Tips For a HighSchool Student

[spudzaiah]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

[yotsuya]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

[matsadona]

Anything built by this dude is good starting point for everyone else entering this hobby : http://www.koenigs.dk/mame/eng/

[spudzaiah]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

I just need to put 40 hours into it

[leapinlew]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

I just need to put 40 hours into it

Maybe change your criteria to designing an arcade cabinet using graphics arts tools, cad software, etc. I put 40 hours into a cab even now and I've built dozens of them.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, what's the end goal? Learn about computers? Electronics? Woodworking? Problem solving?

[UEDan]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

I just need to put 40 hours into it

Thats a pretty bare criteria. Awesome. Whats your budget?

[Titchgamer]

There must be some other criteria surely?
As for the 40 hours thats easy.
Ive spent several hundred hours on mine not including play time :p

What do you want to achieve with this project and how much cash you got to throw at it?

[Le Chuck]

If it's just time spent, man up and go volunteer at a shelter or food bank for 40 hours. Pick up highway garbage for 40 hours. Give back to the community for 40 hours. Build an arcade machine on your time.

[JDFan]

Will the school allow you to use building this as a school project - when using a pi based emulator involves using some copyrighted roms in the emulator which is technically not completely "legal" ? ( might be better off building a system using an actual legit PCB for a single game rather than an emulator or one of the Jaks Pacific plug and play devices which would have "legally licensed games - could always adapt it afterwards )   

[spudzaiah]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

I just need to put 40 hours into it

Maybe change your criteria to designing an arcade cabinet using graphics arts tools, cad software, etc. I put 40 hours into a cab even now and I've built dozens of them.

I'm fine with putting more than 40 hours in, it's something I want to do.

[spudzaiah]

First off, this is my first post so feel free to tell me if I'm posting in the wrong place, or other things of that nature. Basically, for my senior project I want to build a bartop arcade cabinet using a raspberry pi. I'm looking for general tips such as good plans for the cabinet, and places I can find artwork. I'm not sure I want to design my own artwork so if anyone could point me towards designs I could use that would be great. Any tips and or general comment would be hugely appreciated, thanks.
   

What's the criteria for the senior project?

I just need to put 40 hours into it

Thats a pretty bare criteria. Awesome. Whats your budget?

I have a few hundred bucks I'm working with. I already have some decent buttons/ joysticks though.

[spudzaiah]

If it's just time spent, man up and go volunteer at a shelter or food bank for 40 hours. Pick up highway garbage for 40 hours. Give back to the community for 40 hours. Build an arcade machine on your time.

The school wants it to be a personal project. theywant it to be something you enjoy so that you will put more than 40 hours into. 40 hours is just the minimum.

[spudzaiah]

There must be some other criteria surely?
As for the 40 hours thats easy.
Ive spent several hundred hours on mine not including play time :p

What do you want to achieve with this project and how much cash you got to throw at it?

They want you to gain some knowledge in a skill. I'm going to program our schools wood CNC to cut the peices for the cab out. I have a few hundred dollars I'm willing to spend, I already have some joysticks and buttons though.

[spudzaiah]

Will the school allow you to use building this as a school project - when using a pi based emulator involves using some copyrighted roms in the emulator which is technically not completely "legal" ? ( might be better off building a system using an actual legit PCB for a single game rather than an emulator or one of the Jaks Pacific plug and play devices which would have "legally licensed games - could always adapt it afterwards )   

I have already been approved for it. I'm going to get around that by only demoing it playing some SNES games which I own.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Welcome to the forums spudzaiah!   

That sounds like an awesome school!  CNC machine?  Wow, I wish my school had that when I went (was it even invented back then?  LOL).  Anyway, it's a great skill to learn.  There are a couple of people here who use CNC's to make flatpack bartop kits.  You may want to PM them to see if they can give you any tips on your learning journey.

"Haruman" @ Haruman's Customs:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130522.0.html
"Rick" @ Gameroom Designs:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,133905.0.html;all

Good luck!

DeL

 

[pbj]

Mooch the CNC files off someone, print out a tinker toy cabinet, slap a 60 in 1 in it, done.

[UEDan]

Mooch the CNC files off someone, print out a tinker toy cabinet, slap a 60 in 1 in it, done.

hahaha lazy.

Your school has a wood CNC? Lucky. You can get a full bartop from a 4x4 sheet of MDF.
Figure out what software they are using and supported formats. You can use CAD software to do all the design and export the cuts.
May not be 40 hours total though...

[DeLuSioNal29]

May not be 40 hours total though...

"Game play testing" counts too.   

[spudzaiah]

Mooch the CNC files off someone, print out a tinker toy cabinet, slap a 60 in 1 in it, done.

hahaha lazy.

Your school has a wood CNC? Lucky. You can get a full bartop from a 4x4 sheet of MDF.
Figure out what software they are using and supported formats. You can use CAD software to do all the design and export the cuts.
May not be 40 hours total though...

Im fairly sure I will be doing the designs in AutoCad. I'm fairly sure I can 40 hours out of it, especially if I design my own artwork.

[spudzaiah]

Welcome to the forums spudzaiah!   

That sounds like an awesome school!  CNC machine?  Wow, I wish my school had that when I went (was it even invented back then?  LOL).  Anyway, it's a great skill to learn.  There are a couple of people here who use CNC's to make flatpack bartop kits.  You may want to PM them to see if they can give you any tips on your learning journey.

"Haruman" @ Haruman's Customs:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130522.0.html
"Rick" @ Gameroom Designs:  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,133905.0.html;all

Good luck!

DeL

 

Thanks for the info!

[cj138]

You should try and shrink down one of the CNC cabs on http://www.classicarcadecabinets.com/