Completed SMPL - 3.9L Case "Ikea-Style"

Advokatrix

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Introduction

This project is meant to be a personal one. I have never designed a case before, so I do start from zero, literally. The general goal is the learning experience (tech and designing wise) as well as the finished build in the end. I am not using any fancy tools/programs, keeping it simple and cheap. The idea is, to create a portable case that can support hardware which is more powerful than a typical APU build. The max total system power draw should be around 200w, so the case is going to be designed for short GPUs (mostly single fan) and ITX boards with low profile CPU cooling solutions. Regarding the execution, it should be kind of an "ikea-style" approach. Just as Lazer3Ds concept of shipping all sheets and mounting hardware in a box for customer assembly. In my case, it's meant to be assembled just once. Getting the pieces made from clear acrylic gives me the freedom to personalize the case as I want to in the end (painting, vinyl wrapping, you name it).
I started my first drawings, using Inkscape in summer of 2019. I probably had a million different approaches until I settled with a general idea. It consumed a lot of evenings but I learned a lot in that time too. The order of the (first?) prototype was placed in early December 2019. I was sick just sitting in front of the screen. I had to get some sort of prototype to check all my spacings and if 3mm sheets would create a stable chassis. That's where I am today and where this thread will continue from.



Specifications (updated July 5, 2020)
  • Dimensions: 190 x 190 x 110 mm
  • Volume: 3.971L
  • Materials: 3mm acrylic; 7+4 mm brass standoffs
  • Design: sandwich design
  • Max. GPU length: 180 mm
  • Max. CPU cooler height: 38 mm
  • Storage: M.2 only
  • PSU: DC-ATX + AC-DC (dual PSU ready) - only 4pin din connector like pico/adaptec


The build (finished on August 23, 2020):

After I ordered all parts and the vinyl wrapping, I started to assemble the case by removing the protective plastic and screwing in the motherboard standoffs. I had to dremel the mounting holes a bit wider to fit the standoffs properly. I did this on purpose.









After all standoffs were screwed into the motherboard tray, I put all panels together and started glueing everything bit by bit. I used a glue that contained a solvent, so it "melts" the surfaces of the acrylic sheets and bonds everything permanently together (like welding).



The case got 24 hours time to cure completely. The next step was applying the vinyl wrap. That took a lot of time and patience. I got it done eventually. I did quite some mistakes regarding the corners but everything could get fixed. The finished work is pretty neat.





Since the case has been assembled, I was able to start building the actual PC. I used a Gigabyte B360N Wfi Mainboard with an i5-8400, two 8GB modules of HyperX Predator 2666MHz CL13 RAM (heat sinks removed, otherwise it couldnt fit into the case) and a Noctua NH-L9i Chromax CPU-cooler. The GPU is MSI GtX 1650 Super Aero ITX 4GB that got connected to the mother board the a Linkup PCI-E riser cable (30cm + shielded). Storage wise, I used a Crucial MX500 M.2 SSD (500GB).

The CPU compartment was quite a tight fit. There is maybe just 1mm of space between the cooler and the side panel. I calculated it differently (with more space) but it does fit after all.



The assembly was quite easy for such a small case (if you use your brain before you do stuff XD). You see the I/O shield installed in the pictures (for the "whole" picture) but I actually left it out.











After the mainboard was comletely mounted, I went for the GPU. Sadly, a couple of mm were missing at the slit where the GPU braket slides into. So I had to mount the I/O shield first and attach the GPU back to it afterwards. It still fits nicely.







Unfortunately, starting up the PC gave me some trouble. Never booted into my drive but into the BIOS constantly instead. It took me couple of hours to resolve that issue. But after that, the PC is running fine with good temperatures. The wiring of the power button was a bit fiddly because there was no schematic for it.
I really like that random brushed look with the only led being the one of the power button. All fotos were made with HDR mode. The finish of the vinyl wrap looks like it has some sort of a mirrrow effect. It does not have that! I think thats the result of the HDR image processing. The case looks much more "matt" or "muted".










The resume:

Well, what a wild ride for my very first case. It took me a long time and it isnt perfect sill. The CPU cutout of the side panel is not centered with the CPU fan and the fan makes some noise when it ramps up (due to the turbulances it creates because it is too close to the side panel). This is something I would change in the future (even considering a 100% cutout with no restrictions what so ever). Overall, the PC is VERY! quiet when there is not a massive load.

The silent performance was the main reason why I want to go with an external power supply. Seeing all the videos on similar cases, using Flex-ATX power supplies, made me cringe. I had one from Silverstone myself and I couldnt stand even the noise under idle load! Now, this is much better! External PSUs have their advantage in this regard.

GPU wise, the "mounting slit" need to be a touch wider, so the GPU can be installed without taking apart. No additional noise coming from there, since the clearance the the side panel is fine.

The side panels really could have been 2mm instead 3mm. They dont contribute to the structural integrity of the case. As I tested the strength of 2mm sheets (190x190mm), they dont bend much. If I would have gotten 2mm panels, I could have added more clearance for the CPU fan. Everything else need to be 3mm or above! The case is very sturdy. I handled it with all gear inside multiple times today (even a bit more aggressive) and it did not flex or break. It is really like a tank. I have added 10mm clear glue-on feet to give it some room for fresh air vom below.

The total cost for the final case (without the vinyl wrap, which was my personal choise of giving the case its individual appearance) was around 70-75 Euro. Thats everything bought as a consumer with shipping, taxes etc. No bulk discounts or stuff like that. It includes the laser cut acrylic panels (+ shipping), the power button and all small parts like skrews and mounting blocks (+ shipping) as well was the glue-on feet. To be fare, I selvaged the power button cables from another "dead" case but those are cents really.

This total project cost, adding the prototype and couple of smaller purchases is around 120 Euro. Very low, if you ask me! And btw, no cost for programs etc. All freeware!

I am really happy with the result and cant wait to make a next version with more improvements :)


The future:

Since there is room for improvement, I might go for a v2. Not sure if I really try to get this made out of aluminium. Maybe I could try to get a version done, which you can assemble without clueing (just mounting blocks). It will be over 4L though. I have now some time to think about those questions.

Just out of curiosity, is there actually a demand for such a case (even when its made out of acrylic?). Would it be better to use only mounting blocks or would be glueing ok, if the solvent is part of the shipment? The original reason to use clear acrylic was, that I have a "blank canvas" to paint or wrap it was I want to. I can change it in the future too, if the vinyl wrap gets old.

What I still have to deal with is the power solution. The pico 160xt with the adaptec 192w/12v power brick is giving me some trouble. But this wont be part of this thread anymore.

Anyway... thanks to everyone who followed this project and gave me some input :thumb:
 
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Advokatrix

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I was handling the case with the mainboard for a bit and I checked the case for weak spots. I came to the conclusion, that 3mm sheets are fine for now. It look quite week at first but after glueing the panels together, I was surprised how sturdy the construction is. If the bottom piece would have fit correctly (I messed up the cutouts in the design :confused:) it might be even stronger. There is some flex on the outer parts of the backside cutouts (right of the mainboard I/O cutout and left of the GPU I/O cutout) but I was expecting that anyway. The GPU is ordered and on the way and I will see how the case is holing up with more components/weight in it.

On the other hand, there are some weak spots in the design. Some areas, where the cutouts are close together are prone to break. More likely than I expected. In the second and maybe final design, these parts need to be redesigned.

Additionally, I need to reset the standoff positions for 2mm away from the backside, maybe. My I/O shield has got some padding to it and with the shield installed, the mainboard wont fit properly. It's going to be a really tight fit with the pico 160xt, where the cables get squeezed already a tiny bit.

red = where the sheets snapped already
green = where I expect the material to snap after some time or more intesive handling

 
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Advokatrix

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The GPU has arrived, a MSI GTX 1650 Super Aero ITX OC card. I had to decide between the aforementioned 1650s and a MSI GTX 1060 Aero ITX 6GB card. Of course, power consumption is important to me but the 1060 got 6GB VRAM and the 1060 Aero ITX variant got a better cooling solution, especially a zero fan mode. I was very sceptical about the cooling solution on the 1650s because it looked like a simple slab of aluminium (which is true but not entirely) with just one copper heatpipe. The 1060 on the other hand offered a proper heatsink with thin and tighter packed aluminium fins but only one heatpipe too (plated, not copper).

All in all, I tend to play on medium settings anyway and I never run into the 4GB VRAM limitation (even with unoptimized games). So that concern of mine was quickly crossed out. Regarding the power consumption of the 1060, I would have lowered the power target slightly with some performance loss maybe. The cooling was the biggest headache for me since I really like a "silent" performing PC. At least what you can expect as "silent" from a PC this size. One reason I ordered the 1650s Aero ITX variant was (again) the cooling solution. Compared to all single fan 1650s cards, it is the only one with a copper heatpipe (all the others just got a simple block of aluminium on it) and it is one of the few single fan models that got some VRM cooling (not all have that). I am happy to report, that the card really is silent (not "zero fan mode silent" but decently silent for its size). I refer to the idle fan noise here (the minimum RPM is locked at 30%). Ramping up the fan speed is resulting in a higher noise level of course.

But the best part is, that I was able to get the card new for 149€ (a decent 1060 6GB in the Aero ITX variant costs the same or is selling for more in my country on the used market). This was a one time bargin I guess and I got really lucky because the prices were rising the next day from an average of 179,99€ to 187,99€.

Alongside with the GPU, I got the molex to 6pin PEG adaptor for the pico 160xt. I was testing everything on my very!!! professional test bench, keeping an eye onto the temps of the cables (at least by touching it). For a first test run, I played a couple of CS:GO bot matches and some minutes of ACEO. It is by no means a stress test but I did not want to risk anything for now. I will run more demanding games when I get time. I saw the total system power draw peaking at around 155/160w (idle 29w at the lowest reading). All the different cables (12v power lead and the small double bunny loop, CPU power cable, molex accessory cable, molex to 6pin cable) were not even warm (not warmer than my body temperature or not significantly warmer). So the pico 160xt + 192w power brick is working so far. Keep in mind of this beeing not a proper stress test, to see the limit of the pico and the power brick. It is just a confirmation for myself, that I can use the PC for "normal" tasks without a heavy load.


Coming to the case. I did discover an issue, that is of a very simple nature but too simple to be seen by me in the first place. As you can tell by the concept drawings and the prototype above, I want to mount the mainboard in the standard orientation and the GPU upside down. The problem is, the lower tabs of the GPU I/O shield have no "resistance" or place to rest against the case in order to stableize the card itself (first picture). By flipping the orientation of the case, so that the GPU is in the standard orientation and the mainboard is flipped, the GPU can rest against the back wall. This seems much better from a weight distribution point of view (second picture). If the GPU is flipped and the lower tabs got no back wall to rest against, the main stabilization is coming from the pcie riser and its connector. I dont think thats a good thing to be honest. I have to decide now, if I want to flip the whole construction upside down. The drawback of flipping the GPU into the standard orientation is, that the lower I/O tabs are blocking the space behind by resting against the lower part of the back side of the case. Thats where the power input should have been. And I still have to check how far I can mount the GPU towards the top of the case until I get a problem with the 6pin PEG connector.


The pcie riser cable it still missing though. I am thinking of getting the Silverstone RC03 (27cm total lengh; 22cm cable length) or the Phanteks one, as well with the individual lanes (30cm total length). I might order both and keep the one that is fitting best. I would appreciate it, if anyone owning one or both cables could share their experience on them.

Now, back to the drawing board for the upcoming days. Till then ;)
 
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CC Ricers

Shrink Ray Wielder
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Nov 1, 2015
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Nice to see more tiny plastic cases around here :) I could imagine it would be fragile at points and not surprised it would break off at weak spots. Maybe try beefing up some of the build with thicker sheets for the motherboard tray and the back.

This will be a challenge if you want to keep it under 4L, though. But I recommend at least 4 or 5mm for the motherboard tray and 4mm for the back, bottom, and top. Speaking from experience, you want the spine to be the strongest point and not warp, and the side covers can stay the same at 3mm because they are not load bearing.
 

Advokatrix

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Nice to see more tiny plastic cases around here :) I could imagine it would be fragile at points and not surprised it would break off at weak spots. Maybe try beefing up some of the build with thicker sheets for the motherboard tray and the back.

This will be a challenge if you want to keep it under 4L, though. But I recommend at least 4 or 5mm for the motherboard tray and 4mm for the back, bottom, and top. Speaking from experience, you want the spine to be the strongest point and not warp, and the side covers can stay the same at 3mm because they are not load bearing.

Actually, the tray is very sturdy. No flex at all. I'll go with 3/2mm sheets still, but if the second model is causing too many issues, I will consider beefing up ;) Sadly, I had no time in the past days to work on the case/project but there will be some time ahead :)
 

Advokatrix

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Is there room at the top for slim exhaust fans?

There is no space for that. I try to focus on good active ventilation for CPU and GPU and pasive ventilation from bottom to top, using the sandwich design to compartmentalize those two heat sources and their ventilation needs. For that reason, I have no mainboard cutout to reach the back side for e.g. cooler installation. Acrylic has got much worse thermal conductivity which helps avoiding thermal transfer between those to compartments (at least in my theory).
 

Advokatrix

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So I played a bit more with the design. I am goining to draw one version with the current orientation (mainboard in standard orientation) and one design inverted. Furthermore, I played around with a not so boring ventilation cutout design for the top and bottom panel. One is of course more simple than the other. The simpler one is reminding me of a butterfly shape. I do like the rounded triangle mosaic design. I guess I will go with that approach using that particular shape but maybe in a different design overall. It is not quite right IMO but I am interested to hear your opinions about that design choice... more smaller or less and bigger triangles? :)


On the other hand, I kept playing some games here and there and just let them run in the background for a couple of hours. No issues until today where I had my first reset while playing COH2. Honestly, I expected a rest much earlier. The Adaptec 192w 12v power brick is up for the task mostly but it seems to rest in certain scenarios.

When the case is done some day, I will work on the rewiring mod for the pico 160xt. Maybe I will decide to build an external power brick from a meanwell psu too.
 

GDesign

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Aug 22, 2019
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Hi,
Really interesting build! What cpu are you using? I'm about to try the 1650 Super with the 160XT pico psu, but not sure if I would be pushing it too hard with an Intel i5 6500.
 

Advokatrix

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Hi,
Really interesting build! What cpu are you using? I'm about to try the 1650 Super with the 160XT pico psu, but not sure if I would be pushing it too hard with an Intel i5 6500.

im using an i5-8400 with a gtx 1650 super... unfortunately, the prices are high for acrylic sheet at my place, due to some virus... so the project is temporary on hold. but i am testing different pcie risers atm.
 

Advokatrix

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so, here is a quick update.

i was ordering two pcie riser cables to try out. it was the silverstone rc03 multiple lane cable (total length including connectors = 27cm) and the ezdiy-fab single sleeve cable (total length including connectors = 25cm). i didnt test the performance of these cables since i wanted to see first, if they would fit at all. sadly they didnt. my case isnt big in any means (i would consider it beeing even ultraSFF) but i guess i have to go for a cable, that is 30cm in length without the connectors (pure cable length). now, the hunt will continue.

furthermore, i continued playing around with the top panel design, to use the time till the prices for acrylic have come down again. here is what i got so far


let me know, what you like the most and/or what could be improved. for the more complicated design, i consider to down size the designs a bit to enlarge the spaces in between each shape.
 
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Advokatrix

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Some updates:​

I tested two more riser cables:
(1) Kolink 30cm x16 (seems to be identical to the Phanteks 30cm x16 multi-lane cable)
(2) Linkup 30cm x16 multi-lane. The Kolink one gave me bigger performance issues than the Linkup cable.

On average, I saw a performance drop of 2% with the Kolink cable and 0.4-0.6% with the Linkup cable. In the end, I went with the Linkup cable which was 46€ (the Kolink cable was 31€). Both were well built but the Kolink cable was much stiffer and difficult to get any kinds of bends done. Kolink seems to use an outside plastic material, that is springing back quite a bit.

Regarding the power solution, using the pico 160xt + Adaptec 192W power supply: I do suffer now from regular power restets at 130W of power draw. I am not sure, if the molex to 6pin adaptor is causing it. I will change it later, so the GPU is getting its power directly from the 12V power inlet. Lets see if this is changing anything.

Additionally, there are some developments regarding the case design.
I decided on a top and bottom panel design and repositioned the GPU cutout to accomodate the female pcie connector from the riser cable. Regarding the motherboard and GPU layout, I am going with my initial plans of having the motherboard in the standard and the GPU in the inverted orientation. I will fix the aforementioned retention problem of the GPU with an extra piece of acrylic that get mounted on the outside, pressing down on the i/o shield to prevent it from slipping out of the mounting slit.
I made one more change to the case design, regarding the back panel. I removed the two "pillars" of acrylic, since they are just too thin. They didnt break but I dont feel comfy having them. Removing those gives me some additional room for my hands.

 

Advokatrix

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After having another look at the current state of the case project, I realized by eliminating these outer "pillars" (see image in the last post), I do not have any support for the side panels to rest on. This might introduce a bit of flex to the side panels (not 100% sure about it, if its going to be a huge problem). The sad thing is, mounting the side panels flush onto the case, I will add 2mm to the case width, so the over all volume will be 4.1L. That difference is negligible but somehow it makes me sad to cross the 4L mark. Some strange part of me wants to keep the total volume under/at 4L XD

To avoid this, I have to reduce the back panel width by 2mm each side to keep the over all dimension of 19*19*11cm = 3.971L. There is just one problem. The width of each pillar next to the GPU and motherboard cutout needs to be reduced to 3.6mm from 5.6mm. Again, 5,6mm ist fine. It's a bit flexy but it did not break at all. A width of 3.6mm just might be too thin. Looks like I'm stuck.

Maybe I just get a 2mm panel from the hardware store, chipping away the pillars on my prototype and have a look for myself.

On the other hand, I'm currently looking for suitable power buttons and some space for a single front usb type a connector. Since there is no height for RGB-RAM and I would like to introduce at least some small illumination, going for a LED power button would be nice. Sadly, they are quite long for such a small case. I have found a thin 1.9cm power button but it has no LED ring (maybe using EV wire between the switch and the case could solve it).
 
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Advokatrix

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Finally some update. I got a 2mm dummy side panel done to test the stability and overall flex of the case/the side panel under some load. I am happy to report, that the flex is really not that concerning. Getting the case done in 3mm and the two side panels in 2mm sheets seems to work just fine. TBH though, I am still thinking about getting the side panels in 3mm but I will decide on that soon. I am just glad to see, that 2mm wont be an issue.

Here are some pictures (sorry for the crappy phone picture quality)


This is showing the general look. I like the 2mm panel since its not that chunky as 3mm.



This is showing how much the side panel is flexing under load with some weight and a single point of stress in the middle of the side panel.
Those forces are never going to happen on a single point in normal use/carrying around anyway!



 

edwinbradford

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Apr 22, 2020
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I've been lurking for some weeks watching this project and have some feedback if you're interested, I have zero experience building a case. The acrylic is just a prototyping material for me, it's the form factor that really intrigues me. If it were me I would lay it horizontally in HTPC orientation, there's just something about the square format of an ITX board that aesthetically has to be horizontal for me.

Something else I was wondering and I appreciate this is not at all part of your project... is it possible to design and build a sandwich case to be modular so the graphics card case module is optional? I imagine your case being sliced in half between motherboard and graphics card. I haven't seen it done and there's probably a good reason why, I imagine working out the connections is going to be difficult but a modular case design would offer the choice of smaller volume or more expansion.

I see a lot of people hacking small cases designed for integrated graphics so they can accommodate discrete graphics cards in smaller volumes. For example in my case I'm planning on getting an Ryzen APU with integrated graphics but one day I might want to use that PCI-E slot in which case I can just add the graphics card case module and of course a PCI-E slot can also be usesd for other purposes too.

Anyway, a very interesting project that I enjoy following, thanks for sharing it with everyone.
 
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Advokatrix

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I've been lurking for some weeks watching this project and have some feedback if you're interested, I have zero experience building a case. The acrylic is just a prototyping material for me, it's the form factor that really intrigues me. If it were me I would lay it horizontally in HTPC orientation, there's just something about the square format of an ITX board that aesthetically has to be horizontal for me.

Thanks for sharing some input. I was thinking of an horizontal design too (just like Josh`s Skyreach case). The reason I stepped away from that idea was just me disliking that "pancake" design, stretching in one direction primarily. I just find it more pleasing when the proportions of all six sides are more equal (not absolutely cube like equal but more balanced in general). On the other hand, I have seen someone on youtube building an itx system into an xbox one case, using a gtx 1050 ti low profile. This approach was really interesting. If you would tidy up some internals, the horizontal footprint is much smaller compared to the Skyreach case. The down side for me is the LP-GPU. I really like them but they can be more expensive than standard single fan gpus (sometimes), get introduced like six months (and longer) after launch and are not always easy to purchase, if production is not up at speed.

Something else I was wondering and I appreciate this is not at all part of your project... is it possible to design and build a sandwich case to be modular so the graphics card case module is optional? I imagine your case being sliced in half between motherboard and graphics card. I haven't seen it done and there's probably a good reason why, I imagine working out the connections is going to be difficult but a modular case design would offer the choice of smaller volume or more expansion.

I see a lot of people hacking small cases designed for integrated graphics so they can accommodate discrete graphics cards in smaller volumes. For example in my case I'm planning on getting an Ryzen APU with integrated graphics but one day I might want to use that PCI-E slot in which case I can just add the graphics card case module and of course a PCI-E slot can also be usesd for other purposes too.

Anyway, a very interesting project that I enjoy following, thanks for sharing it with everyone.

That modular approach is kind of cool. Maybe having some detachable hinging system on one side, so you can get the gpu compartment later AND beeing able to choose between the sandwich or horizontal design just as you like. I guess it can work with some clever designing but yes, it is something that`s introducing a weak point perhaps. REALLY INTRIGUING though! It would satisfy both design approaches.

If you really want to tinker with that, I would highly encourage you to get into case designing etc. It is hard work to get up to speed but it is extremely rewarding. As you already said, acrylic may have the appearence of "just beeing prototyping material" but aluminium and/or steel is much more expensive. I was thinking about that too but the prices for laser cutting and bending etc. were way too high for just a "one-off". I just can imagine how much money Josh was investing upfront, before he was releasing the first s4m to the public.
Additionally, I would never touch/modify the appearance of an aluminium case because the material is already that final appearance. I`m much more comfy with altering the look of acylic sheets by painting or vinyl wrapping.

Maybe I do an aluminium version of my case in the future (just for the fun of tinkering with a "new" material) but I have to manufacture it myself, since I am not willing pay hundrets of bucks getting it done (even just the prototype).

Thanks for your post :)
 
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