Another little proposal: Backside logo

[Caine]

So I don't know what you are implying actually.

I wouldn't know why he would "plot" anything either.

The phrasing of your post just "sounded" distrustful to me.
It is hard to capture what is usually communicated non-verbally in writing. Perhaps we should speak like the Elcor from mass effect.

"Admission of guilt. It seems I misinterpreted the tone of your post.
Apologetic statement. I did not intend to offend you."

 

[Grench]

Please make the aluminum logo plate black to match the shoulder buttons?

 

[Tanasinn]

The real question here: due to the aluminum logo (which I shall asume for now blocks out the rgb LEDs in the back), Are the rgb LEDs going to be removed entirely?

I really hope not, I do plan on customizing the lid with a variation of dominus agony (castlevania reference)

 

[Djoga'Ro]

The real question here: due to the aluminum logo (which I shall asume for now blocks out the rgb LEDs in the back), Are the rgb LEDs going to be removed entirely?

I really hope not, I do plan on customizing the lid with a variation of dominus agony (castlevania reference)

The aluminium plate was chosen to get what is wanted in a simple and easy to do manner. What is wanted is a transparent logo. If that was to be sacrificed, the easiest way was to have no cut-out in the case and just print or stamp the logo.
The logo gets cut out of the plate and some transparent plastic gets behind it, as I understand it. The latter maybe even projecting into the plates cu-out, I don't know. ?

 

[Bernd]

Like Djonga said:
The aluminium plate is made to get an easy way to get a nice shining logo.
A nice side effect is that only the logo is shining and the surrounding stays dark.

I'm thinking about switching the aluminium plate with an matted polycarbonate plate with an small aluminium-inlay to get more light out of the case.

 

[mclien]

OK, here is what I did meanwhile:
get the newest blender files, which shows the following: There is the mentioned aluminium plate (think of it like a stencil), which has the Logo craved throught. This fits into a rectengular pocket of the lid.
In the bottom of this pocket is an elliptic hole, which holds the clear acrylic part, which has the Logo embossed on top to fit into the aluminium craving. this part distributes the light from the RGB LEDs which edge lid the plastic part.
These 2 parts are glued int the lid. Every modification in the mold would result in making the lid smaller, which in reverse means to ADD material to the mold, which is the most costly thing you can do to a mold, so no chance here, I'd say.
BUT, I also talked to hns and gave him a sketch of my idea, which is like this (given, we have the 2 logo parts removed already. I get to that part later):
There is space to drill 4 holes into the corner parts of the logo pocket (besides the elliptic hole), so in theory there could be a hack to make a "screw from behind" (pun intended) logo. So from the communication with hns I got confirmation, that there will be room for the heads of the possible screws between the lid and the LCD (PCB).

So one option could be to make the Pyra default setup to get it with the logo not in place, but as a kit. Like you get the Pyra with the hole in the lids and decite yourself to weather glue in the original logo parts or to make your own. Or maybe it is even easy enough to remove, that that would not be necessary.
OR @EvilDragon : How much complitacted would it be to e.g. give the pre-preorderers an extra lid-part.

I'll try to get hold of some lids (perhaps production fails) to make tests and examples as soon as it#s possible

 

[stevenc99]

This picture is missing from the image gallery and Wiki, but you can see the elliptic cutout in the lid around the RGB LEDs:
http://cdn.liliputing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/pyra_03.jpg

I wondered how the LEDs would be able to shine through matte colour plastics, but there you go. The acrylic part that goes in there must be some kind of light spreader / diffuser.

You can see in the photo there is space for screwheads if you really wanted to bolt something on.

But you could easily stick just a sheet of paper over there instead and an opaque stencil of your own design.

 

[mclien]

Yeah, nearly. Only that the final design will be taht the acrylic part is NOT lit from the backsite, but the edges of the acryl part ( the light emmitiing direction of the LEDs will be turned 90°).
Source: Talk to ED at "die lange Nacht der Computerspiele, 30.4, Leipzig, germany).
And you still have to find a way to fix the new logo. Plus paper is not a very good dissusor, but could work "ok"-ish.

 

[rygD]

I would really like to see how the logo will look with the new display board and side lighting. None of that seems like a problem for my plans to replace the logo plate, and it opens up some interesting possibilities.

 

[Grench]

I think that if the aluminum plate were made black to match the shoulder buttons & nubs, the whole issue and concern would 'go away'. The black plate would match the black case option and look appropriate in the dark red case.

Simple answer - paint the aluminum black and move on?

 

[rygD]

Is there an issue? I thought some of us just wanted custom plates. That is what I am looking for.

 

[Grench]

Is there an issue? I thought some of us just wanted custom plates. That is what I am looking for.

Yes - or at least I thought there was. A brushed aluminum plate looks out of place and garish on the back of a red or black plastic device - it might look OK on a clear one. Paint the silvery-slime aluminum plate black and it melds into the black case and looks 'in-place-' with the black shoulder buttons and front controls on the dark red case.

I'm no fashion maven, but gadzooks man - that brushed aluminum is simply out of place on either the black or dark red cases.

 

[rygD]

Yes - or at least I thought there was. A brushed aluminum plate looks out of place and garish on the back of a red or black plastic device - it might look OK on a clear one. Paint the silvery-slime aluminum plate black and it melds into the black case and looks 'in-place-' with the black shoulder buttons and front controls on the dark red case.

I'm no fashion maven, but gadzooks man - that brushed aluminum is simply out of place on either the black or dark red cases.

Oh. Ok. Well, some of us are planning on modding ours, so we can share info and tips if it comes in aluminum color. Also, to help with the color:

paint the aluminum black and move on

See, you found the solution to your own gripe.

If you paint it the paint might chip or wear over time exposing the naked metal underneath.

 

[Grench]

If you paint it the paint might chip or wear over time exposing the naked metal underneath.

It is aluminum. If it were anodized black at manufacture, it shouldn't wear as badly.

 

[FBnil]

I really hope not, I do plan on customizing the lid with a variation of dominus agony (castlevania reference)

I'm gonna try to make a magic 8ball... shake the Pyra... and then the colours blink, finally settling on a random colour....

other games could include: depending on the color: shake, tilt, press R2 etc.

 

[Djoga'Ro]

I would really like to see how the logo will look with the new display board and side lighting. None of that seems like a problem for my plans to replace the logo plate, and it opens up some interesting possibilities.

Possibilities like what?

 

[rygD]

It is aluminum. If it were anodized black at manufacture, it shouldn't wear as badly.

But...but, you said paint it.

If it is going to be anodized he might want to try matching case colors, or other things that might look nice.

Possibilities like what?

Well, it moves the LEDs out of the way, so shove some stuff in there. Maybe a camera (that is a strange place, though). There are other things, too. They aren't fully formed ideas, mainly just things along the lines of "what useful stuff can be shoved in there?", with a few stupid ideas for changing the logo (such as using screws and nuts to hold the plate and the translucent piece together to avoid glue...or I could just try the screw from behind approach, I suppose).

 

[stevenc99]

Maybe black anodized aluminium is easier to laser-cut as well... what with regular aluminium being mirror-shiny?

 

[Grench]

Maybe black anodized aluminium is easier to laser-cut as well... what with regular aluminium being mirror-shiny?

Normally thick plate Aluminum gets cut on a water jet. These would be a lot thinner. Burning aluminum fumes are toxic so laser is iffy. This logo piece is small and thin enough that it could probably be cut on a punch-press from a rolled or flat stock with the adhesive pre-applied to one side.

Methods:
http://sheetmetal.me/tooling-terminology/how-to-cut-aluminum-sheet-metal/

Material Example:
http://www.johnsonplastics.com/durablack-matte-black-020-aluminum-sheet-with-adhesive

 

[levi]

Your own link suggest you can laser cut alumuinium, but you need a very high power laser though, as aluminium is so conductive to heat, the tendency otherwise it just to conduct heat away and melt the entire thing. I assume laser cutting copper has similar challenges.

But yeah, I'd suggest water jet cutting the aluminium prior to electrolysing it and dying it. Otherwise you tend to end up with a shiny edge where the raw metal wasn't electrolysed, and an oxides that develop on it naturally will be colourless.