Dead message board :(

[Nu Soard Graphite]

Sooooooo Slow! Hurry up Nagano, get started on FSS again! Release GTM already! Enough is enough!!!

[Tachyon]

Yeah, things have been real slow around here. Should we start another FSS project? Any ideas?

[Nu Soard Graphite]

Nothing that pops into my head right now. I'm sure there's a ton of stuff we could do. I really do want to put up a Translation of the Internal Structure of Mortar Headd article from Smoke Walls, but we need a translator for that. Maybe you could scan the pics and set up a section and we'll get translation when we get it.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to work on profiles these days. I'm in my apprenticeship/training for Border Patrol right now and that takes up a lot of my time. In addition to working 10-12 hour days (I have worked a 15 hour day and a 16 hour day as well) I have to study Immigration and nationality law, spanish and learn a several hundred square-mile area of the southwestern desert that borders Mexico! Busy busy.

However, when I'm done with my training period and become a journeyman, I won't have to do any studying, so maybe once per week I might be able to work on profiles and stuff, if my wife is okay with it....

[Tachyon]

levrin has been helping out with translations here and there but I don't want to drop such a big project on him unless he wants to work on it. With that much text, you have to be ready to take it on.

I'll look at scanning some images this week. After losing yesterday to the flu I need to catch up a little on Mospeada line art.

[levrin]

Is the Mortar Headd stuff in Smoke Walls the same stuff that's in the back of Designs 2?

[Tachyon]

After taking a look at Internal Structure of Mortar Headd in both Smoke Walls and F.S.S. Designs 2 I have this to say:

The diagram images and their connected text blocks are the same.
The article text could be the same but there seems to be more of it in Smoke Walls and I am having a real hard time finding the same first line of text between the 2 books. It's possible that Designs 2 condenses things more or makes omissions.
Designs 2 has a page not found in Smoke Walls (pg. 186). The page shows line art and goes into interesting detail about supplies stored inside mortar headds in case of emergency. The gourmet cooking supplies looks particularly interesting.
Smoke Walls has 2 pages at the end of the article not found in Designs 2 (pages not numbered). These 2 pages have a light amount of text but use the Phantom as an example to point out additional mortar headd features.

I can scan pages from either book with ease but I'm not going to push this translation project on someone who isn't ready for it. However, if levrin decides he wants the project, featuring this article in the FSS pages at Gears Online would be a great addition. In short, help is appreciated but there's no pressure. Translation help is truly great but taking advantage of friends and pushing them to burnout is not cool.

[levrin]

Probably best to do the diagrams and associated labels and descriptions first, then come back later for the article text. Break it up into multiple smaller projects instead of a single big one.

[Tachyon]

Sounds great. Do you have Designs 2 or should I scan the diagram images and their text blocks?

[levrin]

I've got Designs 2.

[Nu Soard Graphite]

I would love to see anything that you could provide us with. The Internal Structure of Mortar Headd article has been teasing me since it came out in Smoke Walls. It would be good to see a translation finally hit the light of day...

[levrin]

[Designs 2 p180 upper image]
Main Frame (Keel)
[p178 overview says "Dragon Keel", but the Japanese for keel is literally "dragonbone"]

[right side labels, top to bottom]
Shoulder blade
Built to be extremely robust, they support both arms while securing them to the collarbones(p181). They accomplish the essential movement of raising the shoulders when spreading the arms or wielding a sword held forward in both hands.

At the point where the shoulder blade connects to the keel there are installation openings for ezlaser engine energy bypasses. The energy transmitted through the keel passes through these openings to power other sections. See "Ezlaser Power System" on p183.

Bottom counterweight
A weight to balance the upper and lower halves of the body. When MH have special back-mounted equipment it also functions as an adapter, but this doesn't see much use.

The protrusions on the pelvis function as a support frame for the power pistons.

Hip
Even among the toughest parts of a MH, this is the most critical. The ball joint is filled with a damper liquid sealed under high pressure. Unequipped with internal power, it is dedicated solely to securing the femur.

[left side labels, top to bottom]
Fatima Shell set frame
For a MH, the fatima shell is a critical component. This frame is secured to the keel to support it. Data and control output from the fatima go inside the keel to be transmitted throughout the body. See "Fatima Cockpit, part 2" on p184.

The individual parts of the keel itself maintain a certain elasticity, allowing the flexible movement in all directions even without a tissue system. The basic elastic, twisting movements of a MH all take place in the keel. Of course, there are ones with linked dampers and pistons in the abdomen for support as well. See illustration for "Driving System" on p182.

Under frame
A large block part that supports the pelvis and keel. Cam connections with the other parts make extremely flexible movement possible. As one of the stronger parts, it also serves as a mounting point for waist armor.

edit: replace Latin terms with English; replace incorrect use of "tendon" with "tissue"

[Nu Soard Graphite]

Wow, thanks Levrin. Keep up the good work! Hopefully Tachyon will scan some images to go with these soon....

[levrin]

The example frame is supposed to be a Siren, btw.

[Designs 2 p180 lower image]
Keel Interior

[top center label]
Energy bypass
Ezlaser energy travels through the center. The interior is loaded with a protective gel.

[right side labels, top to bottom]
Bilge keel
The layered plates of the abdominal armor are locked onto these parts. They also serve to deflect rear impacts around the keel. The hollows at the base leave clearance for damper liquid.

MH nerves
Data transmission cable from the fatima and knight. Two cables left and right provide redundancy. All internal MH transmissions and communications are hardwired through these cables. Wireless communications are avoided as they might allow an enemy fatima to remote control an MH or engage in other electronic warfare. The inside of the keel is in sealed layers for this reason. Commands from the fatima to the MH are locked down entirely to one-way traffic. This is also to guard against hacking by other fatimas.
While not intended for console control, the registered knight and fatima of a MH can make use of console or voice commands. Sopp's "Hey, it's time to wake up!" command to start up the KOG in part 1 worked due to the KOG recognizing Sopp.

[left side labels, top to bottom]
Center circuit
Backup power, transmission, and other non-energy linkages are all collected here. The multiple openings connect the various sections to the base terminal.

Counter tissue
The outermost layer of the keel interior accomodates an elastic tendon system to provide for the flexible movement of the keel.

Return bypass
Energy captured by dynamos in the moving sections of the MH is returned to the ezlaser engine along this bypass.

[Nu Soard Graphite]

Would like to see more when you have time...

[levrin]

So how does everyone feel about me using the medical terms for the bones? Japanese doesn't have distinct medical and common words for the bones, so I could just as easily say "hip" and "shoulderblade" if it would work better. Nagano's taking this whole MH-as-human-body metaphor pretty far, and I suspect he might be making up words when he doesn't know the technical terms. I probably should have used "muscle tissue" instead of "tendon" when it came up before. Oh, well. Here's the next page's image notes:

[Designs 2, p181 upper image]
Principal Joints

[right side, top to bottom]
The major joints are assembled from complex arrangements of various moving parts including drive shafts, ball joints, gears, universal joints, torsion bars, hydraulics, pistons, cam links, etc.

Power cylinder
Various power cylinders are applied in multiple locations. See "Drive System" on p182 for detail.

[left side]
The space between the collarbones is where the knight's cockpit is installed, so the collarbones are actually manufactured last.

[Designs 2, p181 lower right image]
Hip Frame

[above center]
Keel Terminal
The tail end of the keel is embedded deep into the underblock. The four holes are for ezlaser bypasses.

[right side, top to bottom]
Damper
While the keel itself functions as a large damper, but even so it is still enclosed in a further damper here.

The protrusions on the pelvis act as attachment and bracing points for the power cylinders.

The joint between the underblock and the thigh bone is essentially built for free movement. Hydraulic dampers are built-in, but the joint is unpowered. Movement is accomplished by the power cylinders described in the next section.

[lower left]
The one piece that looks like it could be built as a single block, it is of course partitioned to withstand shock and allow the greatest margin of movement.

[Designs 2, p181 lower left image]
Neck and Collarbone

[right side, top to bottom]
Terminal link
Acting as the primary pivot point for the neck, it is linked to the keel in back.

Collarbone torsion bar counter tissue
The collarbone is constructed from a torsion bar suspension built with a reflexive muscle system to perform delicate movement. This enables the MH to perform actions such as raising its head to look to the upper-left.

[left side, top to bottom]
Neck arm
When viewing an MH up close, the neck support frame tends to be very noticeable. The lower portion functions as a power cylinder. Rotation is accomplished by moving the two arms independently, and is generally capable of mimicking human movement. Rear views and such are provided by rear-mounted support cameras.

Collarbone
The collarbones are connected not only to the shoulder blades, but also linked to the power cylinders of both arms. With a partial exoskeleton of armor plating, it can be said that collarbones are not necessarily essential parts for a MH, but they also serve as a guard frame around the knight's cockpit and the power system set underneath.

edit: replace Latin with English, adjust wording