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DIY Motion Cabinet: Is it even possible?
framed_niner:
There are several arcade cabinets that had deluxe motion cabinets. After Burner, Cruisin USA, Daytona USA 2, and modern games like Fast and Furious Arcade and Typhoon. These games had cabinets that rotated, tilted, shook, and were overall some of the most immersive games ever made. Unfortunately, the full motion cabinets in the arcade are not able to be replicated at home. Or are they? There must be a way to recreate these in DIY cabinets. Here are the main obstacles that I can think of
Mechanism: How will the cabinet physically rotate?
Encoding: How could the system be controlled by a computer?
Software: How can the emulated games interface with the motion cabinet? Maybe custom games are the only solution?
And of course...
Safety: How to prevent major accidents that could cause damage to people and property?
That last point is pretty important. Anyways, maybe we could use this thread to brainstorm how this could be done? Or maybe I am just flat out insane for thinking this is possible.
PL1:
Related thread:
https://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,164999.0.html
Scott
lilshawn:
i don't know that i'd go with arcade games specifically... ideally you want to start with a game that has some kind of access to it's internal telematics so your interface can take that data, parse it, and turn it into a signal stream you can use with a controller (Arduino or other programmable microcontroller) for motion (motor, light, valve, solenoid, etc) most arcade games are proprietary and you'd have to manually load configurations into your controller to get it to work with more than one.
for PC games, simhub is a good start. it basically wedges itself into games and extracts data out for use with your interface. it's racing focused so if you are looking for something specific it might help to start there and see how people are doing motion and integration on other games first... there is tons of videos out there on simhub integrations.
RandyT:
I might have to check out Simhub. I see that it supports my controllers now, and it seems that Thanos calls it the "best" motion software. The joystick hook functionality also seems to be part of the base functionality of the software.
Yeah, the arduino approach is the cheapest, but certainly not the easiest. I think it can only do a couple of motors and seems aimed at the windshield-wiper-motor seat rockers. If I was to try to build something like that, I would make sure I used some very high-quality pots (it doesn't seem to be set up for encoders) and build it in such a way that they are easy to replace. They will be getting at least the same amount of wear, if not considerably more, than what happens to them in an arcade controller. Jitter on-screen is one thing, but it could be catastrophic for a motion platform.
But one thing I will say is that nothing is absolutely safe, especially with a roll-your-own solution made from Chinese Arduinos and used wiper motors. Safety is designed in at the beginning, by looking at every possible fault situation, accurately predicting the result and then designing in appropriate mitigation to minimize possible harm in that eventuality. Just that aspect alone pretty much nullifies the idea of doing something like this on-the-cheap and being able to be confident that no-one will be injured. Those who do take these and similar routes, including myself, understand that there are some risks and have chosen to take them in order to be able to enjoy the tech within their respective budgets.
I think something many don't fully realize when looking at the motion arcade machines is that they are expensive, heavy behemoths which likely had their movement hobbled in some way just so they could ensure safety for the player. When they suffer a fault, the worst case scenario is an attendant might need to help them out of the seat. Replicating that at home, within a budget, might be possible with some high creativity and building skills, but it's not likely going to be possible for the average person.
pbj:
Randy, stop being a wet blanket and go into detail about how far your took your project. I’ve got $6 in hand for video of you being thrown out of it.
I sold a fully functioning Miata for $2,000. I don’t think any arcade experience is going to top that, but if you’re differently abled then do whatever you have to do… I’m a waddling barrel and I could still maneuver it.