PGRS To Do List
For the Children’s Hospital Layout
revised 04-27-2009

Power, Sound & Animation

Group Members:  Dave & Lois Bodnar, Bill & Jill Fallecker, Bill & Jean Baldwin, Clifton MunzPhelps, Jim Schwarz, Larry Marcinko

1. Horse button - Animate Horse ring so it spins - may want to add sound

2. Elephant button - Design animation for elephant - so it sits on its behind (What sound device to use? )

3. Band button - Circus band & lights  – looks like it has 4 sound buttons – perhaps do them randomly and add lights?  Is there anything here to animate other than lights & sound?

4. Carousel button - Carousel spins – add children laughing sound

5. Birds button - Birds talk in tree – no movement – sounds files identified as mentioned below - random selection of sounds?

6. Prairie dog button - 5 prairie dogs move up & down – any static ones? no sound?  Note: redesigned controller & animation units just about done - click here for more information.

7. Trolley - Sound when it starts up (can use stationary sound unit for beeps when it starts up – trigger from auto-reversing unit)

8. Trolley -  station announcements – happen at each end when trolley stops before reversing – could have arrival announcement and departing announcement – might get old it we repeat it every time but children may be confused if it doesn’t!

9. Trolley - Automatic reversing unit for trolley (modify so that the trolley always stops at one end of the line or the other when time is up – never stops midway)

10. Main line train - Install Phoenix sound card in trailing car (need sound card, power pick-up wheels, car)

11. Main line train - Design, build, test train controller to have locomotive on main loop stop at the station (use reed switches & magnets on locomotive to trigger slowdown and stop – PWM based circuit) Note: design work has begun - click here for more information.

12. Main line train - Sound device for station announcements?

13. Add LED lighting to buildings - add street lights

14. Control lights (in buildings & street lights) based on house lighting - Children's tells us that they can have the lights over the layout dim or extinguish periodically - we can have a sensor detect this and change the lighting accordingly.

15. Bright LED headlights may need to be added to locomotives)

This is the latest track plan, as of 2-15-2009 (note that all of the detail in the sketch has not been added to this track plan)

Sketch upon which the plan above is based. (click here for full sized image)

Prairie Dogs

The prairie dogs are ready to be installed in the layout.  In the photo below you see the cardboard template (rear) that will be used to drill the 3/4" plywood on the platform.  The carpet square has been drilled and punched for the 1/2" holes through which the prairie dogs will emerge.

This close-up shows that only a small amount of the tube protrudes through the carpet..  It also shows that the prairie dogs randomly go completely up, part way up or (not shown here) the whole way down.

Elephant

(right click the box below and choose "play")

This photo shows the servo (blue object to the right) in the "down" position.  The silver barrel on the wires is used to adjust the length of the control wire.

Here the servo has rotated its horn and moved the head and trunk up.

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