Arduwatch Design - Orange vs Green — Arduwatch - Naturals Line - Orange and Green

Bergen - Arduwatch Design

March 5, 2022

I am a fan of tiny portable handhelds, and one if the coolest and smallest, is the Arduboy, a 1-bit miniature game system. It’s the size of a credit card and features this impossibly crisp display. I bought a Arduboy a long time ago and still enjoy playing around with it today. I have also been making mock Arduboy game graphics for a years and I guess I saw this project as a chance to combine a number of new skills and interests with some legacy designs and assets to see what would come of it.

The Arduwatch is an imagined “fantasy” product design that combines the screen and internals of an Arduboy with the form factor of a wristwatch. The Arduboy’s form factor and further reduced by eliminating all but the systems directional buttons. I imagined different games and applications that could work with this reduced control set.

As an aspiring watch designer, my hope is this design would resonate both with vintage tech and a watch enthusiasts alike.

Arduwatch Design - Slime vs. Pink — Arduwatch - Brights Line - Slime and Pink

Arduwatch Design - Black vs. White — Arduwatch - Black (Brights), White (Naturals)

When the design was complete, I started to play around with different colourways. The Naturals Line features muted Autumn and Winter tones inspired by nature. The Brights Line is about 90’s toys and youthful energy. Each palette combo pairs beautifully with the super sharp high contrast Arduboy display.

Arduwatch - Green Detail - BC’s Quest for Tires.

This design was modelled using a combination of Fusion 360 and Cinema4D. These images were rendered using Adobe Substance Stager. I prefer Fusion’s geometry for building solid surfaces but I am more familiar with Cinema’s interface and toolkit for any finessing that may need to be done. Cinema also seemed to be the logical choice when it came to creating a flexible strap (one can only avoid the beginner’s modelling traps for so long). My computer is not really powerful enough to handle Substance’s requirements and “too much” model geometry causes some very glitchy behaviour. This is not the end of the world, I can still concentrate on building better, more viable models, though the output quality may need to be adjusted.

Arduwatch - Orange Detail — Orange Detail - Casio Homage LCD

Arduwatch - Pink Detail — Pink Detail - Tamawatchi

I hope you enjoyed having a look at this Arduwatch design. I had a great time with this concept and I might even revisit it again another time. Do you have an Arduboy? Would you wear an Arduwatch? Do you recognize any of the games on the watches? What games would you add? Any colour combos? Let me know in the comments below!

Commodore 65 - Laptop Design - 65-LT

February 5, 2022

I was approached by a company back in 2010 to help develop a portable computer in the spirit of the Commodore 65. While I wish the experience had been more positive, I ultimately left the team and took my design with me. Now, over 10 years later, I finally have the 3D modelling skills to more fully flush out some of my old designs. The 65-LT is a love letter to the Commodore 64C design era.

As this is a design from over 10 years ago some of the modern port standards are a little out of date.

I always loved my Commodore 64C. I grew up with the breadbin like most kids, but I liked the refresh even if it wasn’t much of a value proposition. Ultimately for me, it was a last hurrah for the mighty machine. The design sensibilities also lent themselves to a cool laptop aesthetic.

Commodore 65 Laptop Keyboard — Keyboard is the hybrid of all the Commodore keyboards of the era and beyond.

I looked at all the keyboards Commodore developed from the C64-C era onward, including the PC laptops Commodore released. I feel the layout represents the best balance between legacy and function.

Commodore 65 - Right side ports — Right side ports.

Commodore 65 - Laptop - Left Ports — Left side ports.

Commodore 65 Laptop - Case Closed — 65-LT - Case closed.

I would love to continue to develop this one. Nowadays it would be pretty easy to create an authentic yet modern C64/65 experience with a Raspberry Pi or a MiSTer board. Plastic injection molds are not exactly cheap but it sure would be cool to have a modern and fully portable machine dedicated to the experience.

Commodore 65 - Laptop in the office — Gaming in the home office.

Would you be interested in one of these machines? If there is anyone out there in a position to discuss further development on this machine I am interested in hearing from you. In any case, I am very excited that I was finally able to show of the design in full. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

The New Vintage Chronograph blends modern styling with plenty of vintage cues.

Bergen Watches - New Vintage Chronograph Design WIP

June 20, 2021

I am pleased to present my latest New Vintage Chronograph watch design. I am very happy how this design turned out. This is also the first example of a design that I have brought into the third dimension with Cinema4D. I am new to C4D and basically 3D in general, but the individual elements of watches are made up of basic enough shapes which allowed me to learn the software and produce these renders in 5 days of spare time. These 3D renders allow the viewer a better representation of the overall shape and feel of the design.

The Bergen NV Chrono features the following:
- 316L Stainless Steel case construction
- 40mm diameter case (42mm with crown)
- Seagull ST19 movement
- Double-domed Sapphire
- 20mm strap size
- 46mm lug-to-lug
- 11.5mm thickness (hopefully)

Great proportions and overall legibility.

Display case showing off the ST19 movement.

Everything on this watch including all fonts and styling is completely scratch built. I find it a bit annoying when I see very expensive watches using off-the -shelf type-styles. The hope is that with each successive design I will begin to further hone in on my brand’s DNA.

Below you can see the design roadmap. Before I started learning C4D, this would have had to be considered a complete design. Now that I am beginning to gain my own 3D skills, I will be in a better position to show concepts more fully, both to the general audience and to myself. I look forward to have more time to play around with different materials and finishes and ultimate really “sell the design”. This first attempt has been an amazing growth experience for me personally.

If you like what you see, please consider leaving a like and a comment below. I am open to hearing any thoughts you may have.

Polish fans will recognize the Pixel brand in today’s papercraft and many will also be familiar with the retro publications released by Chris Wilkins.

Amiga Cartoon Classics Papercraft

June 12, 2021

If you are at all familiar with the retro scene chances are fairly good you’ve come across Retro Fusion Books. Many of you will be familiar with Chris Wilkin’s popular “In Pixels” series of books (I have a few). Robert Łapiński at Pixel is heading a Kickstarter-like project for a Polish translation of the popular book, The Story of The Commodore Amiga in Pixels. This model was requested as a stretch goal reward and as a result this model is currently not available as a free download on my site. **To receive a copy of this design you will need to take part in the Polish campaign.

Amiga Cartoon Classics was exclusive to Europe.

OMG so much text and imagery to recreate. Slow and steady… I am pretty happy with how this turned out.

I currently work as a package designer so naturally I am as interested in the actual packaging of retro systems as I am in the industrial form factors. In the case of Cartoon Classics, it is much more colourful than any other papercraft else I have ever created.

New to this model is the addition of the A520 composite adapter and the power brick.

The packed is photographed with the enhanced Amiga 500 as it was sometimes included in the UK bundle.

This model also contains all the interior packaging to hold all the contents of the bundle. Once your are done playing with your tiny retro computer everything can be tucked away neatly in this tiny box.

The ultra mega-hit that took the Amiga community by storm, Captain Planet.

I rented Bart vs. the Space Mutants for the NES when I was a kid.

The inclusion of these little boxes and diskettes helps to complete the illusion a tiny computer on your desk.

Special Polish add-ons are included in the papercraft which include a mini Historia Amigi Pixel Po Pixelu and other Pixel publications.

To help round out the project, I have included a number of Polish exclusive materials including the forthcoming “Historia Amigi Pixel Po Piexlu” and a few Pixel publications.
Robert at Pixel suggested that I include a couple of Polish developed games, namely Franko and Teenagent. I was not familiar with either but I am glad I got to know them. Franko especially appeals to my high school sense of humor. I plan on trying this game out for myself.

Two Polish developed games were special-requested and I am so glad they were suggested. They both appear to be excellent games “in their own unique way”.

Franko needs a 2021 HD remaster if any ever has.

I watched a great deal of playthru footage of this one too.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my latest papercraft and if you are one of my Polish-speaking fans, I would strongly consider you check out the Amiga book campaign. The Chris Wilkins books at Retro Fusion Books are excellent and there are loads of stretch bonuses that have already been achieved so you can expect a pretty handsome package if you order!

Special thanks to Robert at Pixel, Chris at Retro Fusion Books, and everyone involved in this project.

The BBC Microcomputer was a staple of computer literacy for kids growing up in the 80’s in the UK.

BBC Microcomputer - Papercraft Design

June 17, 2020

The download to the BBC Microcomputer model is available at the bottom of this article.

I grew in Canada in the 80s and spent my elementary school years surrounded by Apple II computers. While not an official government scheme, I suspect many North American school kids my age will have seen the Apple’s as the school computer, often having cheaper 8-bits at home.

In the UK, the push towards computer literacy was a deliberate government effort. Computers were seen as the future and that every child should know how to use one. As a way to help realize this, a call to action was issued to all the major electronics manufacturers to help create a BBC branded microcomputer that would be distributed to school’s across the country.

Sinclair Research were seen as the obvious choice for the job but through a series of mishaps, the award was ultimately given to former partner turned rival Acorn Computers. Anyone who is interested in learning more about this whole fiasco, I suggest checking out the endlessly entertaining movie, Micro Men.

To accompany the release of Acorn’s new BBC Microcomputer a BBC television program aptly called The Computer Programme, helped lead kids through the inner working’s of the BBC Micro or Beeb for short.

The Beeb was produced by new kid, Acorn Computers.

I surveyed a few online communities to find out which computer model I should design next and the BBC Micro was a standout winner. Without access to the online resources, I might have neglected to recognize this computer for the powerhouse it was. Not only was it powerful in its day, it also helped to foster a spirit of digital exploration that can still be felt today. The ARM processor, which is still an essential part for the computer landscape descends directly from the chips Acorn design for the BBC.

Today, the UK born Raspberry Pi exists to help educate students both all over the world and is a permanent fixture in my living room. While I may miss some of the retro goodness of the machines of the 80’s, it is nice to know that similar experiences can still be had by current generations through cheap home computers and ever improving emulation.

While the BBC Micro was known as the education computer, it had plenty of games like Frak seen above.

Watch out for Granny in Granny’s Garden.

My personal experience with the Beeb is largely relegated to YouTube videos, the aforementioned Micro Men movie and the excellent talk, The History of the British Home Computer by Author and Tech Historian Tom Lean.

If similar efforts had been made in Canada to educate the youth back in my school days, perhaps my passion for retro computers would be more widely shared inside my country. As it stands, I am glad that there is a reverence for these machines in other parts of the world and that with easy access to a global community, these passions can be shared anywhere.

Promo materials and companion manuals were a popular source of information.

I hope you enjoy building this model as much as I enjoyed making it. In many ways this might be the closest I ever get to touching a real BBC Microcomputer. Please consider dropping a like and sharing your personal experiences with this machine in comments below. I am always looking to learn something new!

You can download the BBC Microcomputer model here.

Bergen Octo - Stainless Steel Watch - Front View - Latest Version

Bergen Octo - Stainless Steel Sports Watch Design

April 11, 2020

The Bergen Octo is an octagonal watch design I have been playing around with for the past few months now. Pictured above is the most recent version of the design to pass judgement at the “Bergen Watch Factory” which only really exists as an ongoing design exercise. Watches while simple to grasp as an object require a great deal of refinement to feel like an everyday accessory. This design has undergone roughly 60 iterations since I sketched the basic octagonal sketch over my lunch break back in January.

Bergen Octo - Watch face and bezel development

One of the challenges I face is working in Adobe Illustrator. If I had it to do over again, I most certainly would be learning Solidworks and earning a Product Engineering degree. Everytime I need to make an adjustment to a bezel edge, I am doing so manually. Rather than going completely from scratch, I am building the watchcase, face, bezel and other items to work with actual movements using accurate measurements. This limits some of the case shapes possible helps to grow my understanding of case design.

Bergen Octo - Case shape and styling -- Evolution

Paper mock-ups to help provide a sense of scale.

When I decided I was going to spend more time with watch design, I told myself I was going to start conservatively and respect the classics. So how did I land up with this decidedly retro and kitschy piece loud steel? I guess, I am not very good at following instructions, especially when they come from myself. I guess at the end of the day, I am happy to follow my bliss and hope to develop my watch design language along the way.

Bergen Octo - Bracelet and lug development

I got in touch with a few Chinese manufacturers to see about the logistics of building watches from these designs and they seemed to think it would be possible, so that is encouraging. I have considered having a buddy help me 3D print a basic case shape so that I could strap it to my wrist and get a better sense of presence.

Bergen Octo - Early Quartz iteration - Colorway considerations

While the top most image in this post represents the most refined example of these designs, there are things that I like about each of these designs. Ultimately, I am looking for the design that conveys the most harmony and is free from visual tension. Lots of pushing and pulling of assets in terms of scale and contrast.

Bergen Octo - Blueskying other potential derivative designs

For every good idea, there has to be a dozen weird ones. Glad I have enough time in the day to think of a few of those too. Below please behold the Tamawatchi.

I need to see this watch with “fresh eyes” which means I will be putting this project down for a few weeks and work on another retro paper craft project. So please stay tuned for that coming out near the end of this month if everything goes according to plan!

Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa - Documentary Intro Sequence

February 19, 2020

I recently completed an intro sequence for David Greelish’s upcoming documentary Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa. As my familiarity of the Lisa focuses on the system’s design language, I decided the best way to highlight the innovations of the the Lisa was through The Lisa Office System.

The Lisa Office System is a collection of seven applications similar to Microsoft’s Office Suite which included LisaWrite, LisaCalc, LisaDraw, LisaGraph, LisaProject, LisaList, and LisaTerminal. These tools would give most user’s everything they would need for common office tasks.

Even today, Microsoft’s suite bears a strong resemblance to Apple’s Lisa collection.

These graphics are my 2.5D interpretations of The Lisa Office System box artwork which animate onto the screen in a “flat gridland” all building to the reveal of the Lisa computer itself.

Before Macintosh: The Apple Lisa - Title card

Working on this project was a great opportunity to brush up on my motion graphics and sound design skills. As a result of the time spent on recreating the individual box graphics you can look forward to papercraft of each of these boxes coming soon.

I will be sure to post an update as soon as this documentary is released. I have seen some early footage and I learned a lot of facts about the Lisa. A lot of great folks involved with the Lisa’s development and scene share their stories making this a must-see for vintage computer fans.

My Hero is the only Sega Card game I own, but it’s a good one.

Sega Master System - Papercraft Design

November 25, 2019

The Sega Master System papercraft pattern can be downloaded at the end of this post.

I was probably 11 when I first saw the Sega Master System on display at our local Home Hardware store. It was the Christmas Holiday season and on display was the system kiosk running Hang-on. I had already seen the NES in action by then and I could tell the Master System's palette was more vibrant and featured more simultaneous on-screen colours. The controller felt a little less confident in my hands, but I went back to that display several times over the holidays so I could play the display title over and over. I knew that Safari Hunt must be superior to Duck Hunt due to the extended menu of exotic animals on offer. I landed up getting an NES that year and it wouldn't until my high school years that I would get another chance to play the Master System.

Nintendo would go on to dominate the 8-bit era in North America so all my friends and I played and shared Nintendo games between ourselves. We mostly grew up Nintendo fanboys by default. Many years later while in high school I randomly discovered that one of my classmates had grown up owning a Master System and still played it. So I demanded that we head over to his place to check it out. I must have played Fantasy Zone for several hours that night.

So this is what a SMS Christmas feels like. — So *this* is what a SMS Christmas feels like.

It wasn't until I was in my late 30's that I decided to buy a Master System and grab a few games to try it out myself. If Sega had marketed and distributed their 8-bit product more aggressively it may have performed better because many of the games are pretty amazing and the experience in very qualitatively unique from many of Nintendo's offerings at the time. This was the system of choice to many of the European and South American consumers.

Remember when systems came with TWO controllers.

I would be lying if I said I would have preferred growing up with the Master System, but that may have been mostly due to my community of friends sharing and talking about Nintendo games all day. I don't know what it would have been like being a silent Master System fan in the group. Maybe if on that fateful Christmas my parents had bought me a Sega Master System instead of an Nintendo Entertainment System I would have fallen in love with Alex Kidd and Phantasy Star, I know that as an adult I have.

Alex Kidd was one of Sega’s early mascot attempts, second to Opa Opa.

Sometimes I have little connection to the model I am designing and other times it part of a lifelong fascination. Whether it is something close to my heart or something “new” and exciting I am always happy to explore a different design language and share this experience with others in this unique way.

Happy holidays to everyone and if you like this article please consider sharing with a friend or leaving a comment! What should I design next?

The Sega Master System papercraft model can be downloaded here.

The Dancing Demon has as much character as an ASCII-type creature can have and made for an excellent if unofficial product mascot.

TRS-80 Model III - Papercraft Design

November 13, 2019

Some computers I know really well. I grew up around Apples and Commodores but when it comes to the Tandy / Radio Shack series of computers released throughout out the early half of the 80’s I don’t know much. When it came to Radio Shack computers I have always been more familiar with the Tandy PC Compatible series of computers released much later.

While the Model III was targeted towards the business market, I was pretty impressed with how effortlessly it was able to throw the ASCII-type graphics around the screen. The Dancing Demon, a new personal favorite, has delighted TRS-80 users for dozens of years now.

Rear of the model is surprisingly clutter free, being largely a self contained design.

As with most systems from this era, manuals provided users with invaluable first steps.

Thanks to the wonders of RetroPie I have had an opportunity to try a number of games on the system. For a machine without any custom graphical capabilities, the TRS-80 has a pretty extensive lineup of games. While clearly primitive, the amount of expressiveness many of these games have is impressive.

A little too late for Halloween, but it is amazing how much character could be given to games produced with this machine.

While I did not grow up with this computer, Radio Shack’s TRS-80 series of computers has impressed me with its longevity as a platform and wide variety of games.

If you like “less common” systems like the Model III please consider leaving a like or a comment. Which system should I do next?

My next system will not be a computer but I will be something from my youth that promoted over the holidays and somthing I always wanted but did not get until I was much older.

You can download the TRS-80 Model III design here.

Apple’s Lisa 1 was launched in January of 83. Geared towards the business market, Lisa ultimately was instrumental in the design of the more successful Macintosh line of computers.

Apple Lisa 1 - Papercraft Design

October 19, 2019

I am very happy to present to you the Apple Lisa papercraft pattern which can be found at the bottom of this post. This was the third pattern I created behind the Amstrad CPC 64 and Commodore 64. My confidence must have been at an all-time high when I embarked on this one because it took until this week to finally complete this one. While this is one of the more detailed projects I’ve completed, getting this pattern to fit together reliably was a frustration. I put this this model on hold three times during its development. Every few months, people interested in this model would encourage me to get back to it. Finally, a fellow (amazing) papercrafter, George agreed to help me finalize the last of the model. Had it not been for his encouragement, I suspect this may not have seen the light of day this year.

GUIs were foreign to everyone but XEROX users in 83, so a series of integrated reference cards could be pulled from the bottom of the keyboard.

The Apple Lisa was the first to introduce a Graphical User Interface to the masses (ie: wealthy early-adopters) and was aimed on the business community as they would be the only ones at the time who would be able to justify the US$9,995 ($25K in today’s dollars). Apple’s Mac Pro could be viewed as the Lisa’s contemporary and fully speced systems retail for as much as $35,000 meaning top tier Apple hardware still remains out of the hands of most consumers.

Jobs is somewhat (in)famous for his XEROX visit and the subsequent release of LISA OS and the inclusion of a mouse. Of course how everything plays together ultimately determines a computers success and the Lisa was full of great ideas that simply had not matured enough to be reliable.

Lisa running LisaDraw, an early graphics program.

Lisa’s “Twiggy” Fileware drives and disks were an Apple innovation and were exclusively used in the Lisa 1. Twiggy was a reference to the famous model of the 60’s referred to the thinness of the disks. The Twiggy drives were slow and unreliable, resulting in the release of the Lisa 2 just a year later which housed the more common and practical 3.5” disks.

LisaDraw - Packaging was excessive in 83, before online documentation became the norm.

Fileware disks - While they look a lot like common floppy disks, Fileware disks were a proprietary Lisa format and were prone to failure.

The Lisa was an important computer in that it paved the way for a lot of what we take for granted today. It could be seen as the first modern computer sold to the public and was certainly the instrumental in the development of the Macintosh.

If you are anything like me, the idea of owning a Lisa is out of the question but a papercraft version is free and will take up far less space. I would encourage you to give it a try and please check out my other computers to build your very own miniature computer museum.

You can download the Apple Lisa 1 papercraft here.

Please consider sharing this post as it always helps me share these projects with other retro fans!

I endeavored to make this image as period correct as Canadian could.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Papercraft Design

September 5, 2019

The ZX Spectrum was all but absent from the Canadian market in its heyday but that didn’t mean I wasn’t interested in the system. I have watched enough hours of gameplay on YouTube to get that many of the games developed in the UK were merciless usually requiring pixel perfect precision under cruel time constraints. While “Nintendo Hard" may be an honoured title amonthst many North American gamers, “ZX Spectrum Hard” appears to be on another level entirely.

When I design a new papercraft pattern I create the computer itself, any key peripherals and a monitor. The ZX Spectrum release pitch was that a family could save money by using a household television and portable cassette player over expensive proprietary devices.

Needing to think outside the box, I consulted the 1982 Dixons Summer Catologue and it recommended bundling “your new ZX Spectrum with the Contec KTN-3732 Portable Color TV and the Dixons TR12 Cassette Recorder”.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Computer and Dixon's Cassette Player

Contec televisions - Light and dark grey

Ant Attack is a cool looking game. Talented artists worked magic with the system.

To help keep you fueled while making this papercraft, I have also included a period-correct tin of Crosse & Blackwell Baked Beans.

If you like this post please consider sharing or leaving a like below.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for new papercraft design announcements.

You can download the Sinclair ZX Spectrum papercraft design here.

Akumajou Dracula (Castlevania) for the Sharp X68000 was significant step up from what was possible from the Famicom - This version of the game was later released on the Playstation as Castlevania Chronicles.

Sharp X68000 - Papercraft Design

May 25, 2019

The pattern for the Sharp X68000 can be found at the bottom of this article.

I lived in Osaka, Japan roughly from 2000 - 2005 and I loved to visit Den Den Town, Osaka’s amazing electrics district. Thankfully for my pocketbook, I wasn’t a hardcore collector of video games at the time. I would usually visit the district to hunt for film photography gear (35mm and medium format, lomo), old Japanese pop mini CD-singles (Chara, UA, Spitz to name a few), and “collectable” Pepsiman bottletops. If you were in the market for Maid Cafe’s, Anime Shops, or 8 floors of pornography, it was all to be found in Den Den Town.

Even though vintage tech was not the mission, it did not prevent me from window shopping and drooling over the vintage tech. Den Den Town is the only place I have ever played a Vectrex or the Atari Jaguar. In the shops of Den Den Town, I was easily able to survey all the vintages of PC Engine, Nintendo’s Pong consoles, Wonderswans, and NEO GEOs, oh my!

Near perfect arcade ports were a mainstay of the X68000 - Here’s Bubble Bobble.

It was only once I got back to Canada and through YouTube, learned about the Sharp X68000. This machine is a real arcade powerhouse with it’s many arcade perfect ports. For years, I was relegated to listening to my favorite X68000 soundtracks like Overtake, Akumajo Dracula, Phalanx, Asuka120% Burning Fest, Genocide 2 and Magical Blocks Carat. Most of what I knew about the system was shrouded in mystery until I set up my RetroPie system. Now that I can play many of these games myself, I can agree that this machine would have been an amazing thing to behold back in that late 80’s when it was first released. Both my girlfriend and I love playing Bukame Death, an obscure X68000 exclusive.

Some of the best console ports came to the X68000 as well.

Speakers can be detached and placed beside the system.

A papercraft version of this machine is sufficient to scratch my itch to buy a machine of my own. Honestly, the logistics of running such exotic hardware outside of Japan is well beyond the scope of my time or money reserves.

Sound was another area where the X68000 excelled and Overtake is one of my favorite soundtracks to any racing game.

I don’t know if this model will have the ability to “Make Your Dream Come True” as advertised on the side of the case, but it’s a pretty fun activity and a great way to learn a little more about this standout system. This papercraft features interchangeable screens and detachable speakers so you can further customize your X68000 experience.

Download the Sharp X68000 papercraft HERE.

If you like this model and would like to see more papercraft models on my site, please consider leaving a like. It really helps me out!r

The IMSAI 8080 was part of the PCS-80 System and various modules and cards could be added to expand functionality.

IMSAI 8080 (PCS-80 System) - Papercraft Design

March 29, 2019

I must admit I don’t have any personal history with any computers of this vintage. I was born in 1976, a few months after the IMSAI came out. I did not become interested in computers until the early 80s and the home market had changed drastically. The days of flashing lights and paddles were replaced by smaller practical systems that could hook up to your televisions.

A terminal can be added but I love the tiny monitor option against the dual 8” floppy drives.

The IMSAI 8080 used custom boards extensively and were generous with their expansion bays.

The IMSAI 8080, released in 1975 was a clone of the first personal computer, the MITS Altair 8800. This made the IMSAI the first personal computer clone. I know these systems were often used as CP/M machines but who beyond the well-to-do and die-hard enthusiasts would have found a use for one of these systems in these early days is unclear to me.

I really don’t know what I would do with this box but I would adore the vintage led lights.

These machines are undeniably unique and were a please to craft in paper. Please give it a try if you would like to hold a tiny piece of computing history in you own hands. Please leave a like and plenty more vintage computer goodness is on the way!

Download the IMSAI 8080 papercraft pattern here.

The Atari ST was something I only saw a couple of times while shopping in the “big city”.

Atari 520 ST - Papercraft Design

February 9, 2019

I am happy to present a new papercraft design, the Atari 520 ST. This design is free to download and build, a link can be found at the bottom of this post. It is the perfect way to start a miniature computer museum in your home.

I have also created many other retro computers papercraft models, to see them all click here.

I chose to create an early Atari ST design, this machine does not have a built-in disk drive.

The left side of the computer had a cartridge slot.

I have created seven retro machines and I thought it was time to build an Atari. I have always been a big fan of the Atari 2600 and the many arcade tiles released by the company. I also purchased a pristine Atari 800XL at a local flea market for the bargain price of $20.

But my experience with the ST line is largely limited to a few remote school yard conversations about which was better the Amiga or the PC. The Atari might have been mentioned for its superior MIDI capabilities but in grade 9 in 1991, this had no real life application to our lives.

It’s only much later in my life through YouTube that I have been reintroduced to the ST and it’s many hidden gems.

Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters has some amazing graphics.

Many manufacturers produced Atari’s SC1224 monitors. This is the Goldstar version.

Atari SC1224 rear view. My papercraft monitors are becoming more true to the original designs.

Whenever I add extra geometry into the models I design, I always try to maintain an degree of simplicity. Typically these extra folds provide more strength, are more true to form, and do not add much extra difficulty. Be patient, these monitors look great when complete.

Atari 520ST - Rear. Atari’s were known for their superior MIDI capabilities out the box.

While less familar with the Atari ST than some of the other computers I have rendered in paper, I am very pleased with how this design turned out. Typically my favorite design is the last one I completed and the Atari ST came together amazingly. I am proud to share it with the Atari ST and greater retrocomputing community.

While the computer may lack an internal hard drive, it has a much smaller footprint than it’s Amiga 500 counterpart.

As with all of my retrocompter designs, the monitor has eight interchangeable screenplates, so you can further customize your desktop experience.

Atari SF354 - Floppy Drive. This is my first time to make time 3 1/4” disks.

The pattern includes a “functional” drive bay door.

If you like these designs and would like to see more papercraft computers in the future please feel leave a like below or free to leave a comment below. I read them all.

The Atari ST 520 papercraft pattern can be found here.

Chase H.Q. was a very popular title for the Amstrad.

Amstrad CPC 464 Papercraft 2.0

November 30, 2018

I am happy to present an new updated edition of the Amstrad CPC 464 papercraft I created a few months back. As this was my first attempt at a papercraft, I was still figuring out things. This update includes improved rendering of the computer and monitor, more accurate monitor proportions, and a series of ten interchangeable screenplates to further customize you CPC experience. The download link is located at the end of this post.

The monitor now has some added dimensionality in the back.

Growing up in Canada, I never had an opportunity to mess around with one of these systems. Through the magic of emulation, I have recently begun to explore this system and continue to be impressed by its colourful selection of amazing ports and original games.

You can download this Amstrad CPC papercraft pattern HERE.

What would a Genesis/Megadrive port of Gateway to Apshai look like? Here’s my first attempt.

Gateway to Apshai - Sega Genesis Upscale

November 3, 2018

Epyx’s Gateway to Apshai is a game I grew up playing on my Commodore 64 back in the 80’s. It was the first dungeon crawler I ever played and is still fun to play today.

These are my initial thoughts as to what I would like to see in a 16-bit port. Palettes need to be resolved, graphics need further refinement, and additional detail will be added as I get a better sense of what is possible.

This is not the first time I have done a rescale of this game, last year I mocked up a 1-bit Arduboy port.

Gateway to Apshai hero - Lot’s of opportunity to infuse character into this sprite.

This project is in it’s infancy so I don’t want to advertise the potentials just yet, but as always, there is a chance that this project could continue to grow. Here’s to hoping!

This is Faux’s trailer interior V1 complete. Items may be added but I am satisfied with this first pass.

GameMaker Development - Bedroom added

September 26, 2018

I really had a feeling that if I rendered Faux’s place in pixels, it would be perfect stage for a game that focuses on our relationship and our ongoing efforts to grow a life together.

The next step in this project will be to start mapping out the exterior garden. Plenty of photos were taken at peak season to ensure a grand interpretation. With fall fast upon us, the colder weather should provide plenty of incentive to want to revisit that warmth. I am excited to start growing our pixel garden in the warmth of the studio.

I promise I will also have more papercraft projects coming soon!

Faux really knows how to put a room together and she also made the quilt on the bed!

Progress is being made. Faux’s trailer is proving to be the perfect stage for a video game.

GameMaker Progress - Coloring has begun

September 22, 2018

I have been having such a great time with my papercraft designs that I had taken a break on other projects such as my graphics for a possible GameMaker game. What exactly this game could be has yet to be determined but as an exercise in “pixellating” a real-life location, I am beginning to see some real success.

I am especially proud of the linoleum in the kitchen. Ezra the cat is always demanding to be fed.

Cheeseburger the cat likes to follow me around the trailer and beg to be picked up.

The final area I worked on, is the hallway, studio and bathroom areas. More clutter, erm details will be added to the studio shelves at some point.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet King Conion!!

Conion C-100F Papercraft

August 11, 2018

My first encounter with the Conion C-100F was at my local flea markets. I went back dozens of times just to see it's majesty. I could never justify the purchase price so the best way for me to get hands-on with one of these beasts was to make a papercraft version of it.

Enjoy the free pattern at the end of the article.

There are so many dials and switches on this thing - it's begging to be used.

This is a device from another time where the design language was clearly more is more. And it is a sight to behold. From the analogue VU meters with that flashy blue and motif, the huge tuner for fine adjustments, those crazy old-school LEDs that light up to the beat, it has a freaking burglar alarm! The thing that really stuck with me was how the folks at Conion decided to use two design languages when implementing the dual-cassette system. A traditional front-loading design typical for portable stereos, and a deck that would be more at home in an automobile. I am sure this is a space-saving measure but it's pretty fun as well.

This boombox uses 8 D-Cell batteries which I imagine don't last too long in the wild.

If you like this project please consider leaving a like, this lets me know if there is interest in seeing more of these in the future. I would like to do more boomboxes and really want to do an Pioneer Urushi component stereo.

Download the pattern here.

PS. This is not the first time I have riffed off the mighty King Conion. A few months back, I designed a Conion patch.

I remember flipping through old computer magazines and seeing ads like these.

Commodore 64 Papercraft V3

June 28, 2018

This is the third update of my Commodore 64 papercraft series. This project consists of everything you will need to recreate the iconic image pictured above:

Commodore 64 Computer - Update, original light-coloured function keys
Commodore 1541 Hard Drive - Update, "active" power light
Commodore MPS 801 Printer - New!
Commodore VIC Modem - New!
"Net Sales" Screenplate - New!

Download Link

Continuous feed paper with MPS print test

I am enjoying this series. I have received a lot of words of encouragement as well as some great feedback.

Stay tuned for more cool stuff!

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A collection of illustrations, designs, other art, and the occasional meandering. If you are interested in working with me please have a look at my portfolio and feel free to drop me a line!