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Poll

Mounting speakers just below the marquee, should the speaker be dropped into the hole or be screwed in behind it?

Behind the wood making use of the gasket
1 (100%)
Dropped so the wood is not visable between the grill and the speaker
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 1

Voting closed: May 14, 2019, 04:09:48 am

  

Author Topic: "Coin Art" (Updated 2021)  (Read 39971 times)

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jimfath

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"Coin Art" (Updated 2021)
« on: September 27, 2011, 02:38:25 am »
I have been working, for a while now, on the plans for a new MAME cabinet. It's a first build too. GULP...  I'm REALLY close to the point where I'm ready to buy and start cutting wood and I'd LOVE some thoughts and feedback on the plans before I do... especially the CP layout. I'm still learning sketch up so the placement of the controls are an approximation but they are pretty much where I'd like them to be.

I was painfully trying to sketch plans based off knievel's Evoltion and saw lilrascal's project announcement and realized he was working on the same concept.  lilrascal was kind enough to send me some sketchup plans that he was working on with some help from TopJimmyCooks. I took that sketch and modified it for what I was looking to do.

I went for the feel of the Knievel's Evo however my cab is going to be a 4 player control deck as I have friends over quite a bit to play TMNT and various other 4 player games. I think I've made it look OK but I can't really tell. Short of constructing it out of cardboard, I'm not able to tell how big this will feel. My old cabinet was HUGE and I was going to shrink it down but decided that there were some really cool things to be done with a new build and I can sell the old one as is without risking destroying it trying to shrink it down. Again, I can't really tell how this layout will scale. I'm hoping to avoid it looking like an aircraft carrier.

The side art is not fully realized in the sketchup. I am going to have those 8 bit shapes however not in those exact positions. They will be block acrylic plexi embedded in the wood. More on that later. Also the joysticks aren't there because I haven't mastered making spheres. You get the idea though. 
« Last Edit: February 18, 2021, 08:40:21 pm by jimfath »
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Unstupid

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2011, 03:42:48 am »
You should read this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=111320.0. The whole thing!  ;)

jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2011, 04:30:59 am »
You should read this thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=111320.0. The whole thing!  ;)
Oh I did...  ;D


TRON STICK BAD!!!!  
RRRAAAAAAAGH!!!!

I realize that my plans won't actually need the 4 way controller after all. I took out the 7th button as in my op I referenced mkIII and NARC but I actually get by with the 6. Might not need the 7th.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2011, 05:33:45 am by jimfath »
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EightBySix

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2011, 07:44:42 am »
They will be block acrylic plexi embedded in the wood. More on that later.

That sounds interesting.... Dont tease us!

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2011, 12:18:35 pm »
I don't think slim builds lend themselves well to 4 player setups since the biggest 4:3 screen you are going to get is 21.3 inches, and that is decent, but not huge.  The problems you will have is this:

A 21.3 inch screen is about 17 inches wide, A good 4 player panel should be at least 36 inches wide, in my opinion, so the CP width is going to be about 20 inches wider than the screen, which means that either your CP overhangs a lot on either side, making it look way too huge for the cabinet, or you make the cabinet wider, resulting in a huge bezel around the screen.  Huge bezels around the screen is probably the dominant theme in crapmame projects.

I will suggest to you what I suggest to everyone else.  Get either a blue tooth receiver or a xbox 360 dongle for your PC and get 2 wireless Tekken 6 joysticks.  That way, when you want to play 4 players, you just turn on the sticks and people can sit on stools with the sticks on their laps, they are good sized sticks, about the size of a college textbook.  You can find the sticks for 40 bucks or so apiece on ebay.  It gives you a wireless solution that is pretty aesthetically pleasing.  Or you can just opt for wired hori ex2 sticks, you can find them for around 35 bucks, and just plug them into a usb port.

Just my 2 cents. 

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2011, 03:36:08 pm »
A 21.3 inch screen is about 17 inches wide, A good 4 player panel should be at least 36 inches wide, in my opinion, so the CP width is going to be about 20 inches wider than the screen, which means that either your CP overhangs a lot on either side, making it look way too huge for the cabinet, or you make the cabinet wider, resulting in a huge bezel around the screen.  Huge bezels around the screen is probably the dominant theme in crapmame projects.

Pure poetry, i have to remember this how gently you explain the NR1 rule  :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :cheers:

jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2011, 08:43:02 pm »
They will be block acrylic plexi embedded in the wood. More on that later.

That sounds interesting.... Dont tease us!

Basically I'm toying with the idea of cutting 8 bit shapes with a jigsaw into the cabinet sides. Then custom cut a block acrylic plexi (prolly 1/4" to 1/2" thick) to fit perfectly inside the shape. Then, mounted about 1.5" behind it, will be a second 1/4" ply board covered with quarters or tokens and illuminated with light. The Space invader will have quarters behind it for for a nice silver look and the pacman will have tokens to give it a golden look. The Ghost would likely be quarters and a blue filter put on the light(s) illuminating it or use blue plexi if it's not cost prohibative. The Galaga ship would be THE toughest in terms of shape and color.   




I want to make some test cuts in some scrap wood first to see if 1) I can even manage to cut these shapes and 2) see if it looks lame balls.

As per the Monitor... It's a 27" in LCD. I've been playing around with the monitor and it stretches ok for me. The letter box allows for some of the bezelartwork files to show.

I haven't figured out where to put the coin and 1-4 player buttons yet.





After reading through the Franken panel thread, I believe I've offended many with this build on many many grounds. I feel like adding some odd shaped guns now to stoke the fire.  ;)


This is meant totally tongue in cheek. I know the debates about aesthetics, designs, and game play will rage on forever.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 01:25:35 am by jimfath »
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2011, 03:20:34 am »
Acquired more things for the build. Ever closer.


New Ultrastik 360. Reconsidering getting the mounting plates. I did spring [/i] the extra $3 for the more rigid spring. Pun intended...and not regretted at all.


I found a coin dealer that sold me 200 random arcade tokens and 100 "Fun N Games" arcade tokens. I grew up next to a Fun N games so I specifically sought them out.


Cleaning them requires using noxious brass cleaners and it's going to be a long process. I've started doing about 30 each when I have time. I'll likely have to clean and reclean them.

I've got some test wood from a construction site next door. I managed to make some saw horses out of tossed 2x4's and have some 1/2" ply wood to practice cutting patterns out of. I had a gig fall through this weekend so hopefully that means i'll have time to start cutting.
« Last Edit: October 07, 2011, 03:24:57 am by jimfath »
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2011, 04:14:51 am »
I will suggest to you what I suggest to everyone else.  Get either a blue tooth receiver or a xbox 360 dongle for your PC and get 2 wireless Tekken 6 joysticks.  That way, when you want to play 4 players, you just turn on the sticks and people can sit on stools with the sticks on their laps, they are good sized sticks, about the size of a college textbook.  You can find the sticks for 40 bucks or so apiece on ebay.  It gives you a wireless solution that is pretty aesthetically pleasing.  Or you can just opt for wired hori ex2 sticks, you can find them for around 35 bucks, and just plug them into a usb port.

Just my 2 cents. 

This is certainly a possibility. I'm planning on making a few mock ups in cardboard to see how all this feels. With the large monitor I think I might be able to pull off a 4p cp but I'm not 100%.  I've been revising in sketch up a lot.
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jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #9 on: October 19, 2011, 05:58:33 pm »
So I started cutting some things to try out my new tools (new to me that is...thanks Craigs list) and also to test my wood working abilities.

The tools performed well enough but I can't say the same for me. I thought a good ice breaker would be to try and make my own saw horses. It proved to be an anguishing hour of time that I'll never get back. :banghead: They were ugly, uneven, and worse than anything I ever made in woodshop back in high school. I even tried again with those metal brackets you just slap on 2x4's and clamp down. It was still uneven and utterly wobbly. So much for that confidence builder. I found a pair of premade plastic ones at Home depot and got them. I figured I'd need a precise flat surface with quality tools to give myself a decent chance at making this cab the way I want it. I want to get more comfortable cutting before I buy the actual cab parts. With some minor success I would feel ready enough to tackle the cabinet.

My spirit is a little broken but next is to try the jig saw out and see how hard it would be to carve those 8bit characters into the ply. They are building new houses on my street and there are a lot of pieces of scrap wood that I can carve up. I'll post these pics.

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2011, 06:36:48 pm »
Be sure to get a fine blade for the jigsaw and use the appropriate orbital setting.

Otherwise, you'll likely get a ton of tearout on the top surface

While I'm certainly the last one to suggest against a frankenpanel, the idea of picking up two wireless fightsticks and using them for the 4p games would definitely simplify your build and make for a little friendlier cabinet.

4p CP's are huge, and they really need a podium style cabinet with large separate screen, or a very large cabinet to accommodate them nicely. Mine's 4' wide and it still feels a tad cramped with 4 players.

But if you do go with a 4p cp, make sure the sizes are such that you can still get it through a door (or that the CP is completely removable). It'd suck to have to tear it apart to get it in the house!

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2011, 11:28:50 pm »
Practice!  Wood working is a physical skill, you can't improve physical skills without physically doing them, just like you can't learn to ride a bike from reading about it in a book.
:)

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #12 on: October 20, 2011, 11:40:10 am »
Quote
Practice!

+1

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #13 on: October 20, 2011, 12:00:28 pm »
Cleaning them requires using noxious brass cleaners and it's going to be a long process. I've started doing about 30 each when I have time. I'll likely have to clean and reclean them.

Try making up a paste with white vinegar and table salt. Works wonders and you can leave them soaking for a wee while to get heavy stains out. Try it with just one coin first just to make sure. ;)

jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2012, 01:39:30 am »
Cleaning them requires using noxious brass cleaners and it's going to be a long process. I've started doing about 30 each when I have time. I'll likely have to clean and reclean them.

Try making up a paste with white vinegar and table salt. Works wonders and you can leave them soaking for a wee while to get heavy stains out. Try it with just one coin first just to make sure. ;)

Tried the white vinegar and table salt paste. The mix pitted and dulled the surface of the tokens I tried it on. The salt and vinegar technique is mentioned a lot on coin collecting websites but I think the tokens might be too poorly made to with stand the process. The Brasso has been working ok but I ran out of it already. More to come.

I just got some money from selling my old cab and am FINALLY going forward with this build. I know have the approval of the wife and my job and income situation has improved from last year. Glad to start breathing life into this project again. Starting with a cardboard mock up to make sure it can fit in my new apartment. The VERY first cab I bought was a dedicated NARC and it didn't fit into my apartment. It occupied my garage space for a month while I relisted it for sale. There was an outlet in the garage and I'm not gonna lie. I played it out there a couple of times.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2012, 01:53:28 am by jimfath »
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2012, 07:13:38 am »
So I'm rebooting this project as I finished cleaning the last of the tokens and actually have some time. I've been busy these past few months trying to get acting work. 1 bank commercial later and I'm back at it.

I'm ever leaning away from the 4 player to a 2 player set up for space. Working up some ways to easily add the 3rd and 4th player joys and buttons as blue tooth controllers or maybe some sort of morphing CP. More on that later.

Today I wanted to see what the tokens would look like conceptually so I cut some shapes and traced and cut them into cardboard and mimicked what I plan on doing to the sides to see how it looks.

For the Space Invader shape I would use actual quarters for a silver look but went with the tokens here as they were laying around. I planed on using tokens for a Pacman shape as he's yellow. 

The plan would be to buy 1/2 plexi and cut it the shape out of it. Then cut and mount that plexi shape into the sides of the cabinet. Behind the plexi, about 2-4" behind would be a well lit board covered in coins. See above for the shapes.

I'm already rethinking that Galaga ship shape. It's probably going to be very hard to make all those cuts.

Here is the cardboard mock up for a proof of concept. Tomorrow I see if my tools can actually cut the shape out of some scrap wood.






« Last Edit: June 24, 2012, 07:19:41 am by jimfath »
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #16 on: June 25, 2012, 05:44:46 pm »
I found a plastics store near me that specializes in custom cutting and a whole array of types of sheeting. To get these shapes I'd need about $30-40 dollars worth of 3/4" plexi sheeting. To have them laser cut it, would cost $80 to set up each shape then another $80 for each cut... .yikes.

The teenager working at the counter wasn't too helpful when it came to asking about cutting this kind of material. I advanced my theory about tracing the shape and using a series of pilot holds and a fine toothed jig saw blade to do the work. He seemed to think it crazy and expensive. I showed him the shape and he encouraging with my prospective project.

Anyone here ever cut and shape thick plexi before? I know many of you have experience with the overlays and what not.
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #17 on: June 25, 2012, 05:55:21 pm »
Instead of cutting, why not paint the back side of the plexi and tape off the shapes so they stay clear? But I suppose you just want plexi inserts in the cabinet wood...
« Last Edit: June 25, 2012, 05:57:31 pm by Nephasth »

jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #18 on: June 25, 2012, 06:14:33 pm »
Instead of cutting, why not paint the back side of the plexi and tape off the shapes so they stay clear? But I suppose you just want plexi inserts in the cabinet wood...

that's definitely an option but part of the concept is the plastic fitting into the wood like a puzzle piece. It's so thick that I feel like paint would read. It would have to be on the front and back of the plexi. Perhaps installing a square 3/4" window into the side and then cut the shape into laminate going over it. That cutting will require some nerves.
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #19 on: June 25, 2012, 07:56:55 pm »
part of the concept is the plastic fitting into the wood like a puzzle piece.
  Have you considered this?

Cut the invaders out of 1/4" acrylic. (maybe 1/8"?)

Trace the acrylic invaders onto the cab.

Cut a square piece of acrylic larger than the invader.

Route out a 1/2" deep square the size of the square acrylic piece on the inside of the cab.

Carefully route the invaders on the outside of the cab.

Mount the invaders onto the square acrylic using some clear acrylic cement around the edges.


Scott

Edit: Saw this on KLOV.

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=186581

Maybe you can CNC your aliens.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2012, 10:39:52 pm by PL1 »

jimfath

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #20 on: July 01, 2012, 03:24:45 am »
New design, Trackball arrived, Spinner suggestions?

After meditating awhile on suggestions here and also looking over "crap mame", I've migrated the design back toward a 2p CP. I like Donksy's idea of having (2) blue tooth fight sticks whenever folks are over and want to play a 4-player game for now. I might leave some room for expansion later.



I thought I'd start with the CP on this since I've never built a Cab before and I'm not 100% how I'd like the CP to be.
Seems like a lot of builds start with the CP.

I printed out two slagcoin joy and button layouts and placed them on a cardboard version of the CP


I've seen a few folks build a cardboard versions first and go from there. Slowly amassing cardboard where I can find it.
I remember my old premade cabinet had the joys closer to the player than the screen. I'm just playing around with a few ideas here. The CP will have (1) mag stick and (1) leaf pro. I'm not settled on the mag stick. Very loose.
There will be a spinner, and a track ball.

SPINNER
I am still looking for a spinner. On my old pre-built cab I had a Slikstik tornado. It was fine but I don't know if I needed the continuous spinning. I don't remember if there was anything special about the teeth or the distance between them compared to the other spinners that are available. 
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #21 on: July 01, 2012, 06:15:57 am »
SPINNER
I am still looking for a spinner. On my old pre-built cab I had a Slikstik tornado. It was fine but I don't know if I needed the continuous spinning. I don't remember if there was anything special about the teeth or the distance between them compared to the other spinners that are available. 

The TurboTwist 2 is a great choice.

The premium knobs have the "Accu-Twist" system option that allows you to set the friction between the knob and base.  If you don't get one of the premium knobs, you might want to get the ESC.

Also +1 on the Mini-Racer steering wheels.

Something to consider is that since you will have a trackball and a spinner, you may want to run them on separate encoders to avoid two possible problems/inconveniences:

1. If you put the spinner on the Z-axis, windows handles this as 4 steps per transition, instead of one-to-one for the X-axis and Y-axis. This causes serious playability problems.  (See thread here.)

2. If the spinner and the trackball are on the same encoder, you need to stop moving both for several seconds before you transition to the other control.  This can be rather annoying if you bump one control while reaching for the other.  I use 2 encoders (TT2 encoder board and Mini-Pac Opti) and can use either control at any time.


Scott

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #22 on: July 01, 2012, 03:18:26 pm »
Thanks Scott

The TurboTwist 2 is a great choice.

The premium knobs have the "Accu-Twist" system option that allows you to set the friction between the knob and base.  If you don't get one of the premium knobs, you might want to get the ESC.

I really like the idea of changing the resistance. Definitely would get the esc. Is the spinning inertia noticeable with it? The slikstik I had previously boasted a 3-5 minute continuous spin. Not sure when that would come into play. Maybe would help during the times I was playing tempest, had a stroke, and passed out on the fire button. ;)

Also +1 on the Mini-Racer steering wheels.
Hadn't really thought about putting a steering wheel on it but that would be great with off road and super Spring. Does it fit over the knob or do you remove the knob and place it on the shaft. How long does it take to change? Probably just an Allen key, yes?
That begs the question, what do you use for a gas pedal.

Something to consider is that since you will have a trackball and a spinner, you may want to run them on separate encoders to avoid two possible problems/inconveniences:

1. If you put the spinner on the Z-axis, windows handles this as 4 steps per transition, instead of one-to-one for the X-axis and Y-axis. This causes serious playability problems.  (See thread here.)

2. If the spinner and the trackball are on the same encoder, you need to stop moving both for several seconds before you transition to the other control.  This can be rather annoying if you bump one control while reaching for the other.  I use 2 encoders (TT2 encoder board and Mini-Pac Opti) and can use either control at any time.
This makes sense. I'll probably tackle this as I get close to putting it together. I think I know how to connect up the encoders but it's tips like these that will really keep me running smoothly. I'll probably come back to this once the demp CP is cut and ready to test.
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #23 on: July 01, 2012, 05:27:37 pm »
Interesting choice of a monitor, wonder how these work?
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #24 on: July 01, 2012, 08:07:31 pm »
Hadn't really thought about putting a steering wheel on it but that would be great with off road and super Spring. Does it fit over the knob or do you remove the knob and place it on the shaft. How long does it take to change? Probably just an Allen key, yes?
That begs the question, what do you use for a gas pedal.

Depending on the knob you choose, it uses either a small allen setscrew or a small common setscrew.

The steering wheel just slips onto the 1/4" shaft and is held in place by friction and gravity. 

It will take you longer to find an allen wrench than it takes to change from knob to wheel and back again.   :lol

I hooked up one of these in parallel with two of my P2 buttons and it works great for a microswitch-type gas/brake or up/down for Discs of TRON.



It has 2 microswitches so a stereo jack/plug will work great if you want to make this modular/removable.

The wire entry notch on the rocker body can handle any cable up to the size of a parallel printer cable and comes with several cable retaining options.


Scott

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #25 on: July 01, 2012, 08:56:16 pm »
Hi Jim,

I love the idea of your acrylic cut outs. I'm a plastic fabricator by trade and I run a CNC router and LASER at my business in Australia.

Bonding clear acrylic sucks. You will have to get it right the first time with no solvent/glue runs or burns, these can be polished out but there will always be evidence of the blemish. No offence to PL1 but weld-on 16 is not the right glue to use in this application, it is too thick and you will see your glue line. With what you are trying to achieve I would avoid glue of any sort if possible

This is how I would do it using 3mm, 1/8" acrylic. Don't bother with the jigsaw you will spend hours with a file cleaning it up. 3mm acrylic will be much cheaper to cut as well. Cut a square in the side of your cabinet and route a 3mm deep lip on the edge and have a piece of black acrylic to sit in the routed lip and have your shapes cut into the black acrylic. Then use and over sized piece of clear stuck to the back of the black with very thin double sided tape. This will give you a 3mm, or the thickness of your black acrylic, recess to the clear. Of course you don't have to use black or square holes, you could do circles of coloured acrylic that would illuminate as well

Are you wanting the acrylic to sit flush with the side of the cab or protrude past it? If so that is a different story all together, still do able though


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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #26 on: July 01, 2012, 11:57:17 pm »
No offence to PL1 but weld-on 16 is not the right glue to use in this application, it is too thick and you will see your glue line.

None taken.  +1 to your experience and suggestions.  I was originally thinking the glue line would be mostly concealed by the edge of the wood, but you are correct.


The only other thought that came to mind is if you want laminate for the entire side of the cab except the invader.  Depending on the look you want to achieve, either black acrylic or sheet metal would probably work well with the following procedure:

1. Cut an square hole larger than the invader in the side of the cab.

2. Cut a negative invader outline (the invader is the hole) out of 1/8" black acrylic.  (or really thin sheet metal with a sheet metal nibbling tool and files)

3. Countersink the outside of the square hole so the black acrylic/sheet metal rests flush.

4. Laminate the side of the cab.

5. Place the laminate side down and use the black acrylic/sheet metal as a template to carefully trim the laminate. Paint exposed inside edges as/if desired

6. Place clear acrylic behind black acrylic/sheet metal.

7. Make the "eyes" using black acrylic, paint, or painted sheet metal.


Scott

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #27 on: July 03, 2012, 06:54:22 pm »
Are you wanting the acrylic to sit flush with the side of the cab or protrude past it? If so that is a different story all together, still do able though

The idea was to cut the shape out of the cabinet and have the acrylic shape slide right into like a puzzle piece. But it sounds like the glue might show if I went that route, and if I went the original route, per cost, I'd have to cut it myself with a jig saw which would mean a lot of time. I think I can still cut the shape out of the cabinet and just leave it open with the coins illuminated behind it. I thought a thick block of plastic might look cool but it's sounding more and more unfeasible. 
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #28 on: July 03, 2012, 07:25:39 pm »
Is there a preference among PS2 or USB encoders?

So I reassembled the PC tower that used to sit in my old arcade cabinet. I was able to upgrade the ram to 8 gb and it still has plenty of room on the HDD's (about 400 gig).

The mobo has on-board PS2 connections and USB2.0 connections available. Since my next move is to create a couple of CP configurations, I need to order an encoder so I can connect and test the CP.

So I searched on here for what the preferred connection is. USB or PS2. I was excited to read THIS thread but soon was overwhelmed as I got buried in a pile of jargon and spirited debate. I found a few other threads like that as well so I thought I'd pose the question here. Bear in mind the issues with the other threads was that they were way over my head technologically.

Are there any real tangible differences between PS2 and USB connected encoders? Do encoders utilize USB 2.0, 3.0? Does that even matter?

My gut says to order a USB connection as that's what I used before (Ipac 4) where I really didn't notice any lag. But maybe times have changed. That eq was purchased in 05. These buttons will also be connected to LED wiz during the final configuration. Probably 2016 at this rate.  ::)




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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #29 on: July 03, 2012, 07:35:44 pm »
I hooked up one of these in parallel with two of my P2 buttons and it works great for a microswitch-type gas/brake or up/down for Discs of TRON.



It has 2 microswitches so a stereo jack/plug will work great if you want to make this modular/removable.

The wire entry notch on the rocker body can handle any cable up to the size of a parallel printer cable and comes with several cable retaining options.
Scott

Do gas pedals tend to be more switch or pots? I suppose for free wheel games like Super Offroad and super sprint, it's just a microswitch. I'm looking at gas pedals of both variety. There isn't a cure all for this is there? one that does both?
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #30 on: July 03, 2012, 07:41:17 pm »
I hooked up one of these in parallel with two of my P2 buttons and it works great for a microswitch-type gas/brake or up/down for Discs of TRON.



It has 2 microswitches so a stereo jack/plug will work great if you want to make this modular/removable.

The wire entry notch on the rocker body can handle any cable up to the size of a parallel printer cable and comes with several cable retaining options.
Scott

Do gas pedals tend to be more switch or pots? I suppose for free wheel games like Super Offroad and super sprint, it's just a microswitch. I'm looking at gas pedals of both variety. There isn't a cure all for this is there? one that does both?

Just put a microswitch at the end of the analog pedal's travel...

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #31 on: July 03, 2012, 09:39:13 pm »
Do gas pedals tend to be more switch or pots? I suppose for free wheel games like Super Offroad and super sprint, it's just a microswitch. I'm looking at gas pedals of both variety. There isn't a cure all for this is there? one that does both?

Just put a microswitch at the end of the analog pedal's travel...

Good idea, Nep, as long as the pedal construction allows room like these appear to.



For me, this started as a Discs of Tron push/pull spinner workaround for my portable/modular build.  The gas/brake idea came a little later.

At some point, I plan on adding pot pedals as well.  Probably a couple like these from Divemaster.


Are there more switch or pot pedal games? -- Not sure.  If you only choose one, pots are probably better for gameplay/control, but I can't confirm that from personal experience.


Scott

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #32 on: July 04, 2012, 08:19:51 am »
Are there more switch or pot pedal games? -- Not sure.  If you only choose one, pots are probably better for gameplay/control, but I can't confirm that from personal experience.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArE1chsgHXQodDd2ckdjLVY3Ujlad2tZWUpteDNtcXc&authkey=CIrIhMwE&hl=en&authkey=CIrIhMwE#gid=0
Under A/D under the Pedal Column.  A=analogue(pot) D=digital(switch)

An analogue pedal will work just fine mapped in place of a switch in mame, but it doesn't work so well the other way around.
It depends on how seriously you take the game.  A switch is fine for casual play, but you won't get as far in some games.
Pole Position is bad about squeeling the tires and losing time without an analogue pedal.
Super Offroad and Super Sprint work fine without it.  I always just mashed the pedal anyway as a kid.

If the added few bucks isn't a huge deal, go with a pedal with a poteniometer in it.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2012, 08:21:32 am by BadMouth »

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #33 on: July 05, 2012, 03:58:01 am »
Something to consider is that since you will have a trackball and a spinner, you may want to run them on separate encoders to avoid two possible problems/inconveniences:

1. If you put the spinner on the Z-axis, windows handles this as 4 steps per transition, instead of one-to-one for the X-axis and Y-axis. This causes serious playability problems.  (See thread here.)

2. If the spinner and the trackball are on the same encoder, you need to stop moving both for several seconds before you transition to the other control.  This can be rather annoying if you bump one control while reaching for the other.  I use 2 encoders (TT2 encoder board and Mini-Pac Opti) and can use either control at any time.
Scott

 :cheers:
Thanks for the heads up on two different encoders for the spinner and trackball. I'm still looking at encoders. Not sure which direction to go. I'm not sure if there is a dfference between the USB and PS2 connections. I'm familiar with the Ipac4 so I'll probably end up going that route.
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #34 on: July 18, 2012, 05:53:41 am »
Today I dumpster dived and got some plywood to start trying out the 1st of 3 possible CP layouts. It's really shítty wood but it's just practice anyway. I'm shíttily cutting shítty wood.

Still reading through that long Bit filled, trolled out, flamed out thread about USB vs PS2. I was unable to reach a consensus.

I'm ordering an Ipac 2 and just need to know if there is a difference between USB or PS2. The Mobo is older an has PS2 connections. I'm going to email Andy and see what he says.

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #35 on: July 18, 2012, 09:27:14 am »
PS2 and USB both work just fine.  I used a PS2 Keywiz and I am very happy with it.  One thing to consider is that some newer pc's are coming without a PS2 connection.  Might be more future proof to go with the USB, although there are adapters.

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #36 on: July 18, 2012, 11:47:33 am »
First thing I thought of when I read your new box's name:

It's worth the listen.

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #37 on: July 18, 2012, 06:49:43 pm »
Ha... That's crazy. But he's right, 90's Russia was SUPER mob driven.

The name The Machine is temporary until the final CP design is decided upon. I hoping to cut it tomorrow but I'm auditioning a lot this week so I haven't had a lot of time. I like a 4 hour window to work in the garage. I also need to get more scrap wood. I heard back from Andy and confirmed that USB connection is fine on the encoders so one is being ordered.


Also, I found a picture of the first thing to wet my appetite as far as putting a cab in my house. It was in a issue of Nintendo Power. I think they were either giving it away or someone was showing the magazine what they had done.

Either way, I remember thinking "I need to make this happen"

You know, for all the trouble of amassing all the controllers and building this dedicated Nintendo Shrine, the guy doesn't have that many games.
« Last Edit: July 18, 2012, 06:52:42 pm by jimfath »
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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2012, 01:27:48 am »
First thing I thought of when I read your new box's name:

It's worth the listen.

Haha first thing I thought of as well...!

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; I only gargle."

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Re: New build... first build..."The Machine"?
« Reply #39 on: July 19, 2012, 01:32:03 pm »
Ha... That's crazy. But he's right, 90's Russia was SUPER mob driven.

The name The Machine is temporary until the final CP design is decided upon. I hoping to cut it tomorrow but I'm auditioning a lot this week so I haven't had a lot of time. I like a 4 hour window to work in the garage. I also need to get more scrap wood. I heard back from Andy and confirmed that USB connection is fine on the encoders so one is being ordered.


Also, I found a picture of the first thing to wet my appetite as far as putting a cab in my house. It was in a issue of Nintendo Power. I think they were either giving it away or someone was showing the magazine what they had done.

Either way, I remember thinking "I need to make this happen"

You know, for all the trouble of amassing all the controllers and building this dedicated Nintendo Shrine, the guy doesn't have that many games.


There was a thread somewhere I just recently read with the kid who built that when he was like 14 or something. It was awesome.