OK, im gonna build a cabinet.... here's how

[themarkjohn]

So like the title says im gonna build a cabinet. I've always wanted an arcade machine and now that i have a house with a spare room for a computer room and a place for a cabinet my dream is gonna become a reality. A few weeks back i was thinkin about what arcade game i wanted to buy and i was settled on Area 51. After looking into it further i discoveered this thing called MAME and decided why the hell would i buy a machine that runs one game when ui can build a machine that runs thousands of games for the same price.

I will be using the Ultimate Arcade II design from North Coast Custom. I also want to build the 4 player control panel from there. I got the plans lined up, i got a carpenter lined up because i am not exactly a useless wood worker but i am not competant enough to make something that Is supposed to look good.

If i am stating the obvious here please bear with me. I hope to use an LCD screen as i am not intested in a super authentic arcade feel that comes with the real monitor and for ease of hookup to the pc. I plan to use a computer from craigslist or a cheapo from futureshop or something to run the emulator and frontend. Supplemented by a usb hub to incorporate 2 light guns, and
keeping in mind that i would like to basically build this http://www.mameroom.com/ProductDetail.asp?ID=QUADCONTROLLER. I am thinking i will need two of these http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/950800xx.htm to be able to control all the buttons and the joysticks and track balls.So i should need two usb ports for that any how. This seems like the easiest way to interface the conrol panel and the pc. If there is a better way and cheaper way let me know please.

I am hoping that wiring the control panel will be fairly straightforward. I read that cat5 can be used for this and i have access to tons of that stuff and it looks neat and clean so i hope to use that. Now setting up mame and the front end shouldn't be that hard. I have reservations about building the control panel myself but cant justify $700 dollars and another $250 s/h to get it, and i think it will be fun to build that  part of the machine. I like wiring stuff so i'll give it a try.

Now that i have laid out a general plan, i throw myself at the feet of the community to be praised, encouraged, ridiculed, heckled, but moslty and hopefully given advice from people that have come before me. My coworkers laughed, my girlfriend laughed, but i'm gonna do this anyhow. So let me know what you think guys. lookin forward to hearing from you all.

[javeryh]

Welcome!  Before jumping right in (and spending lots of money) I encourage you to read through the Project Announcement forum so you can get a good idea of what people are doing.  Some thoughts:

1.  If you are going with an LCD display I would NOT use the Ultimate Arcade II as your cabinet - it is huge and you would have a ton of wasted space.  Also, there are arcade monitors that plug directly into the computer (if that is the only reason you don't want an arcade monitor).
2.  I would think long and hard about whether you need a 4P setup.  IMO there are less than 10 games that are actually fun with 4 people and to me it does not justify the added space and expense.  Also, I rarely have 4 people over anyway who would be up for a 4P game.
3.  Don't waste you money on that harness - I've never used it but an iPac or KeyWiz is MUCH cheaper.

Good luck!

[dmarcum99]

javeryh gave some sound avdice....

Welcome to the club!!

You mentioned you want to use light guns and a LCD screen.  My advice is to make sure you buy the right setup.  Some guns are made for CRT's and won't work on LCD's....I don't have any guns on my cab, but wanted to make sure you don't get into a uneducated purchase.....

**edit**

Oh....and you don't have to bury a lot of money into the project.  My example...
Gutted Maximum Hangtime cab (craigslist) $60
27" CRT w/VGA inputs (craigslist)             $60
PC parts on hand                                  $150 (ebay value)
j-pac encoder                                      $70
trackball & LED kit                                $56
MDF for new CP top                              $10
New joysticks & buttons (2-player CP)     $55
Artwork                                             $175

I have less than $700 invested in my cab....and it would stand up to most of the retail market multicades that cost over twice as much


Good luck!!  

[DillonFoulds]

To Expand on what dmarcum99 said, there are NO guns designed for LCDs.
There are addon IR units, such as an aim-trak that are basically just a nintendo wii remote, gutted. They will co-ordinate X and Y axis, but that's it.
The only other options are all software or a hardware/software combination, and even then are fickle on LCDs.

Also, seconded on javery's point about the cost of your input converter. The ipacs and keywizes are both excellent devices for their costs. Why buy a gold plated nail if you're just hammering it into wood and painting over it?

Although, i'm not sure i can vouch for the anti-4p control panel. I'd avoid a franken-panel, but i comfortably fit 4 people on my panel without it being too franken-like, and we get a LOT of use out of it. That is of course, if you've got 4 people that are into arcade stuff.

[HanoiBoi]

...A few weeks back i was thinkin about what arcade game i wanted to buy and i was settled on Area 51. After looking into it further i discoveered this thing called MAME....

A few weeks back? 

themarkjohn, I mean no disrespect to you, but I'd say you're a little to new to the idea to have a well thought out plan.  Don't rush things and plan everything out.  Spend lots of time on this forum.  You'll see that lots of information is here, but it is quite scattered.

Figure out your wants, needs and absolutes.  Then work from there. 

You say you want a cheapo PC, but you've got a contractor lined up for the build?  Can you tell us how much is that gonna cost you?  If you do decide to stay that route, that contractor could/should be able to also build your CP without issue.  The thing is, you've got to do your homework to provide him the correct plans/measurements.  That's the hard part. 

+1 to javeryh regarding the 4p setup.  I don't have one, never did, but I know that I wouldn't have 4 people that want to play together.   I have people over all the time but to them, I think the machine is more a novelty.  On the other hand, if it's for kids, there's a good chance you could scrounge up 4 of them to play the hell out of TMNT, Simpsons, TROG and others (Sadly, I can't even give more examples because I never got into those 4P games).

Have you considered picking up a cabinet locally?  You can often find stuff on ebay or craigslist.  No woodworking skills needed!  And, it would be a good start.

Also, you weren't exactly clear, but did you actually install and work with MAME on a PC?  If not, hat's another great starting point. 

Good luck and welcome!

[DJ_Izumi]

To Expand on what dmarcum99 said, there are NO guns designed for LCDs.

Yes there are.  The Aimtrak: http://www.ultimarc.com/aimtrak.html

[CheffoJeffo]

Pfft to "designed for LCD" ... Aimtrak works with any display technology, so the "designed for" bit is just somebody being CaptainPedantic.

As for the Happ interface ... I pretty much guarantee that nobody here has ever used one, so I would disregard any conclusions made about it (and note that you won't find any support here should you run into trouble), but take to heart the recommendations made about the Ipac and Keywiz (bearing in mind that each interface option has different limitations and that you want to deal with sticks, buttons and analogs).

Read the wiki. Review the project announcements. Read the Aimtrak thread (you really, really have to if you want light guns!)

Have fun and learn lots, because there is a lot out there.

Oh ... WELCOME!

[DillonFoulds]

To Expand on what dmarcum99 said, there are NO guns designed for LCDs.

Yes there are.  The Aimtrak: http://www.ultimarc.com/aimtrak.html

Did you stop reading and start quoting?

[themarkjohn]

Thanks everybodyfor your constructive criticism and helpful hints.
As is probably abundantly clear my plan is far from well thought out. The purpose of my post was mainly to toss my ideas out there and see what people thought of them. None of this stuff is really set in stone or anything. I do of course realize that i have a lot of research ahead of me. Javeryh brings up a good point about the 4 player set up. Probably don't need it and the added expense puts anpother point in the negative column for me.

As for the LCD display, i had found the lightguns play-asia sells that say they work on lcd but after reading reviews i don't think they are for me so a more traditional crt approach seems in order as the light guns are filed under definite need for me! So more research is in order to find a good product.
 
The interface as well is something that needs more investigation. I will definitly have to look into the ipac or keywiz as they seem to be the most commonly mentioned in forums.

The cheapo pc seems about right tho. after all area 51 and marvel vs capcom isnt exactly Crysis. The carpenter i have lined up is my friend's girlfriend who does side work so i am sure that she will give me a great price for the build as cabinets in my neck of the woods seem to be pretty scarce on the usual buy and sell sites. And i will definitley be giving her a good set of plans to go by and telling her what i need to be done when i figure it out a bit more

I do have Mame up and running on my pc. Currently trying to get proper versions of games i want to workand succeeding for the most part. Got Daphne too which is pretty cool. Will be experimenting with front ends hopefully this weekend.

All in all i have lots of reading to do and as i dont move into my new house for another couple months, i have plenty of time to sort outhow im gonna put this thing together. Thanks again guys for the input

[scept1c]

I would recommend to reconsider using 4p setup.

[javeryh]

I would recommend to reconsider using 4p setup.

Why?  There's TMNT, NBA Jam, Sunset Riders, Gauntlet, The Simpsons, Dungeons & Dragons, X-Men and .... what else???  Most of those games are essentially clones of each other (beat-em-ups) and most importantly, they are still playable and still super fun with 2 players.  IMO, 4P cabinets are unnecessarily bulky plus they are more expensive to build - unless there is a game that you MUST have playable as 4P I just don't get it.  Well, that's my $.02.

[leapinlew]

I would recommend to reconsider using 4p setup.

Why?  There's TMNT, NBA Jam, Sunset Riders, Gauntlet, The Simpsons, Dungeons & Dragons, X-Men and .... what else???  Most of those games are essentially clones of each other (beat-em-ups) and most importantly, they are still playable and still super fun with 2 players.  IMO, 4P cabinets are unnecessarily bulky plus they are more expensive to build - unless there is a game that you MUST have playable as 4P I just don't get it.  Well, that's my $.02.

Totally agree... Javery and I know that while those games are fun, it's rare to have 4 players over in 1 sitting. Most of those games (if not all of them) have a 2 player cabinet option. The 2 player cabinet option allows you to cycle through the characters to determine which character you will play.

The 4 player setup is a little more useful if you can use the other joysticks for dual joystick games (smash TV, Total Carnage, etc.). 

[XCVG]

Don't buy the Happ interface. It's expensive, kind of substandard and most importantly NOBODY USES IT. You know it's a bad idea when nobody uses it. Most people buy interfaces from Groovy Game Gear or Ultimarc.

[bkenobi]

Don't buy the Happ interface. It's expensive, kind of substandard and most importantly NOBODY USES IT. You know it's a bad idea when nobody uses it. Most people buy interfaces from Groovy Game Gear or Ultimarc.

That's not really a fair assessment.  As was already stated, it is expensive and no one uses it, so you may have a tough time getting support if you have issues.  However, a high price DOES NOT mean it has no value.  I have not done any research on it, but it's possible that it could have features that make it worth the money.

That being said, I have purchased from GGG more than once and have been happy with the GP-Wiz products Randy has made.  I would have considered Ultimarc if not for the higher shipping rates.  Happ is really crippled by their minimum order and astronomical shipping fees.  If not for those, their interface MIGHT be something worth investigating.

[KonkeyKong]

and yup, everyone has a MUCH harder time laughing when they're standing there getting drool all over your cab.  The laughing sounds more like "Dude!!! I gotta have one of these! Can you build me one?!?

Agreed though, research is king   There are a lot of options out there.  The Buy/Sell/Trade thread can really save you some green when you figure out what you're looking for.  It can also cost you some green when you stumble across something that makes you say "Dude!!! I gotta have one of these! Where's my Paypal password!?!

[opt2not]

Why?  There's TMNT, NBA Jam, Sunset Riders, Gauntlet, The Simpsons, Dungeons & Dragons, X-Men and .... what else???  Most of those games are essentially clones of each other (beat-em-ups) and most importantly, they are still playable and still super fun with 2 players.  IMO, 4P cabinets are unnecessarily bulky plus they are more expensive to build - unless there is a game that you MUST have playable as 4P I just don't get it.  Well, that's my $.02.

Alien's vs. Predator, Open Ice/NFL blitz/Hit the Ice (all the 4-player sports titles), Atomic Punk aka Bomberman (awesome party game, especially when you attach drinking to it ), Cyberball, a slew of soccer games (if you're into those), Wrestlefest/Royal Rumble (again, awesome at parties)...

The amount of 4-player games definitely merit the setup. It just comes down to whether you will use it enough.

Sure you might not use the 4 player panel all the time, but when you do, it's awesome!
I've had countless times where I had friends over for games, usually more than just 2 people, and wanted to have a 4-player game going but couldn't due to my panel.
If you think you'll have a bunch of opportunities to get 3-4 people to simultaneously play, or if you feel like you'd regret not adding it , I say go for it. It really depends on whether you feel it's worth it.

Player 3 and player 4 doesn't need to have the full 6 button treatment. 4 buttons is good enough for those players, as that's the most 4 player games use.  Take a look at my El Diablo Mechanico project, I put 4 buttons on player 3 and 4, and it wasn't much more trouble overall:

[bkenobi]

Gauntlet (original) can be fun for a while.  Never played it with other players, I'm just remembering from when I saw it as a kid and was jealous that other parents gave their kids a reasonable allowance.   

[leapinlew]

Gauntlet (original) can be fun for a while.  Never played it with other players, I'm just remembering from when I saw it as a kid and was jealous that other parents gave their kids a reasonable allowance.  

Thats another good point. Of the few 4 player games, most of them are quarter hogs which lose most of their appeal once you have unlimited credits.

Opt2not is absolutely correct in that it's your decision. I don't think Javery or I was saying otherwise. I have people over all the time and getting more than 2 people to play one of the 4 player game is... well, it never happens. YMMV, but we are all sharing our experiences here. When it comes to party games, a trackball rules my house.

If you have the space and money, you might as well build a 4 player cabinet. If your options are limited, I would build a 2 player cabinet with a trackball.

[CheffoJeffo]

I would recommend to reconsider using 4p setup.

Why?  There's TMNT, NBA Jam, Sunset Riders, Gauntlet, The Simpsons, Dungeons & Dragons, X-Men and .... what else???  Most of those games are essentially clones of each other (beat-em-ups) and most importantly, they are still playable and still super fun with 2 players.  IMO, 4P cabinets are unnecessarily bulky plus they are more expensive to build - unless there is a game that you MUST have playable as 4P I just don't get it.  Well, that's my $.02.

Totally agree... Javery and I know that while those games are fun, it's rare to have 4 players over in 1 sitting. Most of those games (if not all of them) have a 2 player cabinet option. The 2 player cabinet option allows you to cycle through the characters to determine which character you will play.

The 4 player setup is a little more useful if you can use the other joysticks for dual joystick games (smash TV, Total Carnage, etc.). 

+1

At some point long ago, when I had plans for my first cabinet, I was going to go 4 player.  Back then nobody advised me against it so I relied on my research. Many years and 25 cabinets later, there are still no 4-player cabinets in my home.

Those games can be fun with 4-players, yes, but most people don't make that much use. opt2not says that he has lost count, but I doubt that is actually true ...  I *really* like his CP layout as it is very clean. I do, however, think that a 4-player CP should be limited to sticks and buttons as his is. One you start talking about adding other controls, I'm not such a fan of the 4P CP.

[opt2not]

Those games can be fun with 4-players, yes, but most people don't make that much use. opt2not says that he has lost count, but I doubt that is actually true ...

Ok, maybe it's not countless...definitely over a dozen. My wife and I host poker nights weekly at our place, as well as hockey and football game viewings during the seasons, and the "4-player xmen/simpsons/tmnt/bomberman etc... would be sweet!" comment comes up a lot.

Even still, I currently don't have a 4-player panel in my home. My El Diablo cabinet was for my ex-employer, which gets a lot of traffic in the break-room.
I may build another cabinet with a 4-player panel later on, but it'll definitely be a slim-line cab, to save on space. Another option could be some sort of attachment ability to be able to add on side panels for the extra players. Like leaf-wings...food for thought.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Funny that you guys mention quad panel vs. dual panel:  I'm was actually THINKING about reducing my Ultra Arcade quad panel to a 2 player panel instead the last few weeks.  Although NBA Jam, the Simpsons, X-men and other 4 player games are great to play when a lot of people come over, I end up using all 4 players twice a year if that.

And it does take up a lot of real estate.  So I'm seriously considering to sell the quad panel and build a new one.  But again, everyone is different.

DeLuSioNaL29

[Hoopz]

I've got kids so a 4 player CP comes in handy.  Depending on who's playing, TMNT, Super Mario War, and a few others get some playing time quite a bit.  A lot depends on the situation.

[quarterstringer]

I have kids too and a 4p control panel. It's great for the kids with their cousins and friends, but there has never been a time when 4 adults play any of the arcade games. The 4p panel does get a lot of play from the adults when I put on Name That Song. It's a great party game written by BYOAC member Lave Laar. It can be downloaded from his page at http://home.online.no/~llindga/

[apfelanni]

actually i hate 4 player 65 square feet monster panels  , but i thought of cloning a cab for a 2x2 player setup for gauntlet sessions using 2 cabs of the same kind with a breakout harness. another alternativ may be buying a versus city cab . 

[ArcadeKO]

Personally I would go JPAC and by a jamma harness (dirtcheaptrading has them cheap with all the buttons marked and disconnects on all the wires) makes it a snap to wire AND you can swap out for real arcade PCB's or multi-boards - for instance the 1000-in-1 boards are under $300

the CRT will make the games look a lot better - however, I think if you are tweaking your mame setup you should be able to get an LCD looking good using scanlines or other graphic tweaks - but i can say from experience - most games look like crap on LCD if they aren't tweaked in mame. These games were designed to run in like 400 lines of resolution and displaying them on an LCD just makes them look jagged as hell

also if you do go with an LCD make sure you do not get a widescreen!!! it has to be 4:3 or it looks like crap

If you don't want to mess with a CRT go to your local thrift store and pick up a 26" TV for $30 and by a $25 VGA -> S-video converter and bam you got a sweet gaming screen.

I can make you a control panel for way cheaper than $700 if you are interested PM me

GL - this is the funnest hobby I have ever had - its only been 3 months for me and I have already built 9 machines! I now have an arcade in my gameroom - pretty sweet

[Hituro]

I want to add in my 2 cents

I recently built a cab, well... I'm actually STILL working on it, just designing artwork and need to hook up my marquee still.  I too went with the design of the Ultimate Arcade II from MameRoom.com.  All I will say is this, making my cab on my own... even though a lot of time and quite a bit of money went into it, it was totally worth it.  The experience alone is just awesome.  And it taught me a lot too!  Especially with wiring, wood working, and all that sort of stuff   I know it sounds cheesy, but the first time I was able to wire the control panel, the coin machine, and the lights on the coin machine, when it all lit up and worked, I felt like a little kid in the arcade all over again!

As far as the 4 panel control, I have one myself.  A lot of the people are right though, unless you have people over to play, you probably won't need 4 players.  However, 4 player is just awesome.  And if you're like me and loved all those 4 player games then definitely splurge on it.  This is for your game room man!  Go the extra step for awesomeness

Also, I know you mentioned using an LCD, but I recommend going with an Arcade monitor if you can.  I have a Wells Gardner D9800.  I live in Illinois so I'm lucky I live by both Wells Gardner, and Suzo Happ.  Because of this I paid no shipping costs for some things )  But an arcade monitor really gives you those old school resolutions.  But I mean, if you're planning to play newer games on it too then probably not the best choice.  I only went with arcade because I wanted to play all the classics.

There's a lot you are going to consider, and a lot of altering as you go along.  If you have any questions about more MAME cab stuff feel free to ask me or any of us here.  I've asked many a question here and a lot of these guys are a huge help   I don't think I've ever gotten bad help off this forum   Everyone is great!  So welcome

[MaximRecoil]

27" CRT w/VGA inputs (craigslist)             $60

Make and model?

A large CRT with VGA inputs is not at all a mainstream item, so finding another one for $60 (or finding another one in your area at all) can't be counted on.

[solidteezme]

I think its down to space as much as anything, if i would of had room I think I would of had a 4 player panel.

but saying that i think i clocked most time on simpsons or x-men when i was a kid. but i can't remember either being the 4 player version.

[dmarcum99]

To MaximRecoil,

I actually got a beauty.  I got a Tandberg SME-27FDL5(TB) in Columbus, OH.  I had to drive 100 miles to get it, but it is so worth it.  If there was any complaint to this set....it's that the picture perhaps is too sharp.  

The guy I bought it from also had a 32" Zenith with VGA inputs to sell.  It's too large for my cab, but I bet he still has it because unless someone knew it had a VGA input, not many people are running out to buy Zenths anymore.  It would be awesome in a showcase cab.  If anyone in the region is interested in the Zenith, I can contact the seller to see if it's still available.

The guy was selling off bits of his videoconferencing stuff.  

I've seen other tvs with VGA being sold on craigslist in my area (Cincinnati)...they are all Zeniths.  But, I was always to late.  They don't appear often, but 3-4 times a year one comes up.

[EVEGames]

themarkjohn,
Let me throw another, somewhat unconventional, option at you  .  I like to play (emulated) console games on my cabinet using the original console controllers rather than the main control panel.  This is easily accomplished using a combination of controller-to-USB adapters and a great little program called Joy2Key, which converts joystick input to keyboard codes (kinda like a software version of an IPac or KeyWiz).  In and of itself, this is not an uncommon practice. 
But it dawned on me that, since Joy2Key can multiple controller mappings, and can switch them on-the-fly via batch commands, I can have two sets of mappings - one where the controllers function as standard Player 1 and 2 controllers, and an alternate set where the controllers are mapped to MAME's default Player 3 and 4 keycodes.  Then I created a menu item in my front-end (3DArcade is my front-end of choice - people will tend to steer you away from it because it's hard to set up but it's SO worth it once you get it purring) to switch from Player 1/2 mapping to Player 3/4 mapping.  Now I can have 2 players on the control panel, and one on each side using N64 controllers for Player 3 and 4.  Works like a charm - 4 player action on a 2-player cabinet.
-EVE Games

[MaximRecoil]

To MaximRecoil,

I actually got a beauty.  I got a Tandberg SME-27FDL5(TB) in Columbus, OH.  I had to drive 100 miles to get it, but it is so worth it.  If there was any complaint to this set....it's that the picture perhaps is too sharp.  

The guy I bought it from also had a 32" Zenith with VGA inputs to sell.  It's too large for my cab, but I bet he still has it because unless someone knew it had a VGA input, not many people are running out to buy Zenths anymore.  It would be awesome in a showcase cab.  If anyone in the region is interested in the Zenith, I can contact the seller to see if it's still available.

The guy was selling off bits of his videoconferencing stuff.  

I've seen other tvs with VGA being sold on craigslist in my area (Cincinnati)...they are all Zeniths.  But, I was always to late.  They don't appear often, but 3-4 times a year one comes up.

That's awesome. I wish I knew all the makes and models of these oddball specialty monitors that may be floating around out there. I wouldn't mind having that 32" Zenith as a general purpose TV. You don't happen to know the model number of it do you?