The new AMIGA 1200 case exclusive review - Is it as good as the original?

[thgill]

Originally Posted by Akira

You know, you can just design one that people can 3D print and give it out there for free. I think that would be the best solution for those who seem to still need to use a caddy.

I like this idea.

[amenophis]

Originally Posted by Akira

You know, you can just design one that people can 3D print and give it out there for free. I think that would be the best solution for those who seem to still need to use a caddy.

For that matter your idea is great.
We'll look into that!

Thanks Akira

[Pat the Cat]

Indeed, Akira has a good idea.

I've got a 3D scanner under construction, ETA for first scan next Wednesday. Maybe earlier. weather conditions are atrocious for construction right now (freezing point or lower).

I also have an A1200, caddy, I think. At least, I've got an A1200 awaiting resurrection, it should have a HD caddy in it.

Scanner is billed as accurate to 50 microns, so good enough for a 3D printer. I'll worry about hacking the resolution up later (it's a beautiful kit, Fabscan PI, open source, potentially hugely upgradable).


You can't print a full case out on 99% of all 3D printers, because they are too big for most build areas, but things like trapdoor covers and caddy's should not be a problem.

[eXeler0]

Originally Posted by Pat the Cat

Indeed, Akira has a good idea.

I've got a 3D scanner under construction, ETA for first scan next Wednesday. Maybe earlier. weather conditions are atrocious for construction right now (freezing point or lower).

I also have an A1200, caddy, I think. At least, I've got an A1200 awaiting resurrection, it should have a HD caddy in it.

Scanner is billed as accurate to 50 microns, so good enough for a 3D printer. I'll worry about hacking the resolution up later (it's a beautiful kit, Fabscan PI, open source, potentially hugely upgradable).


You can't print a full case out on 99% of all 3D printers, but things like trapdoor covers and caddy's should not be a big problem.

Ill try not to drift too much off topic, but the scan will probably need a clean up. What formats can you save it as. Maybe you could send it to Phil's Solid Works guy as a reference.
It could then be part of the "free digital model of the A1200" that was promised in the KickStarter.
Btw, looks like an interesting kit for €185. Feel free to post a review of hte scanner in another thread at some point ;-)

[Pat the Cat]

Fabscan Pi software saves as .ply cloud mesh. The control interface is via browser, cabled or Wifi. You don't need a screen, keyboard or mouse plugged into it for it to scan - just power and a browser pointing at the right web address (I guess tablet would be fine).

After that, pretty easy to convert to regular STL using Meshmixer or similar. Or OBJ or whatever format. There is already an A500 trapdoor cover on Thingiverse, but no A1200 or A600 HD caddy. Not much in the way of similar trapdoor covers for those models either, so definitely room for improvement.

http://www.thingiverse.com/search/page:2?q=Amiga&sa=

Don't you worry, will be making such things available, for people to test and tweak. "Many hands make light work. "I agree, by the way, scans will need probably need a little work. I figure merging two separate mesh files for both sides of an object. Seems to be an issue with current Amiga 3D models available - there's always a "blind side".

It's a nice scanner, but it can't see straight through solid objects.

[Pat the Cat]

Well, some mixed news on the scanner.

The so called "million lines plus inventory electronics depot" I was planning on picking up a green line laser from - stocks one, yes, one type, that is incompatible with the design.

Happily, that green line laser is an extra upgrade that boosts colour reproduction rather than a key component, although it can theoretically improve the scan resolution beyond 50 microns too... Plus, at least the extra servo needed for its motion is in my greasy paws, that did happen. Other potential upgrades also happened or are in progress, so mostly it's been good.

Anyway, it's in the process of final assembly in it's basic form, and the first scans should be happening in a couple of hours, if all goes according to plan. Probably not, but it does occasionally happen.

I've been thinking about this, and it might be a good idea to add some flexibility to the end user, in terms of having motherboard,type presets, adjustable case type, and a hard drive size type (2.5, 3.5, 5.25, drive height). Having a list of parametric adjustables, like how tall you want it, the angle of the top bracket, to support the keyboard, etc. . That's doable, and very easy to access for end users in a web interface called OpenJScad. But that's for another week.

The NICE part about plastic parts is, you can cut and drill out too narrow holes in them to a perfect diamter after they're printed, if they are not quite designed right. But ideally, it should be take parts + screws, attach, and push in. That can take a few revisions, so please be patient.

[Pat the Cat]

OK, got some preliminary results, double checking them against motherboard sizes of holes for fit.

It's looking pretty good, but I'll have a go with the 2nd laser fitted too, should sharpen it up just that little bit extra.

Been trying to help the developers with a few issues too, sorry for delays.

[Pat the Cat]

Well... looking good on fit. The model had been left in the unit for practically all of it's life, and it's an original Commodore 1B rev A1200. I've got images of the later units so can realistically test.

The caddy looks undamaged and showed no sign of rust, a few scratches, very little dirt, pristine underneath, when first revealed. It hasn't been knocked around.

EDIT: The issues I'm getting are with the scratches. It's not that I'm that much of a perfectionist, it's just that the shinier surface is causing some problems with getting the size problematic top area of the model just right - that's where the scratches are.

Sorting it out.

[Pat the Cat]

This is a puzzle, but I think I can explain things about the A600 and A1200 caddies.

There ARE three variants. The A600 variant fits them all. The A1200 variant (from the factory) only fits an A1200 without bending it. The Deformed variant can be also be either, or an A1200 which has been "straightened Deformed" so that it is a little bit too tall for the case, as well as the "Bent Deformed" for a better fit. Akira I think, and maybe others with same problem, do your caddies have perfectly straight backs? That might be the cause of the bad fit.

The caddy's all seem to have come off the production line with a uniform curve on the back. That makes the back much springier and gives you some tolerances. If somebody once thought "I'd better straighten that, its bent", you might have problems with a different case and keyboard, or a combination. Even if any original fits, you lose the slight tolerance you had before. Even with that, at the very least the paint will rub off, which is ALSO a design "feature". Caddies were designed very carefully but very quickly manufactured.

Anyway, the back is a UNIFORM curve, so you could replicate it on an original piece that has become deformed. Put the tolerances back, it's a neat little metal bending exercise but it's doable by some people, to some extent. Panel beaters and such.

Next posts will be

1) Github link, to photos to show original colour and preservation status, Original multiple raw .ply data from at least two different angles, hopefully more, for fidelity of all surfaces correctly.

2) After that, stl model of original postulated from multiple scans (never done that before. Could take me some time). Also the same original, but shortened to fit an A600. That should let people tinker once the data and hypothesis that the back was curved at the factory has been validated by other people as a fact, not just a hypothesis. Best orientation for ideal printing will also be determined and released. The orientation of printing is VERY important on an FDM or "Reprap" style printer - try it angled someways and gravity makes the process difficult if not impossible
They are the most common and cheapest type to print with.

3) One final printable model for A1200 SUITABLE FOR PLASTIC, Also one similar but say 1mm lower ( on the keyboard slope, give the tolerances back on a tight case), The printed parts don't need to be curved, they might be stronger if printed straight. . Other types can cope better, and print much faster. But FDM is most common.

The "Suitable for plastic" bit is important, some non critical changes happen to the model that don't affect the fit of everything, you end up with a much stronger finished part that is also a fit for the Amiga. The material is different, steel not plastic. The thinnest parts will still be 1mm thickness or so of ABS or PLA plastic and that's pretty strong. But it's better being a little thicker and stronger some places, obviously not where it slots on.

Might be an issue with some A1200 motherboards. I think Fillipino and maybe Brazil motherboards, they seem to be a little bit awkward sometimes. Caddies can be made to fit these boards, but, the holes in the board are soldered solid sometimes. It doesn't slide seem to slide in. You have to remove the blockage, somehow, soldering iron, solder sucker and maybe solder braid too. I guess that can happen on any A1200? Or was it also done at the factory some places, sometimes?

The caddy is very well preserved, I'm convinced the curved back was part of the production process, and maybe that's where people have gone wrong in some cases. The initial data should be able to confirm or deny that idea.

It's not a big job to have the jusr the bottom part as well, no slope for the keyboard. Depends if you want this case or another one, I suppose. Rackmount, whatever.