Ok I'll keep my first post short and decent.

My idea is to build a easy to make IKEA Style KIT for a searchlight look projector where anyone can join in and improve.
The whole thing is to be made from the ground up with easy materials and as less possible parts or soldering.

First I want to create the whole thing in sketchup as a concept, trying to create my base idea and slowly refining it peace by peace, leaving space for community improvements.

Secondly when the concept is finnished its time to search and categorize all possible parts.

last is the real assembly, in the hope everything works as imagined.

There are also a couple of rules,

1. Price needs to be as low as possible
2. Design is modular, this means all modules can be improved with newer tech without a whole redesign.
3. Build quality is similar then a real product.

I know what your thinking now, I'm insane that's to much work but to prove you wrong i will simply feed this forum with ideas until people start believing it.

Design: a searchlight
A searchlight is the ideal shape for this project, you could mount it on the ceiling, a tripod or on a stand. and old and simple searchlight design makes this thing work in any environment, an old shiny brushed metal look will top it's finnish

Here is what i have so far made in sketchup

at the moment the searchlight size is 50cm x 25cm x 12,5cm

the wouden plan is the base with the optics on top of the base and the electronics below.

The optics part are devided in 3 modules
the light module
the LCD module
the triplet

(I know light-angles and the distances of the modules aren't correct atm)

this first image top
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the side
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the side + metal cap
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here's a side view
the diagonal lines should imitate the light rays comming from the box.

Click to view attachment

all elements: the triplet, the 7 inch lcd panel and the mst controller are in scale.