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Istari Asuka
Trick Member
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ |
1160.  Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | If you REALLY need it i can take a picture of it on here. |
Nah, that's OK, no need to. It won't be a problem.  .
Oh, and here's a pic of the pad in it's current state -- almost done. You can see the lights, though they look much better in person. It's just the bad quality of the picture. They actually look *very* nice.
Please forgive the quality...it was taken on a 640x480 digital camera, then cropped to show only the important part, and then enlarged to make it easier to see. I promise that I'll take a video in a few weeks, after it's done and i have access to a digital camera from my Media class. |
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TheKornKid
Trick Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2002
Location: Toledo, OH |
| 1161. Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 11:41 pm Post subject: My ddr pad |
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That's a sweet metal pad, I'm also building one, the only thing not done are the lights and the arrow graphics, but i've already played on it and it works awesome. I didn't put in the solo arrows only because i don't care for solo that much, but instead i threw in a bar 
We rule Asuka!
If anyone wants to see the construction phase of this so far just click this
http://www.geocities.com/chris_pruss/DDR/MetalPad_Progress.html
I'm almost done updating it, when i am i'll add an entire page dedicated to the finished product.
Last edited by TheKornKid on Fri Oct 31, 2003 11:22 am, edited 2 times in total |
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trakk
Basic Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2003
Location: Northern VA |
| 1162. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:06 am Post subject: new metal pad design |
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I just finished building a prototype arrow for a 1" metal pad with lights that I am currently writing up plans.
Bennifits:
* No Soldering to the pad. Only the controller.
* Highly portable (each arrow/square is seperate)
* Very sensitive. I made the test arrow so sensitive my little finger triggered it (on a corner)
* Bright 20W bulbs can be used (really bright)
* Easy maintenance and easilly upgradeable.
* Amazingly cheap.
Currently I'm working out how to make it easy to put this thing together without having to carry around any tools... which could change the price... 
-- trakk |
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WaterDios
Basic Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
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| 1163. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:13 am Post subject: |
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Istari, how thick is this pad?
Also, what did you use for lights? Bulbs or LED?
Got any construction pictures?
I just started construction on mine, but since it's my first pad, I'm building it out of 2x4s. I think next time I'll could build it easier (and cheaper) out of 2x2s which would make it only about 2.5" thick.
I look forward to any more pics you have and that video.
WaterDios
| Istari Asuka wrote: | | Quote: | | If you REALLY need it i can take a picture of it on here. |
Nah, that's OK, no need to. It won't be a problem. .
Oh, and here's a pic of the pad in it's current state -- almost done. You can see the lights, though they look much better in person. It's just the bad quality of the picture. They actually look *very* nice.
Please forgive the quality...it was taken on a 640x480 digital camera, then cropped to show only the important part, and then enlarged to make it easier to see. I promise that I'll take a video in a few weeks, after it's done and i have access to a digital camera from my Media class. |
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WaterDios
Basic Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
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| 1164. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:14 am Post subject: Re: new metal pad design |
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Can we see what you have now?
WaterDios
| trakk wrote: | I just finished building a prototype arrow for a 1" metal pad with lights that I am currently writing up plans.
Bennifits:
* No Soldering to the pad. Only the controller.
* Highly portable (each arrow/square is seperate)
* Very sensitive. I made the test arrow so sensitive my little finger triggered it (on a corner)
* Bright 20W bulbs can be used (really bright)
* Easy maintenance and easilly upgradeable.
* Amazingly cheap.
Currently I'm working out how to make it easy to put this thing together without having to carry around any tools... which could change the price...
-- trakk |
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WaterDios
Basic Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
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| 1165. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:25 am Post subject: Cobalt Flux |
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Does anyone here have the dimensions of the Cobalt Flux pad?
Also, anyone looked inside one to see what they are using as contacts?
WaterDios |
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trakk
Basic Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2003
Location: Northern VA |
| 1166. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:51 am Post subject: Re: new metal pad design |
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| WaterDios wrote: | Can we see what you have now?
WaterDios
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Sure.. I'll post what I have when I get home from work. Although being it's halloween tonight.. I might not get to it untill tomorrow.
- trakk
| trakk wrote: | I just finished building a prototype arrow for a 1" metal pad with lights that I am currently writing up plans.
Bennifits:
* No Soldering to the pad. Only the controller.
* Highly portable (each arrow/square is seperate)
* Very sensitive. I made the test arrow so sensitive my little finger triggered it (on a corner)
* Bright 20W bulbs can be used (really bright)
* Easy maintenance and easilly upgradeable.
* Amazingly cheap.
Currently I'm working out how to make it easy to put this thing together without having to carry around any tools... which could change the price...
-- trakk |
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WaterDios
Basic Member
Joined: 22 Oct 2003
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| 1167. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 7:59 am Post subject: Cobalt Flux |
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Does anyone here have the dimensions of the Cobalt Flux pad?
Also, anyone looked inside one to see what they are using as contacts?
WaterDios |
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tolookah
Trick Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Location: The People's Republic of Wesdives. |
| 1168. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 8:25 am Post subject: Re: new metal pad design |
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| trakk wrote: |
Bennifits:
* Very sensitive. I made the test arrow so sensitive my little finger triggered it (on a corner)
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ok, just a warning, when you put them all together, when they are that sensitive, you will be shooting off button presses left and right, be aware that when you step on the center square, the whole thing flexes a wee bit, no matter how strong it is (unless its like an Ultra Strong pad made of concrete) ... just to give you a heads up on how sensitivities can really mess things up. have you thought about thumb screws? and something locking that you can place around the outer edge, so the whole outside will lock together, while making it portable? or even a fold out mat of sorts, where the squares kind of just lock in on that? (just throwing out ideas now)
Luck with the project though |
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trakk
Basic Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2003
Location: Northern VA |
| 1169. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 12:59 pm Post subject: |
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I had imagined a frame around the 9 squares.
the mat idea.. could work.. but probably won't fold up very well...
Yes.. the flexing thing I understand.. but that won't change the pressure of each square...
since they are all self contained.. the flexibility shouldn't change. Also.. there are other things that I am thinking that would increase the thickness by 1/2" only due to the binding process of joining all of the squares together.. but the pad would still be 1" thick (even with the 20 watt lights.. that's the wild part that blew my mind)
anyhow.. power will go from square to square without needing any soldering/screwing of wires.
more arrows/steppable squares can be added on the fly for later upgrading.. or changing the pad type (U-D-L-R or diagonal, or combo... or for selection)
-- trakk |
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Istari Asuka
Trick Member
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ |
| 1170. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| WaterDios wrote: | Istari, how thick is this pad?
Also, what did you use for lights? Bulbs or LED?
Got any construction pictures?
I look forward to any more pics you have and that video.
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1) It's just over 1.5" thick. You could say it's 1 5/8" thick. Nice and skinny.
2) I used these. I actually used 2 of these per arrow panel, though it turns out that 1 per panel would have worked nearly as well. Oh well, i guess 2 looks a bit nicer, so it's all good. If you only use 1 per panel, and only have 4 arrows, then 20$ for lights for a whole pad ain't bad...
3) Yeah, I have some, but they're also of bad quality. I'll try to borrow my friend good digi cam sometime soon to take some better pics.
| Quote: | | That's a sweet metal pad, I'm also building one, the only thing not done are the lights and the arrow graphics, but i've already played on it and it works awesome. I didn't put in the solo arrows only because i don't care for solo that much, but instead i threw in a bar |
Well, I also would have liked a bar, but couldn't figure out how to do so without having a much thicker pad (like yours). And as having a low profile pad was really necessary...no bar for me  . Oh, and i notice that you have pushbuttons--I do as well (Select for JP mixes, and Start and Triangle for US mixes), they're part of that area above the arrows (very top of the pad, part that's not covered up yet in my pic). Anyways, good luck with your pad!
| Quote: | Yes.. the flexing thing I understand.. but that won't change the pressure of each square...
since they are all self contained.. the flexibility shouldn't change. |
The potential problem was that since the whole pad flexes a bit when playing, that small amount of movement could trigger the arrows even if you're not stepping on them, if they're TOO sensitive. Unless by self contained you mean there is no base that holds the pad together in one peice.
Speaking of that, one of my friend's home build pad (quite different than mine) uses a welded steel bottom, and can split into 3 pieces, which are then connected with screws through the base metal. A 9 pin connector came out from all three, connected together into the controller box, and from there the cord ran to the playstation. It was actually pretty sweet. The steel made it quite heavy, but the ability to split it in 3 made it easier to transport in a car and stuff. |
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tolookah
Trick Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Location: The People's Republic of Wesdives. |
| 1171. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Istari Asuka wrote: | 2) I used these. I actually used 2 of these per arrow panel, though it turns out that 1 per panel would have worked nearly as well. Oh well, i guess 2 looks a bit nicer, so it's all good. If you only use 1 per panel, and only have 4 arrows, then 20$ for lights for a whole pad ain't bad...
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so how long does it take for those to turn on? most fluorescent lights i know of take a little time to start up... and if that's good, then rock! |
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Istari Asuka
Trick Member
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ |
| 1172. Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| tolookah wrote: |
so how long does it take for those to turn on? most fluorescent lights i know of take a little time to start up... and if that's good, then rock! |
what, when you step on them? Turn on instantly. If they didn't then they wouldn't be very good, would they  ?
So, yeah, as far as I can tell they're just about ideal. Far more even light distribution than LEDs, as small (vertically), and much easier to impliment as well. The only thing you need to be careful about is when moving the pad not to just drop it violently at the new location, as the tubes ARE made of glass. |
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Little Firefly
Trick Member
Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Location: Heading away from the white light... |
| 1173. Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2003 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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trakk-
I was going to say that you could build a little frame and put hinges on the corners so it is colapse able, but once you have the squares in they would hold the frame in the right place.
but i think that is what you had in mind.
ok back to my own design, i decided to go with the 3/16 lexan, because i really don't need an arrow graphic, and it is cheaper to buy 4 3/16 ones than 8 1/8 ones.
this means i have a 5/16 hole in my pad if i was to design it the way a planned, so i could use 1/4 wood to make a little riser, but the i'd only have a 1/6 thing to hold the plexi in place at the top, i think i will get 8 corner brackets, 2 per arrow, so it will cost less than 16 brackets, but still do the job of holding the plexi down
Whad'ya think?
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lostsage
Trick Member
Joined: 03 Dec 2002
Location: New Mexico, I-40 and Highway 666 (Really) |
| 1174. Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2003 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| TheKornKid wrote: | | Tofu wrote: | | I don't understand how to do the soldering and the wiring of the controller of the pad. I checked out most of the websites but didn't really find anything. Can anyone help me with this? |
http://customddr.com/arrowtocontroller.html
I used that site to get the idea, the only problem is buying the soft pad and gutting it and pretty much throwing everything but the circuit board away....oh well it's easier to solder to than regular controllers and these are probably built a little tougher to withstand ddr playing.
Make sure to test every contact or look at where the contacts on the soft pad are going to figure out exactly which contact goes to which arrow/button. The pad i got had a few buttons different from that picture, and that would have sucked to complete the whole thing only to find out the arrows were reversed... I don't know about anyone else, but that would piss me off. Ok that's about all i know, hope that helped.
And i like your pad Nicotine, very cool |
alrighty, here's a question that's been on my mind. one of my soft pads died about 3 weeks ago. i gutted the mo-fo open, tried to repair it, but failed (oh! the electricity still flowed! a little too much bite). could it be possible to go ahead and salvage the control box for my next project (of course, the home built metal pad). re-use, reduse, recycle...
it just might work....
anyone recycled parts? |
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Istari Asuka
Trick Member
Joined: 27 Oct 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ |
| 1175. Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2003 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | could it be possible to go ahead and salvage the control box for my next project (of course, the home built metal pad). re-use, reduse, recycle... |
Yes, you can use it, and it'll do just fine. In fact, it's supposed to be REALLY easy to solder to, in case you don't have experience with that. |
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DDR4ever2003
Basic Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2003
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| 1176. Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2003 10:03 pm Post subject: One again looking for someone to solder for me |
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| Hey, im trying this again, im using DDRhomepad's design and would like to know if there is someone out there willing to solder the wires on the controller for me for a reasonable price becasue i have tried and am not having the best of luck. Please let me know by AIM: TopSK8r4ever or e-mail [email protected] |
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TheKornKid
Trick Member
Joined: 11 Aug 2002
Location: Toledo, OH |
| 1177. Posted: Sun Nov 02, 2003 10:38 pm Post subject: |
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This is a little tip i found out.
When i opened up my soft pad and got the chip out I noticed a black substance coating the contacts. This was conductive....but when me and my friend tried soldering wires to it they just wouldn't stick. Then we had an idea, we took some sandpaper and sanded all the black material until we found some shiny metal, sure enough the solder stuck to that in seconds and works flawlessly. If your chip has this on it be sure to sand/scratch it all off carefully, and clean the contacts with a dry or slightly damp cloth (let it dry good though). It should be fine after that, good luck  |
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Mekary
Trick Member
Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Location: Glen Allen, VA |
| 1178. Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 3:46 am Post subject: |
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Very impressive. No matter how badly I want a metal dance pad, I ani't getting one. I'm broke enough already... I'ma just going to the mall...
_________________
^Cmcm's DWI website pwns you^ |
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Little Firefly
Trick Member
Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Location: Heading away from the white light... |
| 1179. Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2003 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, i took mine out and it had these big black contacts on it. I am not ready to use the board yet, so how exactly do i store it until i am ready?
And you'd use really fine grit sand papper to do this, correct?
I'd also like to make sure of the dimensions of the pad, it is 36x36 right? i hear everyone talking about 12x12 plexi panels, so i assume that is right.
I need to find that thingy that is a square edge so i can cut my panels and make sure the sides are parralel, then i needto find more 1/2 ply than i have at the moment, prob some in the garage, i haven't checked, then i need to order the Lexan, and test my contact idea, since my dad won't let me use the screw contacts cause he says they will bend, and my friend luke doesn't understand how my contact idea will work so i need to make a 3d model in some program for him. Gazooks this is taking far too much work... 
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