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Author Topic: My new cabinet  (Read 6378 times)

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fgh

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My new cabinet
« on: March 21, 2020, 07:07:00 pm »
Hi everyone!

I’m posting to show you my new arcade cabinet.

It’s not going to appeal to everyone, as it’s slim, simple, has an lcd screen, has no t-molding, doesn't have a name, etc.
So not a purist or historically correct build, but never the less it’s exactly what I want :)





I became a byoac member in 2004, converted an old gutted atari cab to mame in 2005 ( Picture / Thread), and gave it away the next year.
Have been on and off the forums since then, but when I saw Blip being built (loved it!) I decided that I wanted another cab when we settled down.
And when I saw Mimic - after picking up my jaw from the floor - I immediately got the idea for the second screen for artwork.

It’s taken until now as I wanted to move to a bigger place first, and I haven’t been able to prioritize it.

Software for game selection was mostly coded in purebasic back in 2017. I bought parts and tools over time, and MDF and control panel parts in 2018. Finally started the build in December 2019.
Was playable before christmas, so woodworking progress stopped, but today I finished the last trim pieces around the screen, so time for some pics.

The MDF is a special type from Portugal, called Valcromat, which is coloured before pressing so it has color all the way through.
It’s more expensive, but it makes it super simple and I like the look. (It comes in a variety of colors)

Inspired by Mimic, I went for RGB leds everywhere, to make it easy to pick up for guests. Servosticks, ultralux buttons, ipac ultimate, all from Ultimarc.
The leds are operational, and only the required buttons for each game light up, in correct colors. But I need to rewire a few things so leds are currently disabled.
The two 40 inch TV’s and the laptop cost me a total of $70, so it would have been a cheap build had it not been for the expensive control panel and colored MDF.

I’ve kept the design and construction very simple. It’s fixed to the wall by a large ‘french cleat’, so I just lift it up and slide it in place and it’s dead stable.
I'm not a perfectionist, so it's a bit rough when you look closely, but I'm happy with it.

Not going to put a thousand games on it. 20-30 or so is enough. I want to keep the frontend as simple as it is now, just left/right to switch games (all graphics change) and any button to start.
It's a bit more work to add games with semi custom graphics, mame layout files etc, so I'm only at ~12 games so far :)
Will probably have a few console games as well. (Last ninja, superfrog, super mario, ++)

I'll upload some build pics later. (Edit: Added some in the next post, and a video of the front end.)

Thanks to Laythe for help and code examples for purebasic and Ipac programming, and to everyone for inspiration over 15+ years  ;)

Let me know what you think!


Cheers,
Frode
(Norway)
« Last Edit: March 27, 2020, 05:34:16 pm by fgh »

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2020, 07:07:29 pm »
Here are some more pictures: (click to expand)



A minimalist and lightweight construction for a cab, as it's designed to hang off the wall.

1: Routing MDF sure makes a lot of dust!
2: A rather simple frame! When fixed to the TV supports, it's sturdy enough though. It hangs on the wall on the 2x8.
3: Not a lot of excess space
4: Almost there! The horizontal (when upright) board provides some shear rigidity.
5: Rear side. I did clean up the cable mess, I promise! The horizontal shelf is loose, will be fixed when I figure out the rear speaker.




Left: Control Panel layout. One of the japanese layouts from slagcoin.com. I'll make some speaker grilles for the CP to protect and improve the look of the speakers.
Right: I didn't sand anything, as I somehow liked the rough style of the untreated MDF with saw marks still on all edges. (Plus I'm lazy)




1: CP mess. It was designed without the small PCB on the servostick, so I had to rotate the iPac to make it fit.
2: LED's for Street Fighter 2
3: As I angled the lower screen, there is decent clearance from players legs to the screen. I might make a detachable front plate that covers the entire lower screen. (Or add some plexiglass)
4: I did add a small kick plate at least.
5: Rough cuts and small gaps here and there. But at least no visible screws, haha.


About the home made front end:

It's a ~500 line program made in purebasic.
I've made a CSV file with game infomation. Rom name, emulator, 4/8 way stick, button colors.
The frontend mainly does this:

1: Read the game list
2: Display the relevant 1080x1920 files on each monitor for the current game
3: Sense buttons for next/previous game (p1 l/r) and game start (any p1/2 button)
4: When starting game, set servostick 4/8 way position and button colors

Here is a video of the frontend in action, and starting a game: Arcade.mov (100MB quicktime .MOV from my phone)


Other notes:

- The speakers on the floor are temporary. I put the TV speakers on the CP (!), and I'm planning to install a tiny active sub on the small shelf behind the top monitor. (Or an amp + speaker).

- I'm currently running this off a laptop I got for free. It's tucked in below the CP along with a USB hub, a displayport to HDMI adapter, and a USB-HDMI adapter that runs the lower screen. It's only USB2 so low refresh rate but for still images it doesn't matter.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2020, 06:02:26 pm by fgh »

javeryh

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2020, 07:45:22 pm »
This is seriously awesome and I think it's the first "dynamic front panel" I've seen.  Great job.  I'd really like it if you could go into detail on how you built the cabinet and made everything work (software, etc.).  The "wow factor" must be off the charts when you have guests.  Great job.   :cheers:

Greenman

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2020, 09:21:36 pm »
Love it!!  Well done.
My previous projects:

yotsuya

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2020, 09:50:22 pm »
What’s protecting the lower front panel?
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Laythe

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2020, 10:01:27 pm »
Love how that turned out!   :applaud:

Glad to have helped a little. 

It's non-traditional, but it's a cool way to preserve and showcase all of the side art too.  It makes a really appealing setup - I want to walk up and play it. 


Wzrd0803

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2020, 10:59:00 pm »
Wow! Are those 3 LED screens for the top title, game and bottom title?

yotsuya

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2020, 11:09:41 pm »
Wow! Are those 3 LED screens for the top title, game and bottom title?
It’s two TVs. The marquee is the top part of the TV set to display them.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Wzrd0803

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2020, 12:00:09 am »
Wow! Are those 3 LED screens for the top title, game and bottom title?
It’s two TVs. The marquee is the top part of the TV set to display them.

Wow! Impressive

firedance

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2020, 02:26:15 am »
Looks good apart from the speakers on the floor, looks like an after thought  ???

could you maybe place them on top of the cabinet or attach them to the sides at the top, kinda like ears ?
« Last Edit: March 22, 2020, 02:30:01 am by firedance »

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2020, 05:28:47 pm »
Thanks for your comments, guys! I've added some build pics and explanations in the second post, above.


javeryh: Thanks for your kind words! I do like the visual impact of having all the game graphics.

Greenman: Thanks!

Yotsua: I do have a small kickplate at the bottom, and the distance is not too bad due to the screen angle. But it's a concern for sure. I almost named it carefulcade as a joke! I might make a detachable plate to cover the whole screen eventually.

Laythe: Thanks again! At one point years ago I was considering names, and shapeshifter was one of the hot candidates haha.

Wzrd0803: Thanks!

Firedance: The speakers on the floor are temporary, I have TV speakers on the CP and will have a larger speaker or small active sub inside.

« Last Edit: March 22, 2020, 05:52:23 pm by fgh »

DaOld Man

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2020, 05:52:35 pm »
Good build! I, too have never seen a monitor in the bottom part like that. I like that idea however I see what yotsua is getting at. Id be afraid someone would run a foot through it.

yotsuya

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2020, 05:52:42 pm »
Thanks for your comments, guys! I've added some build pics and explanations in the second post, above.


javeryh: Thanks for your kind words! I do like the visual impact of having all the game graphics.

Greenman: Thanks dude!

Yotsua: I do have a small kickplate at the bottom, and the distance is not too bad due to the screen angle. But it's a concern for sure. I almost named it carefulcade as a joke! I might make a detachable plate to cover the whole screen eventually.

Laythe: Thanks again! At one point years ago I was actually considering names, and shapeshifter was one of the hot candidates haha.

Wzrd0803: Thanks!

Firedance: The speakers on the floor are temporary, I have TV speakers on the CP and will have a larger speaker or small active sub inside.
Yeah, I’ve seen enough kids and adults play video games and know that they call it a kick panel for a reason. Never put stools in front of it unless you put some thick protective plexiglass in front of the screen.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

rablack97

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2020, 08:57:52 pm »
check it blood, homie put the plexi coal upside his head, he didn't trip. handled up cold like a muthaaaa.......shiiiiii



Translation:

Yes i did the same for this one a few years ago, just cut some plexi and use that.  You dont need a kickplate.  Im not sure how you mounted the monitor but i would have done it more like an inlay with extra space along the edges, that gives you enough room, to lay the plexi inside the pocket, the lay the monitor face on top of that and then use straps to mount the monitor to the bezel.  I took this to multiple exhibitions and the bottom screen is still in tact.

Nice work man, good to see people think outside of the box and use modern peripherals, the wow factor is right when you got the bling on it....

Coin doors get the middle big one :) #wherethetokensat
« Last Edit: March 22, 2020, 09:09:14 pm by rablack97 »

firedance

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Re: My new cabinet!
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2020, 03:13:17 am »
Thanks for your comments, guys! I've added some build pics and explanations in the second post, above.

Firedance: The speakers on the floor are temporary, I have TV speakers on the CP and will have a larger speaker or small active sub inside.

Thought they would just be temporary, great job  :D

bobbyb13

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2020, 03:25:36 am »
This is excellent.
Beauty in hard won simplicity.
A good lesson in how to address a minimal amount of space and still wind up with a really cool cabinet.

Do you know how much the completed unit weighs?
(Or did I read so fast I missed it?)

Bobby
Relax, all right? My old man is a television repairman, he's got this ultimate set of tools! I can fix it.

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2020, 05:32:48 pm »
DaoldMan: Thanks!

Yotsua: I'll give it some time. If there are some close calls, I'll put some plexigkass over the screen.

Rablack97: Oh so someone did use a separate screen for artwork already! :) Was that a dedicated cab or did it have lots of games with different graphics on the front screen?

Firedance: Thanks again :)

Bobbyb13: Thanks! I don't know its weight I'm afraid. But I can lift it on and off the wall with a bit of effort.
I have enough space, but I wanted to see if slim and simple could work.

rablack97

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2020, 11:59:47 pm »
It's called Morpheus, so it plays pretty much every fighting game out there.  I was using Pinup Popper to drive the marquee and the lower screen, it cycled through videos for all of the game I had on the cab.  Or i could just lock it down to the game i was playing.  I used a audio splitter so you could hear either the game or the sound coming from the videos.

Kaizen777

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #18 on: June 18, 2020, 12:45:19 am »
That's really cool, do you have a thread on your build or about your Morpheus cabinet?

It's called Morpheus, so it plays pretty much every fighting game out there.  I was using Pinup Popper to drive the marquee and the lower screen, it cycled through videos for all of the game I had on the cab.  Or i could just lock it down to the game i was playing.  I used a audio splitter so you could hear either the game or the sound coming from the videos.

keilmillerjr

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #19 on: June 18, 2020, 06:43:09 am »
Flyer art on the bottom is awesome!

Kaizen777

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #20 on: June 18, 2020, 02:57:54 pm »
This is brilliant, makes an amazing showpiece.  The nostalgia factor isn't there for me, but that's ok.  Sure, you can't really enjoy the artwork while you are using the cabinet... but what a show!  I sure wouldn't object to having that in my game room!  Great job!

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #21 on: April 03, 2023, 11:44:24 am »
So, it’s been a few years - did anyone else make something similar? :)

javeryh

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My new cabinet
« Reply #22 on: April 04, 2023, 02:37:54 pm »
It’s still on my endless to do list… I still love the look of this thing. 

I saw something the other day called verticalarcade and it looks like a project to display everything on a large vertical monitor like you did so I need to read up on it.  I could never figure out a custom front end and artwork on my own…
« Last Edit: April 04, 2023, 02:43:39 pm by javeryh »

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #23 on: April 06, 2023, 06:41:31 pm »
Thanks again :)

Yeah, I’ve seen a few cabs with marquees and bezels on one vertical screen.

And the second screen is just for fun after all, so I guess the cost/work and frontend hassle doesn’t make sense for most people. There are a few front ends that can do dual monitors now, but possibly just for a marquee. Didn’t really look into it.

The bottom screen hasn’t taken any damage yet, but my nephew managed to kill the top screen, so I had to replace that 😂

fgh

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Re: My new cabinet
« Reply #24 on: April 06, 2023, 06:43:54 pm »
Flyer art on the bottom is awesome!

This is brilliant, makes an amazing showpiece.  The nostalgia factor isn't there for me, but that's ok.  Sure, you can't really enjoy the artwork while you are using the cabinet... but what a show!  I sure wouldn't object to having that in my game room!  Great job!

A bit late, but thanks for the kind words, both of you !  :cheers: