[Tech] The Black Beast Set Has Been Unveiled.

As a quick refresher, I've built a new joystick controller last summer stylistically named Kemonojo or Joystick Monster.



It's been kept secret that it was part of a set all this time. Today, part 1 and 2 are revealed!





The trigger buttons were done with nail polish and finished with several layers of top coat.
I've let that sit there for months in hopes at this point it's harden enough for use. I figured if I was
going to make a big deal out of the colour scheme, I may as well have done one on the Dualshock 3.






As mentioned in the previous post, the colour scheme was inspired by Nismo, and I've connected the "monster" name
with Godzilla, a nickname given to Skyline models. The relationship works great, and it gave me the opportunity
to try at making my own blister and card.



It should be noted those companies have no affiliation to this project. This is a purely non-commercial free-time project.

[Tech] Proj. Controller Cosmetics: Complete.

(previous post on Project Controller Makeover)

This controller will be referred to as the:

TEAL PAD

Never again, generic brands!

Ultimately decided against the yellow thumbsticks, but wanted to use yellow somewhere and my second option were the big triggers. If there's one thing that gave me a headache, it's that the parts were molded the same way as the OEM, but I guess that's to avoid product copying infringements if that even applies. The L1/R1 trigger plungers were longer than normal, and the shell had different structural layout on the inside making it about 5 times more difficult and time-consuming for me to fit the original circuit board into what used to fit a differently-shaped board. Bigger problems arose later when the circle button as well as R1 wouldn't respond. It did before I closed the bottom half of the shell, so it wasn't a case of fried circuitry. Turns out that the signal was either already making contact that I couldn't input a second one or there was no structural support (since I cut it off earlier) to prevent the board from getting pushed back when pushing buttons. Ended up closing and reopening the controller around 6 or 7 times. Was not fun! Buttons are working now though some feel a tad squishy in that movement is being restricted. It might just be the fact I tightened the screws too much. Have you ever heard of someone "tuning" their controller? It seems that I can achieve my preferred stiffness of buttons if I actually loosen up the screws. Perhaps I'm just accustomed to the fact the OEM controller was never completely screwed on tight. Enough chatter, here are photos.

I'd have printed custom decals to place on the face buttons to indicate which button is which for the sake of aiding those who don't use a playstation controller, but figured it'll come off through wear.



I may have another colour scheme controller inbound in the future. We'll see how the joystick goes first though.

[WIP] Proj. Controller Cosmetics: Controller Arrived.

(Buttons and thumbsticks found here)

Oh my plans have almost been ruined. The colour of the controller was not really a teal but in fact a turquoise. A murky shade too; one that gives off that "cheap knockoff" look. The project can still go on. It just means that now I really need to work out a sharp-looking graphic that will cover up the ugliness of this colour (this particular shade anyway). You know that saying where "this looks much nicer in person"? Well this is the opposite. For me anyway, unsure about you.

 Sadly, even with an Auto Color Balance done on photoshop, my own photo produces a teal - the exact colour I wanted. I illustrate what it really looks like in the edited version below it.

You bet that says "DOUBLESHOCK". Can't expect anything more for a $15 remote.

I haven't disassembled my OEM controller just yet, because I want to finish the graphics before I proceed with gutting the good controller. While the circuit board on this generic controller works, it also has a small bit of lag and the the silicon buttons underneath the plastic plungers we press are way stiffer than the OEM so right off the bat I'm going to have an awful controller, but I'm a little uneasy about giving that crummy board to the OEM black controller. I have a pretty badass colour scheme for it, except it would suck if its performance couldn't match its looks. And I certainly don't want to buy an OEM controller just so I can fit it on that because that would be pointless. Maybe I'll look around for a use OEM controller.

Getting back on topic, this is what I have planned for the "teal" controller. Again, I show what I envisioned it to be, and what the sad truth is.

If only the thumbsticks were a little more orange. Just a little. Lemon-yellow isn't sitting too well for me, even if the shell was teal.

Also learned there may some handy work to be done. Hopefully there won't be much as I'd rather spend more time embellishing the surface finish.

Will post again in the near future.

[WIP] Proj. Controller Cosmetics: Buttons Arrived.

Stuff from China arrived, stuff from the UK arrived.

First order of business: Now I know that it takes roughly 2 weeks to get stuff from UK (possibly all of Europe too basing this assumption solely on geographic location).

Next order of business: The teal controller shell I'm expecting from DealExtreme is taking quite some time! I sure hope I didn't step into the says-in-stock-but-really-isn't trap the site is notorious for.


Onto the post itself:

I found myself blindly ordering stuff due to my impatience and clearly wasn't thinking straight. The seller from China had listed all sorts of the same products with different pictures, prices and descriptions it threw me off. One set of white parts had a start/select silicon piece, whereas there was another listing that described the parts to be "pure white" which from the sound of it described a less murkier shade of white than the previous listing, except it didn't have the start/select buttons. Ended up getting both. Other than that, I only wanted yellow thumbsticks, except it cost but a fraction more for a whole set (again without start/select buttons) so I got that instead in case I wanted to alter the mix of white and yellow buttons in the future.

Those rainbow gel pads you see were an incentive - which wasn't tempting in the slightest - for one of the listings on the white buttons. It's a silicon cover for your thumbsticks. Feels cute, though tacky. Will hand this off to someone if they want it.