Any Treker Techies out there.

I’m playing with the Idea of making a custom console for playing STO on.

Am I the only one who thinks it might be fun to build a custom input device made to look like something from TOS or even the LCARS touch screens from Next Gen? How about a Klingon command Console. Might be fun if Nerdy in the corner of our back bedroom.

The easiest and cheapest way, I think, would be to use a keyboard controller and map the matrix and just add a lot of momentary switches what would coincide with STO’s mapped key bindings. You could make something out of TOs fairly easily.

I ripped apart several old keyboards and mice and looking at the MAME* how-to’s and started collecting screen shots and looking at momentary switches from electronic supply stores.

Of course a custom LCARS interface based on a HP touch screen flat panel monitor would also be pretty cool.

Is anyone already doing this? I would like to hear from you or post your Ideas and thoughts in this thread.


* Multiple Arcade Machine Emulators

LOL our IT Dept has deemed your URL to be offensive, so I’ll have to wait till I get home to look, but a quick Google provided a sneak peak on your family blog spot.

Yep this is kind of what I’m talking about. Take that transporter LCARS and put it on a HP touch screen flat mounted in a console top, then map the spot that would energize the transported to your STO “beam to” key and you would have a pretty good simple control.

Now how about Shield Controls, Weapons, Impulse and Warp Drive ETC.

You could have Next Gen controls up and running for less that 300 bucks plus time investment.

I’m thinking TOS tactical controls for my self. This could actually cost more unless I can find some freeby switches to work with.

Klingon controls might be the easiest as a crude look would be totally in acceptable, even canon.

Eay peasy. Build a light box with a plexy top. Print out your LCARS image on a clear sheet to fit over the box.
Lay over a touch screen overlay http://www.magictouch.com/standard_large_touch.html.
map the touch areas to send key commands.

Bingo Bango your done. Half day work after you have the supplys.

Depending how large of a pannel you want / desired quailty you may have to have somone print out your LCARS image if you do not have the printing equipment.

Cheers!

Great Potential !

Light box is a great idea but would limit you to a static background and so you would need to reprint every time you advanced or changed your abilities. Hmmmm,

Money being no object in the Star Trek Universe, mount one on a big screen LCD TV then flat mount that on a slight angle on a desk top. Using some software that would allow you to change LCARS screens easily and use Photoshop or something similar to Design your LCARS for all the aspects of game play. I would have to hire Michael Okuda* as I am graphically challenged.

Running dual monitors put another LCD TV, say a really BIG one on the wall. Display the game on the wall and the controls on the desktop.

Close to total emersion for Ship play! Not so much for ground play.

Wonder if Cryptic would give us dual monitor support so maps and controls could be moved off the primary display?

*The LCARS graphical user interface was designed by scenic art supervisor Michael Okuda for Next Gen. Michael was suppose to have worked on STO, but when Perpetual Entertainment went belly up so did his work.

Finally got to see it, Pretty Cool looks like lots of work.