Well I got this laptop for $10, its bulky and old so I figured I'd try to make it a wannabe gridcase.
[img]http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/cpltony/pic001.jpg[/img]

Now I was able to get Windows 95 on here as an OS (man that took some help as it only has a floppy drive and the C and D keys don't work.

Anyway, I know there are Sentry Gun programs out there for Dos as well as Windows right?
Trouble is; can I find them?

Can anyone post a link to both so I can see if this puppy can run them? I'm dying to get this working before Sooner Con and I'm running out of time!!!

HELP!!!
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

Now, this is something I'm interested in. I hadn't seen the special edition for many years until the other day.

Are you looking to have a 'running' program or just a static graphic?

Can't wait!
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www.rookscastle.com/videos/system31.zip

Dos based program.

I also have 'sentry.exe' which needs an amiga emulator to run I believe.

Russ

Edited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=rook3>Rook 3[/url] at: 4/29/07 3:57 pm

Awesome, thank you again Mr Russ

I plan on making this a running program. I wanted atleast DOS to run the version Russ just linked me too.
But now I have 95 on here I can do a lot more.

I may create an animated gif or AVI file showing the rounds counting down etc so I can switch between the two screens or just get another cheap laptop.

Only thing left now is the Sentry Gun itself.
I'm collecting resource/research data for that one


[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

The one I made needs an Amiga emulator to use (like WinUAE which will run in Win95). It us fully interactive, and can be set to either automatic mode, or manual (where you press "Fire" yourself).

For more info see my site in my sig.

Paul.

The Colony - My collection and current prop projects.

I have a sentry program I wrote in Flash, so that should work in Win95 (I can save it as standalone, I think). It matches the film version pixel-for-pixel, but I don't take credit for that; someone else here had already drawn up the screens so I started with those and made everything functional. I'm afraid I forget who it was.

At the moment it has the complete selection screen with all options available, followed by the status screen on which you can press a button to fire the gun and watch it count down. I never finished the program because I couldn't decide on pesky little details like whether it should make noise or what happens when the ammo runs out!

Tony, if you want to get in touch we can discuss it and I'll finish it the way you want it.
Mike

<span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:x-small;]"We're not heroes - we're from Finchley"

Cool thread!

Mike
A06/TQ0.0.22134E1
There is nothing more impressive than a bloody big Alien
wiggling on the end of a sharp stick!

Sounds cool Mike! I'd be interested in seeing the flash program myself.

Russ

Late last night (which for a Sunday is are for me) I drew up the graphics for the setup and saved tham all as seperate graphic files. A really large animated gif was my option as 95 is not as advanced as the later versions (I have 95 A, bare minimums) so an animated gif seemed the easiest option for now.

A flash run through of the Sentry would be fantastic!!
I don't think sound would be absolutely essential but would be awesome if possible.
I don't think the sound works on this laptop too well anyway

Mike - consider yourself contacted!!!
I must say though I'm hopeless when it comes to flash so I'm not sure what help I can be. Besides capturing the sounds of course

I shall of course post video of the whole thing for everyone with their poor gridcases to drool over - heehee

Anyone know what version of flash will run on W95?
I headed over to download.com and found one but its having issues running. The Adobe website only shows system requirements for W98 and only has download links for version 7 and up.
Web searches don't pull up too much either unfortuantely.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]Edited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=tonyandcherie>tonyandcherie[/url] at: 4/30/07 8:07 pm

I picked up a gridcase laptop that's a slightly later model than the one used in the film (I can't remember model numbers of hand but it's got the top row of function keys that the film didn't have) and I'd been meaning to ask about sentry gun software, thanks a lot for the link!

Mike,

I'd love to see your sentry-program!

Cheers,
Stefan

Cool project Tony!

Although not exactly screen-accurate... who says they didn't improve upon the design over the years -- much like what GRiD Systems actually did.

I've got copies of the same two programs Russ mentions, but was only able to test the DOS one since I don't have an Amiga and I recall having issues with the emulator. The DOS one is alright -- I mean, it has the set-up screen that you can tab through, and then an ammo count screen, but they don't have the right font, spacing, or look. Better than nothing, but definitely improvable. Unfortunately this is the only program thus far that I've found to work on the real GRiDCase's and GRiD Compass's.

Hey Mike - That's exactly was I was working on last year, but never completed it. I redrew every font character to exactly match the screen shots from the film -- but only got as far as the set-up screen before putting the project on hold. I don't remember exactly where I left off, but I don't recall posting any of my WIP. I did post a halfway decent re-skewed screen shot that was resized to proper dimensions so others could print it on a transparency and build a static back-lit GRiDCase on the cheap...

[img]http://www.ripstick.com/USCM/images/Sentry_Terminal_System_Screen.jpg[/img]

I'd absolutely love to see your Flash version once you finish it -- but that won't stop me from trying to finish mine.
Rick "Ripstick"

[img]http://www.propguild.com/ripstick/Ripstick_Aliens_Legacy_Banner_2007.jpg[/img]

Not 100% to the one they used but I present my gridcase..

www.roguecolonel.plus.com/pictures/AL/DCP01784.JPG

Thanks for the link to the software!

Looks good to me Rogue

Mike, any chance of seeing your flash programme mate? Please

Cheers

Darren

Little update here...

Laptop runs great with W95 and Mike's flash program is simply fantastic in my opinion. Thank you again Mike.
Still ongiong though...

The DOS version works great but of course is not as visually pleasing as Mike's.
The laptop is also lagging during the round countdown so I'm not sure if it can be cured.
Mike is the one working on this as he is flash proficient, I'm just testing. Thank you Mike!!!
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

speaking of this.... what was the actual model used in the movie..... and for extra points..........Bishops dropship computer????

Photos Tony! We need photos!!!

That would be the GRiD Compass II 1137. I don't have a screenshot of Bishop's terminal handy, so I cannot comment on what was used for that at this time.

Here's a comparison photo showing my GRiD Compass II 1139, which is slightly different than the 1137 model in that it has no top accessable panel for ROM chip insertion:

[img]http://www.ripstick.com/USCM/images/GRiD_Display_Color_Comparison.jpg[/img]

I have not yet been able to get any software loaded onto it as it does not have an internal floppy drive.

However, I did just recently score this GRiDCase 3 that makes a great stand-in for only $22.83 plus $18.00 shipping...

[img]http://www.ripstick.com/USCM/images/GRiDCase_3_Sentry_Program.jpg[/img]

...and like James' (Rogue Colonel) GRiDCase -- although not entirely screen accurate, the Sentry Program loads just fine.
Rick "Ripstick"

[img]http://www.propguild.com/ripstick/Ripstick_Aliens_Legacy_Banner_2007.jpg[/img]

Just got back from SoonerCon and had many compliments on the laptop and the flash program (thanks again Mike and the guy who you got the basics from)

Although the processor is not good enough to allow the rounds to countdown smoothly it does still run (even with the crappy laptop keyboard)

The setup screen on the laptop
[img]http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/cpltony/DVC00063.jpg[/img]

Side by side with the movie playing on the modern laptop
[img]http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/cpltony/DVC00065.jpg[/img]

Not bad if you ask me.
Plus as the keyboard doesn't work too well my friened Brian said I could have the laptop for nothing

Pics taken with my camcorder which are supposed to be about 3MP but somehow I doubt it. I think a bad cell phone camera would have been better.
Video to follow once I've recovered from the weekend
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

Sadly I don't have a Gridcase.

However I do have a few little computers floating around here that I've had for years and done absolutly nothing with.

Got a couple of these ammusing units from 1984 - the Epson PX4
[img]http://www.computermuseumgroningen.nl/epson/px4.jpg[/img]

I've always thought with a new coat of black or Brown Bess they could pass for something Aliens-esque. Not quite sure what it would be.

...and a Toshiba T1600 like this from 1988.
[img]http://www.tonh.net/museum/toshibaportable.jpg[/img][img]http://www.silicium.org/images/catalog/ibm/toshiba/t1600.jpg[/img]

Again, with a new paint job I think this could be quite an interesting controler for some piece of equipment.
Edited by: [url=http://p220.ezboard.com/bthealienslegacy.showUserPublicProfile?gid=wdimagineer2b>WDImagineer2b[/url] at: 6/11/07 7:04 am

The small one might make a good forward observation device. Slap a "ranger finder" on it, and then have it call in artillery strikes.

Damn Tony, Are you going to make me buy an old POS
computer?


That looks sweet! Any audio with the flash?

I'm sure you can get one for free.....I'll even show you where to get Windows 95 on floppy

Have I started a trend now? <lol>
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

Video as promised

UA571 Sentry Gun Setup

Now this is running from my modern Dell laptop and not the old brick'top computer.
And also for some reason when I got to 49 rounds it refused to count down anymore.
I think I pressed a wrong button while trying to film - damn, guys cannot multitask!!
But you can see the overheat feature and ofcourse the 'Crital' warning when rounds are low.

Thanks again to Mike for putting the work in on this one and whoever else worked on it too
[img]http://www.colonialmarines.net/Banner.jpg[/img]

Damn... how cool is that!

Me want!

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very very cool!