SOLVED Summer project

Hey everyone, this summer I will have about 5 grand to build a awesome computer and me being the off the top guy who wants stuff truely unique as in the case... Decided that I want to build a case from scratch modeled off of the supreme commander 2 illuminate acu. This case will be 6 feet tall give or take and serve as my desk. For all of you thinking why the hell would I do this? Its just because I wan't to build my own case and this summer I probably can. Now I decided since I have some time to burn then I can start designing the case.
Now I found this image off of google to act as a model.
I have some great ideas for this case since I will have access to a steel workshop and a painter for free. Then I wish to take advantage of this. I will be getting a 24" monitor so some ideas i'm going to list down.

My first one would be having the case be watercooled. And since in the back of the ACU then there are two flags then I could have two radiators blowing air out that way to get the flags to well flap.
My second idea is more of a want to do but doesn't matter that much is embedding the screen into the chest of the illuminate acu with a door that will open and close probably by electronics or just manually. Then the screen will be able to go around move its whereabouts anywhere pretty much so the user (me) can have access to the computer parts.
My third idea would be to have the optical drives 1 or 2 depending, in the guns surrounded by visible white lasers to give a "gun" effect. The PSU could also go in the back of the head while there are white led lights behind the circle to make it more realistic. The part I need assistance on is, what programs should I use to design it and is anyone willing to assist me on the project. I do live in Las Vegas, Nevada so if anyone is willing to tell me where I could buy all the steel and stuff then that would help.

If anyone wants to work with me on this project then they can post here, pm me, or add me on steam, my username is snowbrdd so ok. Thanks everyone. This case will take over 1000 hours of work already.
Again thanks for reading over this thread etc.

OOh I forgot to say. Maybe a rollout thing in the middle of the chest under the screen. That will pullout to hold the mouse and keyboard?
The 5000 can be put into the case but probably only 1000 will be needed for the parts and paint. I get a discount for paint.
I figure I'll stealth the optical drive and put the button near the screen. This project is going to be my first.

Wow, for a first project you sure are going all out. Sounds like a good idea and you have the tools to do it! goodluck! ill be watching

Thanks,
I will build a small version of it so I can encounter the problems, redesign etc. Maybe ill give a small version out lol. But if this is done correctly do you think I could sell these for quite a bit of cash? Cause this has never been done before. And building a blueprint for a UEF acu would be just a slight bit of modification. Imagine that a whole fleet of the acus, their experimentals that model it. monkeylord of course lol.

edit: I just thought of another great idea. What if I put the big eye as a button? then have it glow. Of course if anyone can help me find a blank button that big that I can put leds into would be appreciated.

That's looks awesome. You'll have a lot of fun with it. I know it would take me a lot longer than 3 months, but if you got all the money at once, it's probably doable

Love the idea!

Well 3 months including design. But if i start now then I can probably get the design down by summer and then take 2 weeks to build a small model to find all the kinks. then 2 months for a big model.
Have you seen anyone do this before? Because I've searched and found nothing.

So, anyone wanna help me?

Oh I decided not to have the screen embedded into the case because It would be a real pain to just wire it and remove it etc. Instead we can do a plexiglass shield or polycarbonate whatever the hell you wanna call it and have it covered by a steel door. then the polycarbonate can be removed or something so you has access to the comp.
What do you think of having a external resovoir instead of a gun. I can repaint it so its black or just have it glow. It would have to be tubelike though.

I've changed your hotlinked image to an attachment, which is a better approach for a number of reasons.

Why is it better?

It'll stay around longer, so that when people view this thread in years to come all of the images are still available. It uses our bandwidth, not the people you hotlinked the image from (who pay for bandwidth for said image but are not credited). Also, if the image gets changed, it changes here. I've seen havoc caused when web admins have spotted hotlinking eating bandwidth, changed the image URL, and replaced the original URL with an image that was very not-safe-for-work.

Generally, it's best not to hotlink unless it's from the front page, for example.

ok, Thanks.
So anyone else want to provide feedback on my ideas? I'm just trying to get the ideas down first.

bump?
Anyone else have some ideas or feedback?

I wish you the best of luck. That's a huge undertaking. You said you planned on stealthing the optical drive, I would just buy a slotload drive and be done with it. It will look much more sleek.

Hmm, Slotload like in laptop drives? Cause everything on this is basically going to be hidden.
I've planned on putting a radiator on the back to blow the flags err maybe two of them then mount the motherboard on the front plate where the ports will be facing up. It will be a flat cover there sort of like a hatch in which cables can be routed through the body and into the back. All the cables are going to cost a bit because they have to be custom sized. Then the front plate can open down so you can put the computer keyboard and mice etc in there and then another plate behind the front plate will have the motherboard which again you OPEN again. lotsa opening lol. I want this case to look like a model of the acu. If it was life size it would be like 3 stories tall.

Oh btw does anyone know where and how much it is for me to be able to get custom psu cables? cause they gotta be long. don't know the dimensions yet but I'll post my specs inside general hardware later today but its a modular psu.

snowbrdd said:

Oh btw does anyone know where and how much it is for me to be able to get custom psu cables? cause they gotta be long. don't know the dimensions yet but I'll post my specs inside general hardware later today but its a modular psu.

Click to expand...

You can either just buy extensions which vary based on length or you can buy wire and solder extensions yourself to what you need.

I think i'll buy extensions. Is it possible if i run like tubes on the inside to disguise it then I can slip it through? Or maybe i'll put some modern gears and crap left and right in there to disguise the wires. =P

I have to do something simpler, this case will probably be screwed up if I do something this big. I need some practice first.

Yeah, that's quite an undertaking.

You should start small, just go with a plus sized custom case, instead of an entire desk/case all-in-one.

Either way, your ideas sound awesome, and epic. If you do decide to go through with it, I do wish you the best of luck!

If you want to start smaller, try a case made of the same material you intended for the larger case, and do some design work to hide all wires and components you wished with your larger one, just on a smaller scale for experience sake.

If you want to, you could leave room for expansion on the smaller one, IE leaving room to build a desk around it, or something around those lines.