Project: Hyperspace Quad Cab (Update)

[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