Maquinita To Go - 4 Player Arcade in a Suitcase

[holaplaneta]

Hey there, here´s my first build ever. I came up with the idea like 4 years ago, but money, time and living in Mexico have not helped with this little hobby. After many trips and friends bringing me parts and all the tools from the US for the build and being scared of messing it up, I´m doing it finally.

As you can see, my main challenge was to find a case to accommodate 4 players and with the depth necessary to put the cpu and pcb and controls on the bottom and a monitor and speakers on the top lid with enough counterweight so the thing won´t fall back once is opened and shaken by furious gameplay by my drunken friends.

Case is:
SKG ATA Parallel Limb Bow Case Model: 2SKB-4119 (Interior Dimensions: 39.00" L x 18.00" W x 7.50" D)
Pelican Storm Cases Lid Stay for Pelican Storm Cases

PCB is:
IPAC four

Controls are:
Sanwa components
Seimitsu buttons for the clear ones.
4x The Link by Phreak Mods so the case can close securely. http://www.phreakmods.com/products/the-link

Sound is powered by:
Lepai Tripath TA2020 Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Amplifier

Speakers are:
Monsoon MM-700 (slimmest I could find, but not the lightest though)

Below the circular gray grills (they will be black on final build) are 120mm fans for airflow:
Noctua NF-R8 Raised-Blade design and SSO Bearing Fan

CPU is:
Zotac IONITX-C-U Atom N230 Single Core 90-Watt PSU ITX Intel Motherboard
OCZ Onyx Series OCZSSD1-1ONX32G 1.8" 32GB SATA II
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB ( 2 X 1GB ) PC2-6400 800MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL5 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit - TWIN2X2048-6400

UPDATE: Even when this CPU and MoBo were cool and silent, some games were having trouble running (KI, MKII, NBA Jam...), so I decided to update the PC inside the case with:
AMD FX-6300 6-Core Processor
Crucial 8GB RAM
Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Motherboard
OCZ Technology 64GB Vertex 4 Series SATA 6.0 GB/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive (SSD)
SolidGear TFX 350W Power Supply
Noctua NH-L12 Low-profile Quiet CPU Cooler with 120/90mm Dual PWM Fan

It will have 2 circular usb outlets, VGA output and headphone jack. A right angled cable will power the thing that will have an AC IEC power cord receptacle.

I plan to put it on a keyboard stand with industrial velcro adapted to the case and the stand (On Stage KS7350 Pro Heavy Duty Folding Z Keyboard Stand) I´m still wondering if this is not a terrible idea, we´ll find out.

Gas Struts from SGS engineering:
2x GSV6-150 - Adjustable Force Gas Strut
4x B7 - 10mm Metal Ball Socket
4x K4 - 90 Degree 10mm Inside Ball Stud Bracket-350N

Monitor is: ? (UPDATE: It is a Dell 2001FP)

Right now I just need to figure out which monitor to use. I would like to use the slimmest, lightest and biggest 4:3 monitor there is. With good angle viewing and fast enough response and refresh for gaming. I have been recommended the dell ultrasharp 2001FP and 2007FP and for 21.3" the Samsungs 213T or 214T from this thread:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,142935.0.html

I have been checking their specifications but the problem is that most official spec pages on these don´t tell actual weight and depth of just the displays. They include the base in the measurements. I would like if possible that you recommend me one model that I could purchase to finish this project. Thank you!

Thanks to user JDFan right now, who personally measured and photographed his monitors to show me, I´m leaning towards the dell 2007FP at 3 inches deep (in order for the case to close, it cannot be deeper than this actually) and 11.5lbs (I wish it could be 8lbs max).

To be honest I don´t know yet the total weight and physics of this thing. It may work it may not, but hey, at least we all will learn from the experience.

I´ll keep you posted. Thank you for checking it out.

[holaplaneta]

More pics. Taking out all that residual glue from the original case was hard!

[EMDB]

Really cool idea!

I also like the CP artwork very much. Those TMNT, Simpsons, Mario and Ken (!?) hands are a very nice detail 

EDIT: since were talking detail: funny the only fighter uses the non fighter button layout 

[sc23]

What an awesome idea, and great workmanship. Just a thought, what about using a laptop as the PC and screen? That way you could run it all off the laptop battery. Just charge up and go. I thought about doing that for a weecade/bartop style build to take to work and have street fighter challenges during smoko. A battery powered portable arcade would be bad ass, if I ever do it I may steal your idea of converting a similar case.

[Billabong]

That is an awesome build! I like the control panel graphics too. They add a nice touch.

[Locke141]

Wellcome fellow expat,

Oddly enough I own both a 2007FP and a Samsungs 213T, but I can't do any testing for you as I am in Tanzania and they are at my parents house in NY.  I did find some the spec for the 213T and 214T for another member:

213 T: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-syncmaster-213t-lcd-monitor-21-3-series/specs/
214 T: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-syncmaster-214t-lcd-monitor-21-3-series/specs/

On paper the 214T is better in every way, but it seems that some of the original cap's tend to pop. There are kits on ebay to fix this issue for about $7  and it's an easy fix. Edit: Just read the other thread. That 214T that JDfan posted a pick of had this problem and was fixed using one of these cap kits.

Have you taken in to account the hight of the joy sticks? How much room do you have for the monitor with them installed.

If you look at my Beat'em up-X build, link in my signature.  I use gas struts to hold my CP open. That could help keep you'r case open and from chopping off any of Barts 4 fingers.   

[Rick]

Love this build. Very unique.

[JDFan]

On the Joysticks -- Are you using these ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/128223884/the-link-quick-release-joystick-shaft ) with the removeable handle - Otherwise how are you planning on being able to close the lid once the joysticks are mounted ?

[Locke141]

On the Joysticks -- Are you using these ( https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/128223884/the-link-quick-release-joystick-shaft ) with the removeable handle - Otherwise how are you planning on being able to close the lid once the joysticks are mounted ?

I had the same thought. Can you still get them? Focus attack is out of stock.

http://www.focusattack.com/jlf-link/

[holaplaneta]

Yes, I´m using four THE LINK for the joysticks, I got them like three years ago when they first came out (first batch of like 100 I think) and that´s why they are all sanwa because back them that was the only version of The Link there was.
http://www.phreakmods.com/products/the-link

Thank you for all your comments, I really appreciate them.

[holaplaneta]

Wellcome fellow expat,

Oddly enough I own both a 2007FP and a Samsungs 213T, but I can't do any testing for you as I am in Tanzania and they are at my parents house in NY.  I did find some the spec for the 213T and 214T for another member:

213 T: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-syncmaster-213t-lcd-monitor-21-3-series/specs/
214 T: http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-syncmaster-214t-lcd-monitor-21-3-series/specs/

On paper the 214T is better in every way, but it seems that some of the original cap's tend to pop. There are kits on ebay to fix this issue for about $7  and it's an easy fix. Edit: Just read the other thread. That 214T that JDfan posted a pick of had this problem and was fixed using one of these cap kits.

Have you taken in to account the hight of the joy sticks? How much room do you have for the monitor with them installed.

If you look at my Beat'em up-X build, link in my signature.  I use gas struts to hold my CP open. That could help keep you'r case open and from chopping off any of Barts 4 fingers.

Thank you for the lead on the 214T, replacing the caps should not be an issue. I just wonder about the depth and weight. As you can see on the spec pages you posted, they list the depth with the base attached and not without it. I´m afraid I would need somebody with the actual monitor to measure it without the base. The same goes for the weight, they list the total weight with the base attached.

The gas struts are a great suggestion!! I wonder if I can get one that is not longer than 4 inches in length when compressed. If I get ones that are too big they will interfere with the left hand of player 1 and the right hand of player 4.

[holaplaneta]

What an awesome idea, and great workmanship. Just a thought, what about using a laptop as the PC and screen? That way you could run it all off the laptop battery. Just charge up and go. I thought about doing that for a weecade/bartop style build to take to work and have street fighter challenges during smoko. A battery powered portable arcade would be bad ass, if I ever do it I may steal your idea of converting a similar case.

About using a laptop, I think it´s a great idea for portability but I wanted the screen to be as big as possible so players 1 and 4 can enjoy the view too, case could fit up to a 25 inches 4:3 monitor size wise... but not depth nor weight wise. This requires the monitor model to be viewable from angled points of view, which can be a challenge for LCD screens. That´s why I´m looking for help and recommendations.

[holaplaneta]

Really cool idea!

I also like the CP artwork very much. Those TMNT, Simpsons, Mario and Ken (!?) hands are a very nice detail 

EDIT: since were talking detail: funny the only fighter uses the non fighter button layout 

Hahaha, there´s a reason for that.

Ryu is always SF II main character, so it´s always player 1.
Homer in The Simpsons arcade is player 2.
Donatello on the TMNT arcade games is always player 3.
and Mario... is player 4 cause he´s late to the party and more of a console guy. 

Honestly, it was more about the colors of the characters hands and the buttons. To make the controls pop more by using constrasting colors. 

[holaplaneta]

Nice, I found an amazing formula from http://www.strutspecialists.com/ to calculate the size and the force of the Gas Strut required and figure out which Gas Strut model I need. I´m attaching a pdf with the details.

The case is 510mm tall and the guide says that the extended length of the Gas Strut should be approximately 60% of the door or hatch length. So it´s a 306mm strut when extended.

The  measurements of case are for the formula are:

mounting distance can be up to 210mm as you can see on the attached picture, so that´s the L value
the weight of the door is for the case upper lid (3.5kg) + for the speakers (1.3kg both) + components and cables (1kg) =  + monitor weight which I don´t know yet but will be around 5kg, so let´s say a hypothetically 11kg so G value is 110N
door is 510 mm so the H value is: 255

F = G x H / L + 15% divided by 2 (number of struts needed)

F = G x H / L  = 133.57
       +
       15% (20.03)
       =153.60  / 2 = 76.80

F = 77N (Newtons)

The only thing I worry is if I can install these struts upside down since otherwise they would interfere with the gameplay of the player 1 and 4 hands. They cannot be installed lower than 11cm from the upper border of the Control Panel. And the way they seem to be correctly installed is with the stroke on the base (check E to D distance on the diagram below).

I would like to know if I can installed in a way that the L distance is not larger than 11cm on the control panel and the E to D distance I can get up to 21cm on the upper lid of the case without issue.

[EMDB]

Really cool idea!

I also like the CP artwork very much. Those TMNT, Simpsons, Mario and Ken (!?) hands are a very nice detail 

EDIT: since were talking detail: funny the only fighter uses the non fighter button layout 

Hahaha, there´s a reason for that.

Ryu is always SF II main character, so it´s always player 1.
Homer in The Simpsons arcade is player 2.
Donatello on the TMNT arcade games is always player 3.
and Mario... is player 4 cause he´s late to the party and more of a console guy. 

Honestly, it was more about the colors of the characters hands and the buttons. To make the controls pop more by using constrasting colors.

On a 4 player CP player 1 is usually the second position from the left: P3 P1 P2 P4... 

[holaplaneta]

You are correct. I would need to configure every 4 player game individually and every Neo Geo one too for the button layout.

Here´s an amazing guide on finding the correct gas strut. The adventure continues... tonight, cause I need to go to work now. 
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/help-advice/how-to-fit-gas-struts/

[yotsuya]

I'm curious what the final overall weight on that will be. 

[8BitMonk]

Cool build, nice work! I'm curious about the weight too, that MDF looks heavy. I guess as long as everything is secured and the handle is heavy duty enough it'll probably be fine. Thumbs up on the CP design as well, very creative. 

[holaplaneta]

I'm curious what the final overall weight on that will be. 

Me too. We´ll find out one way or another! 

I´m calculating 25-30kgs/55-65lbs for final weight.

[holaplaneta]

Happy Sunday everybody! 

[DeLuSioNal29]

I have the Samsung 214T (with the stand removed since I just repaired it).  I can measure it tomorrow when I get home.  I'll see if I can dig out my scale as well to weigh it.   

DeLuSioNaL29

[holaplaneta]

I have the Samsung 214T (with the stand removed since I just repaired it).  I can measure it tomorrow when I get home.  I'll see if I can dig out my scale as well to weigh it.   

DeLuSioNaL29

Excellent, thanks!! If you could weight it too that would be really helpful. 

[j.fitzenr]

That's gonna be so badass!  I actually saw a similar (idea wise) suitcase-style build on Craigslist a few months back in my area which blew my mind, but it didn't look as slick as this one is going to!  Gonna follow this and not only excited to see how the awesomeness turns out but I'm realize curious about the struts; I've been kicking around the idea for my first build for a while as a folding-design and was wondering what the best option was going to be, maybe a friction hinge or something but never thought about struts!

[holaplaneta]

Thank you for the words of encouragement guys. I hope to finish it soon and let you know how it goes.

Btw, the solid state drive I´m using does not have any screw holding options. What would you recommend? To glue it with silicone? industrial velcro? zip ties?

And I´m goint to paint those fans, I don´t like their color, you can notice them below the grills. I might spray them with black matte paint.

More pics for your enjoyment.

[05SRT4]

This build..... Is amazing!!!! 

Keep up the good work.

My friends are to lazy to build an arcade so they always ask to bring the bartop. This would be much easier to haul around.

[Locke141]

Industrial velcro should be more the strong enough and if you have to change it out in the future it makes things easier.

It is looking good. Have you found a 214T yet? How weight so fare?

[holaplaneta]

214T finally showed up.  Without the stand, it tips the scales at 14lbs.



And the depth without the stand is 3 1/8"

No dead pixels, scratches or other issues.  Not bad for just over 100 bucks.





Now I just need to hurry up and complete my cabinet. 

[holaplaneta]

I wonder if the 214T at 14 lbs (6.35 kgs) it´s not a bit too much for my application. The 2700FP is 11.5 lbs (5.2 Kg)

It seems that it will be one of the dells guys, unless the 213T is lighter. Would maybe the 213T be lighter?

How much better is the 214T compared to the 2700FP?

With the integrated power supply the 2700FP must be heavier than the 2001FP but I can´t find any spec sheets to confirm this.

Anybody out there willing to help weighting and measuring depth of their 2100FP ?   

Thanks!

[johnrt]

Anybody out there willing to help weighting and measuring depth of their 2100FP ?   

Do you mean the 2007FP? The 20" Dell Monitor?

[pbj]

Travel's been banned to Mexico everywhere I've worked for almost 10 years.  And here you are slinging around a weapons case, Senor Huevos Grandes.

La Muerte!

[holaplaneta]

Travel's been banned to Mexico everywhere I've worked for almost 10 years.  And here you are slinging around a weapons case, Senor Huevos Grandes.

La Muerte!

  I´m mexican, so I should know. Gracias señor.

Who says gaming is not a weapon? (to fight boredom) 

[holaplaneta]

Do you mean the 2007FP? The 20" Dell Monitor?

I meant the 2001FP which is a previous model of the 2007FP. Both are 20" Dells. Thanks!

[holaplaneta]

From the SGS engineering page they recommended me these struts:

2x GSV6-150 - Adjustable Force Gas Strut
4x B7 - 10mm Metal Ball Socket
4x K4 - 90 Degree 10mm Inside Ball Stud Bracket-350N

Order placed, should be here from the UK in about 20 days.

We used the following pics to communicate. The one with the yellow arrows show the ideal place to place the gas struts. The struts would be 488mm long and should come up around 430mm along the top panel.

[severdhed]

this is ridiculously awesome

[Locke141]

The 2001FP uses an external  power brick so you could move that bit to the bottom of the case.

I'm a little concerned that a case meant to hold something like a 5-15 LBS load may not hold this build very well. You may need to add straps or something.   

[mildanti]

thats f'n awesome love the idea and the simple art

[pbj]

Why not a kick stand on the back of the monitor?

 

[jdbailey1206]

Oh....Its Home Depot.  He gets them at Home Depot.

Very unique idea.   

[Generic Eric]

I got my bench cookies from Amazon.

[jdbailey1206]

And Coke in a glass bottle.  Only way to go.   

[holaplaneta]

The 2001FP uses an external  power brick so you could move that bit to the bottom of the case.

I'm a little concerned that a case meant to hold something like a 5-15 LBS load may not hold this build very well. You may need to add straps or something.   

So would you know if the 2001FP is positively lighter than the 2007FP? I need to make a decision soon on which monitor to get and I can´t decide because I´m missing the 2001FP real specs in weight and depth. I asked like a dozen of ebay sellers that are selling it and everybody gave me different specs, I think most of them are ballparking them.

[mgb]

I'm not a huge 4 player control panel fan so when I first saw this, I was like "whatever"
but this thing is freakin' cool.
nice attention to detail too

[holaplaneta]

Anybody with a Dell 2001FP willing to measure it´s depth and weight please?    Thanks! 

[ChanceKJ]

I love the art for the CP. That's pretty cool.

[holaplaneta]

2001Fp vs 2007FP, weight wise? who´s the winner? (lighter)

[holaplaneta]

Any suggestions on 20" 4:3 very light monitors with good angle viewing and response time?

[Locke141]

The 2001FP uses an external  power brick so you could move that bit to the bottom of the case.

I'm a little concerned that a case meant to hold something like a 5-15 LBS load may not hold this build very well. You may need to add straps or something.   

So would you know if the 2001FP is positively lighter than the 2007FP? I need to make a decision soon on which monitor to get and I can´t decide because I´m missing the 2001FP real specs in weight and depth. I asked like a dozen of ebay sellers that are selling it and everybody gave me different specs, I think most of them are ballparking them.

JDFan has a 2001FP you may want to PM him. I'm in Tanzania and my 2007FP is in the US but I'll ask my mom to put it on a scale. I'd think the 2001FP screen would be lighter as the power supply is in a brick out side the monitor. But thats just my best guess.

[JDFan]

According to the Dell PDF file HERE ( http://www.dell.com/downloads/emea/products/snp/UltraSharp%202007FP_EN.pdf )
the 2007FP weighs in at 6.9Kg (15.9 Lbs.) without the stand

And Hardware canucks ( http://techwiki.hardwarecanucks.com/product/1MzEyNTUzNzk/Dell-2001FP-LCD/ )
lists the 2001FP at Monitor Flat panel only (VESA Mode) 5.45Kg (12.0 lb)

So the 2001FP is slightly lighter but that does not include the AC adapter that you would need to find space for also which they also list as ( Power Supply Brick 0.47Kg (1.03 lb))

[yotsuya]

I have an extra 2007FP, but I don't know how much shipping to Mexico is.

[holaplaneta]

Hey Guys, after more than half a year being really busy and traveling a lot for work I have been working on the project again. I got a FP2001 monitor and as you can see in the pictures, the thing is coming up all right.

Just one thing... the top lid weights 13kg (29lbs) in total with everything it needs to have on it and the bottom lid with all the components around 17.3kg (38lbs). I´m afraid the monitor weight and the gameplay shaking might tip the thing over and it might fall backwards.

I feel dumb for asking this, but has any of you have any idea or mathematic formula to calculate how much does the base has to weight in order for the top lid not to tip back? The angle of the top lid when open is around 95-100 degrees.

Imagine a Nintendo 3DS (angle of top lid is different though), how much force (weight) does the base has to have for it no to fall backwards?

Thanks! I will do my best to finish this sooner than later.

[holaplaneta]

More pics. In these you can see the stuff that the top and bottom lid carry.

[Phreakwars]

Why not just go with a laptop screen, like the one in the Alienware 18 r1 ? That is an 18.4" screen... while smaller then the one you had planned, is much lighter. Or are you just planning on tearing apart the dell screen from the housing? Guess I missed that part... But still SWEET project.

[Draco_Elessar]

Awesome idea and build!

[holaplaneta]

Getting there... Picture 50 refers to a counterweight of 4kg we did to avoid the case falling back. Maybe it was not needed. Case is super sturdy when being open, does not even shake...

[holaplaneta]

Almost there... Math will save you.

These are the scribblings of a couple of friends... an architect and a mathematician, trying to help me figure it out if once assembled the thing would not fall backwards... I was very nervous.

[holaplaneta]

More pics.

[holaplaneta]

More.

[holaplaneta]

Más.

[holaplaneta]

Aun más

[holaplaneta]

What do you think? The pictures at the bottom show how the power cable and a small bag with the joysticks and dust washers inside, will be secured in place with industrial Velcro to the bottom of the top lid. This way, you can transport everything inside the case without pieces moving inside. Gotta keep that monitor safe.

[holaplaneta]

If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!

[holaplaneta]

Still a lot of programming to do with hyperspin and rocket launcher... and still need to wait for an L shaped power cable adapter from china in like 40 days to be able to juice up the speakers.

But it is getting there...

Let´s do a survey, should I put all the arcade games stickers as stamps for a traveling suitcase? Or would it end up looking too tacky?

Like these?

[holaplaneta]

Thanks for following and for all your guidance and suggestions!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Love this!

[08091981]

Nice!

Verstuurd vanaf mijn Redmi Note 2 met Tapatalk

[severdhed]

very impressive.  Personally, i'd skip the stickers, i like the clean look.

i have no need for something like this at all, but you've made me want to build one (i'm not going to, but i want to)

good job

[yotsuya]

Yeah, skip the stickers.

[tomstewdevine]

No stickers would be my vote. But a tasteful paint job might look good.

[yotsuya]

I say leave it as it. It looks stealthy and unassuming that way.

[BGoulette]

No stickers, but excellent concept and execution!

[Locke141]

+1 on no stickers. It looks to nice as is. 

I'm a little concerned a box design probably under 20 LBS of equipment is going to holdup to the 77LBS.

[BGoulette]

What's the total what's the weight of this build. I'm a little concerned a box design probably under 20 pounds of equipment is going to holdup.

If that 35.45k scale readout is the total weight, he's looking at ~78 lbs of "portable" arcade goodness

[holaplaneta]

Hey there, thanks for the comments. No stickers then

The only added weight I put on it was a 4.3kg tube on the front. To avoid 4 players furious drunken gaming making the case flip back. The top lid weights 13kg alone. The bottom one without added weight around 17.3kg.

I put some industrial velcro strips at the bottom, so I can use a heavy duty keyboard base for it. You can see the sanding of the case for the velcro stripes in pic 46.jpg

I think the case does not need the additional 4.3kg, but I´m leaving it there just in case. It should weight around 31.2kg at its minimum using these same components.

Case seems sturdy enough, does not give away any hints of being falling apart. If it does in the future, I´ll let you know.

Cheers! 

[Locke141]

If that 35.45k scale readout is the total weight, he's looking at ~78 lbs of "portable" arcade goodness

Yes but, that case was probably designed for a bow that weights 5 LBS with probably that much weight in equipment so (10-12 LBS). Just saying that he may want to be careful walking around with his very nice build.

Case seems sturdy enough, does not give away any hints of being falling apart. If it does in the future, I´ll let you know.

 

[holaplaneta]

Btw, the 2001FP is beautiful in every angle. Colors are vivid and has no player visibility issues. It was the correct choice!

The struts do not interfere the line of sight neither.

Height may be an issue, since you need to hunch if it sits too low. I recommend a table 90cm in height. It seems the most comfortable for me. I´m 5´9".

[arcadedanny]

Me gusta el projecto! Muy buen trabajo.. Yo tambien soy de Mexico

[holaplaneta]

Muchas gracias! Que a toda madre. Saludos desde Mérida. Pásame enlaces de tus proyectos, me encantaría verlos.

[holaplaneta]

 

Hey there guys. I find myself wondering if you could provide me with some help.

I'm trying to get MAME to run with scanlines at 1600x1200 res on the dell 2011FP. But all the scanlines options appear too small. I tried one called triad3sl.png too and that actually looked bigger and more like the correct size but it makes the image less brighter and the colors less saturated

Scanlines75Dx4.png and equivalents appear too small too.

4:3 Monitors at 1600x1200 users: What Scanlines Effect do you use? (No scanlines generators since I'm using HDMI to connect to the monitor, nor HLSL since the MB would not be able to handle it)

Thanks!

[matsadona]

Cool project 



Must admit that I'm amazed that there hasn't been any debate about angled joysticks yet in this thread 

[tomstewdevine]

Must admit that I'm amazed that there hasn't been any debate about angled joysticks yet in this thread 

I would assume that's because the joysticks are not angled.

[Locke141]

I would assume that's because the joysticks are not angled.

That does not stop the debate. It happened in my 4 player pedestal, that was never going to have angled joy sticks.

[matsadona]

I would assume that's because the joysticks are not angled.

That does not stop the debate. It happened in my 4 player pedestal, that was never going to have angled joy sticks.

My point exactly... It usually happens as soon as there is a 4p build... and/or if the CP is wider than the monitor or having the players stand in any kind of angle relative to the monitor.

[mgb]

Hey there guys. I find myself wondering if you could provide me with some help.

I'm trying to get MAME to run with scanlines at 1600x1200 res on the dell 2011FP. But all the scanlines options appear too small. I tried one called triad3sl.png too and that actually looked bigger and more like the correct size but it makes the image less brighter and the colors less saturated

Scanlines75Dx4.png and equivalents appear too small too.

4:3 Monitors at 1600x1200 users: What Scanlines Effect do you use? (No scanlines generators since I'm using HDMI to connect to the monitor, nor HLSL since the MB would not be able to handle it)

Thanks!

Have you thought about using some kind of hardware like a scan-line generator?

[yotsuya]

I would assume that's because the joysticks are not angled.

That does not stop the debate. It happened in my 4 player pedestal, that was never going to have angled joy sticks.

My point exactly... It usually happens as soon as there is a 4p build... and/or if the CP is wider than the monitor or having the players stand in any kind of angle relative to the monitor.

I don't think it's going to happen much anymore...

[yamatetsu]

Have you thought about using some kind of hardware like a scan-line generator?

No scanlines generators since I'm using HDMI to connect to the monitor

No scanline generator because he's using HDMI, also Crafty's miniSLG would not work at 1600x1200.

[mgb]

Have you thought about using some kind of hardware like a scan-line generator?

No scanlines generators since I'm using HDMI to connect to the monitor

No scanline generator because he's using HDMI, also Crafty's miniSLG would not work at 1600x1200.

Oops, I missed that

[holaplaneta]

Happy Holidays to you all!

Updates:

Got the amazing Trojan WT-2438 Portable Worktable at 35.5" height with a 24-Inch by 38-Inch MDO surface. It´s perfect for the case and probably the only one I could find that fits the necessities of the project: portability, height and stability. 

Along with it I got from eBay Australia of all places (trying to find sellers online willing to ship to Mexico for all right delivery prices can be truly daunting) a Big Horn 19116 24-Inch By 48-Inch Non-Slip Router Pad. It´s very nice too and the case has not moved at all even with 4 players playing with it.

I´ll be updating the CPU, MB and RAM soon since I found out that certain games like Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat II and III, Moonwalker, etc... won´t play without stuttering.

The challenge as usual is size and heat management. But I´ll show you how it goes. Cheers. 

[Locke141]

It looks done to me. If your like me you'll probably keep coming back to make improvements. You should go ahead and post it in the I completed my progect page. I would love to add it to the wiki when it's done.

[holaplaneta]

So I updated the machine in the case with the following hardware:

SolidGear TFX 350W Power Supply
Crucial 8GB RAM
AMD FX-6300 6-Core Processor
Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Motherboard
OCZ Technology 64GB Vertex 4 Series SATA 6.0 GB/s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive (SSD)

Now ALL games run excellent, my only complaint is that is a lot noisier than the previous setup. (Not only "fan-wise" but there is some nasty ground interference that you can notice when no sounds are being played). Anyway, it´s really nice to see hyperspin shine, and being able to share all those childhood gaming dreams "anywhere" really makes it special. Thanks for the support and guidance. This is an excellent forum.

And I took some pics of the finished case. Hope you enjoy them!

[holaplaneta]

Pics don´t make it justice. This thing in person really INVITES you to play with it.

[holaplaneta]

 

[holaplaneta]

Happy New Year from the Yucatan!

[JDFan]

Came out really nice !! -- Glad you are liking the 2001FP (the color and viewing angles on them really makes it work well for this type of build ) 

[holaplaneta]

Glad you are liking the 2001FP (the color and viewing angles on them really makes it work well for this type of build ) 

It was an excellent suggestion!! It is the perfect display for this application. Muchas gracias. 

[solar]

Awesome...

Not sure if you've sorted the scanline issue, but you can always draw up your own. Only need basic paint to edit one of the pre-existing .png's

[holaplaneta]

Not sure if you've sorted the scanline issue, but you can always draw up your own. Only need basic paint to edit one of the pre-existing .png's

I got one that kinda matches the resolution and pixel aspect, it is not perfect, but it´s better than nothing. Could not find any made specifically for 1600 x 1200.

Thanks for the tips guys.

[holaplaneta]

Photos taken with an iPhone! Check out that monitor!! It´s beautiful even when competing with daylight. 

[emphatic]

Very cool. 

[nipsmg]

This project makes me angry.   






Because it's too awesome... and I could never build it to that degree of quality.  Awesome job. 

[yotsuya]

This project makes me angry.   






Because it's too awesome... and I could never build it to that degree of quality.  Awesome job. 

Sure you could.  Just try.  Projects like this should inspire people to try and reach new heights.

[JudgeRob]

Great work!  I can't believe 4 people can fit!  Very slick, good attention to detail. 

[holaplaneta]

This project makes me angry.   

Because it's too awesome... and I could never build it to that degree of quality.  Awesome job. 

Sure you could.  Just try.  Projects like this should inspire people to try and reach new heights.

Of course you can!! Man, this is my first build and I never imagined how hard and awesome it would be.

It took most of my scarce spare time for 4 years and all my savings because I had to import most parts from all around the world and pay for extra shipping and custom taxes. I live in the state with the lowest wages for my nation, I earn like $250 a month most of the time and the project cost south of $2500 just for the materials, not counting all the tools I had to get plus the 400+ man hours I calculated were spent on it. Sometimes I had like 10 usd on my bank account for the week, because I would invest all my money in parts and pieces that I was not sure would do the job anyway. I designed most of the Maquinita To Go in my head and on my laptop screen, going crazy with measurements and weights in a "virtual" space on paper and photoshop. Never knowing if things would completely fit, match or work together. I spent countless hours looking at specs sheets for the parts I could imagine would work together to conform this project. Projecting in my head if the parts would work well together. And because I had no access to the parts I needed on stores around my city and no access to the fabulous product return policies most developed countries have, where I could buy something, try it and if it did not work, I could return it for my money back; I would find myself sometimes scratching an idea after months of waiting for the part to arrive from the other side of the globe, all because it would not work for my needs at the end. As you can see now, pretty much just the wood, glue and bolts I got from where I live.

When friends or family would travel to the US, I would beg them to bring me parts I would order online and they will get in their hotels. I brought the case myself from a trip to LA, and got stopped by mexican customs, who are super paranoid and tough. Thankfully nothing happened.

I would day dream about having it finished, and I would come to this amazing forum to check out other projects to get inspired by them. I would come to ask things, see how other people did it. I would google things like crazy too. I learned so much from this process, about electricity, woodworking, programming, physics, mechanics, power tools, design, reproduction stickers, sound, display panels, metal works, cabling, modding, soldering, painting, gluing, etc... before I made this project I only knew how to use a hammer and a driller.

But I persevered because I was afraid all my effort and money would go to waste if I did not finish the project. Even if the result was bad, at least I did not leave it unfinished. Sometimes I would lose sleep overthinking that maybe I f**ed up and spent a lot of money just for a childish whim that would not work. That made me get out of my comfort zone to ask help everywhere. Learning from everything I could, to get any help to support my vision for the project.

I admit I feel lucky and relieved that it all worked well at the end, because for the longest time I wondered if this thing would not end up being a big waste of money and put me in shame. That´s the price of doing something that nobody has ever done before, you walk the path of uncertainty, feeling that you can spectacularly fail at any time but alas, that´s the only way to create something truly new.

To be able to share the result here and to receive such positive support is amazing, and I really hope my humble project ends up inspiring more people to appreciate and share the love of arcade machines and good games... everywhere! 

I wish you success in your endeavors. 

[holaplaneta]

Awesome...

Not sure if you've sorted the scanline issue, but you can always draw up your own. Only need basic paint to edit one of the pre-existing .png's

Made one that with integer scaling should work well for 4:3 displays with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels in MAME.

Scanlines75Dx5.png

It matches most of the games well, depending on the aspect ratio of each one.

[holaplaneta]

Got rid of the buzzing noise of the sound with this. Too bad the output and input cables are reversed for my needs (male must be female and viceversa) but I fixed it with a coupler and a spare male to male 3.5mm cable.

With this device I think the stereo channels came out switched too, so I just adjusted them and Voilà!  .

[yotsuya]

Got rid of the buzzing noise of the sound with this. Too bad the output and input cables are reversed for my needs (male must be female and viceversa) but I fixed it with a coupler and a spare male to male 3.5mm cable.

With this device I think the stereo channels came out switched too, so I just adjusted them and Voila!  .

Props to you for getting Voila! correct!

[ppv]

Got rid of the buzzing noise of the sound with this. Too bad the output and input cables are reversed for my needs (male must be female and viceversa) but I fixed it with a coupler and a spare male to male 3.5mm cable.

With this device I think the stereo channels came out switched too, so I just adjusted them and Voila!  .

Props to you for getting Voila! correct!

Actually, the real way to write it (like written in french) is Voilà. But I digress! 

Superb, superb build you got there!

[yotsuya]

Got rid of the buzzing noise of the sound with this. Too bad the output and input cables are reversed for my needs (male must be female and viceversa) but I fixed it with a coupler and a spare male to male 3.5mm cable.

With this device I think the stereo channels came out switched too, so I just adjusted them and Voila!  .

Props to you for getting Voila! correct!

Actually, the real way to write it (like written in french) is Voilà. But I digress! 

Superb, superb build you got there!

Yeah, but "walla" makes me want to punch kittens when people use it....

[Rick]

Yeah, but "walla" makes me want to punch kittens when people use it....

Yes?

[yotsuya]

I don't get it.

[ppv]

Yeah, but "walla" makes me want to punch kittens when people use it....

A valid reaction. Defensible in court, too.

[ppv]

I don't get it.

Had to google it.
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wololo

[holaplaneta]

After a year and a half I could edit this video. Again, thank you folks for all the help.

I hope you´ll enjoy it. Watch it at 1080p!

[pbj]

Vergas!

[holaplaneta]

Vergas!

   

[DaredevilDave]

Super cool! Have you thought about building the monitor into the case more, like with a flush panel maybe?

This is bad-ass. Great work!!! But I hope I'm never behind you in airport security!

[holaplaneta]

Not really since that would add extra weight to the top panel and I was afraid it would tip backwards with the furious gaming from my friends.

And supposedly the case is TSA friendly!

https://www.skbcases.com/sports/sku.php?cat=12&pid=9
Airline approved (ATA 300 Rating).
Molded-in bumper protected TSA latches.

(But yeah, if one day I decide to travel with it I´ll let you know)