Author:
"I must give at least partial credit for this design to the Imperial
Equipment Catalog for T4. After I started this writeup, I found the exact
same thing in their book. I can only assume that this was where I got the
idea. After I read it I also decided to incorporate some of their ideas."
SmartPaint is a generic label far a wide variety of products used to cover
surfaces. It was one of the ever present features of the Imperium; used for
advertising, entertainment, information display, and vehicular/home
decoration.
The basic premise of SmartPaint is an applied surface that can be programmed
to different colors and patterns. SmartPaint operates through a series of
transparent layers, each of which can be electrically polarized to a
different hue. SmartPaint is designed to align itself as it is painted,
forming these layers automatically. The holographic version actually uses
several hundred layers of semi-refracting crystals to generate the illusion
of depth. SmartPaint requires a small computer to control the polarization
and a power source. Programs for SmartPaint are easily available in a wide
variety of patterns and can be custom tailored as well.
| TL | Advancements |
|---|---|
| 10 | SmartPaint first becomes available. It can only form solid colors and simple geometric patterns (stripes, dots, blotches) and is limited to a narrow spectrum. This version of SmartPaint usually needs a basecoat of white to display colors accurately. Later versions do not have this disadvantage. |
| 11 | SmartPaint can form complex patterns such as text and pictures and is able to operate in a broad spectrum (from IR through UV). |
| 12 | SmartPaint can accept moving picture, allowing animated sequences to be played. At this TL, the paint becomes flexible and safe enough to be worn on the body, although it falls off after a day or two of activity. |
| 13 | SmartPaint can be used to form holographic images on it's surface. Note that this doesn't allow the paint to project images: it generates a sense of depth upon the surface. |
| 14 | The images can be programmed with motion, allowing Tri-V animation to be played on SmartPaint surfaces. |
Can Weight: 2 kg
Can Volume: 2 liters
Survace Coverage: 10 sq meters
Dry Weight: 0.1 kg per 10sq meters
| TL | Cost | Power |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 20cr/sq meter + 300 for control unit | 10w/sq meter |
| 11 | 20cr/sq meter + 200 for control unit | 5w/sq meter |
| 12 | 30cr/sq meter + 200 for control unit | 2w/sq meter |
| 13 | 100cr/sq meter + 800 for control unit | 15w/sq meter |
| 14 | 100cr/sq meter + 500 for control unit | 15w/sq meter |
It is applied with an integral sprayer or roll-on device. The control devices
are all about the size of an engineering calculator and weigh .5 kg. This does
not include the power source. A control device can control up to 100 square
meters of SmartPaint and they can be hooked together for larger surfaces.
The paint can also be bought in bulk for industrial applications and used
through a brush or spray gun.
The SmartPaint can be internally illuminated for display at night by
doubling the cost and power consumption for the paint (not the control unit).
As a side note, the paint must be thoroughly mixed before use to insure that
the layers are applied evenly. Failure to do so may result in inaccurate
colors. Wildly inaccurate...
Damage to a SmartPaint surface affects only the damaged area: the rest of
the painted surface operates normally. Damage to the computer or loss of
power causes the paint to immediately revert to its transparent nature. It
is not possible to repair damaged SmartPaint, but a damaged layer can simply
be painted over with more SmartPaint and connected to the control unit.