sit down driving mame?

[Ed ONeill]

Hi all,

I was searching the example page and found very few answers to my questions. I want to make a sit down car racing mame machine, out of an old sit down arcade game . It is a working machine right now I however need to know some questions.

1. Has anyone done this or can someone give me a link ?
2. can I use the current steering wheel,pedals and shifter? The only exacmple I found was a video game hacked stering control sytem.

3. Are there a lot of emulated mame games out there for car racing games?

Thanks in advance
ED

[ashardin]

1.  Yes, people have done it (I don't have any examples handy).  I know there are others who can speak more in depth, but there are some problems with a MAME approach.

2.  Yes, you can use these parts, but you will probably need to hack the existing controls and connect them to either an Opti Pac or Oscar's optical spinner board.  You have to give the computer a way to interpret the existing control's commands.

With MAME, you get into individual games having different controls (i.e. 270 degree wheels vs. 360 degree wheels, and others).  So configuring every game can be an issue.  You may do a search on the boards, this has been discussed.

For these reasons, many people do console sit down cabs.  I have an old Turbo cab running a dreamcast system with an Act Labs wheel/pedal combo.  The dreamcast has many direct arcade ports (Daytona, SF Rush, 18 Wheels, etc) along with the ability to run Gran Turismo 2 via Bleemcast, Sega GT, Tokyo Extreme Racer 2.  A PS2 or Xbox system also would work very well.

MAME'ing that cab, while not impossible, would be very in depth without the functionality you may expect.  The upside is being able to run PC racing games.

[Ed ONeill]

Guess I better start researching or re-thinking...LOL

Signed
ED

[Stingray]

I have a question about steering wheels too. I know some games use 270 & some use 360. What I want to know is will a 360 wheel not work at all with a 270 game and vice-versa?

-S

[unclet]

Here is a link to my 6-panel rotating driving cabinet.   Lots of pictures.  I used Dual Strike hacks to connect most everything (Except for the Pole Position steering wheel which I connected via a USB mouse hack).

http://unclet.arcadecontrols.com/

Let me know if you have any questions.....

PS: There are also detailed pictures of the Dual Strike hacks I did which show exactly where the wires should be soldered/connected.

[crashwg]

I have a question about steering wheels too. I know some games use 270 & some use 360. What I want to know is will a 360 wheel not work at all with a 270 game and vice-versa?

-S

You can use a 360 wheel on 270 games, but it's alot harder than using a 270 on a 270 game.  You will have to be more precise in that you have to return the wheel to the exact place that you started from in order to be going strait.

[Stingray]

Okay, thanks. That's what I thought. I have a 360 wheel in the works. I guess what it comes down to is after it's finished, if I'm not happy with the way it controls 270 games, I'll just have to build another panel for a 270 wheel as well.    

-S

[Brad Lee]

I got my wheel recently(<$20 total from ebay) from a Ironman Stwewart Offroad, but its still sitting in my trunk, havent had the time lately ugh

Anyways, it's a 360' wheel and Ive been thinking of how I could physically restrict the movement to ~270', maybe some kinda peg that can be lockedinto place to prevent free travel, and then just unclipped to allow full 360' spins. The encoder underneath is part of a geared setup(similar to arkanoid) so 1 full spin of the wheel is equal to a heck of a lot of spins of the encoder.. range and sensitivity shouldntbe a problem if its restricted to 270

I geuss for a short term solution you could mark a center point on the wheel with some white tape or paint or something, and then make marks at each end limit.. At least this would make you remember to center the wheel, although if youre spendign that much time watching the wheel you'll probably be getting passed anyway

[GamingGreg]

I got my wheel recently(<$20 total from ebay) from a Ironman Stwewart Offroad, but its still sitting in my trunk, havent had the time lately ugh

Anyways, it's a 360' wheel and Ive been thinking of how I could physically restrict the movement to ~270', maybe some kinda peg that can be lockedinto place to prevent free travel, and then just unclipped to allow full 360' spins. The encoder underneath is part of a geared setup(similar to arkanoid) so 1 full spin of the wheel is equal to a heck of a lot of spins of the encoder.. range and sensitivity shouldntbe a problem if its restricted to 270

I geuss for a short term solution you could mark a center point on the wheel with some white tape or paint or something, and then make marks at each end limit.. At least this would make you remember to center the wheel, although if youre spendign that much time watching the wheel you'll probably be getting passed anyway

I saw someone that added an encoder wheel to a star wars yoke (similar to a 270' wheel) via a set of gears.  This gave him 360' (mouse) movement, but restricted to around 270'.

Perhaps something similar to your idea above would work.  I was thinking of adding a pot (essentially a 270' wheel control) and a couple of centering springs that could be engaged or disengaged from the wheel (via a plunger or lever or something).

[GamingGreg]

I have a question about steering wheels too. I know some games use 270 & some use 360. What I want to know is will a 360 wheel not work at all with a 270 game and vice-versa?

-S

You can use a 360 wheel on 270 games, but it's alot harder than using a 270 on a 270 game.  You will have to be more precise in that you have to return the wheel to the exact place that you started from in order to be going strait.

Okay, on a related question.  Can the reverse scenario work? In other words, can a 270 wheel (like most PC wheels) be used to control a 360 wheel game?

[Generic Eric]

I have a question about steering wheels too. I know some games use 270 & some use 360. What I want to know is will a 360 wheel not work at all with a 270 game and vice-versa?

-S

You can use a 360 wheel on 270 games, but it's alot harder than using a 270 on a 270 game.  You will have to be more precise in that you have to return the wheel to the exact place that you started from in order to be going strait.

Okay, on a related question.  Can the reverse scenario work? In other words, can a 270 wheel (like most PC wheels) be used to control a 360 wheel game?

No
the 360 wheel spins round and round and the only thing that limits its revolution is friction.  I believe they have a reference point as wheel.

the 270 is physically limited so it will not move the whole 360 degs, so you won't have the same game play.

[paigeoliver]

360 wheels do indeed usually have some reference point. I remember putting my Turbo in service mode, and doing some wheel test where it could tell 100 unique positions as the wheel was turned.

I suggest not compromising on your project. There are lots of 360 games, and lots of 270 games. There will be plenty to play with either wheel type, although most games are 360. Just leave off the games that use the wrong wheel type. Trying to use the wrong wheel, or playing with inproper controls is a compromise that makes your game less fun. In my mind it is better to not have Out Run on the driving cab at all, then it is to have it, and have it work poorly.

Btw, 270 games tend to work pretty darn well with off the shelf PC steering wheels. So you can always just play those at your desk, and just put the 360 games in your cabinet, because there is no off the shelf PC solution for those.

[Stingray]

I've got my 360 wheel mouse hacked and working. I don't have a panel built for it, but I mounted it temporarly to a cardboard box for a little "testing". Too fun, I have got to get a panel built for this thing!

I intended to try it out with some 270 games to see how well it would work, but I got a little over-enthusiastic playing Demolition Derby and the encoder wheel caught one of the wires and yanked it out.   I decided it would be best to pack it all back up until I could mount it to the cab properly.  

-S

[Brad Lee]

I've got my 360 wheel mouse hacked and working. I don't have a panel built for it, but I mounted it temporarly to a cardboard box for a little "testing". Too fun, I have got to get a panel built for this thing!

I intended to try it out with some 270 games to see how well it would work, but I got a little over-enthusiastic playing Demolition Derby and the encoder wheel caught one of the wires and yanked it out.   I decided it would be best to pack it all back up until I could mount it to the cab properly.  

-S

LOL thats why mine is still sitting in my trunk.. The mind is strong but the flesh is weak. I know Id have it wedged up in my cab in some makeshit bracket annnnnnnnnnnd..... it would take 6 more months before I built a proper panel for it, wired it nice, made it look good, etc


About not comprimising andtrying to make a 360 work with ALL the games, I agree- If theres not a simple effective way to do it with physical stops, Ill just put the 270 games in the do not play list

[Stingray]

On this subject, is there an easy way to tell which racing games use which type of wheel? I know a lot of them are obvious, but there are a lot I'm not sure about. Short of just trying them out and seeing how well the wheel works I mean.

-S

[Brad Lee]

If youre in mame and tab to the control setup, i think its dial=360, paddle=270