[Irinikus]

Again, I'm going to try to model this machine as accurately as possible with the information available on the internet.



This is the info that I've acquired so far:

I really had to scour the internet to get a picture of the CM-2 processor board, which is the basic building block of one of these little animals, this was the only complete picture I could find anywhere!



So I'll start off by modelling it!

Here's a picture of the chassis from the inside: (Take note that this is not a complete system, but it successfully shows how the cabinet fits together)

It's enough information for me to build one!



This image shows some of the systems vents:



This picture gives some idea as to how the processor boards were arranged and how the front panels could slide sideways, allowing access to them:



These images give some insight as to the backplane arrangement:

[robespierre]

Irinkus,
I'm super impressed that you managed to find those pictures and plan to model the CM-2. I don't think I've ever seen those details, so hat's off.
Did you find any images of the DataVault?

[Irinikus]

Here's all the information I have on the Data Vault at this point:



Here's a low resolution picture of an actual unit next to a CM-5



Heres the patent information on the device:

[robespierre]

I think I understand it. That is a 16K processor machine with some kind of lighting ballast added to supply lights in the other 6 octants. TMC wanted the smaller configuration machines to look "blinky" like the full config, not with blatant "empty" panels. So there is a power supply that connects to "light boards" with LEDs in the same position as the processor boards' LEDs. The small ribbon cables must connect to the backplane.

[Irinikus]

I have noted it. This particular machine was used as a prop for a display. It's an actual cabinet with only two of the original octants.

When I model it I will duplicate the actual nodes shown as required.

[jan-jaap]

Looks like the face plates are semi-transparent plastic?


( By Don Armstrong - Don Armstronghttp://gallery.donarmstrong.com/2005/08_august/computer_museum_20050813/010_thinking_machines_20050813.jpg, GPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=278762 )

SGI should have done that for the PowerSeries racks. Plenty of blinkenlights inside. All you need to do is put one of those "Achtung! Alles Lookenspeepers!" prints to complete the effect

[Irinikus]

Looks like the face plates are semi-transparent plastic?

That's exactly what they were.

Here are some more pictures: (Including the cabinet's designer Tamiko Thiel!)

[Irinikus]

I haven't forgotten about this project and will get on it as soon as the local atmospheric conditions cool a bit!

I've just run the Tezro up to confirm that it still works:

[Intuition]

I haven't forgotten about this project and will get on it as soon as the local atmospheric conditions cool a bit!

I've just run the Tezro up to confirm that it still works:

Nice project idea.

Sigh, the sight of that Tezro. I noticed Ebay hasn't seen many Tezros this year.

[Irinikus]

I've just made a start on this model by building up one of the first assets, being a 28-pin dual in-line "logic chip": (Rendered in Maya 6.5 on my Tezro)



The way I'm going to attack this, is to build up all of the assets for this module in Maya 6.5 on my Tezro, and then move all of them into Blender on my Mac Pro for assembly and final rendering.