If you had it to do over

[WildcatBob]

Hi all:  I'm fairly new to MAME, but am in the process of starting a cocktail MAME project.  I was curious to all those that have built a system from the ground up:  if you had it to do all over again what one thing would you likely change.

I'm hoping to learn from all those that have "been there and done that"

Thanks.

[abrannan]

Build the cabinet around the monitor, not find a monitor to fit the cabinet.

[TalkingOctopus]

I wouldn't have made MAME so promient on my marquee and cpo.  Sadly, no one knows what MAME is and they are always confused.
 
Also, I would have used an arcade monitor instead of a TV as a cheaper alternative.

[isugoat]

i would have saved hooking up the control panel for last.  after i got the basic frame of my cab built i built the CP and tested it out.  once i saw how well it worked i had to try out all the games.  this stalled my cab building and i ended up just making a portable CP to hook up to my HTPC

[Santoro]

I have a lessons learned page on my site .

Click the "Lessons Learned" tab on the left.

[menace]

i would have saved hooking up the control panel for last.

Ditto.  Ever since mine was fully functional on one panel, the other two have been largely ignored-not to mention the pedals and steering wheels--I really off to get off ---my bottom--- and finish this...

[kahlid74]

I would have routed the slot for the T-molding on the control panel BEFORE attaching the buttons and putting a decal on =p

[maraxle]

I'd keep my cat from climbing inside and shorting out my soundcard.

[hulkster]

I'd keep my cat from climbing inside and shorting out my soundcard.

HA!  well the problem there is that cats suck.  the only good cat is a dead one.    

on topic though....i think instead of building my own, i would have bought a close to brand new original mrs. pacman cab, and then taken off the cp and put a 4 player cp on it, and then taken off the original artwork and replace it with drawings that i do on sketch pads while im taking notes at work.  oh and id also piss on the original game board.  

just kidding.

[pointdablame]

on topic though....i think instead of building my own, i would have bought a close to brand new original mrs. pacman cab, and then taken off the cp and put a 4 player cp on it, and then taken off the original artwork and replace it with drawings that i do on sketch pads while im taking notes at work.  oh and id also piss on the original game board.  

* pointdablame keels over and dies.  

[JackTucky]

I would have done a 4 player CP.  I have 3 kids, and they all like to play.  They want to play Lisa or Bart in the simpsons.  They also like TMNT.

I'm in the process of buiilding it now.  I've had the parts here for 6 months, just never got around to it.  Two days ago, I cut the top panel.  It's still sittin' there in the garage however.

Art

[maraxle]

I'd keep my cat from climbing inside and shorting out my soundcard.

HA!  well the problem there is that cats suck.  the only good cat is a dead one.    

That's not very nice.  I've had dogs, cats, hamsters, and birds, but none of them have been anything like this one.  He's a good cat - he's just a little too interested in what I'm doing.  When I got him he had a bit of separation anxiety, as he was found in a drain pipe as a kitten with no mother around anywhere.  All of the kittens had ringworm, and he was the last to heal, so he was almost cat-sized before the animal rescue place could start looking for a home for him.  He had another strike against him in that he's a black cat, and they are notoriously hard to find homes for.  

Anyway, he absolutely worships me and has to know what I'm working on at any given time.  If I put down a screwdriver, he's over there trying to use it.  If I'm loading the dishwasher with dishes, he's inside trying to help.  If I'm outside mowing the lawn, he moves from window to window to watch.

He's got some other interesting habits too.  He eats bananas, goes nuts for the smell of coffee, is deathly afraid of the ceiling fan, likes chasing water droplets in a freshly used shower, and seems to get a kick out of opening and closing kitchen cabinets.

[AlanS17]

I'd have to echo the comments about doing the CP last. Once I got it working I kind of stopped doing everything else. I would get the cabinet fully finished, followed by the PC, and then finally the control panel.

Also, I'd go with a 25" screen as opposed to a 19" screen. Playing vertical games on a 19" screen kinda blows, but playing vertical games on a 25" screen are about the right size as if they were being played on a 19" vertical screen. My next project will be using a 25" monitor.

[greywolf22]

Funny..what is it with Cats and arcade machines? I have 2 (cats not arcade machines) and both absolutely love jumping up on the control panel  

[hulkster]

I'd keep my cat from climbing inside and shorting out my soundcard.

HA!  well the problem there is that cats suck.  the only good cat is a dead one.    

That's not very nice.  I've had dogs, cats, hamsters, and birds, but none of them have been anything like this one.  He's a good cat - he's just a little too interested in what I'm doing.  When I got him he had a bit of separation anxiety, as he was found in a drain pipe as a kitten with no mother around anywhere.  All of the kittens had ringworm, and he was the last to heal, so he was almost cat-sized before the animal rescue place could start looking for a home for him.  He had another strike against him in that he's a black cat, and they are notoriously hard to find homes for.  

Anyway, he absolutely worships me and has to know what I'm working on at any given time.  If I put down a screwdriver, he's over there trying to use it.  If I'm loading the dishwasher with dishes, he's inside trying to help.  If I'm outside mowing the lawn, he moves from window to window to watch.

He's got some other interesting habits too.  He eats bananas, goes nuts for the smell of coffee, is deathly afraid of the ceiling fan, likes chasing water droplets in a freshly used shower, and seems to get a kick out of opening and closing kitchen cabinets.

sounds like all kinds of fun!!

cats are good though....otherwise dogs wouldnt have anything to chew on!  mwahahahaha....chill out, im just jokin.

[DaveJ-UK]

HA!  well the problem there is that cats suck.  the only good cat is a dead one.  

I couldn't agree more, hate the damn things.

On topic, I'd make sure the marquee I bought was the correct size! I just assumed they were a standard size. Stoopid mistake..

[Mr. Dude]

I'd have made mine smaller... it's too big!  LOL, I bet no guy's said that before... ha ha ha.  Anyway it takes up a lot of space in the corner of my family room... I would have liked it to tuck back in there a little further.  I also would have planned out the speaker holes a little better, they're kinda off center a little.

[spidermonkey]

Amen Maraxle, I picked up a cat that was hit by a car and had a broken jaw. My wife's friend is a vet and she wired his jaw back together and he's doing just fine know. His lower lip kinda hangs down underneath from the accident but it gives him character. He thanks me each and every day for saving him and follows me around like a dog. Never understood why some people absolutely hate cats. .  Ok, as far as what I wish I had done differently.. I wish that I had laminated ALL of the cab pieces BEFORE I started assembling. My second cab is progressing much smoother then the first. The first cab is always a learning experience.

[MnMCaputo]

His lower lip kinda hangs down underneath from the accident but it gives him character.
  LMFAO!!!!    Did you name the cat Bubba from forrest gump?  better tuck that thing in boy.....or you might get it caught on a trip wire................  

[pocketbikez]

nice cat stories. When im playing one of the arcade machines, Midget the g-money gangsta cat, will jump from the floor, use my upper back as a springboard and jump up onto the top of the arcade cab. Midget loves to lounge and take naps up on top of the marquee area. She will hang her head down and watch as people play at the controls.

[BigBri]

i'd probably do more planning with the cp.  it's a lot of trial and error.  plus, lowes will cut plexi for you.  i've probably wastes $80 on plexi.  btw, i hate cats...

[FractalWalk]

Never understood why some people absolutely hate cats.

Its not the cats. Its the owners.  

[danny_galaga]

 One small thing I would have done is to get someone to help hold the lid while i drilled the hinge-holes. mine ended up about 5mm to the left and now I'll probably never get around to fixing it!
 And maybe smoked glass for the top to hide small imperfections in the bezel. mine has a rather unique prob in that the monitor rotates and it happens that one corner is visible.
 A third thing is that I baulked at the price of laminex for the top and sides. I used 3.2mm pre-finished ply instead. A third the price but now i think the laminex would be much better as it is so durable. Vinyl contact like on the originals was out of the question here- too humid.
 but take your time and you're only regrets will be minor...
 heres mine:    moncom.net/mame

 heres a place for those drifting off topic: http://www.petsforum.com/

[Bumblebounces]

1.  Make sure the cab is built square.  It's really hard to cut plexi for the monitor bezel plate and have it come out fitting right if the opening is not square.  The old measure twice, cut once saying really comes into play here.

2.  When using a router and a slot cutting bit for the slot for T-molding, be careful and do not try to go too fast.  I tried to push through it too fast and ended up somehow tilting the router base plate up at a slight angle.  Once it's pointed up, it will continue to go that way and I ended up with a nasty wide slot in a couple of places.  I was able to fill with glue and saw dust, wait for drying and re-route.  It all came out good but, boy was I pissed when it happened.

3.  I would have planned to use a WG 27 inch arcade monitor instead of trying to make a rotating 19 inch.  The rotating 19 inch was a great idea but in the end it was just more work than I wanted to go through for the gimmick.  Now, I am stuck with that same 19 in a cab that was built to accomodate a 26 inch round turning apparatus.  Planning to move to the WG 27 but funds are little tight and I don't have the bucks.

4.  Like it has been said before, I would have completely finished the project before starting to play it.  I was under a deadline for a party that I wanted the cab for (my birthday) so I cut some corners and didn't finish it all, making it at least operable for the party. Now I have a punch list that still isn't done almost 6 months later.  Things like coin door wiring, lights in the TRON stick, light under the trackball, lightgun install, cup holders (that are desperately needed!), and driving pedals are not done and I have never been able to get back to them.  One day, it will all happen but I regret not getting it all in at one time.

5.  Plan for enough troubleshooting and play time to work out any bugs that may come up before a party.  The above mentioned birthday went off pretty well but I was still working on the cab the day of the party.  As a result, I ran into some issues and spent a lot of time troubleshooting during the party. That sucked!

Sorry for the long winded descriptions but I am really irritated with myself over these "little" things.

I don't have a cat...  I do have a friend with a 4x4 whose license plate frame says, "Cats flattened while you wait."  He has 4 cats.  LOL

Bumble

[danny_galaga]

3.  I would have planned to use a WG 27 inch arcade monitor instead of trying to make a rotating 19 inch.

is yours a cocktail too? my bubbles been burst once already! if it is a cocktail do you have any pics or a page i can link to?

there is one other thing i would be more careful about. i had the glass top cut exactly the same size as the mdf. but because of the polished beveled edges you can see a millimetre or so of the top peeping out from under the glass. i think it might have been better to have had the glass cut to the size of the top including the t-moulding.

[Bumblebounces]

3.  I would have planned to use a WG 27 inch arcade monitor instead of trying to make a rotating 19 inch.

is yours a cocktail too? my bubbles been burst once already! if it is a cocktail do you have any pics or a page i can link to?

No.  It was a full size cab and I ended up abandoning the rotation altogether as it was just going to be too hard to make it happen.  I actually had a turning drum built but the damned monitor I had was so heavy that it was very difficult to turn.  (I didn't take any good pics of it while I was building it, but I did catch it in another pic...  See the background of the attached).  I designed it with a motor drive and limit switches in mind but after I saw how hard it was to turn, I decided that the motor to push this thing was going to cost too much.  I took comfort in the fact that the cab design I had gone with to accomodate the turning drum would also accomodate the WG D9200.  I just didn't have the funds for the 9200 at the time to make it happen.  Still waiting.  Sometime early next year, I hope.

Bumble

EDIT:  Oops, the attachment didn't take the first time.

[RayB]

" decided that the motor to push this thing was going to cost too much. "

You probably just needed to gear it so the motor would be turning fast, but the monitor slow.....

[danny_galaga]

for more info on rotating monitors:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=19247

and in this thread the guy has his in an upright mounted vertically (with mirror):

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=19105;start=msg159529#msg159529

there is a lot less load this way

[Bumblebounces]

You probably just needed to gear it so the motor would be turning fast, but the monitor slow.....

I could have made it happen but that meant stopping work to go back to design phase.  I found many motors that could have worked but they all cost money I didn't have at the time of need.  If they had been $15-$20, I would have gone for it but they were $50-$100 and I was already so over budget (still am, I don't have my Tornado spinner yet, either).  I made a command decision to forge ahead and planned to get a bigger monitor at a later time.  Although the idea was a great one, I just decided that a rotating monitor was unnecessary.  I have been using my cab for a few months now and though I wish the monitor was either bigger or oriented correctly for each game, I am very happy with the results.

Bumble

[RayB]

I understand the dilemma. I too was thinking of ideally making a rotatable (not motor driven though). In the end I think what I'll have is 2 cabinets. An upright for horizontal games, and a cocktail for vertical games. Why not?