Custom Lightgun Cab

[TapeWormInYourGut]

Long story short, I built a pedestal cab 8 years ago primarily for lightgun games. Well, I modded some Namco arcade knockoffs with aimtraks at the time, but I was so disappointed with their accuracy that I didn't even bother adding them to my build. As far as I am concerned, games are unplayable with aimtraks. I found out about Gun4IR about a year ago and replaced the aimtraks with those. To my surprise they were incredible. What a difference...

I finally have some time, so I've decided to build a dedicated lightgun cab. My initial plan was to build a 32" cab, but that ended up exploding into a 43" slim cab. I think I browsed too much youtube and got all excited over the "commercial" lightgun builds, because I ended up changing my direction and modeled this after them. I wanted the artwork based on House of the Dead 1 or 2, but I couldn't find content that was nice enough for printing. So it's going to be a Scarlet Dawn cab.





It's too cold outside so I made the cuts and brought the wood into my shortbus home for assembly. After I have everything fitted, I'll take it apart and drill the holes. I know there are some odd design choices like the speakers in the front, but I already have a set of Sony bookshelves that I never used, so I figure I'll recycle them here.

The assembly uses 11/16th" and 1/2" plywood because that's what my local big box shop sells. I drilled pocket holes for everything and am staying away from any glue. I'm definitely going to need to be able to take this thing apart when I move.

[Mike A]

Plywood was a good choice.

Especially if you plan on taking it apart and reassembling it.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

I ended up getting the pre-finished plywood with polyurethane too. It was a little cheaper than sanded, but only 30$ more per sheet than the rough cut stuff. I probably spent that much in sand paper in my last project so this was also a no brainer for me. I'm testing a small area to see if the art will stick and it's been a few days without any issues. I was dreading this project a bit, but modern stuff really makes things easy.

I'll get back to the grind this weekend and post how things are held together. Pocket hole jigs can be expensive, but I'm finding that they make things very easy to work with. Just needed some clamps to hold things in place while locked things together with the screws.


Anyone use lightly tinted plexiglass? I'm looking for a supplier and this looks prospective. No idea how it looks or if it's really "gray". Looking between 1/8" and 1/4".
https://www.eplastics.com/polycarbonate/sheets/bronze-gray/PC7130-125AM48X48

I might get clear and just paint the back of the bezel black around the screens.
https://www.eplastics.com/ACRYCLR0-187PM48X48?quantity=1&custcol3=48%22x39%22%20-%3E%20then%20cut%20this%20into%2036%22x39%22%20and%207.75%22x39%22%20pieces.%0A%0ACut%20the%2048%22x9%20-%20slice%20down%20to%20to%2039%22x6%22%0A

[firedance]

Good progress so far 

[Fursphere]

I've been thinking about doing something very similar to this, as the lightguns I have (Sindens) just feel 'off' on my regular cabs.  Not sure I have room for something this big to add to my collection though.  heh.

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

[TapeWormInYourGut]

A little progress. Took apart the cabinet to prep and get everything ready to paint. Also took care of cutting the acrylic. Next steps are paint, applying the artwork, and then start installing the electronics and hardware. I got the artwork from GameOnGraphix and the quality is really nice. I'll post pictures when I install. I chose the the luster finish, but if I build another cab then it'll be gloss instead.

Unfortunately the table-saw left some chips and of course I caused a few dents moving things around. I went through each piece and put on some Bondo and then sanded it smooth. Also finished all general sanding. Here is a portion of one piece as an example, but I had to go through 7 total.



I also cut the t-molding slots, and cut all necessary holes for the buttons, stream deck, light-gun "holsters", coin door, and some notches for the monitor's shape. I decided to put the speaker behind the screen because I didn't really like the look, so I didn't cut any speaker holes.

Cut 3 acrylic pieces as well and poked the holes. The acrylic was first cut a bit oversized, and then I used a flush bit on my router along the previously cut plywood to trim them down to exact sizes. Acrylic was messy, but everything is perfect without any chipping.





Also added a rounded champer to the gun holster holes on the acrylic. I did the same to the front of the "control panel" as well.



Finally recieved all of my PC hardware. Instead of mounting a standard PC case or directly to the cabinet, I bought a cheap "test bench" and will mount that inside the cabinet. Shouldn't have any issues with heat and still easily portable if I need to remove it. I then installed Windows and got most of the software ready.

[thealumnus]

Thanks for sharing your build. I've been lurking for a little while now here and on reddit r/cade and other forums to try to make up my mind if I should build or purchase a custom Lightgun cabinet. I've seen the commercial 40 & 50 inch models you referenced and my issue has been deciding if I wanted to take that on. Your post has tipped me in the direction of doing it myself. Will be following your progress here with great interest. Total noob question: Do you mind sharing the name of the software you used to create your mock up and cutting templates? 

[TapeWormInYourGut]

Hey bud, sorry for the late reply. I've been using the tool called SketchUp for the plans. It has a bit of a learning curve.
https://www.sketchup.com/en/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free

They have a free online version that runs in your browser which I've linked above. You need to create an account through. However, they're last Windows version that was free is "Sketchup Make 2016" which is actually what I use. You'd have to find a download for it through. It might just be the 2016 pro version without a license code.

The cabinet is complete except for custom software that I've been slowly coding. I was hoping to have it done, but I'll work on posting pictures.

Building myself had saved me $1-2k versus buying one, and I have far better components inside as well as better material. I actually have a doc that has all of my costs which I can post as well. I'll work on getting final shots and posting here this weekend.

[thealumnus]

Hey bud, sorry for the late reply. I've been using the tool called SketchUp for the plans. It has a bit of a learning curve.
https://www.sketchup.com/en/plans-and-pricing/sketchup-free

They have a free online version that runs in your browser which I've linked above. You need to create an account through. However, they're last Windows version that was free is "Sketchup Make 2016" which is actually what I use. You'd have to find a download for it through. It might just be the 2016 pro version without a license code.

The cabinet is complete except for custom software that I've been slowly coding. I was hoping to have it done, but I'll work on posting pictures.

Building myself had saved me $1-2k versus buying one, and I have far better components inside as well as better material. I actually have a doc that has all of my costs which I can post as well. I'll work on getting final shots and posting here this weekend.

That's a great savings and probably the main reason I'm looking to build myself. Well that and in my early research based on comments here and other forums/ sites it became clear that there no perfect plug and play option so building your own at least ensures you understand how things work on the software side especially.

Thanks for sharing the software. I actually couldn't tell it was sketchup that you used which is awesome ! I used sketchup for some non arcade projects back in 2014, and I'm going to look into it. Also appreciate your willingness to share some updated pictures of the work in both the completed form and any of the other in-between/ process images. With what you previously have shared it looks awesome.   

[TapeWormInYourGut]

Thanks. Honestly the worst part is configuration and software, which I've been working on for a few months. Most emulators use raw device input or they'll use your mouse index to configure the player #. So gun #1 is not always player #1 depending on how things are plugged in, or if the emulator has the specific lightgun configured for a particular player.

My software goes in and edits the configs for each emulator and game based on the port # that the gun is plugged into. I.e. Devices plugged into port 2 are updated in the emulator to be player 2. It doesn't completely configure the games, but it does update the device indexes or device Ids in the configs. It also handles outputs to trigger recoil and whatnot to the correct gun.

Originally I used mamehook for outputs, but Mamehook is a pain since the outputs are defined by the USB Com device #s. These don't usually change once they're set, which poses the same problem mentioned in my first paragraph. So...I modified all of my mamehook ini files to use common mamehook-scripts, and then my tool corrects the COM port in those scripts before the game is launched. I.e., it changes the Player 1 recoil script to point to the correct COM port.

But, I ended up scrapping mamehook since it doesn't support every game. So my software replaces that as well. It configures the lightguns (such as setting 4:3 or widescreen settings) and also handles the outputs to trigger the gun's recoil and whatnot.

I'll leave details in the lightgun sub-forum when the tool is more complete. It's won't be a plug-and-play since it was made for my lightgun cab, but will be open sourced. Each game needs to have a profile in the tool in order to know how the lightgun should be configured, so it's not drop and go software.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

After the core cabinet was put together, I then took it all apart, painted, and applied artwork. Painting took a while because I wanted a very nice finish. I ended up rolling on a black base coat, sanding, and then spray painted. I spent a lot of time painting and the final result looks almost like it was vinyl wrapped. I'm very happy with how the paint turned out.

To give some context on how things are held together, I used a pocket-hole jig to create pocket-holes in strategic locations that wouldn't interfere adjacent pieces or other hardware. Here are various panels with them drilled around the perimeter.









And here is the base:



And here are the various pieces being put back together as I apply the artwork. I also want to say that I don't regret getting the "luster" artwork finish over the gloss. With everything together, I really like the finish and I could not be happier. Gameongrafix did a really great job with the prints.







And here's the cabinet back together:

[TapeWormInYourGut]

Next, I popped on the plexiglass bezel and added a frame around it to hide my poor measurements. Let's just say that the cab isn't 100% square and the plexiglass was far from a perfect fit:





I then started mounting the Marquee LCD and 43" Display.

I used a few L brackets for the Marquee:





And then I just used some VESA hardware and a 2x7 board to keep the display in place.



The IR LEDs for the lightguns needed holes in the plexiglass bezel, so I created a jig. I used tape to mark off where the holes needed to be placed after the screen was mounted. I then used the jog to align and drill the holes.



Afterwards, I painted the backside of both the Marquee and Display bezels. This was a DISASTER. The Marquee's bezel came out beautiful, but the primary bezel bubbled up. I waited the correct amount of time before spray painting, and I cleaned the plexi first. I'm not sure what cause the bubbling.





It was an expensive mistake, but, I fixed it by buying "mirror black" vinyl wrap off of Amazon. They had 10" car-wrap samples that were fairly cheap. It actually came out really nice. Not as nice as the paint would have came out, but I'm still happy with it. The only downside are a few seems that are not really noticeable.



And here is everything light up.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

After the cab was together with everything installed, I then started adding the hardware.

Here is the top with some of the Marquee boards mounted.



Here are the speakers and amp mounted in the center section. I just used wood around their perimeter and across the top to keep things in place. Please note that the speakers are moved out of place so that you can better see what I mean. The wood surrounds the bottom of the speakers so that they can't move.



And then the computer and power strip is mounted at the bottom. The power strip is one of those "smart" strips that disables a few sockets depending if power is being drawn from one of the main sockets. The computer and 43" display are always powered on. The marquee, speakers, and lightgun power supplies are only powered if the computer is turned on.



ORIGINALLY, I was going to use 1/2" plywood for the backing. But the cabinet is really sturdy and I also wanted it breathable. So, I used hardboard. I added some boards with slots that the hardboard can slide into. I also mounted fans to the hardboard which are wired into my computer.



I also use a Streamdeck to kick off some games. I'll be adding more shortcuts later.



And I also added USB ports to the bottom since the computer isn't easily accessible.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

I also want to take a minute to talk about the guns. I use 8-pin GX16 sockets for the lightgun ports.  Again, not too much detail since there is a lightgun forum, but I just wanted to show how the cabinet is connected.

It has 4 ports total, supporting up to 4 players. Then, there are dual power buttons to disable the recoil if desired. Each power button affects 2 ports. So the left side as 2 sockets + 1 power button, and the same for the right side.

My cabinet software will do a bunch of calculations to determine which lightgun should be used for each player. For example, if there is just 1 gun plugged in and it's on ports 3 or 4, then I assign it to player 2 because it's plugged into the right side of the cabinet. If the game happens to only support 1 player, then I assign it to player 1. If the game is a 4-player game and a gun is plugged into port 3, then it is assigned to player #3.

I configure the gun per game and handle outputs (i.e. replacing mamehook).



The GX16 sockets are a combined USB2.0, and then 12+24v pins added. This will allow me to create lightguns that have a 12v or 24v recoil, without the need to plug them in separately. So the 12v guns will use the 12v points, and the 24v gun will use the 24v pins. Just plug an play.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

So, whats the damage? Here are the various costs. I want to be clear that I set out to make something similar to those "commercial" cabs that people are making. I also want to play newer lightgun games at 1440p and higher.

The reason I am putting the costs here is because I know a lot of people are probably seeing these on Youtube and also see how much is being charged. Well, here is what it costs me in parts. I had all the tools already so no pricing on things like that. Keep in mind that I also use a lot nicer hardware that those cabinet builders, especially the display. The structure itself is of better materials as well. You can look at components that I used and determine where costs can be saved.

For example, you can get a TV display for half the price. I did not want to cut a hole for a remote IR sensor, and also I wanted free-sync at 4k. So I chose a screen that uses wireless tech for the remote and also supports a 120hz refresh rate without screen tearing. It's a gaming display and I have zero regrets on it.

You also don't need an acrylic bezel. I personally love the sheen and look. You can just use hardboard and cut a hole in it, which runs around $20 for a 4x8' sheet.

Finally, the GUN4IR lightgun costs are not included either. I hacked up arcade guns which cost me about 300$ each total. But you can mod toy guns for like $40 if you want basic guns.


Total cost: $3565

== CABINET ==
$ 310 - Wood (plywood, framing, base)
$ 150 - 1/4 (48"x48") acrylic for Bezels + Control panel
$ 120 - Materials (screws, bondo, paint, sand paper, rollers+brushes, felt, etc...)
$  35 - T-Molding (T-molding.com)
$ 320 - Full Artwork prints
------------------------------
$ 935


== CABINET COMPONENTS ==
$ 580 - 43" Main Display (Samsung NEO G7)
$ 400 - 28" Active Marquee Screen (VSDISPLAY 28 Inch 1920x360 IPS Stretched)
$ 210 - Sony SS-CS5 speakers + AIYIMA A07 Pro TPA3255 Amp
$  40 - i-Pac2 (T-molding.com)
$ 130 - Stream Deck (ebay)
$ 120 - odd & ends (USB cables, gx16 connectors, brackets, power socket/switches, wire, led strips, etc...)
$  25 - 6 LED PushButtons (Ulitimarc).
------------------------------
$1505


== COMPUTER ==
$ 190 - Motherboard - MSI Pro Z760 WiFi
$ 190 - CPU - 12600kf or 12600k
$  30 - CPU Fan - SE-224-XTS
$ 400 - Graphics - 3070 ti (ebay)
$ 100 - Power Supply - Corsair RM750e 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold
$  90 - Memory - TeamGroup T-Create Expert 32GB Kit CTCED532G6000HC30DC01
$  70 - Harddrive - 1TB Western Digital Blue SSD
$  30 - Windows 10 Pro (International OEM License)
$  25 - ATX Test mount frame (aka the "case")
------------------------------
$1125

[TapeWormInYourGut]

Now, I've been using this for a while and have a few callouts to anyone who is thinking about designing a similar one.

1. If you're going to build a 4-player cab like mine, then 1 big mistake I made is with how the display is inset. This is more of a 3-player build now even though it supports 4 players. If you look closely, the display is about 4 inches into the cabinet. The IR LEDs then surround the screen. Well, the lightguns can only see all 4 IR LEDS if relatively in front of the screen. The ~4-inch inset of the display causes the sides to act like flaps that block the IR. So if you are too far off to the side, then only 3 sensors will be visible. Only 3 people can visibly stand in front of the screen and see all 4 LEDs.

I should have cut the sides in more so that they're flush with the edge of the screen.

2. soldering the gx16 was pretty tight since it needed to accommodate wire that was thick enough to handle 24v at ~3amps. Between the sockets, cables, and lightgun, it means that you're going to be soldering 16 tiny ends that barely fit into the casings, and then make sure that there are no shorts. I'd still do it again because I think it's worth it, but it's probably the most tedious part of the build.

3. I got the Streamdeck partially because I thought that I could use it for keyboard events as well. I.e., have all of the Dreamcast buttons available to navigate game menus and whatnot. Unfortunately, the thing does not support raw keyboard events. It sends system events. This means that emulators which rely on raw input (such as Flycast) cannot use the Streamdeck to send keys because it either support SDL or raw input, but not both. Emulators that support SDL are ok though.

Not too much, but I mostly wanted to call out #1 since it's a pretty important defect.