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Coin_Operated:
I'm not quite as far along as you are on my build. Just received all my electronic equipment from Ulitmarc the other day. I'm lucky to have access to a CNC machine and just sent my plans off today to be cut out. What are you planning to use for the plexiglass top? I saw you linked to a sheet from Lowe's did you end up choosing that? Seems to be one of the last items I'm looking for.

Looks good so far. Good luck!

Shookie:

--- Quote from: Coin_Operated on January 03, 2022, 08:37:43 pm ---I'm not quite as far along as you are on my build. Just received all my electronic equipment from Ulitmarc the other day. I'm lucky to have access to a CNC machine and just sent my plans off today to be cut out. What are you planning to use for the plexiglass top? I saw you linked to a sheet from Lowe's did you end up choosing that? Seems to be one of the last items I'm looking for.

Looks good so far. Good luck!

--- End quote ---
No CNC access for me so I'll be making on my own.

Regarding plexiglass, I asked about it but am not sure what I'll use yet. I need to read more about it because I'm sure there are pros and cons of the different types. I'm mostly familiar with Lexan but I've never cut/drilled it before. With the amount of holes I have to drill, I don't want to be 30 holes in and then screw something up.... Seems like a lot of guys drill a hole and then finish it with a router and pattern bit. Until I see a better way to do it with the tools I have, that's most likely what I'll do.

My family and I were lucky enough to get Covid over the weekend so I've been on ---my bottom--- all week. Hope I'll be back to work on it this weekend.... Good luck on your build!

Shookie:
Have spent some time putting together the CP artwork. The plan all along has been to just get a bunch of artwork and graphics and make a collage. Spent hours downloading a couple hundred various pics, vectors, etc. Don't think I'm missing much.

For software, I was close to getting Illustrator since you can get it for $20 a month. Figured I would do a month and then cancel. I use a Mac and before purchasing, decided to see if there wasn't any free, open-source software out there. I found Gimp and decided to try it. Took a little bit to figure out the basics but honestly, it was fairly easy to use. Took a looonnnnngggg time to get each file imported, trimmed, etc. Right now, I just have a bunch of them floating in space as you can see below. I started adding the joystick and button locations. Not done with that yet.

This is by no means done. Need to size things and move it all around. Am thinking of using some marquees across the top and bottom. Some of them are just so classic! Appreciate any input!

Zebidee:
CPs work well with very simple artwork, something uncomplicated without too many colours. Otherwise it is too distracting. Try to match colours between artwork on side panels/marquee and the CP. Even plain black works, or add some coloured line design like racing stripes. Then you can even paint it yourself with some rattle-cans and some well-placed paper tape.

PL1:

--- Quote from: Shookie on January 07, 2022, 02:16:25 am ---Appreciate any input!

--- End quote ---
Famous last words. :lol

--- Quote from: Shookie on January 07, 2022, 02:16:25 am ---Don't think I'm missing much.

--- End quote ---
That statement implies that you are missing something. In a certain sense, I agree. >:D

I think some good advice about your current control panel art is that the path to improving it is via lots and lots of subtraction, not via addition.

Can you name a single classic arcade cab that had anywhere near that much artwork crammed onto the control panel?

If you want to convey multiple games without going completely overboard, consider choosing one game theme per player position, one or two game themes for the admin buttons, and maybe a Centipede/Millipede theme for the trackball.
- Choose game themes of games that you can play using the controls on the cab. i.e. Don't choose Paperboy or Hang-On since you don't have the associated handlebar controller.
- Choose themes that work well together and balance each other.
- Marquees are great art, but not exactly ideal for this application. Consider using artwork that looks like it slid or fell down from the monitor during gameplay and landed on the CP.

As Zebidee pointed out, simpler is better. :cheers:

Scott

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