First cab - request for artwork feedback!

[nugarp]

Hi guys,

I'm in the process of building my first cabinet. I've spent the last two months creating a front-end for it and while I'm waiting for a few last parts to come in, I decided to start creating some mockups for the artwork on the cabinet. I was hoping to get some constructive feedback on my thoughts so far.

I created some low res artwork (I can work on vectorization/enlargement later) for the marquee, sides, and control panel. One thing I haven't done yet is create artwork for a panel I'm going to have behind my CP - this will have 2-3 admin buttons and a 10" LCD. I use the LCD to show the current controls for a given game. The artwork is in the attached main-concept.png. I've also created a very fake and dirty 3d view of what the cabinet may look like. Don't mind the proportions since it was all just using the perspective transformation in photoshop .

I've yet to decide on a color for the t-molding so thoughts are more than welcome. In your opinion, does the cabinet look too busy (I don't think so)? Too empty (the top of the sides seem like it to me)? Too...two-toned? Any sort of feedback the experts here could provide I would really appreciate.

Thanks for looking!

[EMDB]

Nice. I really like the split colors.

Here is some feedback:

- The height seems a bit low for a full cabinet and too high for a bartop?
- I would enlarge the text on the sides a bit.
- I would lower the depth of the control panel a bit and round the corners.
- I would move the left joystick (and buttons a bit to the right.
- I would use a single color buttons per player.
- It seems the monitor should be tilted to the back more.

You seem to be inspired by my artwork if I'm not mistaken? Nothing wrong with that 

[Malenko]

You seem to be inspired by my artwork if I'm not mistaken? Nothing wrong with that 

 


Its not  bad concept. I redid it a little different. Found visually similar images, just used only the star burst effect. Removed their full legal names, and used just their nicknames (inverted colors) added a drop shadow to the characters and names for depth. I didnt have time to do it, but for the control panel, keep the split but use either Knuckles or Sonic and Tails standing together? I'd also suggest using blue plungers with yellow rings for sonic and yellow plungers with blue rings for Tails

[nugarp]

- The height seems a bit low for a full cabinet and too high for a bartop?
- I would lower the depth of the control panel a bit and round the corners.

Thanks! The size/shape is a little outdated. I was thinking of having a height somewhere around 70" and the CP IIRC would be somewhere around 36". I have a CAD that I've been working on but I'm still trying to figure out where to put my Aimtrak guns. Not a fan of putting them on the side since it would cover the side art so I was thinking about putting them below. I'll put up the CAD when I've completed it. Do the sizes (70", 36") seem off?

In actuality, I expect the CP to only stick out 1" on each side past the cabinet. And I will be rounding the corners with a 1" diameter circle .

- I would move the left joystick (and buttons a bit to the right.
- I would use a single color buttons per player.

As it stands I have the left joystick 3" from the left edge of the CP. Does that seem like it's not enough space? I also have the buttons 5" (bottom edge) from the bottom of the CP. I'm a fan of having the 4 color buttons - they are arranged to match the Dreamcast's colors (though I have no issue rearranging them to match the 360's since I have a bunch of games on there that use xinput controllers). It also makes it easy to remember which of the 4 left buttons does what since I've generally mapped specific colors for accept and back. If the multiple colors looks out of place and you have an idea for maybe how to help it fit in better, I would be all ears!

- It seems the monitor should be tilted to the back more.

This was just me being terrible at doing fake 3D in photoshop but I was planning on about 10 degree angle. Nothing too crazy since I will have light guns, but still want to accommodate people taller than I am.

You seem to be inspired by my artwork if I'm not mistaken? Nothing wrong with that 

Yes, I went through a bunch of cabs a while ago and going back and looking at your cabs yours was the one I really liked. Mine doesn't look nearly as good but you did an amazing job! :bowdown:

Thanks for the awesome feedback!!

Its not  bad concept. I redid it a little different. Found visually similar images, just used only the star burst effect. Removed their full legal names, and used just their nicknames (inverted colors) added a drop shadow to the characters and names for depth. I didnt have time to do it, but for the control panel, keep the split but use either Knuckles or Sonic and Tails standing together? I'd also suggest using blue plungers with yellow rings for sonic and yellow plungers with blue rings for Tails

So I tried using S&T together last night, but that was when I had a depth of 10" on the CP and Sonic's face kept running into buttons. Now that it's at 12" it seems to work better. Not sold either design over just having sonic. But I can see an argument for there being too much Sonic. Knuckles could also potentially match with red t-molding if I took that route (right now I was thinking either white or black). Attached those versions to this post.

The star burst looks great, but I might knock the size down on the names or move them lower. My fear with the first is that the names will become too small. My fear with the second is that the top of the cab would look empty. They look awesome and I do like it better than my 90 degree "full legal names" (haha). I like the addition of the drop shadow, but maybe would use less (or maybe not? Maybe that's what looks great on arcades? Not sure), but may go for having a slightly lower placed sonic & tails. They wouldn't be as centered as yours but I liked having them almost grounded in the original. I think my issue with that originally was that it started to look too bare towards the top of the sides of the cabinet.

Also this is probably a newbie question, but what do you mean by plunger?

Thank you for an awesome set of feedback and taking the time out to create another concept!

[Malenko]

The star burst looks great, but I might knock the size down on the names or move them lower. My fear with the first is that the names will become too small. My fear with the second is that the top of the cab would look empty. They look awesome and I do like it better than my 90 degree "full legal names" (haha). I like the addition of the drop shadow, but maybe would use less (or maybe not? Maybe that's what looks great on arcades? Not sure), but may go for having a slightly lower placed sonic & tails. They wouldn't be as centered as yours but I liked having them almost grounded in the original. I think my issue with that originally was that it started to look too bare towards the top of the sides of the cabinet.

Also this is probably a newbie question, but what do you mean by plunger?

Thank you for an awesome set of feedback and taking the time out to create another concept!

Last question first, the plunger is the part of the button that moves to hit the microswitch. Here is what I mean (look at the admin buttons)

From Daraku Tenshi's build.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134801.msg1424900.html#msg1424900
He has black plungers in different colored buttons.

As for the side art, I was sort of inspired by Killer Instinct's side art.




 I added Sonic and Tail's icons to the top (see attached) and added SEGA to the bottom.  You dont have to use my ideas, I just make em in Photoshop because its faster and easier than trying to explain what mean   I quickly chopped the BG out of your CPO and redid it with a split color starburst, the checkered background makes me think of Sonic Racing, which is terrible. I think this ties it all in a little better.    I like knuckles in the middle, and I think it'd really make the red tmolding pop. Maybe keep "the hedge hog" in the marquee *shrugs*

[Malenko]

after I posted this and looked at it, I know what Id do differently.

I put their names under the characters, lose the sega, and put their symbols a bit above them to fill in the area above them. I didnt save the PSDs and dont feel like starting from scratch, sorry.

Hopefully this helps you improve on your art, and if you need anything else, let me know.

[nugarp]

Last question first, the plunger is the part of the button that moves to hit the microswitch. Here is what I mean (look at the admin buttons)

Thanks!

I added Sonic and Tail's icons to the top (see attached) and added SEGA to the bottom.  You dont have to use my ideas, I just make em in Photoshop because its faster and easier than trying to explain what mean   I quickly chopped the BG out of your CPO and redid it with a split color starburst, the checkered background makes me think of Sonic Racing, which is terrible. I think this ties it all in a little better.    I like knuckles in the middle, and I think it'd really make the red tmolding pop. Maybe keep "the hedge hog" in the marquee *shrugs*

It's funny, I was thinking that the CPO should use a starburst as well. I didn't feel too bad for having the checkers though because I had Sonic All Stars Racing ...but it also added a feeling of the old sonic games where things were tiled dark/light. You are probably right on Knuckles. I'll keep him in the middle and let's see how it turns out with red t-molding...names on the bottom might be good. I tried it with the names on the top but I couldn't find a good padding/sizing balance so stuck with the sideways labels.

Here's where I'm at right now.

[Malenko]

looks good. The red really does pop, and the redone text is definitely an improvement.  As for the admin panel, just continue the star burst from the control panel. For me its personal preference, I really hate vertically oriented text, which is why I was trying to steer you away from it. And I chopped player 1 and player 2 from the CP, its just not needed.

I guess for the sonic and tails characters, if you're not worried about clipping the art a little, I'd make them significantly bigger. Then you dont have to worry about too much white space on the sides.