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Author Topic: Monolith - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"  (Read 127649 times)

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chito

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Monolith - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« on: October 04, 2016, 01:40:58 am »
Monolith

<place holder for final project outcomes>

Concept


Credits and special thanks
Arcade paradise, GroovyGameGear and Ultimarc- who have answered all my questions
Vcabinet - great idea for vertical screen orientation
stigzler - Winning name suggestion (Monolith)

Inspiration
MagicPlay - Timberman
ChanceKJ - Flynn's Aracde
X-arcade - Arcade2Tv Showcase
Mordern Arcades and in particular prizer winners at BOSA Awards 2016 (Best Of Show Arcade Machine Awards) winners:
  • - tall and bright, vertical screen, illuminated CP, Led strips on either side of screen
  • MotoGP Arcade - illuminated t-moulding
  • - tall and bright, vertical screen, illuminated t-moulding, illuminated CP, RGB illuminated bezel
  • - tall and bright, vertical screen, illuminated t-moulding, illuminated CP
  • - tall and bright, vertical screen, RGB Led strips on either side of screen, illuminated CP
  • - tall and bright, vertical screen, illuminated CP, illuminated bezel

Photos
Flickr photo album
« Last Edit: May 01, 2017, 12:00:20 am by chito »

chito

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Re: un-named - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2016, 01:41:21 am »
Build Info and thinking behind build
So Ive kinda dabbled in cabinet building in the past (the brocade is just one of them) and while i've own cabinets but never actually made a full cabinet, i've made arcade gaming systems. This is my first attempt at a full cabinet from scratch.

I've always wanted a cool looking cabinet that was stylish and a strong presence in my living room without being too cheesy. For me, it would need to look like a slice of arcade at home (lights and sounds).

Pedestal Cabinet
I've always like the X-arcade Arcade2Tv Showcase Cabinet. I liked how clean and slick it looked especially how nice it was when the lights came on. So decided i would make something like this. But I didnt want to spend $2.5k on a cabinet (little did I realise that making one would cost way more!). I also wanted 4 players and light up controls.



All aboard the aircraft carrier. To me this is the best 4 player layout as the main 2 players have the best seats in the house, caters for pinball nicely and has an appealing shape. There are so many monstrous and fat 4 player control panels and cabinets out there, I really didn't want that for this build. Full credit to Jarrett Heather



Screen
One thing that has always annoyed me about arcade gaming is how when you switch from game to game, there's wasted space and worst of all no instructions cards, which sucks when your playing fighting games! I want to see not just the marquee but all the cards that a game would have in real life. Most people solve this with a 2nd screen. but for me thats a crap solution, so complicated when you can achieve a better result by thinking differently. Rotate the screen into portrait mode!! that way you can fit everything in one screen using a bezel!! Some games will use the screen differently depending on how much needs to go on the screen. For example Snow brows is simple and has plenty of room while SF4 has a lot of artwork and instruction cards using up a large part of the screen.



I have a nice 55inch TV for my living room and i sit about 1.4 meters (5 feet) from it. Its way to big for something that is going to be right up in your face. its sooo uncomfortable having move your head to see everything that going on, its like sitting in the front rows of a cinema. But a 55 inch screen is perfect for games played across the width of portrait orientation. In a portrait orientation the screen will be equivalent the a 33inch screen and the user will be aprrox 90cm (3 feet away)

Screen cabinet
So how was i going to create the housing for the Screen? luckily a whole bunch of new mobile to arcade redemption and retro classic remake redemption arcade games have been coming out which use a vertical screen. Out of the ones that i found, it was timberman arcade by MagicPlay that appealed to me. It was nice and simple and used the RGB T-moulding I wanted for my cabinet.



Why is it so tall?
The design currently stands at 2.3 meters (7.5 foot) and one of the main reasons its so tall is because im using a 55inch screen. The middle of the screen sits at my eye level (and im on the shorter side). In comparison, the redemption ticket machines are around the same height and some are taller, especially with the marquee sign on top, they also dont use screens as large as my build. For example, the Timberman Arcade machine uses a 42inch screen and is 294cm (9.6 foot) tall, I think this includes the marquee. but any smaller i wouldnt havet been happy with because at a portrait orientation i get the equivalent of a 33inch tv to play games.

Why a box and not a stand or wall mounted
the tv i bought for this had issues as well, which is another reason i went for a box and not a stand. When i bought the tv i should've looked at the back. while it had mounts so it could be wall mounted. it had them at the base of unit. And they are horizontally centered but not vertically. which meant that when i rotated the TV it was lob sided with most of the weight on one side. I found this out after i bought a tv stand to test game artowrk and set up the software... it looked like it could fall to one side at any moment. I so i needed something that was more stable. on the plus side, i have somewhere for all that lovely side art

Illuminated T-moulding
So to stay in line with the goals for this project, in particular:
  • strong presence in my living room
  • a slice of arcade at home (lights and sounds)

This build will have illuminated t-moulding. I think lights are a defining feature of arcades and is part of their personality. Arcades are designed to standout and the illuminated t-moulding along with an illuminated control panel will all contribute to achieving this goal. I think it also adds to the more modern look this cabinet will have. You can refer to the inspiration cabinets listed in the post before this one for examples.



Concept preview
After months of planning, sketches, research, measuring and field trips to arcades ;) I've finally been able to whip something up in Fusion 360 (which I've also been learning for this project). This is my concept and while it looks very similar to the inspiration cabs on the outside. there was a lot of planning and revisions for the inside of the cabinet sections. There are still some problems i don't know how i will resolve yet. Theme and artwork is also still in undefined as i can't pick a damned name or theme for this build!!

« Last Edit: November 05, 2016, 10:08:17 am by chito »

wemr97dl

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Re: un-named - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2016, 07:46:03 am »
After my Build which still is not finished
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,144775.msg1504810.html#msg1504810
My suggestion with your concept is to keep all the guts under the CP and just run a cable to the monitor, I put my computer, sound and power in the Monitor Base and used a ton of unnecessary wire and cable because of the length and the fact that it breaks down into 4 pieces. Everything comes apart with plugs at each section but I would try to keep that to a minimum. I think it looks great but you may want to consider making a separate base for the monitor in case you ever have to move it   

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You hit one of your goals.... It's going to be strong presence, all right. :cheers:
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

chito

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Re: un-named - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2016, 09:25:45 am »
My suggestion with your concept is to keep all the guts under the CP and just run a cable to the monitor, I put my computer, sound and power in the Monitor Base and used a ton of unnecessary wire and cable because of the length and the fact that it breaks down into 4 pieces. Everything comes apart with plugs at each section but I would try to keep that to a minimum. I think it looks great but you may want to consider making a separate base for the monitor in case you ever have to move it

Yeah I've broken it up into 3 main parts. The computer will be inside the base along with all the power connections and hard drives. The base moves on dollies that will be attached underneath, then leg levelers will lock it in to place. I've designed the TV stand with enough support material on the front and the back so that it doesn't tilt backwards or forward and is free standing. the base would then roll into place and i was thinking for extra support and stability find a way to attach it to the TV base


chito

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Re: un-named - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2016, 09:35:14 am »
Do you want feedback and suggestions?

Yeah for sure. Any feedback is welcomed. Im sure there are things ive missed or could perhaps do better. There are parts i will talk about later on that I definitely need help with.

pbj

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2016, 09:41:07 am »
Personally, I would mount the screen to the wall and use a setup that could be rotated.  HDTVs are much cheaper these days but that thing is going to take up a lot of real estate and not be usable for anything else.

Your current design is going to have players 3 and 4 stubbing their toes.


chito

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2016, 09:53:28 am »
Personally, I would mount the screen to the wall and use a setup that could be rotated. HDTVs are much cheaper these days but that thing is going to take up a lot of real estate and not be usable for anything else.
this is true. I didnt want it mounted to a wall since i wanted a proper arcade feel. Plus it houses the speakers very nicely and also i wouldn't be able to run the t-moulding lights down the sides if it were wall mounted. This a cabinet that im not holding back for and going all in. Do it proper. hopefully, it will be worth it in the end


Your current design is going to have players 3 and 4 stubbing their toes.
Already accounted for I used kitchen cabinets to test it. Should it still not be enough the control panel can slide forward more ;)

yotsuya

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2016, 10:00:31 am »
Are you single or are you married? 'Cause if you're married, you're gonna be single soon after...
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

chito

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2016, 10:12:00 am »
Are you single or are you married? 'Cause if you're married, you're gonna be single soon after...

lol... not married, no kids... ah the freedom B)
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 08:52:20 am by chito »

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2016, 10:14:51 am »
Think of all the horrible LED buttons you can buy if you save money on MDF or Plywood and make a pedestal and with the TV mounted on the wall.


yotsuya

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If your goal is to recreate a modern day Redemption style arcade machine, then you succeeded. That's really the best advice I can give you.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

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Oh, and I will echo Malenko thoughts... That machine looks awfully tall.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2016, 10:35:36 am »
I'm most impressed with Fusion 360.

It makes stuff I mock up in Sketch Up look like it was drawn with a crayon.  :'(
If you can read this, it means Photobucket's money grab ruined my signature photos.

chito

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2016, 10:37:45 am »
Well ^ this. Boxing in the TV seems unnecessary

very true, but so is having an arcade cabinet in the first place when you could use a latop or raspberry pi. Building the cab should be fun, super expensive and a cool experience. Anyway thats my angle

all those extra angles around the CP stand seems like a lot of extra work for little or no reward. Man do I hate the shape of the CP, everyone treats that CP shape like its the second coming of Christ when NBA Jam did the 4 player panel so much better. Form over Function for you I guess.

Not many games actually use all 4 players, I liked that they were out of the way for most games with this layout. the other benefit is that the front part that sticks out, which is great for pinball games which would go really well with a screen in portrait orientation.

Based on your reply to PBJ I feel like you have all your excuses ready to counter any feedback.
Before i posted this build announcement, I had already spent like 2-3 months researching and planning and going over designs in my head. I spent 3 weeks creating the CAD model with as many considerations to structure, material strength and comfort, as possible. I hope I've got my bases covered. But i didnt post it just as news. I do need people's help, and i encourage people to attack it and find weakness' in the design. I really hope i havent missed anything... later on ill talk about stuff like the TV stand, i think needs more support and reinforcement, how to hide cables between the base and TV, how to manage power and distribution, how to turn on the screen when the computer comes on... and more I do need a lot of help

You can have the TV bling blingie without boxing it in, put cold cathodes behind it. The box houses speakers? TV have speakers already, or you can put them in the pedestal.
"not holding back and going all in" may not have the same meaning it does for you as it does for me. If the "person" in your renders is 6 foot tall, then the cab is 9 foot?
at one stage i thought about, not so much wall mounting it, but having it on a stand much like the Arcade2Tv cabinet and maybe adding ambient lighting, which is a nice effect.



The speakers are 2.1 sound system (way better than the TVs) and they will run from the PC and comes with a control pod for volume, bass and even has headphone and mic jacks. Thats why i didnt go fo the TV's speakers


chito

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Oh, and I will echo Malenko thoughts... That machine looks awfully tall.

This was a huge concern for me as well. and ive measured it up and mocked it up at my place to visualise how much space it will take up. It is tall but very acceptable. its 20cm or 8inch taller than my front door. It has a height of 2.3 meters or 90.5 inches.

Malenko also mentioned a problem for tall people: I created the cabinet with dimensions that suited me and people around my height. I put alot of consideration in to the dimensions of things. The control panel is at the same height as other cabinets ive come across and even the kitchen benches at my place and my parents. If you're a tall person you'll have to deal with not only a lower screen (which they would have to for any other cab) but also a low control panel. For my tall friends, Ill have a bar stool the can use.

interestingly enough these new redemption machines have a really low control panel, adults have to bend over a bit to play and I'm assuming this is because ticket redemption machine are more aimed at kids
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 10:53:29 am by chito »

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #16 on: October 04, 2016, 10:51:43 am »
Alright, let us know when you start cutting some boards.

:cheers:


yotsuya

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Alright, let us know when you start cutting some boards.

:cheers:
I know, right? :cheers:
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

chito

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #18 on: October 04, 2016, 11:00:40 am »
I'm most impressed with Fusion 360.

It makes stuff I mock up in Sketch Up look like it was drawn with a crayon.  :'(

I was using sketchup for ages. its so simple to use... But saying that im so glad i made the jump to Fusion 360. It can do way more and you have more control over your designs... for exmaple with sketchup i would design with say 16mm mdf in mind... then if for some reason say the supplier says nope can't do 16mm, can only do 18mm... this meant you had to redo the whole thing with the new thickness.  Fusion 360 designs update the whole design with the new thickness (provided you designed it to do so).

Fusion has a steeper learning curve but soooo many more features. and its free for enthusiasts

chito

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #19 on: October 04, 2016, 11:10:29 am »
Alright, let us know when you start cutting some boards.

:cheers:

while i wish a had the room to cut all the boards myself, unfortunately i live in an apartment. Which means that ill be taking this cab design, laying it out flat and getting it CNC cut (the designs cater for cnc with bone fillets etc). I do plan to construct this at my parents double garage where i have my tools (but my router is missing, my drill is dead, don't have a table saw. I think jig saw still works lol). How i wish i had a workshop. right now my living room is cluttered with arcade parts, boxes and tools.

And i still need to prototype the RGB t-moulding which i have a method for and some questions. which ill post about soon
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 11:21:33 am by chito »

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #20 on: October 04, 2016, 02:11:21 pm »
You designed this to be in an apartment? Do yourself a favor and mock this up with cardboard first...

yotsuya

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You designed this to be in an apartment? Do yourself a favor and mock this up with cardboard first...
Great advice. It just seems so massive, I didn't even fathom the think what it would be like in an apartment building. Especially if you say it's taller than your doorway.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #22 on: October 04, 2016, 03:51:00 pm »
                    DOWHATCHALIKE


Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.

Look at old original 4 player games and where the arrows on the artwork point (and your example pic).  ;)


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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2016, 04:06:12 pm »
                    DOWHATCHALIKE


Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.

Look at old original 4 player games and where the arrows on the artwork point (and your example pic).  ;)

Now I want a cracker with a spread of cheddar cheese.   :cheers:

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #24 on: October 04, 2016, 05:33:12 pm »
Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.
QFT.

Green = good.  Red = bad.




Scott

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #25 on: October 04, 2016, 06:13:32 pm »
You designed this to be in an apartment? Do yourself a favor and mock this up with cardboard first...

its not really designed for an apartment specifically. i just live in one and it will fit. ive also thought about how am i going to get it into the house.. how to disassemble should i move etc. without the sides the tv is just a box. so i can break down into smaller parts

to get an idea of the size and visualise it i used masking tape and like a crime scene i put tape on the walls and floor where i plan to have it.

Why is it so tall?
so one of the main reasons its so tall is because im using a 55inch screen. the redemption ticket machines dont use screens that large. but any smaller i wouldnt havet been happy with because at a portrait orientation i get the equivalent of a 33inch tv to play games.

Why a box and not a stand or wall mounted
the tv i bought for this had issues as well, which is another reason i went for a box and not a stand. When i bought the tv i shouldve looked at the back. while it had mounts so it could be wall mounted. it had them at the base of unit, it was horizontally centered but not vertically. which meant that when i rotated it was lob sided. I found this out after i bought a tv stand and tried to have the screen vertically mounted to create the artwork for games. there was heaps of weight to one side. not only was it not level, it looked like it could fall to one side at any moment. I so i needed something that was more stable. on the plus side i have somewhere for all that lovely side art


Edit: Updated concept explanation post with the above (2nd post)
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 08:55:22 am by chito »

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #26 on: October 04, 2016, 06:21:16 pm »
Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.
QFT.

Green = good.  Red = bad.




Scott

I havent got around to creating the mounts for the controls yet. ive seen the many many posts about this. and i asked about this in another thread. while it seem counter intuitive to me ill will go with what seems the consensus. Ive seen games that do it like the red.

worst case scenario i can always machine out a new top for the control panel.

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Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #27 on: October 04, 2016, 06:37:07 pm »

Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.
[/quote]
QFT.

Green = good.  Red = bad.




Scott
[/quote]

I havent got around to creating the mounts for the controls yet. ive seen the many many posts about this. and i asked about this in another thread. while it seem counter intuitive to me ill will go with what seems the consensus. Ive seen games that do it like the red.

When it comes down to it it's your cab

Unless you are manufacturing for mass market then consensus doesn't matter
 I think the "red" is aesthetically better and p3-4 will cope if it's not their preferred stance, but I reckon 99% of people wouldn't notice the angled orientation

BTW awesome looking cabinet




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« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 06:45:21 pm by thePrimativ »


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yotsuya

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #28 on: October 04, 2016, 07:42:20 pm »
...Bunch of poorly formatted stuff I filtered out. 

Sure they will. It's noticeable, and thinking "aw, they'll get used to it" and "it's your cab" isn't a good excuse to do things the wrong way. It's not pleasing the consensus, it's solid, tested planning. Just sayin'.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2016, 07:45:05 pm by yotsuya »
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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #29 on: October 04, 2016, 10:36:41 pm »
You indicated you are looking for feedback, above.

I think the 55" screen with dynamic bezel and marquee at the top is a workable idea.

I think you could reduce the height significantly if you covered the bottom of the screen by sinking it into the cabinet.  Nothing below the bezel is really contributing much, but your current cabinet design is showcasing that space, and that's part of what is making it so very, very tall.

Very tall.

(Like, I'm feeling like you need one of those circus hammers as a controller to run "test your strength!" on it, tall.)

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #30 on: October 05, 2016, 12:21:37 am »
I think you could reduce the height significantly if you covered the bottom of the screen by sinking it into the cabinet.

not sure what you mean by sinking it into the cab, Do you mean just lowering it? right now the screen center is right at my eye level height

Nothing below the bezel is really contributing much, but your current cabinet design is showcasing that space, and that's part of what is making it so very, very tall.
So this confused me for a bit lol. Do you mean the virtual bezel that is on the screen? because the cabinet itself has a bezel just to hide the edges of the screen.
If you mean the virtual bezel then looking at the example of snow bros then yeah there is a lot of unused space. But this isn't going to be the case for all games.
take a look at street fighter 4 for example. Keep in mind that this is a concept and once I test on an actual screen i can improve the layout



Edit: Updated concept explanation post with the above (2nd post)
« Last Edit: October 30, 2016, 08:55:50 am by chito »

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #31 on: October 05, 2016, 01:06:21 am »
Yes, by sinking it into the cab I mean lowering it, and not setting the screen center at your eye level height.  Most people are looking downward on the screen on most arcade cabinets.

Using the Snow Bros example, I've mocked up an image of what I would suggest.

By removing the virtual speaker panel and the dead space below the virtual bezel in the layout, you could drop the virtual marquee down to normal marquee height, and drop the overall height of the cabinet down as well.

The dotted blue line would be the portion of the 55" TV hidden inside the cabinet, unused, behind an actual physical bezel.

(This would prevent you being able to fit 27 instruction cards onto the Street Fighter 4 layout.  You might consider that to be a disadvantage.)

Just my suggestion.  Worth what you paid for it.   :)

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #32 on: October 05, 2016, 01:26:05 am »
Yes, by sinking it into the cab I mean lowering it, and not setting the screen center at your eye level height.  Most people are looking downward on the screen on most arcade cabinets.

Using the Snow Bros example, I've mocked up an image of what I would suggest.

By removing the virtual speaker panel and the dead space below the virtual bezel in the layout, you could drop the virtual marquee down to normal marquee height, and drop the overall height of the cabinet down as well.

Yeah i see what you mean. I thought that might be what you were talking about. If you take a look at this site, on the letter B artwork page VCabinet you'll see that its not that straight forward. That Grill at the bottom is different sizes for different games. its not constant. This is because the original bezel artwork for these games were made for different sized cabs and screens, some games have instruction cards, some dont... the grill is just used to take up the left over space for that particular game.

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #33 on: October 05, 2016, 01:41:02 am »
Yeah i see what you mean. I thought that might be what you were talking about. If you take a look at this site, on the letter B artwork page VCabinet you'll see that its not that straight forward. That Grill at the bottom is different sizes for different games. its not constant. This is because the original bezel artwork for these games were made for different sized cabs and screens, some games have instruction cards, some dont... the grill is just used to take up the left over space for that particular game.

Yes.  It is true, it would require making your own mame layouts where the vertical height was constant and things were sized for your cabinet.  (That is what I did for my project - in my case, I hid both the top and bottom ends of the TV.)  It would be somewhat easier in your case as you would only have to modify the VCabinet setups instead of doing them from scratch - but not as easy as using them as-is.

I think the extra work would make it look a lot better, but, it's your project.   :cheers:  Thanks for hearing me out. 

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #34 on: October 05, 2016, 02:02:27 am »
Yes.  It is true, it would require making your own mame layouts where the vertical height was constant and things were sized for your cabinet.  (That is what I did for my project - in my case, I hid both the top and bottom ends of the TV.)  It would be somewhat easier in your case as you would only have to modify the VCabinet setups instead of doing them from scratch - but not as easy as using them as-is.

I think the extra work would make it look a lot better, but, it's your project.   :cheers:  Thanks for hearing me out.

Im going to create my own, the template provided on the site is useful but it uses low res assets. I have already remastered the template. Ive spoken to the guy who runs the site and provided him with the remastered template as well. dont know if he has updated it.

Still, i dont think i can get rid of the screen like that, like Street Fighter 4 there will be games that need the whole screen. and its good to have that if i ever need it.
do you have a pic of your set up? would like to see what you came up with
« Last Edit: October 05, 2016, 02:21:42 am by chito »

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Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #35 on: October 05, 2016, 02:11:44 am »


Sure they will. It's noticeable, and thinking "aw, they'll get used to it" and "it's your cab" isn't a good excuse to do things the wrong way. It's not pleasing the consensus, it's solid, tested planning. Just sayin'.


Ok so by that logic

CRT= right,  LCD= wrong


Orig PCB = right,  MAME = wrong

Just sayin....

Original statement remains, build for you



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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #36 on: October 05, 2016, 02:14:08 am »
do you have a pic of your set up? would like to see what you came up with

Sure, I've got a build thread here like most everybody.

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #37 on: October 05, 2016, 02:15:05 am »
Just don't angle player 3 & 4 joysticks.
The player can stand at an angle.  The buttons can be at an angle.
But the joysticks should be installed oriented the same way as P1&P2.
QFT.

Green = good.  Red = bad.




Scott

I havent got around to creating the mounts for the controls yet. ive seen the many many posts about this. and i asked about this in another thread. while it seem counter intuitive to me ill will go with what seems the consensus. Ive seen games that do it like the red.

worst case scenario i can always machine out a new top for the control panel.

Save your time. I did a 2p control panel with both players at an angle. Thinking they can play at an angle for more space.
I trashed it, and used the parts for my bartop.
Controller was unusable at fighting games and annoying at best in shoot'em ups.
My hand naturally followed the orientation of the screen.

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #38 on: October 05, 2016, 02:32:32 am »
do you have a pic of your set up? would like to see what you came up with

Sure, I've got a build thread here like most everybody.

Ah see what you mean. makes sense. you basically created a large square area, rim to rim for bezel and game only. looks nice. hmmm i was thinking about standardising the marquee, screen and lower grill areas. this would mean heavily modifing the art work for games like street fighter 4. i would also need to test to see how readable the moves list is at different sizes. its seems street fighter 4 is a good test case to prototype the artwork

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Re: Pixel Playcade - 55inch vertical screen - project name "go for broke"
« Reply #39 on: October 05, 2016, 09:41:14 am »
Save your time. I did a 2p control panel with both players at an angle. Thinking they can play at an angle for more space.
I trashed it, and used the parts for my bartop.
Controller was unusable at fighting games and annoying at best in shoot'em ups.
My hand naturally followed the orientation of the screen.

Thank you for sharing first hand experience.


Chito,

My $.02 on the height is that you really need to do some testing and figure out what feels right to you while using it.
Since the screen is perfectly vertical, I'd want the center of the screen at eye level.  I wouldn't want to be looking down at it.
However if kids are going to be playing it, I'd take that into account and lower it a bit.

For reference, check out the Dynamo showcase cab dimensions at the bottom of this page:
http://jakobud.com/cabinetPlans.php
You'd probably want the center of your screen to be in the same place as the center of that screen.

Make it as tall as it needs to be for the ergonomics to work out.
It's not like you need the space above it for anything.

« Last Edit: October 05, 2016, 09:43:23 am by BadMouth »