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A HUGE Thank You to everyone who participated in the forum, especially obviously to Pizman and Stephan who did an outstanding job over so many years providing an incredible service to the MobiFlight community.

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e4rthdog
Posts: 10
I want to create my first full panel using MF.

I designed in Illustrator the layout of the front panel with dimensions 400 x 100 mm as follows:



What i am thinking as a final product is a box like W:400 x H:100 x Depth:150

But WHAT NOW? What are my next steps?

I understand that i should design somehow the box and 3D print it? But what about the front panel design?

Sorry for my noob questions, i would just need an advice where to start look. I do not own 3D printer nor any other equipment that could help me create the panel e.t.c

I only have a good friend who can create the STS file in 3DS MAX :)
2022-01-04 14:38
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pizman82
Moderator
From: ETSI, Germany
Posts: 6010
Supporter
Hi

At first you need to know WHAT you want.
Your planing looks good, whatever some points ( for me) are not logical.

E.g. the Lights down left.... What is the sense of the Taxi/Landing LED. Without a button you can not controll it. So a pure indication is not helpfull.
Maybe here additional Buttons ( or combined Buttons with led) would be more logical.


If you know what you need..... the next step is to decide how "perfect" it must be.
Is this just a qick and dirty project to learn the basic thematic.... then i would not 3D Print. Use a Wooden or Carton plate at first.
For sure... If monney is no factor or if you already like to learn CAD works and 3D Printing..... Then build it!

Step 3 is to design think about the electrical Part.... How many Pins do you need. How do you like to wire it ?
So make a planing.... plan also for the used Pins in the Mega and how you like to name the Devices.

Step 4 Build all together.

Step 5 Create the Devices in the Mega and finally build your Config.

***********************
Good Luck !
2022-01-04 15:06
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kjoussen
From: Hamburg, Germany
Posts: 178
Good evening.

My Flusi-Box (picture shows the first Beta-Version ) was build with 10 mm thick chipboard for the bottom and the back, the sides, front and top of 4mm plywood. Inside is a frame of 15x15mm wooden strips. To make it looking more technical and to make it easy to open, i inserted anchor nuts in the strips to use black metric screws and the whole box was painted gray.

The smaller gray parts were 3D-printed.

So if i would build something like yours, i again would build the frame out of wooden parts and maximum print the front.
As my printer cannot print more than 220 x 220 i would cut it into two pieces.

The next boxes (Trim wheel, AP, Radios, etc....) will be made like that.

But I defenitely won't print the whole box as it would take unbelievable long and would cost a lot of filament if it should be stable and long lasting.

You can also make the front out of 3 or 4 mm wood, and glue a sticker (e.g. https://www.avery-zweckform.com/produkt/typenschild-etiketten-l6013-8) on it.

Electronics is clear: MF, what else. And follow pizmans hints.....

Cheers

Kai
2022-01-05 22:03
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kjoussen
From: Hamburg, Germany
Posts: 178
Good morning,

i just saw that JLCPCB are not only manufacturing PCBs but - new - you can order custom 3D-Printed parts as well, when uploading a STL and being a little patience about the delivery.

Kai
[Last edited by kjoussen, 2022-01-11 21:38]
2022-01-06 09:05
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