Got my Sinden Lightgun yesterday, have a question

[Phreakwars]

So I heard that you can modify your bezel artwork to display the border needed for shooting games instead of having the border on every screen while running mame. Anybody have any instructions on how to do this? I'm only using my Sinden for Hogan's Alley and Duck Hunt, so those are the only 2 bezel images I need to figure out. I'm guessing all I need to do, is just make a pure white bezel, then resize the play area on the screen to show that border a bit. Have never done this, would appreciate some knowledge or help on this.

[Phreakwars]

To answer my own question, this is actually REALLY easy. I took the bezel image in the artwork folder, added a grid to it in paint shop pro and filled in some of the area around it in white and left the center transparent. That gave me this:



I then stretched it out zoom in on the play screen to see where I was at, and got this:



Now all I need to do is check grid measurements and just remove (make transparent) the play area and keep just enough to make the white border around it that I need. Will take me a bit, but yeah, pretty easy. I'm guessing I can use this exact same bezel for Duck Hunt as well, so no need to make 2.

[Phreakwars]

Looking good, just a little touch up here and there!!

[Phreakwars]

Yep, I was correct, same file works in duck hunt as well




Here is the modified image if anybody else wants to use it. Just rename it vs_redtent.png and replace the original vs_redtent.png in Hogans alley/Duckhunt in the artwork zip file with the new one.

[Howard_Casto]

I would just like to point out for the second time that you spent $120 on a gun to play two games that can be played on lcds right now with a modified rom and zapper. 

For the love of god actually use those damn things and put some real light gun games on there. 

[Phreakwars]

Yeah, I know, probably sounds like a complete waste for only 2 games. But the thing of it is, Hogan's Alley/Duck Hunt are the only games I like. Truth be told, I'm not a gamer. I have a complete MAME 0.226 rom set in my collection, but the actual games I have installed and play on my cabinets is probably only around 150 or so. I also have tons of roms for other systems on my backup drive, but play very few of them... maybe Zelda and Sonic?? Oh I might occasionally try a new game here or there, but I tend to stick to the ones I grew up playing at the arcades back in the day. My huge rom collection usually only gets utilized if I'm building a cab for someone else, or installing games on a PC for someone else.

[Phreakwars]

Another thing to consider, is these arcade cabinets I build are for my son who has Autism (I DEVOTE MOST EVERYTHING I DO AROUND MY SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS). Therefore when I build them, I try to simplify the interface on them so that they are easy for him to understand, and the game selections are more at a graphics level that appeal to him. Highly doubtful he would play something like Terminator 2 or big buck hunter. He's more into the "kiddie sprite" type stuff if you get what I'm saying. As an example, the control panel on his recent A1U pacman cab looks like this.. super easy to figure out:

[Phreakwars]

Picture of the happiest person in the world. ME!!

Can't tell you how much I love Hogan's Alley. My boy and I are gonna have a blast. Since it's been years and I'm out of practice, should be interesting to see if he can be as good as dad once was. I have an old school skillz advantage on this game, he has youth reflexes. He loves competing with me and can best me on the "pac" games, ain't no way Imma let him steal my Hogan's Alley thunder.  Now to install it on his cabinet,,, after a few more rounds on my PC. 

[Titchgamer]

Its awesome you are sharing this with your kids, Plus great job on the bezel.
I have been meaning to make a pack just not had time to get around to it with all the other stuff I have been doing lately!

Anyways if you have any tech support Q's in the future or would like to get some ideas of games to play with your kids check out the Sinden Wiki.
Its still a WIP but growing daily almost

https://sindenlightgun.miraheze.org/wiki/Main_Page

[Phreakwars]

Thank you for that. Very helpful. I watched the YouTube vid with the British dude trying to explain, he was hard to hear and I really had a hard time with that thick accent, but then, I have a hard time with Jersey/New York accents and Southern accents as well. I might have to do my own video on setup for reference and for others trying to set it up as well. It can be a tad daunting.

[Titchgamer]

Thank you for that. Very helpful. I watched the YouTube vid with the British dude trying to explain, he was hard to hear and I really had a hard time with that thick accent, but then, I have a hard time with Jersey/New York accents and Southern accents as well. I might have to do my own video on setup for reference and for others trying to set it up as well. It can be a tad daunting.

Sorry about that, That was the first video I had ever made with screen capture software and was still dialling in the mic volume :p

[Phreakwars]

I use a headset when I do my videos, much easier to hear. Not that my articulation skills are any better.  I had to crank it up to hear, then it sounded like a fan or something in the back ground.