I need sugestions on what Cab to build for mainly fighting games.

[KainRacure]

I am a total noob to making arcade machines but I have experience in woodworking and electronics.

I love fighting games and I am going to make a full upright machine with 2 joysticks (most likely happ super 8 ) 12 buttons (6 per stick/player) plus 2 start buttons and 2 coin buttons on the underside of the controll. Plus I think I want a trackball for other random games I may have.

I was thinking of making my own cab and I want the controlls to be nice and spaced in case I feel like adding more stuff and just cuz I like space for being rather umm aggressive while playing without hurting the person I am playing with.

I am going to use USB keyboard hacks and I am still looking around to figure out whats best for the trackball.

I looked around for diffrent cabs that I liked and I think that the Gauntlet Legends 4 player cab would be good.
Picture of a Gauntlet Legends cab

If I settle with this cab I need to find the Dimensions on it if anyone can help that would be kewl. (If I get the dimensions for it I will be making a file in autocad which I will share with everyone)

It also will have a working coin door.

I am also unsure about the monitor, I have several old computer monitors that Might work and is free so I believe I will go with that.

Anything else that I should think about?

[Apollo]

You should think about not using keyboard hacks, there really is no point these days with the affordability of keyboard encoders.
25" arcade monitor should be a definate if you can afford it.
If you want the girlfriend to be in to it the put a dedicated 4 way on there somewhere so she can play Pengu, Frogger and Ms Pacman etc (you know what they're like).
Any cab like Simpsons, NBA Jam or similar would be great. Gauntlet Legends is only 8 years old so maybe more expensive?

[leapinlew]

first off - don't have a keyboard. Buy an encoder.

As for the machine, the main thing I'd want is a big control panel (25"-30") and a big monitor (25" or so).  If you add a trackball and plan on playing games like Golden Tee or World Class bowling you'll want to make sure you have enough room between the trackball and the screen for people who take big swings.

[KainRacure]

first off - don't have a keyboard. Buy an encoder.

As for the machine, the main thing I'd want is a big control panel (25"-30") and a big monitor (25" or so).  If you add a trackball and plan on playing games like Golden Tee or World Class bowling you'll want to make sure you have enough room between the trackball and the screen for people who take big swings.

The trackball is for older games and for some Sonic The Hedgehog game I am trying to track down for my GF who loves Sonic. (if I am going to have something this big in our apartment she needs to want it too.....)

[Kaytrim]

The trackball is for older games and for some Sonic The Hedgehog game I am trying to track down for my GF who loves Sonic. (if I am going to have something this big in our apartment she needs to want it too.....)

The Sonic games that I found in MAME use a joystick not a trackball.  Put the puzzle games on there too, most women like them.  Oh and don't forget Mrs. Pac Man.   And don't knock Golden Tee until you try it.  I didn't think that I would like it until after I played it.  My kids like it too.  The wife could care less she thinks that the cab is nothing but a waste of time.   Though there one game that I have yet to get her in front of, Tetris.  She loved that on the old gameboy.

Happ Competitions are the best sticks for fighters.  Though I have heard that the Japanese sticks are really good too.  For the trackball the Happ 3" is the best.  Leapinlew is right on the rest, encoder, big monitor and control panel.  And his advice on the trackball is spot on.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[KainRacure]

I did get her to play Puzzle Fighter earlier today. and the Sonic game is soem jap game, I played it once and it would only work with the mouse so I assumed it took a trackball.

[DaveMMR]

The Sonic games that I found in MAME use a joystick not a trackball. 

This is the game he's referring to:
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9626

I played it in MAME, but not as of late.  Almost impossible to play without a trackball if I remember correctly.

[Kremmit]

I think most of the hardcore fighter game players use Japanese sticks these days- Sanwa and Semitsu.

I'll echo the other comments about buying a keyboard encoder.  They can be had so cheaply that the only real reason to do a keyboard hack is if you think it'll be fun.  If you're looking for a trackball as well, you'd do well to look at the Ultimarc Mini-Pac, since it'll do your sticks, buttons, and trackball all on one interface.  Also, don't let the product descriptions confuse you, you don't have to order the expensive "Opti" version, any USB version of the MiniPac will do the job.  The real difference between versions is the inclusion of the wire harness, which can save a huge amount of time and effort, but costs.  You'll have to weigh the price against the cost of your time and the cost of the wire and connectors by themselves.

As for what cab style, anything that doesn't have the cab sides enclosing the control panel sounds good, and the wider the better.  If you're an experienced woodworker, maybe you should consider doing an original design instead of a copy?  Whatever you do, don't use one of those old computer monitors unless they're big enough- nothing looks worse than a big cabinet with a tiny monitor.  For reference, most 21 inch PC monitors are about the size of a "standard" 19 inch arcade monitor- they don't measure them the same way.  If you've got a 17" computer monitor, it's really not going to look right.

[bleargh]

I looked around for diffrent cabs that I liked and I think that the Gauntlet Legends 4 player cab would be good.
Picture of a Gauntlet Legends cab

If I settle with this cab I need to find the Dimensions on it if anyone can help that would be kewl. (If I get the dimensions for it I will be making a file in autocad which I will share with everyone)

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.    I'd be happy to take a few measurements for you.

One thing I can tell you, though... they're HEAVY; mine didn't come with a monitor, and it still weighs in at over 300lbs.  But they're sweet looking, and big enough for the original 4-player panel.

Mine's having a new 2-player CP built for it so that I can MAMEify it without damaging the original cabinet/artwork/panel.  If you decide to buy this one and have bits you don't want, do let me know; I'm interested in a few extra bits...

[KainRacure]

I looked around for diffrent cabs that I liked and I think that the Gauntlet Legends 4 player cab would be good.
Picture of a Gauntlet Legends cab

If I settle with this cab I need to find the Dimensions on it if anyone can help that would be kewl. (If I get the dimensions for it I will be making a file in autocad which I will share with everyone)

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.    I'd be happy to take a few measurements for you.

One thing I can tell you, though... they're HEAVY; mine didn't come with a monitor, and it still weighs in at over 300lbs.  But they're sweet looking, and big enough for the original 4-player panel.

I would love it if you could do that for me man. I will work on putting it into autocad and when its done I will post it on here somewhere for people to use.

[bfauska]

Don't know where you are but there is a Gauntlet Legends cab for sale here in Seattle, the sad part is the picture show it and several others outside... in Seattle.  Now I defend Seattle sometimes when people say it is rainy, but my response is that we don't get rain we just get wet, that's no better for a cabinet than big fast rain drops.  Outside? WTF?  I hope they were just out for a walk or to get some air or for a photo shoot.  Anyway, it looks like a nice cab, I don't know if the price is any good though.

[bleargh]

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.    I'd be happy to take a few measurements for you.

I would love it if you could do that for me man. I will work on putting it into autocad and when its done I will post it on here somewhere for people to use.

Ok... give me a day or two to get them together, and I'll post some sketches with measurements for you...

[Kaytrim]

The Sonic games that I found in MAME use a joystick not a trackball. 

This is the game he's referring to:
http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9626

I played it in MAME, but not as of late.  Almost impossible to play without a trackball if I remember correctly.

Thanks Dave for the info.  I'll see if that is on MAME and give it a try, looks like it might be fun.

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.    I'd be happy to take a few measurements for you.

I would love it if you could do that for me man. I will work on putting it into autocad and when its done I will post it on here somewhere for people to use.

Ok... give me a day or two to get them together, and I'll post some sketches with measurements for you...

Sweet another cab drawn up I'll be waiting for this one.  I might use it for my cabinet design.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[KainRacure]

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.    I'd be happy to take a few measurements for you.

I would love it if you could do that for me man. I will work on putting it into autocad and when its done I will post it on here somewhere for people to use.

Ok... give me a day or two to get them together, and I'll post some sketches with measurements for you...

Thanx man, I will start working on putting it into autocad a soon as I get it.

And about the monitor I will wait to get the dimensions for the cab before I choose a monitor.

For the interface I am going to use a mini-pac and build my own harness (I have LOADs of time so thats no problem)

And I would love to buy the original one that is getting rained on in seattle but I live in southren Illinois so it would be hard to get it

[bleargh]

And I would love to buy the original one that is getting rained on in seattle but I live in southren Illinois so it would be hard to get it

Can relate.... I'd love to have a dedicated GL here and would snap that one up in a second, but shipping/duty from Seattle would cost me nearly as much as the cab... 

Oh why, why oh lord, why couldn't there be any good arcades on this island?

[bleargh]

If you want dimensions let me know; I've got one of these sitting ~5ft from my desk.

Ok... I've taken a few measurements here off the cabinet, which are in the attached PDF file.  Note that the drawing is just for rough shape, but the measurements are correct.

A few other things that I should mention about the cabinet that are worth noting measurement wise...

• All the panels (side and CPO) are 13/16" thick, not 3/4".  This screwed me up more than once while trying to figure measurements out for my own CP.
• All of the corners are rounded; there isn't a single hard corner on the cabinet at all.
• The front of the cabinet under the CP (where the coin door goes) is a steel front, not wood.  It also has rounded corners, and wraps around the sides of the cabinet by 6" on each side.  Is a nice smooth round edge on this, and in the metallic purple looks quite striking.
• The marquee mounts to the cabinet in such a way that it swivels into position; when you need to move the cab you just undo two of the four bolts (one on each side) and the marquee tilts backwards and hides away on the top of the cabinet.  I don't have measurements for where the bolts go, but if you're doing this up in a CAD package it shouldn't be too hard to figure out (or, PM me to get those and send them to you).
• According to the manual, Gauntlet Legends originally housed a 27" monitor.  I'm planning on mounting a 27" TV into mine, but expect that I'll be de-casing it in order to do so (the TV case is 0.5" too wide for the cabinet)

If you want/need more measurements of pictures, PM me; I'm happy to take some extra measurements or photos of the odd areas or innards of the cabinet for you.

And... if any of you have extra bits for one of these cabs, do let me know; I'm interested in extra bits... artwork, marquee, CP, harness, etc...

[KainRacure]

Thanx for the measurements man, I will work on getting it into autocad in the next few days and if i need anything else i will tell you.

Also thanx for the idea about the TV, I was thinking of going that way myself and I believe the local pawn shop has a 27" that has s video inputs for cheap.