1985 Rewind

[Jimbo]

This is a beautifully constructed project Bobby!  I love the Atari system2 cabs. They're so retro looking .  I've recently bought a champ sprint to go along with my paperboy cab. Can't wait for it to turn up, they'll make a great pair. 

[Mike A]

I love my Championship Sprint, but I will sell it in a heartbeat once I get my hands on a Super Sprint.

[bobbyb13]

I love my Championship Sprint, but I will sell it in a heartbeat once I get my hands on a Super Sprint.

I would really like to have either of those Sprint machines (Super being the pinnacle of course.)

My Sis and I used to play those regularly.
Fun on their own as it is, but as a head-to-head game they are just awesome.

It's how I learned to slide-ass in a vehicle properly.

This is a beautifully constructed project Bobby!  I love the Atari system2 cabs. They're so retro looking .  I've recently bought a champ sprint to go along with my paperboy cab. Can't wait for it to turn up, they'll make a great pair. 

Thanks Jimbo!
I always liked the look of this and the System 1 cabinets too (maybe I have a Road Blasters in my future?!) 
Different/weird enough to be cool.

Atari definitely spent more on their cabinets than most companies.
More wood, more work, less modularity.
Fitting I suppose.

Striking when you compare to how many games Nintendo stuck in that Radar Scope cabinet, yeah?

This one was surprisingly easy to build once I got going really.  Fun to sort through the funky angles and get it to all actually fit together.
Only problem is that now a standard cabinet build will just seem boring in comparison!

Sinistar is up next- and I should fly through that one.

[Mike A]

Sinistar is up next- and I should fly through that one.

Build the cockpit.

[bobbyb13]

Sinistar is up next- and I should fly through that one.

Build the cockpit.

I'm bummed to not have the space or that would have been a possibility.

As things are getting tight Sinistar is going to wind up more of a cabaret with a screen that isn't broken neck angle.
Not to mention it will add nicely to the variety of cabinets in the Loft.
Still working on ergonomically happy layout for that.

I DID actually get the marquee in Paperboy lit up nicely.
It was going to get some bezel yesterday but I haven't been able to find any foamcore or card stock big enough to use.

Been looking locally for a month too.

[bobbyb13]

Finally found a piece of foam core big enough.

Bonus...
It was already flat black.



Sure it ain't original (and the screen is a 24"- and flat Trinitron too) but it will do.

When I get the plexi cut then the last bit is getting the back door cut.

And then sort out GM so it actually runs.

Some pretty nutty screen tearing sometimes running regular mame build for this.

[Zebidee]

Awesome work Bobby.

Re:screen tearing, try Groovymame

[bobbyb13]

Awesome work Bobby.

Re:screen tearing, try Groovymame

It's loaded on the box actually, but it won't start.

Double click the icon, get a flash of a CMD window, then- nothing.

I tried to log what was up and I just remember that what I saw I couldn't find a solution to after searching for a half an hour.
I'll have to try again when I can get an hour to frustrate myself with it.

It was a huge PITA just to get the image to MOSTLY fit properly (still a bit of overscan) never mind that the resolution is not what it needs to be anyway.

Currently the workshop is consumed with glassing a board for somebody and I'm maxed out with work anyway so it may be a while!

[Zebidee]

Awesome work Bobby.

Re:screen tearing, try Groovymame

It's loaded on the box actually, but it won't start.

Double click the icon, get a flash of a CMD window, then- nothing.

I tried to log what was up and I just remember that what I saw I couldn't find a solution to after searching for a half an hour.
I'll have to try again when I can get an hour to frustrate myself with it.

It was a huge PITA just to get the image to MOSTLY fit properly (still a bit of overscan) never mind that the resolution is not what it needs to be anyway.

Currently the workshop is consumed with glassing a board for somebody and I'm maxed out with work anyway so it may be a while!

It can be difficult, moving between different modes of operation - like from carpentry building cabs to artwork design, then to installing operating systems and debugging software, then to electronics design and repair, it can sometimes leave me spinning when I have to change "modes" too much.

It should not be difficult to at least run Groovymame - you don't even need the CRT_emulator drivers installed, though you will get an error message about switchres not running.

One minor complication with Paperboy is that it is a medium res game. It should still work fine, but I expect Groovymame will squeeze it into 640x480i or whatever for your Sony Trinitron TV.

Best thing to do is start a thread on the Groovymame forum branch. Include as much relevant detail as possible, pics if appropriate, attach a log file. Then everyone will be falling over each other to help you.

What software are you running to get video output to TV?

[bobbyb13]

I have CRTEmu working- but I never got GroovyMame to run.
Need to try again or find the log file I generated before and copy to a stick so I can post it here somewhere (that box is air-gapped.)

When I couldn't get GM to run I loaded a regular mame build which runs fine.
At first I only had the Paperboy roms in there, but the resulting modelines were not giving me anything that I could get to fit the screen based on whatever I had (I'm sure incorrectly) done.

When I finally loaded up BadMouth's No Filler set with the addition of the Paperboy roms then I had res settings I could work with to make the picture fit the visible area.

I need to read some more and get a better understanding of what is happening as regards the interaction of mame (or better yet, GroovyMame) CRTEmudriver, Arcade OSD and my Trinitron.

I'm sure it can be made better than I have it (which is tolerable) once I really know what the hell is going on with this pathway.
 

[Arroyo]

I need to read some more and get a better understanding of what is happening as regards the interaction of mame (or better yet, GroovyMame) CRTEmudriver, Arcade OSD and my Trinitron.

I'm sure it can be made better than I have it (which is tolerable) once I really know what the hell is going on with this pathway.
 

Remind me about this at Zapcon, I think I can help.

[bobbyb13]

I need to read some more and get a better understanding of what is happening as regards the interaction of mame (or better yet, GroovyMame) CRTEmudriver, Arcade OSD and my Trinitron.

I'm sure it can be made better than I have it (which is tolerable) once I really know what the hell is going on with this pathway.
 

Remind me about this at Zapcon, I think I can help.

Absolutely!
Thank you.
I can't imagine I'll have it sorted out by then.
Heheh

[BadMouth]

Not a real fix like matching the refresh rate of the monitor, but enabling V-sync might fix the tearing.

Enabling triple buffering will definitely fix it, but at the expense of adding lag.
Whether that lag affects gameplay depends on the game.
I think I eventually managed to match the refresh rate of the emulator to the monitor or vice versa, but it's been too long to remember the details.

EDIT: Had a look.  Enabling "waitvsync" fixed the tearing on my desktop. 
If the speed of the game is thrown off, enable "refreshspeed" under performance options.  From what I understand it will adjust the emulation speed to correct for the different refresh rate.

I am nowhere near as knowledgeable about this monitor stuff as the GroovyMAME fans, but this will get you by until you figure out the proper refresh rate stuff.

[bobbyb13]

Not a real fix like matching the refresh rate of the monitor, but enabling V-sync might fix the tearing.

Enabling triple buffering will definitely fix it, but at the expense of adding lag.
Whether that lag affects gameplay depends on the game.
I think I eventually managed to match the refresh rate of the emulator to the monitor or vice versa, but it's been too long to remember the details.

EDIT: Had a look.  Enabling "waitvsync" fixed the tearing on my desktop. 
If the speed of the game is thrown off, enable "refreshspeed" under performance options.  From what I understand it will adjust the emulation speed to correct for the different refresh rate.

I am nowhere near as knowledgeable about this monitor stuff as the GroovyMAME fans, but this will get you by until you figure out the proper refresh rate stuff.

Thank you for the assitance!
It is still mind numbing to me that there is so much built into mame to accomodate so many varied builds.

Certainly for the short term I will try what you suggest and see what I get.
Hopefully tonight?!

[Zebidee]

Once you have Groovymame setup properly, you won't have to worry about these settings. It will manage it all for you.

One of the big adjustments for me, going to GM, was not needing all those game-by-game [romname].ini files. With GM those custom .ini files are very rarely needed. Back when I used old vanilla MAME I wasted ridiculous amounts of time checking each game and tweaking settings. Now, with GM, I get to spend that time playing games (or something else).

[bobbyb13]

We'll see how patient I can be!
Been so damn distracted with work and building surfboards I promised to people long ago that I have precious little time for cabinet work recently.
Not to mention that the workshop is almost unusable as a result of the above.
The regular workspace that isn't consumed with fiberglassing crap has a rather anal expulsive deposit of tools, drywall and paint material puked around.
 

I need to get somebody to help me carry this beast upstairs since the major carpentry work is done!

[Zebidee]

The regular workspace that isn't consumed with fiberglassing crap has a rather anal expulsive deposit of tools, drywall and paint material puked around.
 

Sounds a lot like my workspace! Minus the fibreglass.

I need to get somebody to help me carry this beast upstairs since the major carpentry work is done!

Unfortunately I'm not carrying anything heavy until my left arm sorts itself out.

[bobbyb13]

From your description of it, I may have the same affliction- in both arms/elbows.  It sucks.
Need to check this out.

Hopefully my buddy comes by tomorrow to pick up this thing I made him and I'll get HIM to help me carry ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- upstairs!



He used to be a crossfit aficianado so hopefully he is still stronger than necessary.

Maybe he can help me with the Sinistar too...
 

[Zebidee]

From your description of it, I may have the same affliction- in both arms/elbows.  It sucks.
Need to check this out.

Cubital tunnel syndrome, Ulnar nerve inflamation/restriction. Had it for long time but mostly ignored it. Notice it when, for example, doing curls at the gym. Of course that never stopped me doing bigger weights or more curls etc. and my left was always a bit stronger than the right. But this is a new level. I can barely do an air curl.
 
It is very much like someone with a little hammer constantly tapping away on on your funny bone, causing zaps to run down over your hand, more focused on the little fingers, where you'll have "pins and needles". Similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, except less common, different place, different nerve, and seems to hurt a lot more (I've had carpal too). I kinda had to help move a couple of beds just now, one quite heavy, so is all flaring up again.

Improvement requires rest and avoiding injury, including "repetitive" injury. Avoid wife who will insist you carry heavy cumbersome stuff. Massage helps. Sleep with your arms mostly straight and avoid sleeping on your hands. There is a surgical option, but no need to rush into that.

Nice looking board there buddy!

Dad joke for the day: I don't know why they call it a surf board - because I never get bored of surfing.

[Namco]

This part when you first see it with the artwork on is just magic, moreoso when you first see the first cut panels standing on their own. Beautiful cabinet, great work!

[bobbyb13]

Thank you sir 
I forgot how much I love playing this silly game- and I STILL suck at it!

The side art really makes the look of the cabinet.
I was stoked to get a print so accurate to original.

Now if I can just get time to finish the damn bezel and front plexi treatment I will be satisfied!