Man. I had so much fun with this. My family is USUALLY pretty sure about when I'm on a call or a video conference call, but, this just makes sure its nice and obvious. Here's some quickfire facts that should help you get started.
Summary: Printed pieces should friction fit after some minor tlc. Adhere LEDs inside on the edges (re-enforce with super glue or something; it gets warm and those "3M" strips suck). Run wire through wall. Plug in inside the room where you're zooming. Details below:
- The original print dimensions here are about 380mm wide. I know, that's huge. My Ender Extender 400 can fit it, but its likely most others wont be able to fit that size. It's probably scalable (please, post a make if you scale it and have success) -- otherwise, I can make less wide versions that just say "[Camera Icon] Zoom", or even remove the Camera icon, whilst just saying "Zoom". Let me know. (You might also have success printing half at a time, and splitting it after the second "o" in zoom.
- Your infill pattern is going to show through, even with a diffuser like toilet paper or something; If you don't want a grid pattern, you might want to choose solid infill, and choose a translucent filament for the first 6 or 7 layers.
- Speaking of layers. I told Cura to "pause at layer" (Extensions >> Post Processing >> Modify G-Code) and chose layer 6 or 7. Either one should get you the result you're after just fine. Go to "preview" after slicing, and check which layer you think would be best; I believe "pause at layer" means "pause AFTER I'm done printing layer X" -- which makes me think I likely chose 6.
- The sign rests inside the box sitting on ONE (read: 1) mm of lip. The original maker of the "On Air" box that this make derives from hot-glued these pieces together. It's not a bad idea. I had enough friction (and had it high enough from the kids) that it should stay without me gluing it just fine. Putting it back is trivial. A future update would be warranted to create a lip a little wider near the top (like 3mm or something) to make friction fitting easier.
- I popped a hole in the wall, and ran 18 gauge wire from the box into the room directly on the other side (where I zoom); I had a wall plug behind a TV that was somewhat nearby, and just ran it there. I used something like this and plugged it into a 12v 1a barrel wall wart I had laying around: https://www.amazon.com/2-1mm-5-5mm-Screw-Terminal-Single/dp/B018RE432Q. DO NOT PAY THAT PRICE FOR THAT. It should have good information you can google around and find a better price (or a bag of them) from somewhere else. So, One more time, that's [Sign]>>[LED light strip]>>[soldered LED light strip to 18G wires]>>[Through Hole in the wall to barrel screw-down-terminal-adapter]>>Barrel to wall-wart plug 12v1a. Soldering is DEFINITELY not required if you're going to go the easier route and use something like these [https://www.amazon.com/3528-2835-Pin-Strip-Connector/dp/B07TQ1ZCYX/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=no+solder+clip+led+strip&qid=1645923775&sr=8-2]. I would have used them myself if I had them, but I was too anxious to get the project done, so I just did an absolutely horrific solder job instead. xD
- Now, to REALLY pop this off, I've put this on a smart plug, which... is where I should have ended. But no, I'm a madman, so, there's one more step if you're going for Saiyan-level experience here:
-- Option 1: Put a door/window sensor on your greenscreen so when the greenscreen is in a "deployed" state, the smart plug turns on.
-- Option 2: Install Home Assistant Workstation Service [https://github.com/sleevezipper/hass-workstation-service] and have the smart plug turn on and off based on whether the webcam is in use or not.
And that's it! Happy Zooming!
Category: DIY
jackharvest
