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Author Topic: My first build: "Mimic"  (Read 54764 times)

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Arroyo

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #120 on: March 05, 2021, 07:44:05 am »
Always love this build, glad to see it getting bumped.  I reference this a lot as a good use of an LCD, personally I think it’s the best use case.  You get the full bezels and proper screen sizes for the games switching from 19” and 25”.

Cool use of the mirrors Laythe, very creative.

javeryh

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #121 on: March 05, 2021, 02:16:35 pm »
Always love this build, glad to see it getting bumped.  I reference this a lot as a good use of an LCD, personally I think it’s the best use case.  You get the full bezels and proper screen sizes for the games switching from 19” and 25”.

Agreed.  I'm getting close to finally building a 2P upright and this project will be one that I reference when the time comes.  The creative use of the monitor is what really sets it apart, IMO.  I just need to figure out a side profile that isn't too big...

circusfreak

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #122 on: March 05, 2021, 10:39:47 pm »
Wow! This is a really nice piece of work. Great thinking outside the box using a portion of the TV screen to fill the entire screen area. If you are the first to come up with that idea, then genius! If not, then at the very least it an awesome implementation of it!

I really like the mirrors idea making it look like a row of machines.Nice little play space there.

Cheers!

Gilrock

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #123 on: March 06, 2021, 02:56:40 pm »
Yeah I've got a Mame cab that uses a vertical 50" TV and I created a 1080x1080 viewable profile in the Nvidia driver.  I started it in 2014 and I copied the design from someone else.  I never finished the artwork which has kept the project from finishing although the cab is playable.  It also has a 21:9 marquee monitor.  This one looks really nice though.  I like the thin profile.

lomoverde

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #124 on: March 07, 2021, 06:19:09 am »
Like most people here,i love reading build threads,and this one really has it all.
Really helpful forbeginners like myself.And what a great ending. :applaud:

Laythe

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #125 on: March 07, 2021, 03:25:40 pm »
Thanks, vertexguy, emphatic, markc74, javeryh, mgb, Mike A, XSFDriver, circusfreak, Gilrock and lomoverde! 

There were a couple things that I wanted to respond to in particular...

It also has a 21:9 marquee monitor.

I wanted to clarify here in case of confusion that mine isn't a 21:9 marquee.   It's a LG M2900S, and it's wider and shorter than that.  (It'd be a 25.6:9 if you were using that notation.)  So if you're eyeballing it and thinking of using a 21:9 in a design, be aware that it'll end up 21% taller than this marquee is. 

Great thinking outside the box using a portion of the TV screen to fill the entire screen area. If you are the first to come up with that idea, then genius!

This is an interesting question.

I think that Maximus's Marvel vs Capcom: Revolution v2 was the first build here to go oversize vertical - least, the first one I could find.  I thought that he didn't mask off the ends to show a square, and exposed the whole screen, but on review of the thread I see he went back and added masking later on.  I suspect this is the 2014 machine that Gilrock mentioned that he got the idea from, but please correct me if I'm mistaken.

I had thought that Token's Moonshot and I might have been the first to do masked portrait builds here that only show the center square...  Token's thread predates mine by a couple months because he was posting while he was building whereas I didn't want to post until I knew mine would get finished and work correctly, so I only started my thread at the very end of my build - but we were building at the same time, and had the idea independent of one another.

But, it looks to me like Maximus gets the credit for invention there. 

As a five year ownership update... I'm still made happy by Mimic every time I play with it, which I still do pretty frequently.  I wouldn't change much if I were building it over again - I might have gone with a real coin door converted to coin buttons like Shapeshifter has, which would require a slightly wider center column.  I also might have gone with a removable interior-latched control panel in addition to that removable access panel below it that I used - but those are pretty minor revisions.

The illuminated balltops have held up well.  If you use a wire slip ring under the sticks and high quality teflon insulated wires to the joystick tip LEDs, it seems to be a valid long term thing.  I've had to replace microswitches in the joysticks quite a few times, but that's been about it for stuff wearing out.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2021, 03:46:16 pm by Laythe »

LTC

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #126 on: March 08, 2021, 12:15:04 am »
That is some outside the box thinking there. Looks amazing, but.....












ShapeShifter update?
 :hissy:

Gilrock

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #127 on: March 08, 2021, 09:32:40 am »
No I was just stating what size monitor I used.  Yes my design came from Maximus.  I agree my marquee monitor looks slightly tall but I do have the option to mask it with trim.

cuppm

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #128 on: September 13, 2022, 10:26:51 am »
Was the software ever released for others to play with or customize? 

Laythe

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #129 on: September 20, 2022, 11:18:25 pm »
If you're interested, I can send you a copy, but it's pretty special-cased to this machine.  For example, I alter the emulation options for specific games that need them by hacking on the source code directly.

It might be useful as an example if you also want to roll your own front-end software.  Let me know if you are still interested, knowing that caveat.   ;D

cuppm

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #130 on: September 21, 2022, 02:59:13 pm »
I would love a copy, if nothing else than for my personal knowledge and learning.  I'm still trying to figure out the whole front end software thing - what existing packages do and what/how they interface with the controls and displays. 

Laythe

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #131 on: September 23, 2022, 10:51:04 pm »
PM sent, cuppm.  I don't know that you'll find it terribly useful, but it may be interesting to poke at, and there may possibly be some assets in there you can use.

Malenko

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #132 on: September 24, 2022, 12:13:00 pm »
can't believe I never commented in this thread before, I was positive I did. This is one of my favorite cabs (markc74's OG is up there too) and I cant wait to see shapeshifter done too!
« Last Edit: September 24, 2022, 04:21:56 pm by Malenko »
If you're replying to a troll you are part of the problem.
I also need to follow this advice. Ignore or report, don't reply.

Laythe

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #133 on: September 24, 2022, 03:18:34 pm »
Aw, thanks, Malenko!

Shapeshifter has been sitting at "effectively done, save for a few small details that could still be chased" for quite some time - but if you want to see it done, then I guess I had better properly finish it and post some glamour shots.  That sounds fun again, come to think of it. 

So hey, thanks for the motivation.    8)

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #134 on: September 26, 2022, 02:16:53 pm »
Despite having been one of the direct inspirations for my build, I don't think I've ever posted here either... so here goes:

1.  Mimic is truly an awesome build - well done!  Everything about this cabinet is quality, from the control layout and control panel detailing to the custom frontend / menu and dynamic bezels and marquees.  This build / this thread is one of the main contributing factors toward my decision to try building my own cabinet, and all the build pictures and diagrams really helped me when trying to figure out what I was doing, so again, thank you Laythe!

2.  ShapeShifter is simply incredible, and updates are very welcome. 

3.  The level of precise detail and engineering in your builds still makes me feel like (to borrow a minecraft reference) I'm just over here getting started punching trees and banging rocks together.   I'm still in awe of the amount of engineering that's gone in to ShapeShifter - custom angle on the screen, with a precise offset to move from pinball orientation to 'cockpit' - and THEN having the whole thing automated...  Truly amazing work.  :notworthy:  :notworthy:  :notworthy:




-z-

Zebidee

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #135 on: September 27, 2022, 03:59:27 am »
Cannot believe it has taken me 6 years to stumble across your build thread!

Impressive work. Innovative ideas. Practical. Love it.

The active bezel, marquee, RGB lighting for controls, servostick to change 4/8 way automatically, all very nice.

Makes me like non-CRTs more. I think I'll stick with CRTs and traditional marquees for now, but reading through the 4 pages of your build thread is certainly inspirational.

Will have to look at your shapeshifter project next!

Cheers  :cheers:
Check out my completed projects!


javeryh

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Re: My first build: "Mimic"
« Reply #136 on: September 28, 2022, 03:00:15 pm »
Will have to look at your shapeshifter project next!

It’s completely mental.  Probably the coolest and most ridiculously complex project to ever grace these forums.  It’s mind boggling to me that Laythe carried it through from crazy idea to reality when 99.9% of people would have probably stopped at the “sketch it out on scrap paper” phase.