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My First Arcade Cabinet!
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ShaggyNerd:
I have already decided on my control panel layout. Now, I would wire the joystick and buttons to my new gamepad, but I don't have a soldering gun or a hot glue gun (to support the solder). So, I'm waiting for my friend to let me borrow his. I might go wood shopping sometime soon. I might add some pics too soon once I learn how to.

But, for the Pac-Man cabinet plans, I must make some major changes to them. Since I will use my 17" LCD monitor, I will have to shrink it. I will change it from about 24" wide to 18" wide. And as for the sides, I don't like how far they reach back. It seems like such a waste of wood considering my monitor is small and with a narrower cabinet and all that. I will bring that to 2'. As for height, even though I am somewhat tall for my age, I will not change the height. All in all, it's going just awesome.

Don't you just love progress?
wizkid32:

--- Quote from: ShaggyNerd on December 07, 2011, 04:55:16 pm ---I have already decided on my control panel layout. Now, I would wire the joystick and buttons to my new gamepad, but I don't have a soldering gun or a hot glue gun (to support the solder). So, I'm waiting for my friend to let me borrow his. I might go wood shopping sometime soon. I might add some pics too soon once I learn how to.

--- End quote ---
Using a gamepad as your interface?   ???  Why use that?  Probably a better idea to use a dedicated keyboard interface.  Try the Key Wiz.  It only costs $40 w/ shipping and will work WAY better.  It has loads of software perks and is no solder.   :)

Link:
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=303&zenid=s2ni5nkad8tt517su5oaghan56
ShaggyNerd:

--- Quote from: wizkid32 on December 08, 2011, 12:24:36 am ---
--- Quote from: ShaggyNerd on December 07, 2011, 04:55:16 pm ---I have already decided on my control panel layout. Now, I would wire the joystick and buttons to my new gamepad, but I don't have a soldering gun or a hot glue gun (to support the solder). So, I'm waiting for my friend to let me borrow his. I might go wood shopping sometime soon. I might add some pics too soon once I learn how to.

--- End quote ---
Using a gamepad as your interface?   ???  Why use that?  Probably a better idea to use a dedicated keyboard interface.  Try the Key Wiz.  It only costs $40 w/ shipping and will work WAY better.  It has loads of software perks and is no solder.   :)

Link:
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=303&zenid=s2ni5nkad8tt517su5oaghan56

--- End quote ---
My original idea was to have a dedicated keyboard interface, until I looked at the price tags. I just don't have that kind of extra money. I still have wood to buy, after all. Plus, I only have one joystick and six buttons total, so I will have WAY too many unused inputs. Also, since it is a KEYBOARD interface, it might mess up my other keyboard. But, with a gamepad, it registers as a gamepad and won't mess up my keyboard. I already ran a test run on my new soon-to-be-modded gamepad, and it works amazingly. To me, being a do-it-yourselfer, it seems like a good place to start. And for $5, why not?
wizkid32:
I see.  Can't argue with 30 unused buttons!  :P
drventure:
About a rotated LCD. There are LCD's that are intended to be rotated (the dell 2405 WFP for instance).

Pretty much any LCD that comes with a base that allows it to rotate should be fine for rotated use (that's the intention anyway).

However, I've noticed A LOT of the newer (cheaper) lcds now have bases that only move up and down (or worse, only tilt slightly). Often, those panels +will+ look like crap if rotated.

Also, mind the direction of rotation. The Dells for instance only rotate clockwise. As far as I can tell, they look good either way, but there may be a reason (more than cost) that the base was designed to only rotate one way.
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