Widescreen Gaming Forum

Ok dont mean to flood the forum with new topics, but while testing the 3xgt750 projectors I have to consider my options when it comes to creating a curved screen...
For testing puposes I am lucky enough to have some 8x4 sheets of foamex sign board knocking around which will curve as needed to test projector throws/ angles and such..
But when it comes to making the screen permanent Im gonna need some help, doesnt seem alot of of the shelf choices so looks like it will be DIY...
Im thinking using a product called bendy mdf, its basically 6mm MDF with lots of groves cut in the back to allow it to be shaped as required, this I guess may work better than acrylic or the foamboard ill be experimenting with as it will not try and spring back to flat..
Theres also those popup showroom displays you can get that hold a nice curved shape using a frame on which you could apply the screen material or paint.
Whatever material I go with will then need to be painted (maybe Goo Systems) or have a screen material (Pixelwix product) applied to it pinned or glued maybe? Just concerned ill end up with a lot of wrinkles going with the latter..

Just hunting ideas and options so feel free to chime in..

If I ever get round to doing one I was going to try hardboard first. 3mm thick, bends quite nicely and has a nice surface which presumably could be painted. To support it behind and keep the curve could be done in various ways using wood battons. You could always cut the curve in another sheet of hardboard to help it keep the shape?

Anyways, best of luck and post pics etc at the various stages so we can see how it's built.

THanks!


EDIT - Instead of painting, there's some cheap projector screen material on ebay which would probably do. Staple gun it round the edges. Practice with something cheap first. Don't do the corners first and work your way in as you'll end up with spare material. Start in the middle and work outward so you stretch it to the max. That's my opinion anyway.

We aware that tensioning material on a curve brings about unique challenges. It tends to want to bow towards the center of the radius when under tension. 3M spray adhesive might be an answer for that though.Be mindful that 3M spray adhesive is a messy thing to use. Watch out not to get it on your projection surface. So far my best success has been with fabric and not screen material, but it also has bowing issues.

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To fix the bowing, how about stick the projection sheet to the hardboard whilst it's flat? If it's stuck all over then when you bend it I would've thought that it'd keep the right shape and not take the short route as it were?

Hi Benny
Chris from pixelwix here.
whats is your application?
you can contact me at chris@pixelwix.com if you need a faster response.

I must admit to being slightly confused about your question? I don't think I have an "application"? I assume you're trying to sell me a screen??

I don't know what benjimoron means by hardboard but I think he's talking about masonite. When building skate ramps we would use masonite (spelling?) to form nice smooth curved surfaces for half-pipes and such. If you have the room, (I'm guessing you do) a nice sturdy frame built with 2x4's would be fine and then paint or cover the masonite with whatever you need. Basically what you were talking about, just trying to give you some options on building materials. Personally I'd make it out of aluminum for weight reasons but I'm a welder/fabricator with my own shop so... Also, they have started making different types of material that are smooth, strong and bend in different ways for making odd shaped ramps, you may want to check out some of the newer building materials for making skate ramps or odd furniture (lol)

This is hardboard:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/hardboard/invt/110107/

Only 3mm thick, so it bends nicely and is reasonably light. Only about a fiver for a massive sheet which would probably do for a projection screen. Would need some paint of some kind on there, I hear there's some (goo?) projector paint which is designed for this purpose?

Good morning from cold Germany!

Since I am searching for a real surround view, I would like to accompany You in finding a solution. If You have half of an empty room, fill it with Styropor in a matter, that a fixed arm with a rotor at the end can wear the Styropor in any direction (from left to right and up). I would fix the arm to the ground- it should be very rigid and movable 90 degree to the left, right and up (half a circle on the ground in front and half of a circle from left ground to the right bottom). The rotating head (i.e. drilling machine) should be fixed to the other end of the movable arm. First the Styropor has to be glued to a whole block. You can save material by only filling the outer circle of the rotating head, so that it can just wear material everywhere from the block. Carefully beginn on one end. When You finished the block, the arm shouldnt reach the block any more. Now You have a perfect dome (180 degree ore more/ as You like from left to right and 90degrees from horizontal to upper view). Then You have to spray filler on it and make it carefully smooth. Fill all tiny holes and give it a white finish. test the chemicals to prevent the Styropor from melting!
But building this is not the problem- having a real surround view is the bigger one! I built a simulator from a real aircraft with ejection seat, pitch control, MFDs, real Headupdisplay and so on... it all should run on a Arma2- simulation. First I built 3 Nec- Monitors to test a wide front view. And here starts the pain in the a... Nearly no flight simulation offers a free choosable viewangle, that is mandatory for a real simulation. How in hell should I land on a runway while in a pattern, when I dont see left or right or up. This is necessary to orientate yourself or to put yourself into the right place to turn f.e. to final approach. So multimonitoring is not the real thing because of the expanded front view- still no left or right view! You only bend the front view like wearing frog goggles. The second prob is to suck f.e. Headupdisplay-Information out of the running software to feed a seperate Monitor (7"). This can be thrown from the monitor at the HUD to make it real. The outside view is still running synchron with the front monitors or beamer...So what simulation or software would You use for this screendome? Hopefully You are interested in building a combat flight simulator! Arma2 is perfect in simulation but not in supporting real multimonitoring!