As a result, a lot of materials have accumulated on my computer, including those that have disappeared from the Internet over the years. Today I want to talk about modding projects that seem to me the most beautiful, original or important for the development of this subculture.
There are a lot of collections on this topic on the net, but they, as a rule, just pile up different pictures in a heap, and it's good if there are at least the titles of works. I tried to approach the issue more thoroughly, and for each project I gave not only the name, but also the nickname of the author, the year of creation and a link to the worklog (diary of works) - if it is preserved. In order to find some of the photos in good quality, I even had to dig up such antiquities as disks-attachments to computer magazines.
My selection is as subjective as possible, and, of course, not everything that would be worth talking about was included in it. But if you like the idea, there will definitely be next issues. So let's go!
1. Pyramid
Author: Gup (Henk Hamers)
Year: 2010
Worklog
Unusual custom (that is, a body created from scratch) based on the movie "Stargate". It is equipped with a mechanized front panel, behind which is a display that shows the parameters of the computer. Thanks to the successful lighting and painting, the case looks no worse than the scenery from the film.
2. FuG-01 / ET
Author: Sheyr (Marcin Krup)
Year: 2005
Worklog
This casemode in the style of old German hardware is better known simply as the "Wolfenstein Case Mod". Perhaps now it does not look as impressive as it did at the time of creation, but then the combination of aged metal, complex painting and original retro details made it stand out among timid crafts, where all modding was reduced to cutting a window in the side wall. Personally, this corps is especially dear to me also because it was he who prompted me to try my hand at this business.
A short interview with the author in Russian
3. Recycle Your Computer
Author: BeWize (Alexey Chistov)
Year: 2004
Worklog
When the new Mac Pro in a cylindrical case appeared a few years ago, only the lazy did not joke that it looked like a trash can. But everything new is well forgotten old! The unusual case, made from a real wastepaper basket, took first place in the competition of the magazine "Home PC" and spawned many imitators. Again, no problems with the removal of heated air ...
Photo report from the exhibition
4. The Weapon of Mass Destruction
Posted by: G-gnome (Peter Dickinson)
2005
Worklog
This is a real bomb - both in appearance and in the effect it has produced in the modding community. Be sure to check out the worklog, since there are photographs preserved in it. It's just a hymn to metalworking.
It is noteworthy that many of the parts were made by hand.
5. Zenith Antique 5-S-29 Radio
Author: Gary Voigt
Year: 2010
Worklog
“Attention, Attention! New York Says! All the radio stations of the United States of America are working! .. ”Perhaps you thought that in front of you is a computer built into an old radio receiver. This is not so: not a single historical thing was damaged during the creation of this mod. The author made a copy of the retro radio model he liked from scratch, and even managed to place a powerful computer with a water cooling system inside. This approach can only be applauded.
6. Cosmos Cruizer
Posted by Boddaker (Brian Carter)
2015
Worklog
This is the most recent work in my collection, but the author is a very respected "old school" modder. This time, he took the Cooler Master Cosmos II case as a basis and turned it into something like a hot rod car. New side walls have been modeled from fiberglass, thanks to which the border between the outside and inside of the case is erased.
7. Orac³
Author: G-gnome (Peter Dickinson)
Year: 2004
Worklog
I can't believe that this futuristic project was created 17 years ago! It elevated the idea of cable management to the absolute - and this at a time when the use of rounded loops was considered a sign of good fashion.
The author has created an excellent example of the "cyberpunk" style, which even today would not be ashamed to use as a decoration for a game or film.
Author's render:
Worklog in Russian
8. Fire Sound System
Author: Strannik (Alexei Leontiev)
Year: 2008
Just as Michelangelo, looking at a block of marble, could see a future sculpture in it, Alexei Leontiev, looking at old fire extinguishers, saw ... columns in them! The sound quality, according to the creator, turned out to be quite decent, so through them you can start not only recording a fire siren, but also incendiary music. And I think I know which Scooter song the author included first!
9. Gray Tower
Author: Grizly
Year: 2011
Worklog
Another interesting work from our compatriot. The project is executed in an atypical art deco style for modding and resembles the American skyscrapers of the 30s. The workmanship is excellent, even though this is the author's first case.
10. Project Mars City
Posted by: Crimson Sky
Year: 2007
Worklog
Over the decades since the release of the first Doom, many casemodes have been created in the style of this cult game. But the masterpiece from the master of Crimson Sky remains unsurpassed to this day.
General outlines, small details, painting, moving parts ... there is simply nothing to complain about.
I think it's not an exaggeration if I say that the history of modding is divided into two periods - before "Project Mars City" and after.
Conclusion
It so happened that in my selection there were mainly projects created ten to fifteen years ago. One should not conclude from this that “it was better before”. In modern modding, there are also enough excellent works, and the level of their execution only grows every year.
It just seems to me that today a certain "canon" has already been formed, and most of the projects are similar to each other. But the end of the 2000s and the beginning of the 2010s were a time of unrestrained flight of imagination and daring experiments. Therefore, many works of that time are capable of surprising even today. What modding projects do you like the most?
