Moonshot!

[Token]

Remaining to do list:
Finalize CP layout
Finalize CPO art with BGoulette
Print and install art
Mock up CP with controls & LEDs
Install joys, buttons, and RGB LEDs
Figure out wiring for existing coin door to IPAC 
Figure out wiring for existing HAPP trackball to IPAC
Install new T-molding 
Wire new power button (utilizing smart powerstrip)
Figure out best way to plug existing hole in coin door (originally had a bill acceptor)
Figure out best way to plug existing hole in front of cabinet (originally had a players' card reader)
Repair nick and scratches here and there

[Token]

~~Original Post~~

I recently purchased this cabinet (KLOV link) for $150. It was gutted, but included a working coin door, coin mechs, trackball, marquee light, marquee glass, bezel, and speakers. My plan is to convert this to a two-player MAME cab. Six buttons per player. Keep the existing trackball. A few admin buttons. The CP is large enough to accommodate other goodies, but I don't like the idea of cluttering it up. You will be unable to perform sea-going air operations from this control panel.

I intend to wire up the existing working coin mechs and NOT install P1 and P2 credit buttons. I like the idea of my kids and guests grabbing handfuls of tokens and dropping them in for credits.

The cab originally had a 27" SVGA monitor. I plan on using an LED with HSLS and pin settings to simulate a CRT, but only have 27" of inside cabinet width to work with. This would mean a 29" LED would fit, but I will lose 2 inches of vertical display: Display Wars comparison of 27" 4:3 vs. 29" 16:9.

I know large 4:3 LCD displays are not to be found this side of heaven, so I am exploring other options (see question #1 below).

This 16:10 30" would be perfect, but then I saw the price...   

These are not my pics, but this is the same cab-





Questions:
1. Has anyone had success with rear-projecting a screen in a cabinet?

2. Maximus' MvC 2.0 has a 51" Plasma mounted vertically that is physically masked. I loved Maximus' use of dynamic bezels, but I ain't mounting a 50" in this cabinet to make that happen. I could vertically mount a 42" TV and the width would fit the original bezel. Is this a good idea?

3. Is there a supplier of arcade tokens that is relatively inexpensive (If I have to pay $.025 per token, I might as well just use quarters)?

That is all for now. I don't have a name, theme, or artwork figured out yet. Still just planning.

I appreciate any feedback and advice you can offer! 

[eds1275]

Questions:
1. Has anyone had success with rear-projecting a screen in a cabinet?

2. Maximus' MvC 2.0 has a 51" Plasma mounted vertically that is physically masked. I loved Maximus' use of dynamic bezels, but I ain't mounting a 50" in this cabinet to make that happen. I could vertically mount a 42" TV and the width would fit the original bezel. Is this a good idea?

3. Is there a supplier of arcade tokens that is relatively inexpensive (If I have to pay $.025 per token, I might as well just use quarters)?

That is all for now. I don't have a name, theme, or artwork figured out yet. Still just planning.

I appreciate any feedback and advice you can offer! 

1: no comment
2: Sure, why not. I have a 32" screen mounted horizontally in mine. No matter what you do, haters gonna hate.
3: I'm not sure, I doubt it unless you are buying by the bucketloads. More importantly, is your door set up for quarters or tokens? They are not the same.

If you do put trackball games on there, toss on my game Ramp & Roll!

[Token]

3: I'm not sure, I doubt it unless you are buying by the bucketloads. More importantly, is your door set up for quarters or tokens? They are not the same.

If you do put trackball games on there, toss on my game Ramp & Roll!

Mechs are set up for quarters. Since making the OP I have disassembled one mech and as far as I can tell there is no way to adjust it to accept tokens. It looks like there could be a way to replace one plastic part to make it work. I'll post some pics later and maybe someone here knows a way to adjust/modify to mech for tokens.

And yes, this will have trackball games! I'll check out yours, for sure. Thanks!

[Token]

More importantly, is your door set up for quarters or tokens? They are not the same.

Coin mech:


A quarter is large enough to hit the small brass pin and rotate the red plastic part, sending the quarter to the left in these two pics.




This token is too small and slips through to the coin return.


This is the backside of the previous pictures. I'm not sure if you can see it, but the left red part is labelled with a number 6. This part would need to be replaced/modified in order for tokens to be used in this HAPP mech.


Anybody know if there is a replacement part from HAPP for this? I haven't been able to locate one online.

[yotsuya]

Is the 27 inch monitor currently in there? It appears so from the pictures. Why wouldn't you keep it in there if it works.

Edit: Nevermind, just saw the note that those weren't your pics.

[Token]

Is the 27 inch monitor currently in there? It appears so from the pictures. Why wouldn't you keep it in there if it works.

Edit: Nevermind, just saw the note that those weren't your pics.

Yeah, if it came with that original monitor, I would be golden! These cabs had 27" SVGA monitors that plugged right into a graphics card on the PC that ran the game. Talk about a simple conversion!

So yots, what do you think about my screen options? I'm pretty set on an LCD for its ease of use. My tests on my home TV show that I can make it look reasonably CRT-like with scanlines and use of the pin feature in MAME, but I hate a widescreen look in a cabinet. What do you think about my idea of mounting a 42" vertically and installing the original bezel to maintain a 27" 4:3 display? What problems am I likely to incur attempting this?

[vwalbridge]

If you are going to mount a 42" on vertical, then I'd look into using Retroarch

Retroarch will allow you to scale and move the video game screen anywhere on the TV that you like. (A default Mame install can't do this)

Sure you can adjust the screen ratio on the TV itself to a 4:3 but then you are stuck with whereever that happens to be. (In the center) And that might not be where the most appropriate spot when the TV is mounted in the cab.

What problems am I likely to incur attempting this?

Make sure the TV has really good "off-angle" viewing. Keep in mind that you will actually be looking at the picture sideways and at a slight angle.

[yotsuya]

Is the 27 inch monitor currently in there? It appears so from the pictures. Why wouldn't you keep it in there if it works.

Edit: Nevermind, just saw the note that those weren't your pics.

Yeah, if it came with that original monitor, I would be golden! These cabs had 27" SVGA monitors that plugged right into a graphics card on the PC that ran the game. Talk about a simple conversion!

So yots, what do you think about my screen options? I'm pretty set on an LCD for its ease of use. My tests on my home TV show that I can make it look reasonably CRT-like with scanlines and use of the pin feature in MAME, but I hate a widescreen look in a cabinet. What do you think about my idea of mounting a 42" vertically and installing the original bezel to maintain a 27" 4:3 display? What problems am I likely to incur attempting this?

First off, I commend you for not going the USS Midway route. I caught your comment and wanted to give props for that.

Honestly, if you don't have the original CRT, I think a large monitor rotated vertically is the way to go. I think it gives you the best of both worlds horizontally and vertically. Griff did a lot of things that made me shake my head, but the rotated vertical monitor was the best thing he did, and it shows.

When you do mount it, do everything in a temporary manner so you can adjust things to your liking. vwalbridge gave you some good advice, although you could use MAME .lay files to put the image where you want it with some tinkering.

I'm keeping an eye on this one.

[vwalbridge]

I'm keeping an eye on this one.

Me too. I'm shamelessly admitting that I like the "large TV mounted vertically" in a cab technique. I'm pretty convinced that if you do everything right, you can conceal what you have really done and make it pretty damn close to the original look.

[yotsuya]

I'm keeping an eye on this one.

Me too. I'm shamelessly admitting that I like the "large TV mounted vertically" in a cab technique. I'm pretty convinced that if you do everything right, you can conceal what you have really done and make it pretty damn close to the original look.

The key is taking the time and doing it right, I agree.

I'm still CRT or GTFO, but I do admit that this is a nice compromise.

[Token]

If you are going to mount a 42" on vertical, then I'd look into using Retroarch

Retroarch will allow you to scale and move the video game screen anywhere on the TV that you like. (A default Mame install can't do this)

I'll check out retroarch. Thanks!

Make sure the TV has really good "off-angle" viewing. Keep in mind that you will actually be looking at the picture sideways and at a slight angle.

Yes, I am worried about this. The cab was originally a golf/trackball, so it already has a steep slope on the monitor (to avoid slamming your hand into the screen).

[vwalbridge]

I'd like to see some pics of the actual cab!   

[Token]

First off, I commend you for not going the USS Midway route. I caught your comment and wanted to give props for that.

Yeah, I've lurked long enough to learn not to build an aircraft carrier with angled joysticks and 40 admin buttons. I'm sure I'll screw up in plenty of other ways, but that's why you take your time and ask lots of questions.

... you could use MAME .lay files to put the image where you want it with some tinkering.

I've just starting working with .lay files on the software side of this build (which is much further along than the hardware side). I have them working, but some of them seem oversized.

[Token]

I'd like to see some pics of the actual cab!   

There's not much to see at this point, but since you asked and I happened to have one of the CP:

[vwalbridge]

Looks like you have a good foundation to work from. Although you are going to have to plug those existing button holes I'm sure.

Also, I noticed that this cab originally had a 2nd (smaller) monitor below the marquee and between the speakers. Any plans for that? Keeping the speakers? Removing both and have the TV fill the entire space?

[Token]

Looks like you have a good foundation to work from. Although you are going to have to plug those existing button holes I'm sure.

Also, I noticed that this cab originally had a 2nd (smaller) monitor below the marquee and between the speakers. Any plans for that? Keeping the speakers? Removing both and have the TV fill the entire space?

Yeah, so this seems like a good cab to convert to MAME. I was originally going to build my own cab (modeled after the Artifact build), but when I saw the price and that it came with working coin doors and trackball, I couldn't say no. The only downsides are the size - this sucker is DEEP - and the shallow angle of the monitor. Oh, and existing button holes have been filled and sanded smooth (that picture above is a couple of weeks old).

The space between the speakers is actually a backlit information card. But if there was ever a cabinet where a secondary monitor would look right, this is it. I keep telling myself, "Baby steps, baby steps" but I have entertained some thoughts on how to use that space... 

[Token]

UPDATES

Sorry for the low-light pics ahead.

The Coin Mechs

I have given up on trying to force these coin mechs to accepts tokens. I did manage to modify the pins so that a token would be rerouted to the acceptor slot (I'm pretty sure that's not the right term), but it got rerouted by the magnet. 

As a child, my friends and I found a cache of metal knockout slugs left behind by an electrician on a jobsite. Through trial and error, we found one arcade cabinet that didn't seem to care if they weren't quarters and we spent several days having our way with a Battlezone machine. I guess my sins are now catching up to me.

Despite my username, this cabinet will only be feed with quarters. 

The Screen - It Lives!

Found an older 42" widescreen on craigslist for $75.

Now how do you fit a 42" widescreen in a 27" wide cabinet?

I don't think it will fit the existing bezel.


De-casing this was much easier than I thought it would be. Unscrewed the back, the speakers, the plate with the controls, and a doo-hickie with some inputs. Remove back panel. Secure input doo-hickie and controls plate. Detach speaker wires. TV de-cased!

Sorry there are no pictures of the decasing. I was too excited/nervous and didn't stop to get out a camera.

Then I had to tear out all the existing interior woodworking and build supports for this beast. I pocket-hole screwed a 2x4 at an angle to act as the bottom "shelf," and then screwed two ripped 2x4" to the interior sides of the cab to act as "runners."

It's a tight fit, but the TV is in!



With the CP on-



What to do now that there is a 42" vertical TV in the cabinet? Download powerstrip and create a custom resolution!

I'm currently running a square 768x768 on the desktop.


Hyperspin-


MAME-


I haven't dug into the settings yet, but there is definitely something wrong with the MAME resolutions. Everything is being stretched out.


And I need to stop uploading pics from the iPad...


I couldn't be happier about how this worked out with the 42" TV. Once I get my video settings right, I will have a 25" vertical and 25" horizontal 4x3 display, without having to build a rotating mechanism!

[DGP]

I am planning on doing something similar with my current Midway multi-cab (vertical mounted widescreen) so very interested to see how this works out.

I picked up a 21.3" 4:3 lcd and realized that is just not large enough for a full size cab, great size for a 2 player bartop though.

Looking good so far.

Best of luck.
 

[Token]

I am planning on doing something similar with my current Midway multi-cab (vertical mounted widescreen) so very interested to see how this works out.

Go for it! The price of used 42" LCD TVs is getting lower and lower as everyone is upgrading to newer technology. I've been seeing plenty of them on Craigslist for $200 and under.

[Token]

I am not an artist.

For the longest time, I wasn't sure what I wanted for a theme and/or artwork on this cabinet. But I do have a few guiding principles for this cabinet art:

1. No using original game art if the controls can't play that game (as much as I love the Pole Position color scheme, it just wouldn't be right on a two player joystick and buttons cab)
2. No collage-o-characters
3. Try for some sort of retro styling
4. No console references

I tinkered with a few ideas, but nothing really stuck. I started on T-Rex themed art (get it, his short arms can actually reach the control panel? har... har...), but ultimately discarded that one.

Looking for inspiration, I pored over classic marquees and CPOs and discovered that much of the most eye-popping art was composed of yellow and orange palettes -- Joust, Defender, Rampage, and my favorite marquee-- Lunar Lander!



Over my years of lurking and learning, there has always been one cabinet that I always go back to... Artifact. If Artifact comes back to read this, thanks for sharing your plans and build with the community! 



I had always planned on making a MAME cab similar in design.... until I found a great deal on this gutted PGA Tour. But I was re-reading some of that old thread and realized that Artifact's artwork was pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

So I decided to tinker with the old Artifact artwork that was generously uploaded here a few years ago.

Original Artifact marquee (re-sized for upload. Go to the original Artifact thread linked above for full size files)


Original Artifact CPO


I took the originals and replaced the original colors with the yellow and orange (and a bit of red) from the original Lunar Lander marquee. Then I painted the sky Donkey Kong blue.

My modified marquee art


My modified CPO art (hi-res version here)


The cabinet has a black laminate finish with black t-mold. I'm thinking of replacing the t-mold with orange or red to get some more pop.

I am open to suggestions and criticism on the artwork. Nothing has been sent out for printing yet.

[Token]

Had some stray color in the sky on the CPO. 

Fixed and re-uploaded above.

[reptileink]

It saddens me that you are "copying" another cabinet here. I had high hopes that you would come up with a custom theme and not just modify someone else's graphics (even if they were uploaded for use). I dunno, maybe it's me, but I'd want something of my own creation if I am going so far as to make my own cabinet. 

Aside from that one crit, I think this machine is coming along nicely! I was skeptical at first, but this is really coming together. 

[Token]

It saddens me that you are "copying" another cabinet here. I had high hopes that you would come up with a custom theme and just just modify someone else's graphics (even if they were uploaded for use). I dunno, maybe it's me, but I'd want something of my own creation if I am going so far as to make my own cabinet. 

Aside from that one crit, I think this machine is coming along nicely! I was skeptical at first, but this is really coming together. 

I'm still undecided on the direction of the artwork. I appreciate the feedback!

But at this point I'd rather use someone else's quality artwork than create my own crappy art. 

[reptileink]

It saddens me that you are "copying" another cabinet here. I had high hopes that you would come up with a custom theme and just just modify someone else's graphics (even if they were uploaded for use). I dunno, maybe it's me, but I'd want something of my own creation if I am going so far as to make my own cabinet. 

Aside from that one crit, I think this machine is coming along nicely! I was skeptical at first, but this is really coming together. 

I'm still undecided on the direction of the artwork. I appreciate the feedback!

But at this point I'd rather use someone else's quality artwork than create my own crappy art. 

I think there are enough talented people on here to be able to make your ideas come to fruition. Not hating on you in the least, just hoped for something more original.

[BGoulette]

Based on the artifact graphics linked above, if you did want something in a similar vein but different, I'd be willing to lend a hand. I'm still working on gaining a foothold here, so I've got nothing concrete to show, but I just wanted to toss out an invitation.

[reptileink]

Based on the artifact graphics linked above, if you did want something in a similar vein but different, I'd be willing to lend a hand. I'm still working on gaining a foothold here, so I've got nothing concrete to show, but I just wanted to toss out an invitation.

 

[Token]

Based on the artifact graphics linked above, if you did want something in a similar vein but different, I'd be willing to lend a hand. I'm still working on gaining a foothold here, so I've got nothing concrete to show, but I just wanted to toss out an invitation.

Thanks BGoulette! 

Folks, PMs are going back and forth, and we might be on to something here!

[BGoulette]

Hey, you're welcome! Just let me know what next steps should be!

[Token]

BGoulette has been working on some amazing artwork! The Marquee is just one step away from being completed. I can't wait to show everyone the final version once its done!

Here's a taste-  



In the meantime, I measured the control panel and started working on the layout. I am set on 6 buttons per player. I also want to minimize admin buttons. I will be using an I-Pac. Ultimarc has a cool feature that when you hold down P1start it acts as the shift key, so I'm considering six buttons per player plus P1 and P2 start, and no admin buttons. Am I crazy? I see most MAME cab builders add a few more.

Two questions today:
1. For anybody who has used MAME in a cab with very few admin buttons-- Did you find it confusing or annoying to not have an ESC or PAUSE or TAB button?

2. Do you see any flaws in the layout below? Before X2 asks, the P2 joystick is 2.5" away from the trackball. Should I move all controls higher up the panel? I really don't want to move the trackball as the panel is already routed for the recessed metal plate. Ideas?

I certainly have room on this panel to add more buttons or move controls around. Let me know your thoughts! 

[wp34]

UPDATES

Sorry for the low-light pics ahead.

The Coin Mechs

I have given up on trying to force these coin mechs to accepts tokens. I did manage to modify the pins so that a token would be rerouted to the acceptor slot (I'm pretty sure that's not the right term), but it got rerouted by the magnet. 

Have you looked at the AnyCoin mechs?  They are pretty darn slick.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144539.0.html

[PL1]

In the meantime, I measured the control panel and started working on the layout. I am set on 6 buttons per player. I also want to minimize admin buttons. I will be using an I-Pac. Ultimarc has a cool feature that when you holding down P1start it acts as the shift key, so I'm considering six buttons per player plus P1 and P2 start, and no admin buttons. Am I crazy? I see most MAME cab builders add a few more.

Two questions today:
1. For anybody who has used MAME in a cab with very few admin buttons-- Did you find it confusing or annoying to not have an ESC or PAUSE or TAB button?

There are pros and cons to both dedicated buttons and shifted functions.

http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?title=FAQ#Number_of_admin_buttons

Either way, keep this bit of wisdom in mind:

To keep guests or children from accidently messing up their cab configuration, many individuals choose to not include a Menu (Tab) button and disable the shifted function for Menu. (P1 Start + joystick right on I-Pac)

Scott

[Token]

Have you looked at the AnyCoin mechs?  They are pretty darn slick.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144539.0.html

No, I hadn't seen this before. Thank you!

Just ordered two. $7.50 each! Here's the direct link for purchasing: https://www.arcadeplastics.com/any-coin-mech

There are pros and cons to both dedicated buttons and shifted functions.

http://newwiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?title=FAQ#Number_of_admin_buttons
 

Its been a while since I've read the wiki, so thanks for the reminder. I think I'll add Esc and Pause, just to make it simpler for the kids and guests. Having two extra buttons will be preferable to an information card explaining the shifted controls. Other than Esc and Pause, I can't think of any admin functions I want others mucking around with.

[severdhed]

I think an escape button is a necessity, and a pause button is really handy.  I use a single button for both on my latest cabinet. It is pause with a quick press, and exit if held for 3 seconds. This minimizes button clutter, and also prevents people from accidentally exiting a game.  All other admin functions use shifted buttons to prevent others from screwing everything up

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[yotsuya]

Have you looked at the AnyCoin mechs?  They are pretty darn slick.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144539.0.html

No, I hadn't seen this before. Thank you!

Just ordered two. $7.50 each! Here's the direct link for purchasing: https://www.arcadeplastics.com/any-coin-mech

Arcadenut does great work on those. You won't be disappointed.

[DudeRegular]

My MAME cab is similar to yours. It is a golden tee. I left the trackball in the stock location and fit in a 7 button layout on each side. Straight street fighter style with the 7th button for MK3 run. Then I have a start button for each player above their set of controls. No other admin buttons are present. I am solely using the ipac admin functions. The newer ipac even supports the trackball natively. I just cut off the original connector and wired up a connector using the .100 pin ends.

For admin functions, shift plus p1 button 6 is esc, shift plus p1 down is pause. I also used the built-in macro for buttons 7 and 4 to shift function left and right click if I do need to do something on the cab without plugging in a mouse. I can attach the visio for my cp if you are interested. It is to scale.

[Zeosstud]

I would like to see your layout..

[DudeRegular]

Visio file of my Golden Tee CP Attached.

[Token]

Here is the latest and greatest marquee art from BGoulette. He is fantastic to work with, has a great eye, and any design choices you don't like in this artwork are probably my fault. Mad props! 




Here is the latest version of the control panel layout.

I've moved controls up to avoid any trackball and joy2 collisions from lateral spins. I also added the ESC and PAUSE admin buttons. I am worried this provides too much forearm resting space on the panel. All feedback is greatly appreciated.

The AnyCoin replacement mechs from Arcadenut were the perfect solution to my problem! I highly recommend this product- https://www.arcadeplastics.com/any-coin-mech


I purchased tinted tempered glass from a local supplier. They only had two choices. Smoked and bronzed. I went with smoke (gray) and it looks soooo much better than the original clear glass (which was scratched pretty good from  this being a golf cabinet). I think it is a 30% tint. I would have preferred even darker, but it was all they had. Still, it cost $38 and makes a world of difference.

Remaining to do list:
Finalize CP layout
Finalize CPO art with BGoulette
Print and install art
Install joys, buttons, and RGB LEDs
Figure out wiring for existing coin door to IPAC 
Figure out wiring for existing HAPP trackball to IPAC
Wire new power button (utilizing smart powerstrip)
Figure out best way to plug existing hole in coin door (originally had a bill acceptor)
Figure out best way to plug existing hole in front of cabinet (originally had a players' card reader)

[reptileink]

I love that you went with custom art BASED on Artifact instead of just using it.

My only comment on the marquee is that little shuttle is clipped off at the top. A smidge lower and you'd be golden. You also have to think about the Marquee brackets that might cover that shuttle up further.

Looks awesome though, and seems to fit what you were looking for. 

[vwalbridge]

You also have to think about the Marquee brackets that might cover that shuttle up further.

+1, the top and bottom of that marquee need some "bleed".

[BGoulette]

Valid points.

Token, let me lower the lander a little, then I'll send you a hi res file. Do you want ai, eps, pdf, png, jpg, tif, etc...just let me know! I'll also add printer's marks so you can get a better idea where the bleed ends, etc.

[Token]

Updated artwork.

[vwalbridge]

yep, that's better! Good looking retro marquee.

[reptileink]

Updated artwork.

There you go! It would have been a shame had you got the old one printed up and blocked most of it...lol. Nice work on the artwork as well BGoulette! 

[BGoulette]

Thanks! I hope I can come up with cpo art that sets it off right!

[Token]

Just stumbled upon this today. Might as well put it here. 

Moonlander 3D (Flash game)


Edit -- And a Flash recreation of Lunar Lander by the same programmer.

[vwalbridge]

Wow, I'd forgotten how hard this game was. But fun.

...and that 3D version is very cool but damn near impossible to land when the camera view falls below the topography elevation.

[mgb]

That marquee is freakin' beautiful.

[Token]

Here are a couple pics showing the use of the 42" vertical screen. Remember, this is the equivalent of a 25" 4:3 display whether it is vertically or horizontally displayed. I still need to physically mask off some extra screen space above and below the used portion of the screen.

You can't tell from my poor photos, but the tinted glass sits four inches above the screen.










And a question...

Mag-Stik or Sanwa JLW? I hear people complain about the short throw of the Mag-Stik. Maybe a dumb question, but is there a big difference between these and the much cheaper Zippyys? I see the Zippyy also has a 2-way adjustment on the restrictor.

[scoodidabop]

The vertical 42" LCD looks nice!  Good job.  That cabinet really lends itself to that solution with the steep angle of the screen. Someone else mentioned Retroarch for screen positioning.  My hyperspin accesses MESS for 8 and 16 bit home consoles for the added HLSL effect but CRT Royale in Retroarch is an absolutely incredible shader.  Stunningly similar to a real CRT.

[vwalbridge]

Someone else mentioned Retroarch for screen positioning. 

That was me. Retroarch is fantastic for screen positioning and aspect ratios. Also comes with some unbelievable shaders. You should check out the gameboy shaders.

[Token]

Someone else mentioned Retroarch for screen positioning. 

That was me. Retroarch is fantastic for screen positioning and aspect ratios. Also comes with some unbelievable shaders. You should check out the gameboy shaders.

Alright, you guys got me. I just downloaded a 500MB Retroarch build today. Hopefully later this week I'll have some time to install and mess around with the video options.

I was reluctant to try Retroarch as I've dialed in my Hyperspin/MAME setup, but the temptation of greater CRT simulation got to me. I'll post an update once I get it all figured out.

[Token]

In a world filled with overly busy MAME cabinet art... one man takes a stand for truth, justice, and line-art. His name is BGoulette, and he gets all the credit for this Marquee and Control Panel art!








 

If you are looking for clean retro art, then give BGoulette a ring.


And nothing on the control panel has been printed or cut, so please feel free to offer suggestions.

[BadMouth]

I like the ABORT and STANDBY tags.  I'll probably steal that if I ever get around to building a dedicated shmup cab.

 

[vwalbridge]

Looks great. I really love it when builders do simple art. Less is more when it comes to art IMHO.

'STDBY' looked a little funny to me at first. And was only 2 letters off from spelling it all out. But I see you were trying to keep it symmetrical.

[harveybirdman]

if I ever get around to building a dedicated shmup cab.

 

DO IT!

And nothing on the control panel has been printed or cut, so please feel free to offer suggestions.

Had to look on my phone.... Looks good, not sure how the blue fits in with the scheme, Remind me of the cab color/Tmolidng combo again?  I do like the tags.  BulletReign player buttons will be named "Alpha Wing" and "Bravo Wing," and "Select Flight Plan" on the selction switch, so great minds I guess.

[PL1]

I really like the concept and almost all of the execution.   

Two minor points to consider:

1. Having the "Abort" and "Stdby" buttons on the outside of and close to the "P1" and "P2" buttons makes it more likely to accidently hit Abort when you meant to hit P1.
- Put Abort and Standby where P1 and P2 currently are.
- Put more space between P1/P2 and Abort/Stdby i.e.  P1   (gap)   Abort   Stdby   (gap)   P2

2. Consider labeling P1 and P2 as Start 1 and Start 2 -- think engine start.


Scott

[Token]

I like the ABORT and STANDBY tags.  I'll probably steal that if I ever get around to building a dedicated shmup cab.

 

Yeah, I stole "Analog Tracking" from the recent NASA build. "Abort" is a volcano button on the original lunar lander control panel. It seemed fitting. BGoulette came up with "STDBY."

'STDBY' looked a little funny to me at first. And was only 2 letters off from spelling it all out. But I see you were trying to keep it symmetrical.

Yeah, keeping it symmetrical and brief. You should have seen the attempt to shorten "Analog Control." 

Remind me of the cab color/Tmolidng combo again? 

Black laminate cab. Currently has black t-mold, but I plan on eventually changing the t-mold to yellow/orange to complement the art.

Two minor points to consider:

1. Having the "Abort" and "Stdby" buttons on the outside of and close to the "P1" and "P2" buttons makes it more likely to accidently hit Abort when you meant to hit P1.
- Put Abort and Standby where P1 and P2 currently are.
- Put more space between P1/P2 and Abort/Stdby i.e.  P1   (gap)   Abort   Stdby   (gap)   P2

2. Consider labeling P1 and P2 as Start 1 and Start 2 -- think engine start.

Two good points. We definitely need to space out those buttons. And "Abort" and "STDBY" would be better placed inside.

I'm thinking the start buttons could be labelled "Engine 1" and "Engine 2" above the buttons, and labelled "Start" below. Or vice versa.


Thanks to everybody for the feedback. 

[scoodidabop]

Loving the marquee.  Illustrator?  I need to get good at original art, and fast!

[BGoulette]

Yep, all done in Illustrator. (The text, for example, isn't actually a font: it's hand-drawn lines and curves converted to outlines.)

[vwalbridge]

Where is the side art to go with it?   

[BGoulette]

If Token provides a profile, I can give it a shot...a moonshot!

...I'll show myself out...

[PL1]

I can give it a shot...a moonshot!

That's a cheeky statement.      

"Don't look, Ethyl!" But it was too late. . .


Scott

[harveybirdman]

Just my .02, you've got this total simplistic vibe going which everyone (including me) likes, maybe go with a super simple Universal style striping for the side art.

[vwalbridge]

Just my .02, you've got this total simplistic vibe going which everyone (including me) likes, maybe go with a super simple Universal style striping for the side art.

+1 for sure! Maybe similar to the look of the side of a Taito cab?

[Token]

I had no intention of doing side-art. Now I know you all are right.

But that's down the road a bit. Warrior needs funds badly. Just spent $250 at Ultimarc. And even though BGoulette hasn't asked for a penny I need to make sure he is taken care of in some way.

My goals at this point:
Moonshot playable by Christmas (meaning artwork and controls)
Side art and finishing touches in 2016

Final version of CPO-




You can tell BGoulette knows what he is doing when you zoom in and the lines are this crisp...




Today I'll have Staples print a black and white to-scale version to test on the panel. My local Staples charges about $4 for this. If all is good, it will be off to stpcore for printing on polycarbonate-laminated vinyl (and the marquee printed on translite).

[yotsuya]

Great job Token and BGoulette. Less is definitely more. Well done!

[mgb]

Very nicely done. The artwork on this build is superb.
I like the labeling for each button

[Token]

Post-Thanksgiving Weekend Update

I got ton of work done this weekend.

Art printed in B&W and overlaid as a test
Marquee art revision by BGoulette
Art sent off to stpcore for printing
Controls received from Ultimarc
Test panel made
Joystick heights adjusted
Controls and LEDs installed
Coin door wired
LEDBlinky configured and troubleshot

Details and pictures in the next post.

[Token]

Artwork Test
Before sending the artwork off for printing, I had Staples do a quick B&W print job of both the Marquee and CPO. I am glad that I did! After cutting and scotch-taping it on the cab, it looked like this...



You can see the problem, can't you?



The lunar lander is cut off. So I checked my measurements, and sure enough, I had sent BGoulette the wrong dimensions for the marquee (I think I must have measured it without the retainer in place). BGoulette quickly made a revision to the artwork and it is sent off to stpcore for printing.

Lesson learned-- Always do a mock-up before sending the art for printing! 

Here is where I need the advice of you pros-- When the artwork comes back, how in the world am I going to make a perfectly round cut-out for the trackball? All the other holes have margin for error, due to being covered by the button rings and the joystick dust-washers. But how do you all cut out clean holes for a trackball in poly-laminated vinyl?

Control Panel Mock-Up

I had some spare OSB laying around, so thought I should practice on it. I laid the original CP on top, traced it, cut with a jigsaw, and there it was. Note that I did not recess the trackball mounting plate, as this is just a test.



For anyone who might be getting the wrong idea, let me make something very clear-- You do not want to build a control panel out of OSB! This is great stuff for sub-floors and roof decking, but the inconsistency of the material does not make it at all suited for cabinetry.

Next I dropped in a long-shaft Zippyy I picked up on eBay to check the height. I read somewhere that the suggested height of the exposed shaft should be 1" between the control panel and the balltop. I tried it and didn't like it. Too short for my taste.

So I had to recess the joystick mounting plate in the underside of the CP. And this required taking apart the joys.

Here are the Zippyys-




Broken-down Zippyy-




Routed out 1/8" from the underside of the panel-




I know the serious builders make jigs for this sort of thing, but I find a steady hand and a clamped 2x4 does the job just fine. Now if this was on the top of the panel, you probably would want a jig to hit it perfect.




Screw in threaded inserts from the bottom...



Note on the threaded inserts-- This piece of OSB is 5/8" thick. The original CP is 3/4" While the inserts show through from the top of this test panel, they should be hidden below 1/8" of the top on the final panel.

And getting threaded inserts screwed straight into OSB is impossible, which is another reason you'd never use this for a real control panel.





After putting the joys back together--




And at this exact moment in time the DHL courier shows up and delivers my Ultimarc goodies.    Spent the next day drilling holes for buttons and wiring up the Ultimarc Ultimate I/O for controls and LEDs. Will get some pictures of that for the next update.

[vwalbridge]

Here is where I need the advice of you pros-- When the artwork comes back, how in the world am I going to make a perfectly round cut-out for the trackball? All the other holes have margin for error, due to being covered by the button rings and the joystick dust-washers. But how do you all cut out clean holes for a trackball in poly-laminated vinyl?

I've never cut a hole that big in poly-laminated vinyl but I have cut smaller holes by had with a razor. You're right, no matter how careful you are, it ain't gonna be clean and perfect. Unless another builder has a trick up their sleeve, I'd start hunting around for a object with the exact diameter you are looking for. Like a drinking glass or one of these Drafting Circle Template guides

[mgb]

First off let me say,  damn I like this cabinet.
any more full and side pics?

as far as cutting the hole for trackball, be as exact as possible. cut that hole first and center it all on that when laying the cpo on the machine.
use a nice fine exacto knife available from hobby stores.

The polycarbonite stuff cuts easy enough

[Token]

First off let me say,  damn I like this cabinet.
any more full and side pics?

I'll try and get some full pics up tomorrow.

vwalbridge and mgb, thanks for the cutting advice. Here's the plan for that hole as of now:

1) Buy new hobby knife
2) Find object with the exact diameter I need
3) Cut trackball hole first
4) Work slow
5) Take pictures from angles that disguise my mistakes   

[vwalbridge]

5) Take pictures from angles that disguise my mistakes   

I like your style Token. 

[vwalbridge]

Oh, and maybe you will have some excess poly-carbonate material you can practice on first? A little practice could make a world of difference.

Also, I'm imagining doing this myself and just had a thought:

It might be easier to cut AROUND something like a drinking glass or PVC pipe/cylinder than it would be to cut on the inside of something like that drafting guide. Keeping the proper angle and force of the blade seems easier to me on the outside of the object rather than the inside.

Just a thought. Good luck. Hope it comes out nice and clean. 

[vwalbridge]

The Martha Steward Circle Cutter could be worth it. Only a $15 risk.

or...

the OLFA Rotary Circle Cutter looks nice. A $16 risk.

(The OLFA looks legit)

[Token]

the OLFA Rotary Circle Cutter looks nice. A $16 risk.

(The OLFA looks legit)

I like the sound of...

Effortlessly cut perfect circles from 1-1/2" to 8-3/4"

Thanks for the link! From there I just found their more basic version on Amazon. $8.36

[vwalbridge]

Thanks for the link! From there I just found their more basic version on Amazon. $8.36

Even better! This tool looks pretty rad and the price is right. Looking forward to seeing how it works for you.

[yamatetsu]

If I were to do this I'd take a piece of scrap wood, drill out the trackball hole, sandwich the CPO between the CP panel and the scrap piece, clamp it down tight so the CPO cannot move and then cut the CPO using a scalpel.

[Token]

No pic update--

Replaced original joystick switches with GroovyGameGear's SmoothJoy™ switches - This made all the difference!
Replaced original red balltops with GGG's Hand-Candy™ bright white balltops
Finally figured out how to get LEDBlinky to work with SKJukebox by manually editing sound driver install files

Still waiting on artwork prints from stpcore. Stuff came up on his end, and then I thought I replied to one of his emails but hadn't... long story short, I am still planning on full art and controls install by Christmas, but just barely.

[harveybirdman]

I approve this shameless bump! 

[BGoulette]

I approve this shameless bump! 

As do I, but totes not because I'm excited to see the artwork printed out, "made flesh," as it were

[Token]

I think the USPS lost my printed artwork. 

Stpcore mailed it on Dec. 9. It should have been here on Saturday.

Most worrisome is that USPS hasn't scanned it once in the past six days. Calls have been placed to the customer service line ("We can't file a trace until it has been five business days without delivery") and the last (only) post office that scanned it ("Let me go look for it and call you back" = No call back.). I just called the regional USPS office to try and get something done ("Leave a message").

Thankfully stpcore insured the shipment.

[vwalbridge]

Oh, I hear ya Token.

USPS in my area is totally worthless and incompetent. They have lost countless things of mine and I had zero recourse. Good thing you have insurance.

[Token]

Artwork arrived today.
Looks amazing.
Family visiting from out of state.
Sending this message from bathroom.
Only quiet room left in house.
Will install and post pics later.

 

[Frank Drebin]

If you're concerned about cutting perfect circles, I'd copy EMDB's method of using a bottom bearing flush cut router bit.  Little extra work but it turned out great.  Tried on my own artwork and can confirm.  You can always test with the bleed.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=130690.150

page 4

[BGoulette]

Just posting to say I got an unexpected (but welcome!) note from Token in the mail today! Thanks! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[Token]

Just posting to say I got an unexpected (but welcome!) note from Token in the mail today! Thanks! Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The Moonshot cabinet is a huge hit with the family (we are hosting 16 people this year). It is pretty much running non-stop all day. Mostly Mortal Kombat for the teenagers and Golden Tee for the adults. The artwork looks amazing! Our guests can't believe the art is one of a kind.

I've tried to take some good pics of the installed art, but the room is too dark. I need to find my real camera.

[vwalbridge]

Time to bump this up. Give us some updates on Moonshot.

Gimme.

[BGoulette]

+1 :-)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[harveybirdman]

I just sent an order to stpcore, better get us an update soon or I'm gonna upstage ya! 

[Token]

You want some pics, eh?

My goal was for the cab to have finished art installed before the family flew in for their Christmas visit. This year we hosted a total of 16 people for two weeks at our house. Lots of kiddos and a few game-loving adults. But the 2-day USPS delivery took 8 business days (and plenty of complaints to the USPS) to arrive. By that time the family was already here and playing on the cabinet. When art arrived, the cab was decommissioned for the art install.

A few caveats-

1) The T-molding was trashed when I acquired the cab. I will redo at some point in 2016. Your ideas for colors are much appreciated. 
2) There are still quite a few finishing details to take care of. There is a hole in the coin door where a bill acceptor used to be. There is also a hole where the player's card reader used to be. There are also some chips and nicks here and there.
3) I really screwed up one area of the CPO install. When the CP was just sanded ply, the trackball mounting plate looked fine. Once I installed the art... well, you can see the plate is not perfectly flat and level. It shows through the art.
4) Yes, that is black construction paper in the back-lit instructions window (between the speakers). I know that is a perfect space for a second screen, but the more I think about installing one, the more I don't want one. Do I really want to run CPWizard? This cab has RGB LEDs and LEDBlinky for control instructions. Feel free to try to convince me one way or another about a second screen.
4) I suck at taking photos.

So the cab isn't 100% complete, but all software, hardware, wiring, controls, and artwork are done!

I can't say enough about BGoulette's artwork. 


That is stpcore's printing. Marquee on translite (this pic shows it without the marquee light on and it still looks amazing!), and CPO on vinyl laminated with polycarbonate. This cabinet was used at least 4-6 hours a day for two weeks. The CPO stood up great.

Lots more pics in the next few posts!

[Token]

I think there are two things interesting about this project- BGoulette's retro line art, and the vertical mounted widescreen. Here are a couple pics showing under the hood of the screen is jammed in there.

Here the speaker/instruction card panel and the tinted glass have been removed. With the CP open, you can almost see the entire screen. Only the middle of the TV screen is visible when this is all closed up. The plywood near the top is to block the light from the marquee light from glaring on the TV screen below. Is that electrical tape on the TV frame?! Yes it is. It was a temporary way to black out the metal frame, but with the tinted glass you can't see it at all, so its staying put! 



This TV is 42". It fits, barely, in this cab. Griff somehow jammed a 50" plasma into his build. He is also rich and insane. This pic shows one of the few pieces of interior framing that I kept from the original cab. It holds the glass and has a nifty cut-out for your finger. I had to cut it out and relocate it, which required some pocket holes (Kreg Jig  ).


For anyone trying to mount a vertical widescreen, the powerstrip utility is a must-have. Keep in mind that some emulators don't play nice with this set-up in full-screen mode, but Hyperspin and MAME do just fine.

[Token]

I have neither the ability nor patience to wire a control panel like Chance. Here's the evidence--



What's in there? Two crappy Zippyy joysticks (with upgraded soft switches from GGG), 16 RGB Classic pushbuttons from Ultimarc, the original HAPP trackball, an Ultimarc I-Pac Ultimate, and a mess of wires.

[Token]

You all convinced me to go with original art. You helped me layout the controls. Thank you! It turned out great.

I replaced the red balltops with GGG white replacements. Neither balltops nor trackball are LED backlit (like the buttons), but when the cab is off they all look like they were made to go together.



Yeah, see the trackball plate? BGoulette's art makes up for my mistake there.

And the control layout looks good and plays fantastic! Golden Tee and Street Fighter play equally well on this PGA Tour cab. I have no need for other admin buttons or even shifted keys. That's what this is for--




This pic does not do the marquee justice. It looks so nice backlit. And I can't remember who originally posted the pincushioned scanlined Williams S. Sessions splash-screen, but thanks because I love it as my windows background.

[Token]

Hyperspin runs in a custom 768x768 resolution. Horizontal MAME games run in 768x576. Vertical run 576x768. Or maybe I got that backwards. You get the idea.

Hyperspin



Horizontal (with terribly photographed game-specific RGB buttons powered through the body of an I-PAC Ultimate and the brain of LEDBlinky).


Vertical with instruction card


Vertical without instruction card


Vertical with bezel art


Yes, I have played quite a lot of this cabinet's spiritual ancestor (It plays OK with two joysticks, but analog would be nice).

[harveybirdman]

Just put a mesh grill between those speakers. You don't need a second monitor.

Get orange, blue, and white t-molding samples and pick your favorite.

[harveybirdman]

Oh and 

Looking real good!

[Token]

Moonshot has no 3rd or 4th player. No spinner. No lightguns. No steering wheel.

But I did put in a jukebox.

SKJukebox


Its a bunch of Top 40 hits that you might find in a juke back in the day. There is a strict cut-off at 1989.

If you put a jukebox in a MAME cabinet, you probably need a numpad. Cordless is nice. MAME defaults 5 and 6 as coin1 and coin2. This makes selecting songs in the jukebox challenging if they contain numerals 5 or 6. But numpad 5 and numpad 6 are distinct from regular 5 and 6.




That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed all the pics of the luxurious 1950s paneling in my den.

Thanks to all who offered encouragement and advice in this thread! You really made this project so much better than it would have been by myself.

I know BGoulette would appreciate some help with his cabinet fund, so give that dude some work! He does great art and is a pleasure to work with. 

[alexkyriak]

Token, absolutely awesome project mate, love it. Great attention to detail and quality.

Am interested in your use of the tv in the vertical. I have a few queries:

1. What is the max resolution of this tv?
2. Is the screen resolution aspect ratio controlled with standard windows resolution control or via dedicated graphics card application? Looks to be an Asus specific app to your graphics card?
3. Does the tv turn on automatically when you power up the cab?

Thanks! 

[yotsuya]

This TV is 42". It fits, barely, in this cab. Griff somehow jammed a 50" plasma into his build.

I've seen the cab in person. It's huge. He probably had room to spare.

He is also rich and insane.

Well, this too....

[Token]

1. What is the max resolution of this tv?

Off the top of my head, I think its 1366x768. I can check later to make sure.

2. Is the screen resolution aspect ratio controlled with standard windows resolution control or via dedicated graphics card application? Looks to be an Asus specific app to your graphics card?

Powerstrip allows you to set all kinds of crazy custom resolutions and has limited ability to re-position the visible screen. I was able to mount this almost perfectly centered where I needed it, so I didn't have to re-position much. If you need more re-positioning than powerstrip allows, Retroarch is probably the way to go.

3. Does the tv turn on automatically when you power up the cab?

Yes. I'm using a smart powerstrip. The CPU is plugged into the "master" outlet. The monitor, marquee light, and speaker amp are plugged into the secondary outlets. When I power on the cpu, all secondary outlets receive power.

[alexkyriak]

Thanks a lot, Token. Was also thinking of running a large portrait format to allow vertical games to run in a big format, whilst not disadvantaging landscape format games (hence using oversized screen). 

However, was interested to see your custom resolution solution of 768x768. The tv I am thinking of using is 1920x1080 pixels 42 inch. To appropriate your technique would yield a 1080x1080 square. Presumably this could be set at 1080x1440 (once tv is physically rotated into portrait) to maximise width and height in this format assuming a 4:3 ratio.

What is the rationale for the square 768x768 resolution and how does it relate to the aspect ratios of the various games? I understand your glass screen masking correlates to the screen resolution once centred using powerstrip?

Cheers.


Ps. Insane artwork by the way.

[vwalbridge]

Looks like a fun cab to play on token. Some blue side-art to compliment that control panel would really be nice.

So now that you have played it for a while...what games do you find get the most action on it?

[Token]

Looks like a fun cab to play on token. Some blue side-art to compliment that control panel would really be nice.

So now that you have played it for a while...what games do you find get the most action on it?

Side art... I know. It needs that and T-Molding to really pop.

I was worried it wouldn't get played much after I finished, as the kids have their phones, the Wii, XBox, etc. But even after the holidays ended, it still gets played every day. We will see how long that lasts. I'm making an effort to try out a lot of games I'd never played before in the arcade. For example, I had never touched a game of Joust before this build. Lots of famous and not-so-famous games are getting a few tokens.

Games getting lots of tokens so far-
Mortal Kombat (by the visiting cousins)
Golden Tee (by the visiting adults)
Street Fighter II
Maniac Square (just played by me for the high score competition here on BYOAC)
Metal Slug games
Lunar Lander
Donkey Kong
Mille Miglia 2
Pitfall 2

Nobody seems very interested in Shmups.

The MAME gamelist is being aggressively trimmed. Guests were definitely overcome with decision paralysis when they first turned on the cabinet. I also removed a bunch of systems and then a guest mentioned how great it would be to play Colecovision, so I had to add it back (temporarily). Super Mario World (Super Nintendo) gets a ton of play, so I guess the Super Nintendo stuff can stay. I'll leave Dreamcast, as a lot of those are arcade ports that I like. MUGEN refuses to work in full screen at a 4:3 aspect ratio with my sideways screen, which is a shame. The kids love fighters.

The Jukebox is played about as much as the games. I think my plan to indoctrinate my children with cool older music is working, but I greatly regret putting "Surfing Bird" in the mix.  At least I left off  

[harveybirdman]

Nobody seems very interested in Shmups.

BLASPHEMY!

[BGoulette]

Nobody seems very interested in Shmups.

BLASPHEMY!

Yeah, you need better friends. And family! 

[harveybirdman]

yeah I mean... Surely there's SOMEBODY that said, "Yeah, but can it play Galaga?"

[Token]

Nobody seems very interested in Shmups.

BLASPHEMY!

Yeah, you need better friends. And family! 

My youngest daughter loves Bells & Whistles, the cutest Shmup ever, so I guess there's that...   

yeah I mean... Surely there's SOMEBODY that said, "Yeah, but can it play Galaga?"

Yeah, it got played. Lots of other classics too. But nobody camped out on those games.

[yotsuya]

Rule #22 in this hobby: No one gives a crap about your favorite games/genres, they just want to play Galaga.

[Peabo]

Very nice build!  Love the use of the vertical tv

[scoodidabop]

Rule #22 in this hobby: No one gives a crap about your favorite games/genres, they just want to play Galaga.

lol! Totally accurate.

[Token]

It's time to set-up a power-button.

I want it to fit the cabinet thematically. I'd really like it to have a cover.

Feel free to chime in with ideas/suggestions.

As cool as the covered toggle switches are, I think it needs to be a pushbutton.


That hazard tape is terrible, but something along these lines might work.

[Token]

Just found some more ideas on Amazon.


http://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Switch-Mushroom-Button-Station/dp/B008ZY9CXE/ref=pd_sim_328_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41op6-qWdAL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0QH2GD478T9F2Y272M3Q


http://www.amazon.com/Mushroom-Momentary-Button-Switch-Cover/dp/B0094GM1O4/ref=pd_sim_60_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=414c%2Bg7qo7L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1YC95ZBGVR7SGPM2170M

[vwalbridge]

A little pricey, but another option:



Another pricey option:

[yotsuya]

Those are interesting. Most people hide the power button out of sight.

[Token]

Those are interesting. Most people hide the power button out of sight.

Yeah, that's the backup plan. I would like to find something that will nicely cover up the player's card reader hole in the front of my cab.

A little pricey, but another option:

Those are ridiculously good looking. Thanks!

[vwalbridge]

Hey Token,

2 Questions:

1. How are you powering on your TV inside of Moonshot right now?
2. Does powerstrip allow you to set very precise windows resolutions...like say 1800x1080? And then only have that portion shifted directly to the left or right of the screen? Does that make sense?

[Token]

1. How are you powering on your TV inside of Moonshot right now?

I have a hole in the front of the cab where the players' card reader used to be. I mounted the old Dell's power button inside there.

2. Does powerstrip allow you to set very precise windows resolutions...like say 1800x1080? And then only have that portion shifted directly to the left or right of the screen? Does that make sense?

Yes, very precise windows resolutions are doable. However, they are automatically centered. You can adjust the position on screen, but in my experience if I try to move it around too far off-center everything crashes. YMMV. My TV is mounted almost centered, so my custom resolution is only a couple inches off center.

[reptileink]

Man, I love this build!

[Token]

Even though I am a graduate of the Stevie Wonder School of Photography, I thought I should post the cab with the new t-molding.

[vwalbridge]

GOOD color choice. 

I thought for sure you would go with white.

That orange compliments the blue really well. (It's orange right?)

I do really love your build for many reasons. One of them is that you took one less Golden Tee from the world. 

[Token]

GOOD color choice. 

I thought for sure you would go with white.

Thank you. I ordered samples in red, orange, yellow, blue, and white. I was between orange and white, but the rest of the family unanimously chose orange. I think they were right on!