Project: Hyperspace Quad Cab (Update)

[(+_+)]

Hi Everyone,

The idea of building an arcade cabinet came about 4 years ago when a co-worker told be about an emulator (MAME) that allowed you to play arcade games in all their original glory on your PC. I had purchased a Robotron 2084 machine about 17 years ago and always thought of purchasing a couple more game boards and making a multi game unit out of it. Yeah right! Enter Mame and exit that crazy idea. From that point on, I became obsessed with creating a software and Quad MAME cabinet that would be an all in one entertainment unit.

The obsession continues...

Hyperspace is my second attempt at a Quad Cab. I have been working on it here and there since the summer (2006). I have taken quite a few pics and plan to blab up a storm about it. This time around, I ventured into the unknown (to me at least) art of routery. You've gotta love that router. I've also given my never ending homemade game launcher/jukebox program a facelift and added a few new features. I've also completed the artwork in Photoshop for the marquee and control panel. Need to get that printed up though. The control panel top is being worked on and I await my controller order as we speak from our friendly neibourhood divemaster127. I'll try to post a few pictures over the next few days.

Controller Components
1 - Turbotwist 2 spinner
32 - Black Pushbuttons 58-9166-L
1 - Player 1 58-2096-L1PLY
1 - Player 2 58-2096-L2PLY
1 - Player 3 58-2096-L3PLY
1 - Player 4 58-2096-L4PLY
1 - 3’’ Trackball with USB and PS/2 Interface Blue Translucent 56-0300-12T
1 - Trackball light kit
2 - UltraStik 360 Ball Top with USB cable-RED
2 - UltraStik 360 Optional Hard Spring
2 - UltraStik Restrictor Plate Kit
1 - I-PAC 4 Interface USB (with USB wire)
2 - Mag-Stik Plus Black Pear handles

PC Components
-For now I'm going to hook up my laptop to it HP ZV6300 and later on dedicate a built in PC
-Logitech Z-2300 speakers
-LG 26" LCD 26LC2R

[Donkey_Kong]

 

FINALLY!! Good Luck!!

 

[psychotech]

FINALLY!! Good Luck!!

My words exactly! Good luck! 

[(+_+)]

So then the quest began.

At the time, I sort of had an idea of where I was going. I had scribbled down an infinite number of button layouts and designs. Truth be told, in the end it was a completely "fly by the seat of your pants" project. I kid.

I started of with a solid interior frame. You'd think I was building a bridge or something, but I digress.









Next I build a base and used 4 - 2 1/2 inch casters. The rear 2 are the type that are locked in place while the front 2 swivel and lock.





The frame and base are all being held together using 2-1/2" and 1-1/2" inch screws all of which have been countersunk. The casters are being held using carriage 2" carriage bolts, nuts and washers.

I'll post some more tomorrow. Homework time for my 3 tikes.

I forgot to mention. I just got my postal slip in the mail for the Turbo Twist 2 and nice BYOAC nickel token knob. Can't wait to pick it up tomorrow.

[miles2912]

O man..  more of those 'framed' cabs.  Seriously enjoy the build it is a lot of fun.  Looks like you are off to a good start.


Don

[(+_+)]

Yes, another one of those 'framed' cabs. There is method behind the madness though. Because the unit has different depths I had no choice but to frame it. You'll see this more clearly after I post some more pictures tonight and even more so with the skins attached.

One good thing about the frame though is it's as solid as a tank and has some good weight behind it. It definitely won't wobble around during those aggresive Robotron and Mutant Storm matches. It also allows me to attach the wood panelling very securely and will keep the panels from twisting. I'm not using traditional MDF or Plywood. I'm using high grade pine 11/16" sheets. Those are the ones that have smaller lengths glued together to form a larger sheet. Pricier but better for routing the edges cleanly and sanding. This was inportant to me since I did not want to use T-Molding. I hope I didn't offend the T-Mold fan base. 

[Crafty]

I hope I didn't offend the T-Mold fan base. 

The T-moulding fanbase is more about the true arcade feel of the t-moulding..
Ultimately it's your choice and I can't wait to see the finished product with the wood panelling.

[(+_+)]

Here's a few more pics. I just finished routing my controller lid. It really turned out nice. I need to first print out my artwork before I bore the holes. I'm nervous about it cause I really don't want to have to do anything twice or worse yet pay for anything twice.

This pic shows the frame attached to the base


The 2 pics below have the controller pedastal frame. At this point I was really freaking out because I said to myself, look at the skinning mess that i got myself into.





The trick I used to overcome the odd shaped skins was to used paper templates such as this one. At some point my son decided it would be cool to write his signature all over it.



I'm still preparing many more pics which I'll post later.

[(+_+)]

I hope I didn't offend the T-Mold fan base. 

The T-moulding fanbase is more about the true arcade feel of the t-moulding..
Ultimately it's your choice and I can't wait to see the finished product with the wood panelling.

I know Crafty. That's the reason for my wink. I was expecting to take heat for it.

[(+_+)]

Holy smokes!

I just picked up my Turbo Twist 2 with the nice Nickel BYOAC Token knob. That's a real nice piece of machinery. They're right. You really don't need the extra Energy Storage Cylinder if you get that knob. It's got a nice heavy feel to it. It costs a pretty penny for it but the look and the feel is worth every penny. Can't wait to wire eveything up.

[(+_+)]

Here's some shots with the base and it's skins slapped on. All skins were cut out using paper templates similar to the one shown earlier and attached with countersunk woodscrews. All skin egdes except for the very back where the door is have been routed using the quarter round bit. I think it is a half inch bit but don't quote me on it.

I think my son is trying to say he had a hand in building it.






The base with the dreaded faceplate missing.


Top view. This is where the top piece with screen and speakers is going to rest on.


This is the rear where the door to access the internal is going to be.


The door with the ball bearing snap in hinge. What a pain in the neck these things turned out to be. Don't use these without adult suppervision. May lead to self mutilation and/or hanging.


Notice the way it frayed the sides of the snap in point after little use. This is cause by not pulling the door off all of its hinges at the same time. What I had to do was carve out some of the wood on both left and right sides of each hinge to avoid the fraying.




Notice the seem along the front faceplate. I had a leftover piece that wasn't quite big enough and my brother in law told me to simply glue a piece to it. I argued that it would look crappy but he swore that I wouldn't even be able to tell. Just choose a piece and line up the grains reasonable well. He was right. After sanding it it looked great. All you need to do is glue the pieces together (don't be shy with the glue) and use duct tape to pin it together evenly. I was thinking clamps and once again an experienced pointer (tape) from my B-I-L worked perfectly.



A shot with the Subwoofer 10" hole. I've already purchase a nice black grill that will cover the hole. Also, going to be using some soft rubberized matting underneath it and up against the face of the sub to reduce the vibration a little. Pics of the mat to follow at a later date.


The rear door. Beware the hinges.

[Kaytrim]

I wasn't too sure about the shape of your cabinet from the first go around if pics.  However looking at these updates I am liking this build more and more.  Your base is going to be booming in that big wood box. 

[(+_+)]

Good to hear. It only gets better...(I hope) as the entire picture falls into place.

Booming hopefully not, except when I put use my program (pics to follow later) in jukebox mode.  This is the reason for the rubberized mats I mentioned. I'd like to dampen vibrations as much as possible. Not that I plan to blast it anyways when playing games. I'll save that for tunage.

[Kaytrim]

Just make sure that all your components are screwed down nice and tight or they may shake loose.   

[(+_+)]

Screen and speaker housing


I've got to take a photography course or something.


This shows the rounded off skin attached to the housing. The reason I did this was to maintain the look as well as have the speaker skin sit in the front and flush with the sides.


The marquee casing. Originally, I had cut out a rectangular box and when I sat it on top of the unit it didn't quite do it justice so I scrapped that version. I like the shape of this one much more.




These are the speaker skins I was referring to above. They have the same 2 holes as the 2 satellite speakers with a nice little chamfer aroung the outer edge. The side that will sit up against the screen also has a routed angle to it so that the front glass will sit up nicely against the edge.








This is the post that'll sit in the screen housing and hold up the rotating LCD screen. You can also see a piece of the rubberized mat lying at the base of the box that I'll be using for the subwoofer.


Here is the LCD whose front panel was taken off. I had to add some reinforcement edges to be able to secure the round front faceplate. Removing the faceplate was a chore since I didn't want to force and potentially crack anything. Notice, I had to slot one of the frames due to the LCD button cable not being quite long enough.




Here's a partial shot of the LCD faceplate as well as the bracket that was built into the original LCD stand. This was another pain in the neck to remove. Why do they have to make everthing so difficult. In the end it save me from having to buy one for $60 or so.




Here's the hack up marquee light. I had to build a frame around it due the casing it came in and because of the way I wanted to mount it. I've seen pictures of the exact one I would have liked to buy right here at BYOAC, but couldn't for the life of me find one at my local hardware or lighting store. 




If I get some time tonight, I'll try to post a few more shots of the unit coming together.

[(+_+)]

Here's a couple of shots of the countersunk screwholes with the dowels in place.




Here's a few more shots with the pieces piled on top of each other. I haven't anchored anything together yet since it still needs to be stained. My Brother in Law has gratiously offered to stain it for me. He is an experienced painter and does fantastic work. 









I hope to get some pictures of the controller box and lid out soon.

[rlemmon]

Dude, You just made the rest of us look like idiots when it comes to woodworking skills, Seriously that is one of the best looking cabs i have everseen. what are your plans for art work ?

Nice job,
Ron

[(+_+)]

Sorry. I posted it twice.

[(+_+)]

Ron, thanks for the high praise. There are a lot of very skilled people on this board and I owe a lot of it to the people here who have made this community a great place to be a part of. Truth be told. It was the first time I ever use a router. I did ask people a lot of questions, read and thought about it endlessly (well at least it felt endless). Anyone can do as good a job or even better one if they plan and take their time. As for artwork, I did a lot of photoshop work for both the Game Launcher program, marquee and control panel overlay. I plan to post those soon so I can get some feedback about it.

[Grasshopper]

Dude, You just made the rest of us look like idiots when it comes to woodworking skills, Seriously that is one of the best looking cabs i have everseen. what are your plans for art work ?

Nice job,
Ron

Agreed. That's certainly one of the most complex and impressive home-built designs I've seen.

I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.

[Gametreks]

Hmmmm.  It seems you've got my attention.  Very impressive build.  I'll have to keep my eye on this one.

[(+_+)]

Here's some more pics of the control panel and the lid.

I started off with a 3/4" plywood frame and then once again skinned it to maintain the look and feel. I could have gone with thinner plywood though since the rim is 1-1/2" now. This will make for a long lasting and solid control panel. I also glued the skins to the plywood and opted not to use any screws.








For the lid I decided to use a 5/8" piece of MDF because of its smoothness and then frame that with a wooden 3/4" border. The reason for the thinkness difference was so that the MDF would lie 1/8" lower than the border. Doing so allows me to insert the 1/8" plexi sheet so that it lies flush with the border. The top edge of the border was also routed to give it a nice finish. I glued and screwed the frame to the MDF. I really had to countersink some of the screws on the front wider border due to its width. You can see some of the dowels that cover the screw holes. The dowels were glue in well and rounded nicely when routed.








The 2 shots below show the 1/8" height difference mentioned above.

[(+_+)]

Here's a few shots of the control panel and marquee art. I'm not 100% sure about it yet. I've flipped and flopped, back and forth between so many names and themes, it has made me crazy over it. Let me know what you think about the button layout and which marquee you prefer out of the 2. Please keep in mind that the controller layout is as it is due to the games I love most. Those being Robotron, asteroids, defender, stargate, tempest. This is the reason for lack of concern for the center players 3 and 4 which are really only there for completeness. Most often, I'll be playing games in the center. Once in a while the odd 2 player games on the far left and right (need the shoulder room). Then the even less often 4 player guantlet match. And yes, I don't care if player 4 has to play lefty once in a blue moon.

The pics look a little crappy because I'm running out of web space. They look far better at the normal size. My provider only gives me a cheesy 5MB of space.

Please criticize. I want to make any cool suggestive changes before I send it off to print.
Thanks

[leapinlew]

I've been thinking about your CP since you posted it. I'm usually opposed to doing a goofy foot setup for player 2 in the name of symmetry but it sounds like your planning on the 2 player games being used from what would normally be player 3 and 4? I'm a bit confused. Where are the magstiks going and where are the 360's going to be on your CP?

Also, whats the trackball/spinner situation?

I really like the artwork. I like the off centered nature of it. Also, I like how the controls don't really bother the flow of the art. Very nice!

[Donkey_Kong]

You ain't effin around are you? 

WOW! Nice job....This is gonna be very nice. Looks like it is gonna SOUND nice to eh? I'm very happy for you (+_+).

 

[(+_+)]

Thanks guys. I updated the controller image with some labels. I took for granted that I knew where everything should be.

LL, you're right about player 3 and 4 being the opposite of what it normally is. I don't mind since I can pretty much design joystick/button setup any way I want on a profile basis with my application. So if I like to play Pacman with the left joystick and my son likes to play with the right one, a simple one time setup for his profile will take care of it.

I'm a big Robotron/Mutant Storm fan. Ultra-Stiks in the center.

[leapinlew]

Ah, I see!

Marquee:
Between the 2, the 1st one with the starburst for sure. It's really pops because the starburst does a good job between separating the text from the background. My eyes are drawn to the text first and then the outlining artwork. On the second one, I have to pick out the text from the background. If the first one had a white glow on it - it would be a harder choice. But, as it stands, #1 is the winner to me.

The control panel layout:
I see it's gonna work well for Robotron and Defender. I understand why you did your layout - since if you moved the joystick to the left for player 2 the buttons may be too far away to play a decent game of defender. This will probably work well as long as you aren't planning too many fighting games. Player 3/4 positions would work for fighting games, but the magstik+ won't. The throw on those joysticks is very small and I eventually had to replace my magstik+ with some supers because no one could use any special moves because of the short throw.

I'm curious what your thoughts are between the magstiks and 360. I wouldn't be surprised if your kids would prefer the 360's.

Which brings me to my last question. Who is your intended audience? I built my first cabinet with me in mind, and after a few parties with me having to explain how the cabinet worked to each individual person (despite an instruction card), I decided to make all future cabinets as easy as possible to use. I didn't want to spend a party babysitting a machine. Things I've done that make the cabinet easy to use:

• Dedicated quit button out of the way of the trackball
• Minimal amount of admin buttons
• Minimal amount of controls on the cp
• Dedicated cabinets. 1 cabinet for 4 way games and the other for 8 way games
• All controls identical layout and hardware

Thats what I found works best for me. I'm curious how everything works for you and I wish you the best of luck. It's a beautiful piece of hardware your building and I can't wait to see it finished!

[leapinlew]

One last thing...

Do you have a trackball? Will the trackball and trackball housing fit in the room you provided for it? Also, if you haven't seen people play Golden Tee - you should check it out. Some people take full swings a full 2-3 feet in front of the trackball.

[psychotech]

Cool!

Looks Great! ..and sturdy, for sure

Actually, I was concerned about the trackball position also.
How much free space do you have above it? How about installation? Seems like (at least) a tight fit.

Great cab, great graphics, great woodworking skills 

[(+_+)]

There should be plenty of space above it due to the gap between the top of the control panel and the angled part just below where the screen window will be (see pic below). I did this purposely. One reason for the gap was while considering Marble madness gameplay and the other reason was so the lid could open up nicely and not have a joystick potentially smash through the screen window. Believe me when I say I lost sleep over the nitty gritty details. There should be enough room for the trackball housing. I plan to double check that before sending it off to print.

leapinlew, starburst marquee it is. I was leaning that way too. Thanks.

[Kaytrim]

I really think that you are not giving yourself enough room for the trackball mount.  Here is an idea to keep your symmetry and give enough room for the trackball.  Take and put a spinner on the outside of each U-Stick then slide the trackball down.  The game Blasteroids uses separate spinners for two players.

Otherwise I agree with LL on the marquee.  You might even consider using the starburst on the CP around the trackball.  You really have gone overkill on the CP box, 1 1/2' thick sides.    Over all I am really liking the design of the cabinet.  Keep us posted. 

[(+_+)]

You're right guys! I hadn't gone over it again yet to be sure. What I plan to do is lower the trackball and spinner a bit. Currently, I do have enough room since I'm not going to be using the trackball mounting plate. There is 2.75 inches from the top to the center of the trackball and from the diagram below of the 3" trackball, I need 2.75 inches. This is a little to close for my liking so I'm going to lower it a good centimetre or so. From the trackball center to the screen, there must be about 7". I think that should be ok.

Great catch LL! 

http://www.happcontrols.com/images/50/560100xxmount.gif

I should be posting some shots of the painted (well stained) unit. There a few minor touch ups required and I should be getting the unit back next weekend. I took a few shots yeserday anyways and should post them along with the changes to the control panel art either tonight or tomorrow.

[Kaytrim]

After the stain is finished are you going to put on a polyurethane finish or dutch oil?

[(+_+)]

Hey Kaytrim,

What we did was stain it and follow it up with a clear coat stain. However we had to tint the clear coat a bit to hid a few knots since some of them continued to show through.

[leapinlew]

You're right guys! I hadn't gone over it again yet to be sure. What I plan to do is lower the trackball and spinner a bit.

cool - I look forward to seeing the updated artwork. I couldn't pull up the link in your last message (for all I know, that could've been the updated artwork!).

Whats your plan to mount the trackball? I also mounted mine without the trackball plate. So far, so good.

[(+_+)]

Sorry about that. I fixed the link above. That was just a schematic of the Happ 3" trackball.

I have a question for everyone about hosting my pictures. I'm currently out of web space allocated by my provider. A measly 5 MB.  Is it possible to post the pics by uploading them hear somehow or is there some site I can host them from.

Here's an updated shot of the control panel art with the trackball moved down about 1"



It's too bad because it looks horrible at that resolution. It's Very unclear compared to full blown pic.

Thanks
Marc

[johnperkins21]

Sorry about that. I fixed the link above. That was just a schematic of the Happ 3" trackball.

I have a question for everyone about hosting my pictures. I'm currently out of web space allocated by my provider. A measly 5 MB.  Is it possible to post the pics by uploading them hear somehow or is there some site I can host them from

Thanks
Marc

Few options: You can click "Additional Options" below the post form to attach images. You can also do this to that stickied post on the Project Announcements page that says "This is not a project" or something like that, then link to that using the IMG tag. Or you could use www.flickr.com to host your images and link to them from there. It's free and gives you a decent amount of space.

[leapinlew]

Sorry about that. I fixed the link above. That was just a schematic of the Happ 3" trackball.

I have a question for everyone about hosting my pictures. I'm currently out of web space allocated by my provider. A measly 5 MB.  Is it possible to post the pics by uploading them hear somehow or is there some site I can host them from.

Here's an updated shot of the control panel art with the trackball moved down about 1"



It's too bad because it looks horrible at that resolution. It's Very unclear compared to full blown pic.

Thanks
Marc

Hey Marc,

I would suggest you shrink your images. They take a while to load up on my machine. My guess is you are uploading them straight from the camera and they are at a decent megapix. My pictures out of my camera are approximately 3mb each. After I shrink them, they are around 70k. You can use Imageresizer to shrink your pictures - it's a powertool from Microsoft. This is also useful if you are emailing your pictures around.

Another option is to open an account online. I use spaces.msn.com and I upload my images there and link to them here.

As for your new image, I like it. I must admit I liked Hyperspace on the bottom more, but it works.

[Neilyboy]

man this things going to be sweet i cannot wait to see the finished product.

Neil

[(+_+)]

As for your new image, I like it. I must admit I liked Hyperspace on the bottom more, but it works.

Crap. I was thinking the same thing myself. I kind of liked it there too because it was closer to the hyperspace button but then the new found real estate above the trackball got me thinking... I wish I could just turn off the voice sometimes. 

The pictures have all been shrunk to sizes ranging between 60 and 150 Kb depending on the picture. I can't really shrink it much more than that. I'll look into spaces.msn.com.

No wait on second thought 'Additional Options' it is. That's exactly what I was looking for
jp21. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. It was right there staring me in the face the whole time. And to believe they give me the keys to the database at work. 

Thanks

[johnperkins21]

The pictures have all been shrunk to sizes ranging between 60 and 150 Kb depending on the picture. I can't really shrink it much more than that. I'll look into spaces.msn.com.

No wait on second thought 'Additional Options' it is. That's exactly what I was looking for
jp21. Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees. It was right there staring me in the face the whole time. And to believe they give me the keys to the database at work. 

Thanks

The only thing with attaching images to your post here, is that they all go to the bottom of the post, and you can't put them inline. That is why the "Not a Project" thread exists. So you can attach images to a post in there, then link to them in your project post like you would any other photo on the web. Does that make sense?

[(+_+)]

Makes sense. I'm going to use it for a quick vs contest since I'm seeing a buddy of mine tonight who is going to be printing the marquee and control panel pics for me. So guys logo on top or bottom. I'm leaning towards Hyperspace on the bottom. What says you?

[leapinlew]

hmm........

I prefer the larger font up top
but
I prefer the logo on the bottom

Of the two: I'd vote for the logo up top.

[(+_+)]

hmm........

I prefer the larger font up top
but
I prefer the logo on the bottom

Of the two: I'd vote for the logo up top.

Your killing me LL. 

[Kaytrim]

It is rather hard to read it on the bottom, my vote is for the top.

[(+_+)]

It is only hard to read due to the image size. Here's an actual size pic of that area only.

[Czapala]

Holy Schnikees that is a big cab! ( and heavy too I bet)  But it looks cool !

I am looking forward to the pics after you have stained it and stuff.

One question though.  For such a big cab  ...  what size is that LCD?

From the pics for the Monitor and speakers section, the monitor space looks HUGE.

I would just hate to see all the cool design and tight woodworking end up with a screen too small ...

[(+_+)]

The LCD is a 20" Viewsonic VP2000. The fact that it rotates gives it just barely enough room to rotate with the space. There is also a thick wooden pole that it mounts up against which ends up taking about half its depth. I made it deeper just in case I decide to go with a 27" Billabs monitor which I still might do. I'm also considering adding some type of motor to the back to make the LCD turn at the push of a button. But I haven't got there yet. When I did hold up the LCD with its faceplate on it did do the unit justice. I had a couple of friends take a look and they thought so as well. Time will tell and I won't hesitate to change it either if I'm nmot happy with the result. It will hurt though, since I paid about 700 bucks at the time for that LCD.

[(+_+)]

Here's some pics of the painted cab. A few touch ups still need to be made and a light polish. It's starting to look really nice. I've seen his furniture finishing and I have no doubt in my mind that it'll be great. To my Brother in law.

I also gave my marquee and control panel art out to a close graphic artist friend of mine who's going to give it a once over and get it printed for me. That's going to hold me back for a bit since I need the control panel art. It is also doubling as my template to center punch all the contol centers. I'm also still waiting for my controller order which should be in soon as well. Can't wait to start slapping together the finished product.

I'm going to compile some screens of my game/jukebox lauching app and post those most likely some time betweem tomorrow and the weekend.

[leapinlew]

I must've missed the part where you said it was going to be black.

It looks solid. I have a question about you regarding the polish. The question is... what do you mean by polish? I'm trying to figure out how I can get a real nice finish on any future projects. The painting is a definite weak area of mine.

[Kaytrim]

I must've missed the part where you said it was going to be black.

I thought that you said it was being stained.  Now all that beautiful wood is covered in paint.   Honestly though it looks nice this way too.

[(+_+)]

I must've missed the part where you said it was going to be black.

It looks solid. I have a question about you regarding the polish. The question is... what do you mean by polish? I'm trying to figure out how I can get a real nice finish on any future projects. The painting is a definite weak area of mine.

I'll ask him for the specifics since I have trouble with simple latex paint.

[(+_+)]

I must've missed the part where you said it was going to be black.

I thought that you said it was being stained.  Now all that beautiful wood is covered in paint.   Honestly though it looks nice this way too.

My apologies. I did say paint. It is in fact a black stain with a darkened clear coat. Just enough to make it hide the knots and dowels. . Cringe. From now on when I say paint, I mean stain. 

[Knievel]

Been awhile since I browsed the Projects, enjoying all the pics of this one.
Love all the angles going on with the base, very interesting. It would be a treat to work with that pine instead of the usual MDF.

Did you try and get the grain smooth before you stained it or were you wanting it to show though? I built a pool cue rack recently using oak with a black opaque stain on it. A couple finish coats of Satin polyurethane gave it a beautiful finish, looks like it was sprayed on. 

[(+_+)]

Thanks Knievel. I think your work is great and congrates on your 2 Mameys.

I would have prefered using Oak, but it is crazy expensive and much harder to work with.
We did sand it if that's what you meant by smooth (not sure) and it was sprayed on. I plan to post more pics later on at a higher rez to see the details better.

Here are a few shots of the app I've been talking about. I've been honing it for at least 2 years now on and off. It is feature rich and does just about everything I could want and then some.

There are shots of
- Game Mode
- Jukebox Mode
- The menu system
- A config screen - 1 of several.
- Controller design mode - This allows you to design your own layout, test, remap games by profile and is part of the game help which shows you what controls should be used for a particular game. Just click on the Balltop joystick beside the game list.
- A shot of the game tooltip which shows game metadata. Jukebox mode supplies a similar tooltip with Album, Artist, Genre, etc

There is quick search functionality, page up/down, scroll first/last. Search by different tagging info for both game and jukebox mode.

It also shows game videos, album covers, lyrics, game screenshots  if they exist. You can skin it to your liking by moving controls, sizing and applying your own hot/cold buttons, capture screenshots for missing game screenshots, add your own personalized sounds and fancy attract mode sounds.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

[(+_+)]

Hi Everyone,

I posted an extra shot of the app controller screen with my layout and the proper controller artwork. The Keycodes that are present aren't the final ones. It is just a quick mock up. I was wondering what button color scheme I should use. Any help would be appreciated. The trackball is just a pic. It won't have the trackball plate and is going to be translucent blue. It is just there for controller set up purposes.

[needlesmcgirk]

This thing is going to be AWESOME.

[johnperkins21]

I will most definitely be interested in checking out that FE once you get it to a releasable state. Looks like it could be a great all-in-one solution.

[blueznl]

that frontend looks fantastic

[(+_+)]

Thanks.

What's cool about it is you can make it look the way you want which means you can tailor it to the theme of your cab. It is very stable, but does need some more testing especially in the skinning area. It wasn't easy to code and ties into every object you can interact with including things you kinda of don't see. Such as the rounded media player screen. You can make it triangular or any shape you desire for that matter since you can set a mask for it in skin mode. I plan to finish my cab first. Then I'm going to seek some help designing (in photoshop or something) all the possible controls for the control design skin and then regression test everything.

I came up with a better way for skinners (you) to skin. Instead of using a pic and a mask for each button, I simply use a pic with the mask built in. What that means is you cannot use the mask color within your image. No biggy, I would never use fushia so that would make a good mask color. Then using regions instead of blitting I cut out the mask and voila, pic only and as an added bonus the button is the exact shape of the image. What this means is the part that is cut off (ie. the built in mask) is not clickable. Normally ever button is rectagular.

My ultimate goal is to have a slick professional finish as well as ease of use. It's close but then again I'm picky. Oh and a context sensitive help would hurt either. I'll add that too. Perhaps if I get more time, I'll create a video to show it's features.

[Kremmit]

Holy crap, this thing looks heavy!

Also looks really nice, hat's off to you. 

[Cornchip]

That's some fine cabinetry you've done here. You've outdone yourself with the design. Excellent job!

 Cornchip.

[(+_+)]

Coming from you Cornchip, and what I've seen from your design, the feeling is 100% mutual. Thanks.

[(+_+)]

I think I've changed my mind about the smaller rotating monitor. I've decided I'm going to use my 20 inch LCD for my older Quantumcade project (See below).

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=54550.0

I never really finished it most likely due to the bad publicity  it received. It was and still is a beautifully crafted machine (my Brother in law did the woodworking on that one). I plan to create a monitor frame on top of it so that the screen doesn't just sit there in mid air, and yes clean up the controller wires  .

As for the Hyperspace project, I've decided to use a 26" widescreen Toshiba Regza. I tried one out today and it looks fantastic.

http://www.toshiba.ca/web/product.grp?lg=en&section=2&group=6&product=6257&category=

I was expecting games to look warped due to stretching, but I could hardly tell the difference. The image was sharp and I was utterly floored. It'll also be great for the new widescreen games of the future.

Curious to hear some opinions on this decision.

[Manny]

Well the widescreen games of the future you mentioned have been here for quite some time, your choice, although interesting, is very limited due to the max resolution available in that model, i.e. 1366 x 768. If you were to wait (maybe 4-6 months) you can get the exact same size lcd with 1080p support and a higher contrast ratio (maybe even with a LED backlight) with a fatser response rate for probably 25% less then that set is currently listed for (i.e. MSRP).

BTW, very nice build, your box looks like it could withstand a tank round 

Looking forward to seeing more pics (larger, more res please  )

Manny 

[(+_+)]

You're right about the waiting Manny, but that's a game I've painfully endured before when planning PC upgrades. We can always wait because there's always something better on the horizon and for the application I'll be using it for, I can't justify the wait nor the quality improvement. I was looking at the acer 26" widescreen also which does support higher resolutions, but I believe it only comes in grey.  .

[(+_+)]

Just got a call. The staining on my machine has been completed. The whether got mild this past Sunday and my B-I-L was able to heat up his garage enough for the finishing to dry uniformly. His previous effort left a couple of spots that didn't cure correctly. So he lightly sanded these areas and applied the finishing touches. He also stained the control panel top. I'm also supposed to be getting the artwork tomorrow. Hopefully I do, so I can start drilling the button holes.

Also, going to pick up the 26" widescreen Toshiba this weekend and put it through some rigorous testing. In other words, try all my favorite games and see how they fair with it. At the same time, my friend whose opinion I highly respect (even though I could kick him in the arse for it at times) will have a look as well. And of course, we'll take a look before the drinking starts.

I meant to ask what is considered the "proper" way to mount a trackball under lexan. I've seen a couple of approaches. Do you countersink the mounting plate so that it is flush with the artwork or should it be mounted without it. I've seen somebody use brackets underneath it instead.

I think I'm coming around the bend and heading into the stretch. 

[leapinlew]

Proper would be to recess the trackball plate and mount it under the artwork.

I've mounted it without the plate and it's been fine.

[(+_+)]

Thanks LL. I'll countersink the trackball plate.

Good news and bad news on the LCD front. Missed the bloody sale on the 26" inch Toshiba Regza, but ended up getting the LG 26LC2D. That's the one I preferred but it was $1000 when I was looking into it. Lo and behold, it was $200 off and I got an additional 10% off because it was an open box. I gave it a visual inspection and not a scratch. I moved my 19" to the side and plopped the beast up on my table. It looked gigantic compared to what I'm used to. I actually had to pan from left to right to play RIP Strike Back. Another good thing about it is it has a very flat front border so the glass cover will sit very nicely up against it. I'm more than happy with it.

Tomorrow I pick up the cab and hopefully some time this weekend I'll install the monitor. I noticed I'm going to have to add some code so that I'm prompted whether or not I want stretching since some games look fine stretched and others may not. It also is a matter of preference too.

I'm debating whether or not to go with a slightly smoked piece of glass to cover the monitor or just a plain one. Has anybody tried to use smoked glass or have any opinion about it? Thanks.

My artwork has been held back since my friend has been a little busy, but i hope to get that soon. I'm still waiting for my controls which I hope get here soon also.

I should have some more pics in a few days. I'll try to be a better photographer. 

[leapinlew]

I've used greylite 14 plexi. I absolutely love it. With your setup especially, I think you'll love it too. The reason being is I usually mount my monitor/tv's close to the glass too. When it's off, it has a real nice effect of being a pitch black screen, but when you turn it on - the picture appears to "float" on the glass.

your call. I know most arcades used either clear of barely tinted glass and a plastic bezel, but I'll most likely always use tinted. I feel that the colors are actually more vibrant.

[(+_+)]

I've been slacking a little bit lately, but think I've got my second wind. I made a homemade bracket since LCD brackets are bloody expensive. It ended up costing me about $10 instead of $120. It is simply 3 flat bars of aluminum about 6-1/2" x 1-1/4" x 3/16". I bored 2 holes on each end according to mounting footprint on the back of the monitor. I also bored 3 holes to screw each bar into the MDF. I then glued together 2 pieces of MDF together and screwed the 3 bars to the wood using a template of all six mounting holes so that the bars were space correctly. I also had to bore some larger holes to be able to tighten the mounting screws through the MDF and into the screen. I think it turned out well. I also put black arborite on the top and bottom of the screen housing to finish it off nicely. I couldn't just leave it as plywood even though some people said it looks good enough and that it is only the top of the unit. Just knowing it is rough up there would make me lose some sleep. As soon as the arborite edges are routed, I'll be able to start putting it all together. I also got a message a few days ago that my controls were shipped. 

I'll update this post with a few shots tonight.

[javeryh]

I used smoked glass (not plexi) on my cocktail for the interior piece of glass covering the monitor area.  I LOVE it.  When the cabinet is off you can't even see it unless you look really hard.  It also really makes the colors appear more vibrant and "pop" out at you.  It's hard to explain but once you see smoked glass (or plexi) in person you won't want anything else.

[(+_+)]

I tend to agree that a smoked or tinted piece of glass looks better. I used to have a monitor overlay that hooked onto my screen and found it improved the image. Now the question is, how smoked should it be? javeryh, yours sounds very dark to be able to blot out everything when the monitor is off. Are there varying levels of smokedness  that you can ask for?

[javeryh]

I think there are varying levels but my glass shop didn't really have a lot of options... in fact there were only two and one of them looked yellow and the other was gray so the decision was easy for me.  I'm quite pleased with how it came out though.  I'm going to be placing another order very soon for another cabinet I'm working on - I'll be sure to ask them for the specs/details of the smoked glass.

[(+_+)]

I'll have to take a look as well. I certainly don't want yellow.

Here's a few pics of the homemade mounting bracket and the arborite veneered monitor cabinet top. The veneer still needs to be routed flush. Once that's done the assembly starts. If you look closely at one of the pics, there a buttons on the control panel. That's just a front. I only added the 2 side flipper and pause button for now since I had a few buttons laying around. Felt good to pop them in but that's part of a completely different thread (something about molesting cabs or some such nonsense). 

Just took a look at the veneer pic. Needs a good dusting.

[Timstuff]

Wow, that's shaping up to be one nice looking cabinet!

[(+_+)]

Here's a few more shots of the project's progress. It's starting to look like an arcade machine... finally. Still waiting on the artwork.  .

So far I've assembled the monitor box, speakers and monitor. I've also taken a subwoofer grill and riveted a black perforatted grill underneath the shiny silver metallic frame. It really doesn't look very shiny, but it is. Once again, my photography skills suck the bag. My buddy promised to come over when its all assembled to take some nicer shots with his much better camera. I'll probably mount the speaker grill on Wednesday and post some more shots.

[blueznl]

My only suggestion would be to make the speakers 'stand out' a little more. Now the small holes look, well, small :-)

Did you consider using anything in front of these (darn how do I explain this) so you cannot see the actual speakers, but are under the impression there is a massive grid of speakers left and right? (Hey, you might actually put in that many speakers, but that's not going to improve sound :-))

[(+_+)]

Speaker holes are the last thing on my mind right now.

About 15 minutes ago...

I was finished (well almost finished) my screen window and stupid old me said hey let me oversize the holes a bit for a better fit. Vooountcrackski, the fargen icehole corksucker snaped a corner. I almost had an epileptic seizure. Sorry for the close to curses, but if you were to see me squirming, you'd think I was a fish out of water having a cardio pulmonary infarction.

Jeezus Murphy, I think I just shaved a year off my life because of that.

And to believe I've read all the plexi mishaps and was really really careful up until...
ArrrrrgMcFlurgleStein.

 

[Kremmit]

fargen icehole

 

[(+_+)]

And then there were 2... scrap pieces. I ended up going to Reno Depot first thing this morning. Bought my second piece of plexi 4.5 mil. Drilled my 4 holes perfectly using a small wooden spade bit. It worked like a charm. Peeled off the protective layer and loosely anchored it to the monitor frame. Here's the nifty part. The guy cracked it while cutting it. I noticed the guy was passing the saw a little to quickly for my liking and causing chipping on the inside of both cuts. On one of the larger chips a crack had formed. You should have seen my face... PRICELESS. When I returned it they gave me a song and dance about plexi and blah di blah, blah, blah. I gave the new guy my brief rendition explaining why it cracked. I think it was the expression on my fed up face more that the actual explanation that sold the free replacement deal. He cut it nice and slow this time and it worked out just right. It's drilled for the third time  and ready for painting.

Good news on another front. My friend printed up the crosshairs for my control panel
and I just finished center punching it. I'll take a few updated shots over the next few days and post them up.

[(+_+)]

Here's some more progress. I got the keyboard door attached, but still need to add some sliders for the keyboard tray. I'm most likely going to go  for a smaller footprint keyboard (not that I have a choice due to the 13" space). I also attached the speaker grill. I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. I may add a blue light on the inside of the grill for effect. I also drilled most of the control panel holes, but still need to cut out the trackball hole and countersink the trackball plate. And last but not least the screen plexi (take deep breaths and count to 3). I've still got to block off the area I don't want painted and spray paint it. I'm saving that fot the weekend though.

[(+_+)]

My only suggestion would be to make the speakers 'stand out' a little more. Now the small holes look, well, small :-)

Did you consider using anything in front of these (darn how do I explain this) so you cannot see the actual speakers, but are under the impression there is a massive grid of speakers left and right? (Hey, you might actually put in that many speakers, but that's not going to improve sound :-))

Now that the plexi extravaganza is out of the way... Do you have any suggestions for satellite speaker covers. I did give it some thought and looked around a bit but couldn't see anything I liked. I originally liked the open look, but the more I think about it, the more I convince myself that one of my 3 kids will try to see if a pencil or some other pointy object will fit in the speaker opening.

[Kaytrim]

See if you can find a cover that matches the one you have for the sub woofer.  That really look cool on the cab. 

Kaytrim

[(+_+)]

Just finished (almost) drilling the control panel plexi. I ended up picking up a 1-1/8" spade bit since the forsner bit didn't seem to cut very well. I ended up using the sandwich trick. I placed my piece of plexi in the control panel channel and then put another piece of mdf on top of the plexi and clamped it in place. This way it stayed locked in position. The reason I say channel is due to the black control panel border being 1/8" higher than the mdf that is being drill into. The plexi ends up inset into the cp. It ended up taking me an hour and and a half. I took my sweet time and let the bit melt its way through. Often at the end of a piercing, there would be a soft and very hot thin plastic ring hooked onto the bottom of the bit. The only remaining hole to drill is the trackball hole. I saved the best for last. Do you think I should drill a smaller hole and then route it to 3" or just use a 3" door hole drill. Let me know what everyone thinks about this. Thanks.

[Kaytrim]

This can be done both ways with good results.  It is a matter of choice.

TTFN 
Kaytrim

[(+_+)]

I ended up going with the dewalt 3" door hole cutter. I did a practice shot on a piece of scrap and it snapped like a dry twig. I had let the attached 5/16" drill that's attached to the cylinder do the intial hole and it grabbed and twisted causing the scrap piece to snap. I decided to use a 5/16" drill only, went slowly and drill a pilot hole first. I then followed up with the 3" door hole cutter using the 5/16" hole to guide the 3" bit. It worked very well this time on my scrap piece. So I went ahead and did the real piece. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't freaking out before, during and even after the process. Thank god it also worked very well. I can't over emphasize how important it is to do a practice shot or 2 when doing things you haven't done before. Please believe me, it'll save you time, money and your mind. I'm sure the experienced builders would vouch up and down about this. Anyways to make a long story short. Wooooooohooooo. The plexi is done.  .

Here's a shot. I'm going to wait until I get my artwork in before I peel off the plexi paper.

[Kaytrim]

I'm going to wait until I get my artwork in before I peel off the plexi paper.

Good idea.  That paper is to protect the plexi from minor scratches during installation.  As far as I am concerned the install is not done until the artwork is in place. 

TTFN 
Kaytrim

[(+_+)]

Precisely. But I did peel up the paper and then smooth it back down again. I just had to take a peek.

[leapinlew]

I ended up going with the dewalt 3" door hole cutter.

Whats your thoughts? I have always used a 5/8ths drill bit and a router with a flush trim bit to trim up my plexi. I have yet to break some plexi with this method.

[Knievel]

Checking in on this one..things are really moving along.

Pic's from the 26th are very nice. Looks like a beautiful paint job. 

[(+_+)]

I ended up going with the dewalt 3" door hole cutter.

Whats your thoughts? I have always used a 5/8ths drill bit and a router with a flush trim bit to trim up my plexi. I have yet to break some plexi with this method.

Your method was actually going to be my first approach, but I had given my friend back his router. Doing a pilot hole first and then following it up with the door hole cutter and letting it cut and melt its way through slowly seems as effective. The only concern I'd have is plunging the hole cutter in crooked since it could cause a twist and snap your plexi. That being said it may be safer using the pilot hole followed by the router.

Pic's from the 26th are very nice. Looks like a beautiful paint job.

That's knievel. It's actually a black tint job with a bit of extra tint added to the finishing clear coat because the knots and dowels were still showing through.

[(+_+)]

Here's a few more updates with the monitor plexi in place as well as the trackball countersink that turned out well. The control panel plexi now sits flush with the buttons holes. The counter sink turned out to be a little tricky because of the border lip that is 1/8" higher than the rest. We ended up using a router and double sided tape to anchor the router guide. Worked out well. My next mission is to get the artwork printed.

[Neilyboy]

dang man im jealous haha. I cant wait to see this thing..

Neil

[(+_+)]

Man, those pictures look ghastly. Am I loosing quality on the shrink process. I am using Photoshop and shrinking them down from 3072 X 2304 to 600 x 450. 

I've got one of these
http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/images/a630.jpg

Either the camera is broken, I'm not using the right settings or I am a camera turnip.
I'm leaning towards the later.

[mountain]

Do you have Office? I use Microsoft Office Picture Manager to do quick edits light brightness and contrast. It is also really simple to shrink pictures very fast.

[leapinlew]

Man, those pictures look ghastly. Am I loosing quality on the shrink process. I am using Photoshop and shrinking them down from 3072 X 2304 to 600 x 450. 

I've got one of these
http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/images/a630.jpg

Either the camera is broken, I'm not using the right settings or I am a camera turnip.
I'm leaning towards the later.

Use the Microsoft Picture Resizer. It's a free powertoy from MS. Right click an image(s) and it gives you different resize options. Much faster than photoshop.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

[efswanso]

the pictures are out of focus. don't think photoshop is the problem

[gShooter]

This is one of the nicest cabs I have ever seen and fits in perfectly with my idea of how I want mine to look.  The craftsmanship is top notch.  Did you design the framework from scratch or did you follow a set of plans?

[(+_+)]

Thanks gShooter, your praise really means a lot to me seeing I lost a finger and 2 toes in the process. I kidd, I kidd.

Unfortunately, I did most of the planning doodling on paper and thinking about it non stop. I tried to make the unit large enough to support a large monitor. I put a lot of consideration into the placement of the controls as well as controller distancing from the screen. I also built it like the pyramids so that it'll stand the test of time. If you plan to go a similar route and have any questions just drop me a PM and I'll do my best to answer any questions you have.

[(+_+)]

Progress has been a little slow as of late, but I did manage to make a quick access door on the back of the marquee. I used magnets and 2 little grip knobs to pull it off. It turned out nice and I like the snugness and the way I can quickly remove it. I also added the keyboard slider tray. I just need to stain those and then I'll be posting a few updated shots. I also picked up an Adesso (AKB-410US) mini keyboard that's almost 12" wide which fits perfectly on the sliding tray.

[(+_+)]

So I finally got around to redoing my CP artwork at 300 DPI instead of the original 72 DPI. I did have to scrap the nice outer space backdrop due to the picture being way too small for the larger canvas size. I got the marquee printed by Scott at Mame marquees and he was very helpful and it turned out great. I also ended up having to countersink the 2 outer joysticks because the Mag-Stik Plus have nubs for joysticks and the supposed longer ball shaft that I ordered was actually shorter than stock pear one. Not to mention that the black ball was the size of a pea in comparison to the ultrastik red balltops. 

I have to admit that the artwork has been the bane of my entire project. I just got a call from the person that's going to be printing my CP and the file is corrupt. I'm going to swing by tonight and give them a fresh copy. Should have the art by next Friday and then the wiring fun begins.

My in ground pool is in and the mess finally cleaned up so I'll have tons of extra time to work on my cab. Man does an inground pool ever cause a mess. I'll never do that again.

I should have some more pictures to post soon.

[Kaytrim]

Hey welcome back.  Looking at your new CP art something struck me funny.   The joystick placements look like spiked balls.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[(+_+)]

Maybe after I insert the joysticks. 

Unless I've missed the boat completely, it brings a song to mind.

Here comes Johnny with his Pecker in his hand, he's a one ball man and he's off
to the rodeo... 

[Dudeman]

"Come on you --- smurfing ---- dummy get your right step right."

[(+_+)]

Ladies and gentlemen, the artwork is here and has been installed along with the controls.  . I was starting to think this day would never come. I'm going to start wiring it up and put in the piano hinge for the lid. I'm also going to add some sort of arm on both sides to hold up the lid when working on it. Sort of like a card front hood arm except on boths sides. When it's finally all together, buff it up and take some decent pictures for a change. It'll give my buddy an excuse to pull out his very expensive camera.

Anyways here's a few pics.

[TOK]

Wow, that looks very nice, but the button layout is brutal. Are the outer sets of controls your player 1 and 2?

[(+_+)]

Yes they are TOK. This was done to make room for players 1 and 2. The reason for the center button brutality is quite simple. For me Robotron must be in the center (2 red ball joysticks). Other similar games such as Mutant Storm, Veck, Geometry wars, Smash TV. Everything else is secondary, yet very playable. The center config can play Asteroids, Defender, Stargate exactly the way I like it. Not to mention almost every other game I can imagine or like. As for configuring, I know I've strayed from the standard Mame defaults. By using my front end it is very easy to configure it any way I want to. To boot, I can play a game one way and my kids can play using a completely different profile. I have 2 kids that are lefties and they can set up the game the way they like it and leave my profile intact without having to switch it all the time. Just out of curiosity, what did you find so brutal about it. I may be able to retort with my 2 cents if applicable. 

[TOK]

I just had difficulty wrapping my head around it for a couple reasons. The placement of the sticks looked too tight for 4 player use, and since the outer sticks were angled, I originally thought that the inner sticks might have been your player 1 & 2, and the backward layout combined with the non standard button layout wouldn't work for me as an everyday use controller.

Now that you've described it, I can see the Defender/Stargate layout there and it makes much more sense, though I'm still not sure I'd like an angled position for my normal 1 and 2 player games. Nothing wrong with it, just different preferences. 

[(+_+)]

The placement of the sticks looked too tight for 4 player use

Actually on my previous cab, I had a similar setup where players 2 and 4 would interfere with each other a tiny bit. I spread them out a bit more this time around and unless both players have gorilla sized hands I have nothing to worry about.

Now that you've described it, I can see the Defender/Stargate layout there and it makes much more sense

 . I doodled long and hard with the button layout diagrams and because of the games I enjoy most, this was the best I could come up with. The little voice inside my head drove me crazy about for a while about it.

though I'm still not sure I'd like an angled position for my normal 1 and 2 player games.

The reasons for this are 2 fold and if I remember correctly there have been entire thread debates about this here and it really boils down to personal preferences. These are my 2 reasons for it.

1) The angle forces each outer player to angle themselves giving you quite a bit more shoulder room for Gauntlet and The Simpsons.

2) I believe you have a more confortable stance and natural viewing angle since you don't have to play facing straight ahead and looking off at an angle. Especially so for the wider panels. Even more so with the wider panels and smaller screens.

 

[(+_+)]

Got most of the wiring done and plan to complete it this weekend. I'll follow up with a few pictures once completed. I've been getting a lot of pressure from my kids lately so I'm under the gun. 

[(+_+)]

I've completed wiring.

I have 2 ultrastiks installed and noticed that the magnetic disk lightly touches the rounded black chip that's attached to the circuit board. I've installed the round restrictor plate and was wondering if it is meant to be this way or have I reassembled it incorrectly. Everything seems to be hooked up correctly and now I'm wondering if I should put in 4 small washers to give it the extra millimeter it needs... or doesn't need depending on your advice.

Thanks.
 

[Kaytrim]

you might want to shoot a PM or email to Andy at Ultimarc to be sure.  His customer service is top notch.

TTFN

[(+_+)]

Thanks Kaytrim. I've already started corresponding with Andy and he responded in no time. He offers great service as well as great products!! I sent him back a pic just to be sure that this is what he meant.

"The washers should indeed be installed, between the flange of the black spacer and the restrictor plate."

I think he means here (see pic) but I just want to be sure. Can anybody who has installed the Ultrastik with the round restrictor plates confirm this?

[(+_+)]

Andy just confirmed that "We are in the process of having one-piece spacers made which will not need the washers but for now, thats where it goes".

[hulkster]

whoa!  this is the first ive seen of this cab 

it almost looks like you are giving your own spin on the showcase style cab.  nice to see another showcase builder!

[(+_+)]

Thanks hulkster. I'm very close to being finished. I just need to finish up a couple of small details and polish her up. I'll probably post some pictures over the next couple of days.

[hulkster]

nice.  looking forward to it.   

[(+_+)]

Here's a few more shots of the almost finished cab. All that's left to do is make a backing for the monitor cabinet and hopefully find some speaker grills similar to the subwoofer grill or perhaps look into something custom. I also plan to create a video demo of the PowerGamer App in action.

Should have dusted the CP 

[(+_+)]

Here's a few wiring pics as well.

[superbigjay]

Hello (+_+) ,

just want to say that your cab is very impressive : huge, solid pine, cool angles.

It looks amazing!!!
congrats 
Jay

[Havok]

Very nice! The only suggestion I would make is replace those white player buttons with black ones. I think Divemaster sells them...

[hulkster]

very nice cab indeed!     what FE are you using?

[(+_+)]

I'm using my own FE called PowerGamer. I have some screenshots and a little bit of write up about it earlier in the thread about mid way through the link below.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62244.40

[hulkster]

I'm using my own FE called PowerGamer. I have some screenshots and a little bit of write up about it earlier in the thread about mid way through the link below.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=62244.40

whoa!  your FE is sweet!  any release in sight??  id love to put that thing on my cab.

[(+_+)]

hulkster, unfortunately not at the moment. I've been way to busy to tackle the extra work that it would involve. I plan to create a video showing some of its features. If there is enough interest, it may motivate me to pursue releasing it.

Here's a few videos showing the case as well as yours truly playing Robotron and Mutant storm.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NRTII4X0
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7AMM3Z57
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0QTRWGGL

[Manny]

Truly impressive work, very nice indeed. I’ve been a lurker for a while and I’ve been thinking about building my own Mame box, first time, out all the ones I’ve seen here this one is the most psychotic, you should enter this box for a Mamey award!!! Literally, this thing is a bloody beautiful!!!! , it’s amazing what you have done here. I’m definitely not in your league , but I was wondering where did you get the plans for this? I’d love to know what made you choose this design.

Manny

[(+_+)]

Thanks Manny. I never really came up with a formal set of plans (cad etc). I always had a general idea about what I wanted which was a box that was well built, had an outside of the traditional box design and played the games I enjoy most. There was quite a bit of doodling, measuring as well as a little lying around wondering what to do next. I would suggest determining what games you'd like to play, screensize, your budget and designing around those things. PM if you have any questions whatsoever. Also, there is a bottomless pit of knowledge on the board for just about anything you want to know about regarding BYOAC.

  and thanks again for your praise.

[Donkey_Kong]

hulkster, unfortunately not at the moment. I've been way to busy to tackle the extra work that it would involve. I plan to create a video showing some of its features. If there is enough interest, it may motivate me to pursue releasing it.

Here's a few videos showing the case as well as yours truly playing Robotron and Mutant storm.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NRTII4X0
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7AMM3Z57
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0QTRWGGL

Can't get these to play. What do we do once we get to those pages? 

Register or something?

[(+_+)]

There is a section at the top that says

Please enter  here:

You type in the 3 letter code that's shown and click download. A new page comes up with a 45 second count down timer. As soon as it reaches 0, you can down the file.

I just took a peek and it appears to be working as it should.

[Manny]

I was just wondering if you would be willing share what your costs were doing this project, I'm guessing atleast $1500, probably more, just wanted to know what I would be getting into cost wise.

Thanks 

Manny

[Gametreks]

Ive been a member here for three years now and have only commented on about  four cabs.  Your cab has forced me to come out once again.   Beautiful concept and design.  The lines are very attractive.  Nice insight on the control panel.  Its nice to see something different.  Interestingly you choose the wide screen and made it work perfectly for this style cab.     I truly see the love put in this one.  Good job mate!!!   

[(+_+)]

Thanks Gametreks, I really appreciate your kind words. The work was all more than worth it just to watch my wife and kids laugh while playing Nibbler the other day. I met my wife at Pinochio's arcade playing that exact same game about 20 years ago. I used to hog the game because I'd play it indefinitely on one quarter. Out of guilt and the fact that I thought she was cute, invited her to share the game with me. It was the best spent quarter ever.

[(+_+)]

I was just wondering if you would be willing share what your costs were doing this project, I'm guessing atleast $1500, probably more, just wanted to know what I would be getting into cost wise.

Thanks 

Manny

Manny, here's an approximate cost breakdown.

Wood - $500
26" LG LCD - $800
Controllers - $800
Z-2300 speakers - $100
Artwork - $100 + a world of hurt and delay.
Misc - $100

Total - $2400 give or take $200. Most like give.

It may be a little pricey for some peoples budgets, but it can be trimmed down quite a bit if you go for a smaller CP and screen. To me it isn't even expensive when you consider what some people spend on other hobbies and/or luxuries.

[mccoy178]

Nice looking project!  Great work on the CP.  I can appreciate the time and effort it takes to make these and I must say, job well done sir!

[ARTIFACT]

What did you use to build your front-end?

was it a custom solution from scratch?

If so, did you use WPF? Winforms? Java Swing? (..etc..)

[(+_+)]

Thanks mccoy178.

ARTIFACT, it is in fact custom and done from scratch. It uses VB and windows APIs.

[(+_+)]

What did you use to build your front-end?

was it a custom solution from scratch?

If so, did you use WPF? Winforms? Java Swing? (..etc..)

Speaking of WPF... I've been toying with it a bit lately and I can't believe what you can do in terms of eye candy compared to VB. I used to have to jump through hoops to add affects to my FE. With WPF, you can make thinks glow, twist, spin, create storyboards to add animations and add different effects to each layer of your image. Very cool stuff. The added bonus is separation of GUI from code. This should allow some interesting skinning possibilities.

[(+_+)]

Recently gave my cab a few tweaks.

- Changed the CP. It is black stained oak
- Changed the artwork.
- Added grills to the 2 speakers after I saw one of the members from my soccer team putting his fingers in the opening.
- Closed off the keyboard tray that used to be under the CP. I now use the mini IOGEAR bluetooth keyboard. I like it
  since it doesn't break my back anymore to access it now that I can place it on the CP.
- Added a new piece between the CP and the cab so that it meets flush.
- Modified the CP layout so I can play 2 player twin stick games and left more real estate open for playing FPS games
as well as some arena shooters using my mouse.
- Modified the pinball flipper button locations so they are closer together.

Overall, I'm very happy with the changes seeing my wife wouldn't allow me to build a new one... yet.