Project: Scratch Build Apartmentcade

[tkropp17]

I've been on the forums here and there the last few years and consider myself a hobbyist for arcade building. I like to build what's fun and within my abilities. After getting into HyperSpin and building a bartop, then a fullsize modeled after ArchAngel, I've recently been inspired again. This time by MvC 2.0 and Gilrock. As soon as I saw the 50" screen, I knew I had to have one! While the dynamic marquee is a GREAT addition, I wanted to keep this within my skill set and still enjoyable. Graphics will follow when the build is finalized.

[tkropp17]

Some shots of the control panel build

[johnrt]

Some shots of the control panel build

I don't understand this. Is this a 4-player setup? In that case where's the buttons for player 2 and 4? What's the idea behind this CP layout?

[JDFan]

I don't understand this. Is this a 4-player setup? In that case where's the buttons for player 2 and 4? What's the idea behind this CP layout?

It's a 2 player setup -- the 2nd Joystick for each player is for Dual joystick games like Robotron, Smash TV, etc. !

[johnrt]

It's a 2 player setup -- the 2nd Joystick for each player is for Dual joystick games like Robotron, Smash TV, etc. !

Ohh.. Thanks. You'll learn something every day!

[tkropp17]

It's a 2 player setup -- the 2nd Joystick for each player is for Dual joystick games like Robotron, Smash TV, etc. !

Ohh.. Thanks. You'll learn something every day!

That's exactly it! I happen to be a huge fan of Robotron, Smash TV and Crazy Climber as well. This was a good way to play those games with two people and not have an ultrawide 4p control panel.

[JDFan]

That's exactly it! I happen to be a huge fan of Robotron, Smash TV and Crazy Climber as well. This was a good way to play those games with two people and not have an ultrawide 4p control panel.

Figured it was since I did the same type of layout for my 1 player bartop.

[tkropp17]

That's exactly it! I happen to be a huge fan of Robotron, Smash TV and Crazy Climber as well. This was a good way to play those games with two people and not have an ultrawide 4p control panel.

Figured it was since I did the same type of layout for my 1 player bartop.

Looks good!

[PL1]

I don't understand this. Is this a 4-player setup? In that case where's the buttons for player 2 and 4? What's the idea behind this CP layout?

It's a 2 player setup -- the 2nd Joystick for each player is for Dual joystick games like Robotron, Smash TV, etc. !

There's a list of dual-joystick games here.

LMK if you find more games to add to the list.   


Scott

[BorgDog]

There's a list of dual-joystick games here.

LMK if you find more games to add to the list.   


Scott

Thanks for that Scott!  I am also looking at making a single player dual-joystick bartop (liking the JDFan Robotron one  ).  I'm trying to figure out how to put a top mount button in a ball top joystick and thought I saw one here somewhere but for the life of me can't find it....

[PL1]

I'm trying to figure out how to put a top mount button in a ball top joystick and thought I saw one here somewhere but for the life of me can't find it....

You can use the hollow joystick shafts normally used for LED illumination.

  Related threads:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,74966.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108490.0.html

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,133468.0.html

If you want to build a hot-swappable wireless triggerstick for the games that require more than one button (Assault, Sarge), check out this wiki entry by Le Chuck that shows the setup he uses on Darkade.


Scott

[BorgDog]

Sorry for the hijack schlsux, and thanks again Scott.

[tkropp17]

Sorry for the hijack schlsux, and thanks again Scott.

No worries!
Some updates from today.

[tkropp17]

It's coming together! I was going to wait to post up the artwork until it was all complete. Unfortunately the control panel art wasn't printed wide enough, so I'm going to have to wait to finish that. Still a lot of progress for the night. The last pic is a shot of the t-molding. I'm leaning towards red, opinions?

[tkropp17]

Last few

[talkgeek]

Why ?   

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/designprinciples/a/morewhitespace.htm

[tkropp17]

Why ?   

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/designprinciples/a/morewhitespace.htm

Ahhhhhh ya know, you're right. You're cocktail cab shows the white space really well!

It's called a collage and it's my cab that I did not ask your opinion on. There are a lot of cabs that may not be a certain persons taste but it may suit others. Since you've obnoxiously wrote one word with a degrading emoticon followed by a link, I thought maybe I could respond in your simplistic language. I also ask kindly that you to not bash the hours of work another forum member has put into something their proud of. Especially before it's finished.


Collage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage

[leapinlew]

Talkgeek is out of line. Thread crapping in a project announcement thread is frowned upon.

Instead, he could have said "You're artwork is a little busy for my taste" or better yet, not said anything at all.

[mgb]

while I personally am not into very busy artwork, I actually think the collage is cool.
I've seen many done with just a bunch of characters but I like how you used flyer art.
the cab is looking good

[tkropp17]

Leapinlew & mgb, thanks for looking out. It's definately not for everyone and neither is every hand built cab out there. I wanted to do something a little different that hasn't been done. It was a risk, even for me on how it would turn out. I personally don't think the pictures do it justice but wanted to share my progress. I should have more updates next week when a few more items come in the mail!

[ChanceKJ]

While I do agree from a design perspective, and given that we are currently living in a world awash with minimalist and simplistic design, it is quite busy. But, it kinda grows on you.  When I saw this thread last night I was like... "Wtf", but now I get it. It's an homage to the art of a time period. I know this from posting my own art in my own builds that everyone thinks they're an expert.

Basically: Good for you, rock on, and haters gonna hate.

 

[tkropp17]

Thanks ChanceKJ. That's exactly it, it's a homage done through flyers. I've had a few friends have your same reaction. It's just a different concept. Maybe there's a more cohesive way to do this, but as a first timer working with art (and Vlad at Game on Graphix), I felt it was better than I expected.

 

[yotsuya]

I know this from posting my own art in my own builds that everyone thinks they're an expert.

Eyeroll.gif

[talkgeek]

Why ?   

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/designprinciples/a/morewhitespace.htm

Ahhhhhh ya know, you're right. You're cocktail cab shows the white space really well!

It's called a collage and it's my cab that I did not ask your opinion on. There are a lot of cabs that may not be a certain persons taste but it may suit others. Since you've obnoxiously wrote one word with a degrading emoticon followed by a link, I thought maybe I could respond in your simplistic language. I also ask kindly that you to not bash the hours of work another forum member has put into something their proud of. Especially before it's finished.


Collage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collage

I apologise the response could have been more tactful, the fact you posted here I assumed you were looking for comments

- up to the artwork I had been impressed with the work you were doing / shape of the cab - you also hadn't received any comments in a week, I thought I would get the ball rolling (that intention was achieved) comments now doubled and 2 supporters of your work (new buddies?) discovered.

Talkgeek is out of line. Thread crapping in a project announcement thread is frowned upon.

Instead, he could have said "You're artwork is a little busy for my taste" or better yet, not said anything at all.

My apologies - I was imaging that cab in the corner of an apartment lounge (dominating the room) vs in a games room screaming out for attention (where It could well work) - compared to other's comments on this forum, I thought I had been quite restrained  ..and there had been some deafening silence since the last 2 posts

I've seen the Collage / Flyer approach done well here before (was trying to find as an example vs the Whitespace link, but couldn't) it's the  the CP/Marque that is all wrong for this concept (I should have used my words - sorry mum).

edit: Taking another look ChanceKJ is right, it does sort of grow on you
- My opinion only: If the front was plain, you use black T-Molding and re work the Marque (I would also go simple with the CP e.g. Sjaak's http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,143603.0.html - but there are heaps of good examples on the fourm) I think this cab would look fantastic  - but this  is still very much struggling with the whole art thing so please take with a grain of salt.

[tkropp17]

TalkGeek, thanks for clarifying everything. I'm glad you've been interested in the build up until the artwork. I'm completely not offended if someone does not like the art. After all it's art! Yes, this is in my living room of my apartment. I plan to buy a house when grad school is finished and this will be going straight into a game room. Until then, my girlfriend and I don't live together, so if I want an arcade in the living room, I can and it's awesome!

Part of the risk in the project was how the CP and Marquee would be done. The original art had these pieces covered in flyers as well. I felt it looked overbearing and thought the character approach would break up the busyness (which there is already a lot of). I also didn't post up the proofs because I knew if I did, the comments would likely steer me away from what I wanted. I appreciate the edited input as well! It's very possible that once it is together, it may need a revision! I can always try putting the control panel on while it is black to see how a plainer look would do.

Below are two proofs before the final.

[ChanceKJ]

I know this from posting my own art in my own builds that everyone thinks they're an expert.

Eyeroll.gif

 

[sc23]

I personally like it, has a real 90's graffiti look to it. Wont be everyones cup of tea but nothing wrong with that.
I would say if the CP and Marquee were just a solid colour with Mame logo it would contrast well with the busy-ness of the side art. But you should be proud of what you have achieved, nice cabinet. And you can always make changes in the future as you come up with new ideas.
I think many people on here want other peoples cabs to conform to their rules of what a cabinet should be, one mans frakenpanel is another mans perfect setup. Some people like simple and elegant, some people like big, bold and bad ass. And I have to say I lean more towards the bad ass than the elegant.

[ChanceKJ]

I think many people on here want other peoples cabs to conform to their rules of what a cabinet should be, one mans frakenpanel is another mans perfect setup. Some people like simple and elegant, some people like big, bold and bad ass.

Well said.   

[matsadona]

I don't really get it with the control panel box. Is it supposed to be easily removed, for like stowing away, maintenance or transportation reasons?

By the way, in general it is a good thing to explain the design principles and background for the decisions made (not saying I do all the time but still).
Like "I choose this design/art style because of..." etc. That would guide the critics in the right direction, that could be helpful instead of having random persons expressing their personal taste and what you have done wrong and so on.

[PL1]

There's a list of dual-joystick games here.

LMK if you find more games to add to the list.   

RyoriNoTetsujin found 7 more dual-stick titles for the list.

 * Bullet
 * Draco
 * Gachaga Champ
 * Joyful Road (Japan)
 * Mars
 * Rock Climber
 * Title Fight

Thanks, Christopher.   


Scott

[tkropp17]

I built the arcade so it would be easier to move. The first CP I built was a disaster. I needed to build it so it would be replaceable as well.

PL1, thanks for adding to the list!

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

There's a list of dual-joystick games here.

LMK if you find more games to add to the list.   

RyoriNoTetsujin found 7 more dual-stick titles for the list.

 * Bullet
 * Draco
 * Gachaga Champ
 * Joyful Road (Japan)
 * Mars
 * Rock Climber
 * Title Fight

Thanks, Christopher.   


Scott

Haha... you know, I suppose I could've just posted that info myself here, too...

[j.fitzenr]

This project is so confusing.  I hated everything about it at first, and now I love it lol.  I'm really impressed with how elegantly you were able to pack that many control elements into a panel that doesn't look... wrong.  It looks really slick and at first glance I barely even realized that it's got every conceivable feature and button lol.

I know you don't need the reassurance but don't worry about the art hate.  It's not really my taste either, but you're the one that has to see it in your house every day and if it makes you happy, it's perfect.  Not to mention I'd never criticize somebody who recognizes the brilliance of Smash TV!

So, tl;dr, awesome stuff but since I'm one of these newbies that's gearing up to attempt my first build I have a few questions... have you logged much playtime on this thing yet?  I love the general look and layout of the cp but like...  (I'm just assuming that the upper left ball-top is a dedicated 4-way) are 4-way or spinner games awkward to play on that panel?  Is there enough clearance for the trackball, especially for drunken Golden Tee? My biggest fear is that I'm going to devote a bunch of time and effort and end up with an awkward cp that I never want to play, so I feel like it's important to hound people with questions lol

[tkropp17]

Marquee is in, speaker holes are done and Tmolding installed! I did all the pecan cutting and it was a PITA!!!! I also took some time this week to install recoil. Hoping it works as I haven't been able to test it yet.

[tkropp17]

This project is so confusing.  I hated everything about it at first, and now I love it lol.  I'm really impressed with how elegantly you were able to pack that many control elements into a panel that doesn't look... wrong.  It looks really slick and at first glance I barely even realized that it's got every conceivable feature and button lol.

I know you don't need the reassurance but don't worry about the art hate.  It's not really my taste either, but you're the one that has to see it in your house every day and if it makes you happy, it's perfect.  Not to mention I'd never criticize somebody who recognizes the brilliance of Smash TV!

So, tl;dr, awesome stuff but since I'm one of these newbies that's gearing up to attempt my first build I have a few questions... have you logged much playtime on this thing yet?  I love the general look and layout of the cp but like...  (I'm just assuming that the upper left ball-top is a dedicated 4-way) are 4-way or spinner games awkward to play on that panel?  Is there enough clearance for the trackball, especially for drunken Golden Tee? My biggest fear is that I'm going to devote a bunch of time and effort and end up with an awkward cp that I never want to play, so I feel like it's important to hound people with questions lol

Thanks for checking it out! It's def not for everyone, especially at first glance. The ball top is a dedicated 4-way and the spinner is easy to use. They're placed so your arms don't hit the other joysticks and the buttons you could hit aren't active when playing games that use those controls. Plenty of room for drunk golden tee! It's already been test I logged a couple hours on the control panel with the old arcade. If you want my template, shoot me a PM with your email and any questions. FedEx did my template printouts for like $3.

[tkropp17]

Here are some updated shots with CP art on. It was much harder than I expected to get it right. Still a couple areas that need work, but can only be seen when up close. Next is to wire it up and get a proper piece of plexi in there.

[tkropp17]

Buttoning a few things up!

[mgb]

Monitor size/proportion looks nice.
Love the Burger Time with bezel

[ChanceKJ]

Monitor size/proportion looks nice....

+1  yeah, so many designs fail on that. This looks good. And I definitely feel that you pulled of the effect you were going with on the side art. Well done!

[bfauska]

Love the Burger Time with bezel

Enable High Score saving and bump KEN off there with his silly 28,000 

I know it got mixed reviews here but that side art is really a cool idea compared to so many other "collage" type cabinet art jobs. The overlapping and mixed angle application of the images is really refreshing when typically that stuff just gets laid out in a clean boring grid. I think maybe having the whole cab covered in it makes it a bit like gift wrap but the look of the pattern is really nice. Congrats on a good looking cabinet.