enjoy, and I am really trying to get this one done by August. I've got the majority of the component already, and I'm trying to stick to a timetable. As soon as I get Nighttrain's 12mp point and shoot I'll get a bunch of pictures up here.

Here is the outline for my next mod, The Gardens of Versailles. It is now in the last part of the design phase and will hopefully be completed no later than August.

This mod is going to be a surprise for my mother. She knows I plan on building her a computer, and I expressed interest in modding one for her, but we never discussed anything besides possibly making the theme landscaping/flowers. In the summer after 8th grade I had the opportunity to visit France for two weeks with a tour group, and we made a day long stop at the Palace of Versailles. If anyone knows anything about Versailles and the eccentric Louis's that lived there, you know that it sits on a huge parcel of land, most of which is gardens. One place that particularly struck me was the Orangerie, just outside the main palace.

The Orangerie:

So with that in mind, I then chose my components. These may change, but it doesn't really matter:
Purchased, On Order, Will Order
Motherboard: ECS Black Series AMD 780G mobo
RAM: OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2-800
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200 Brisbane 2.7GHz
Power Supply: Thermaltake Purepower 500W Power Supply
Graphics Card: POWERCOLOR Radeon HD 3650 512MB
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200 RPM
DVD-ROM: Pioneer Black 20X DVD+R
CPU Cooler:ARCTIC COOLING ACF64LP 60mm CPU Cooler
Monitor: ASUS 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor

So here is the sketchup model:

The front of the case I have looks nothing like this, and I have a bunch of other ideas for the sides. I haven't had a chance to update the SketchUp drawings yet, so bear with it and pay attention to the overall design.

I'm going to try and keep the colors dull and simple. I don't want it to be a huge flashy case due to color, I'd rather it be something you can set on top of a nightstand next to a desk and actually look like a representation of the Orangerie. I didn't bother putting the components in the SketchUp case, but the holes will be backed by 1/8" blue frosted plexiglass most likely, and the 120mm fan in the center will glow blue to simulate water throughout the cutout. I am going to have the cutout custom cut at a local metal shop to ensure the complexity stays. I'll probably get the trees at a local train hobby store as well.

As far as paint and color scheme a lot has changed since those initial SketchUps. I still plan on doing some kind of green and beige on the top part with the trees to simulate grass and pathways. As far as the sides though, I still need to do a little research and brainstorming on what I want to do. My case is such that when laid down the power button has an arch around it, so I plan on incorporating the Arc de Triumph around it somehow. For the non-face sides I plan on siding it with some sort of decorative french styled wallpaper or lining. A faux-leather in tan/burgundy with a gold leaf/vine pattern is what I keep picturing as I want this to be a darker colored case. No French pastels or anything like that.

Once again, not sure what direction I'm going to go with the sides, but they hopefully won't just be green. If anyone has any ideas feel free to post them.

And now the final piece. The completed AutoCAD wireframe of the case top. I don't have it textured or anything as I don't know what the water jet guy is going to want. The red rectangle on the pic is the little handhold area that helps you take the case side off. I'm not sure if I'm going to flatten that out of just leave it to be cut into yet.

Thats about all I can think about right now, what does everyone think?

[DonT-FeaR]

gunna be sweet mate good idea

[Oneslowz28]

nice

[msmrx57]

Glad to see this is gonna happen. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

[Atheistmunk]

just a question for the landscaping are you going to use train modeling grass, fake water cuz that would be awesome

[Datech]

just a question for the landscaping are you going to use train modeling grass, fake water cuz that would be awesome

The water is going to be represented by a blue plexi backing for the window. I still haven't decided yet if I'm going to do a transparent blue or a frosted, but I'm leaning toward frosted as this mod doesn't exactly focus on the coolness of computers (just computer mods).

The grass is probably just going to be the case side painted green and possibly textured. Maybe get two or three good coats of the color I want, then alternate a lighter shade and the same shade in two super quick coats and use a cotton ball as its drying to pop in up. Just an idea though.

For the rest of the landscaping I'm going to just use what I find at local hobby stores. I could probably get a big set online for fairly cheap, but if I don't use all of the stuff in a set then I'll probably never use it again. There are a few local train and hobby stores, so it shouldn't be hard for me to find something unique for the project.

Once again, I'm super afraid this case can go from cool to cheesy in a matter of seconds, so I'm trying as hard as I can to keep it clean and fresh with the design and materials. If you have any product suggestions or general ideas for the sides let them fly.

I should be getting the camera this week, so you'll have pics to base your suggestions on soon.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Glad to see this one coming together! I remember it in the idea stage, I think. I know you have the ability to do it right.

If it's not going to be a low-profile computer, why go with that cooler? (If it is, nice.)

[Datech]

If it's not going to be a low-profile computer, why go with that cooler? (If it is, nice.)

Not sure I understand you. Are we talking about the CPU cooler or the case fan?

If you mean the CPU cooler, feel free to suggest another one. This is the first time I've done anything that wasn't an Intel 775 chip. I just found the first decent rated cooler for my chip on Newegg and went with it.

If you mean the big 120mm case fan on in the center, it seemed appropriate to me. This is still going to be a basic computer shape, and case fans in the side like that don't exactly hurt. Plus, what better to fill the spot of a big circular pool than a case fan that surprisingly fits the dimensions really well? When I was basing the CAD drawing on the overhead shot I was afraid of what the final measurements of the pool would be in relation to the garden. Turns out it was right at 112mm, which is good enough for me for a 120mm fan.

Another thing I haven't mentioned yet: I plan on mounting the case on top of some stylish Victorian-type feet, possible ball and claw style. This will let the case stand off its resting place a bit and allow a little extra airflow out the unseen bottom part.

[DonT-FeaR]

start already

[Datech]

start already

I have, I just don't have the camera yet, it's getting here this week. Hopefully I'll have a serious quote back from the waterjet cutter this week. Once I get that everything else should fall into place relatively quickly.