Cab design help

[cdbrown]

Hi all,

I'm at the stage where I'm finalising the design of the cab (at last ).  I'm basing mine on the Midway style cab (thanks to Oscar and others for providing that info on another thread) but have increased the side to accommodate my height and TV.  I have worked out that I want the controls to be 100-105cm above the floor.  Will make it 100cm from the bottom on the cab.  

My eye level is 170cm, so I guess I should make that 165cm to account to leaning/hunching while playing.  I am thinking that the screen should be placed perpendicular to my direction of vision(which would be to the center of the screen), hence I'll be looking down at an angle causing the screen to be tilted backwards.  Should I be trying to make it perpendicular or should I find where it is perpendicular then lean it forwards slightly.  I have noticed many people's cabs with there monitors not having much of an angle.

Also, if I post a sketch with the dimensions, would someone be able to check it in Autocad or similar to make sure it will work.  I have a feeling that my measuring with just a ruler isn't quite correct.

Cheers
-cdbrown

[paigeoliver]

Monitors are usually laid back at a 45 degree angle (Pac cabs, and many others), or straight up and down (Williams cabs, Centuri cabs, SNK cabs, and many others). Very few seem to deviated from these two basic designs.

I can't think of any game with a monitor that leans forward. Simplest design is straight up and down with a monitor shelf. That is fine for most monitors. But if you have a big monitor, then you really need to get some space between your face and that screen, either by having a big control panel, or by laying the monitor back, or by doing both.

[cdbrown]

I can't think of any game with a monitor that leans forward. Simplest design is straight up and down with a monitor shelf. That is fine for most monitors. But if you have a big monitor, then you really need to get some space between your face and that screen, either by having a big control panel, or by laying the monitor back, or by doing both.

Probably didn't make myself quite as clear on paper as it was in my head.  I will have the monitor laid back.  I was just wondering if it should be perpendicular to my vision, if it's laid back to far I'll get the reflection of the roof, set at the right angle I'll see myself.  The control panel will be quite big (about 50cm deep).

Here's the sketch anyway

[MinerAl]

(opinion)

If you are designing the cab specifically for you, then yeah, you'd want a ray cast straight out of the center of the tube to spear the bridge of your nose between your eyeballs when you stand in playing position.

If you are designing a cab for the masses, you have to take into account giants and midgets and compromise.

If you have the chance to make the cabinet perfect for you, then by all means go for it!

Your sketch looks great, a lot like a midway fighter.

(/opinion)

[Wienerdog]

Also, if I post a sketch with the dimensions, would someone be able to check it in Autocad or similar to make sure it will work.  I have a feeling that my measuring with just a ruler isn't quite correct.

I didn't see your sketch jpeg above, I'll take a look at it now.

[Dak-ak]

I loaded it up in a cad program here at school, and the dimensions didn't seem to work out quite right... i took the difference out of the marquee, but when i did it the first time (had to do it twice to dblcheck my work) i took it out of the depth of the cabinet (from the very front to the back of the cp)

seems pretty close overall

[OSCAR]

I concur the dimensions are slightly off, but not by much.  I did an alternate sketch maintaining the dimensions on the angles.  The ones in red are the the dim's that "just ended up that way" to make the angled dimensions work out.

BTW, that's how you look in a cap & coveralls according to OSCAR.  

[shmokes]

ROTFLMAO

[cdbrown]

Thanks Dak-ak and Oscar.  I think the stomach needs to be increased slightly.

Some things I think I didn't include or really take notice of
-wood thickness and recessing of the front, top and back panels, this will increase the height and width of the side panel.
-marquee looks small in height considering I need to take into account the thickness of two panels and two recesses.  I will be using 16mm thick mdf and will have all front, top, back panels recessed 10mm.  What is the normal height of a marquee
220?+(2*16)+(2*10) = 272 - does that sound right?

Once I work out the dimensions of the side panels then it's just a matter of some minor calcs to determine the other panels.

One more - my TV is 82cm wide (speakers are on each side of the screen) 58cm high and 53cm deep.  The screen is 11cm from the bottom, 5cm from the top and 13cm from each side.  The centre of the screen is 32cm from the bottom.  To keep the centre of the tv screen the centre of the plexi (or whatever) I made the plexi 65cm (probably should be 64cm).  Oscar will my eyes (if I was wearing a spiffy cap and coveralls) look at a perpendicular angle to the screen (or close to it)?

Sorry to be a pain.
Thanks
Craig

[OSCAR]

Thanks Dak-ak and Oscar.  I think the stomach needs to be increased slightly.

Some things I think I didn't include or really take notice of
-wood thickness and recessing of the front, top and back panels, this will increase the height and width of the side panel.
-marquee looks small in height considering I need to take into account the thickness of two panels and two recesses.  I will be using 16mm thick mdf and will have all front, top, back panels recessed 10mm.  What is the normal height of a marquee
220?+(2*16)+(2*10) = 272 - does that sound right?

Once I work out the dimensions of the side panels then it's just a matter of some minor calcs to determine the other panels.

One more - my TV is 82cm wide (speakers are on each side of the screen) 58cm high and 53cm deep.  The screen is 11cm from the bottom, 5cm from the top and 13cm from each side.  The centre of the screen is 32cm from the bottom.  To keep the centre of the tv screen the centre of the plexi (or whatever) I made the plexi 65cm (probably should be 64cm).  Oscar will my eyes (if I was wearing a spiffy cap and coveralls) look at a perpendicular angle to the screen (or close to it)?

Sorry to be a pain.
Thanks
Craig

Actually the angle of your monitor is nearly identical to mine, and I think mine is set just perfect for me.  Regarding the size of the marquee, I think yours might be a little on the large size.  Typically you see marquees around 8" (203), and the bonus to that is if you have one printed it will fit a standard Letter or A4 size paper width.  I set the outside dimension of my own marquee panel at 210 just to ensure that my future marquee didn't overhang the space I had allotted for it and possibly cause an interference with the marquee holder.  Here's what I planned for my upper unit:




In reality this is how it really looks.  I wouldn't want the marquee any larger on my cabinet or it might overbear the rest of the cabinet profile.  To put it in perspective with the rest of the cabinet, see some of the photos I have at www.oscarcontrols.com/unnamed.  As a note, I designed my cabinet for a 25" monitor, but I currently have a 19" in it.  And now I like my 19" so much that will likely stay in it.

I'll take your dimensions and sketch something up for you so you can see how yours would look with your TV and cabinet dimensions.

[SirPoonga]

Teh dimmensions on my site are based off partly my double dragon II cabinet.  At least the height and the height of the CP are based off it.

[Dak-ak]

you should be thinking my drafting instructor who purchased all the neat programs for me to use in non-class work! (shhh, don't tell him who it was tho! :-))

looked to me like you were about right... if those were the dimensions you wanted, you could probably shoot for that/that withink a coupla cm's, and come out about right... you are only looking at the overall size, and not really taking in how it joins into your thinking (if the sides "sit on" the bottom, they need to be 3/4" (or whatever it is in cms) smaller)  

the overall shape is a lot like my TMNT cab, but the top extends out enough to make the marquee perpendicular... and i bet its a lot wider than you're thinking :-)

[OSCAR]

Thanks Dak-ak and Oscar.  I think the stomach needs to be increased slightly.

Some things I think I didn't include or really take notice of
-wood thickness and recessing of the front, top and back panels, this will increase the height and width of the side panel.
-marquee looks small in height considering I need to take into account the thickness of two panels and two recesses.  I will be using 16mm thick mdf and will have all front, top, back panels recessed 10mm.  What is the normal height of a marquee
220?+(2*16)+(2*10) = 272 - does that sound right?

Once I work out the dimensions of the side panels then it's just a matter of some minor calcs to determine the other panels.

One more - my TV is 82cm wide (speakers are on each side of the screen) 58cm high and 53cm deep.  The screen is 11cm from the bottom, 5cm from the top and 13cm from each side.  The centre of the screen is 32cm from the bottom.  To keep the centre of the tv screen the centre of the plexi (or whatever) I made the plexi 65cm (probably should be 64cm).  Oscar will my eyes (if I was wearing a spiffy cap and coveralls) look at a perpendicular angle to the screen (or close to it)?

Sorry to be a pain.
Thanks
Craig

That TV is pretty wide at 82cm, will your cabinet fit through a door?  I've offset the side panels for the 10mm setback for the interior panels.  The TV looks like it will be a tight fit, in fact my sketch shows it barely fits at all, especially if you are setting the screen back a bit to accommodate a bezel.  I took the profile from my Toshiba, and just made slight adjustments for your dimensions, so your profile may be different enough that it will fit, but it is something to be aware of.  I think that your line-of-sight for your hieght looks good.  You want your head to droop a little, especially if you are going to be putting some serious hours in front of it.  I'm not an ergonomist, but that just feels a bit more comfortable to me.  Here's an updated side view with your TV.  Is there any other dimensions or info you need from the sketch?  I have it all in cad, so it's no big deal.

[cdbrown]

Wow, thanks alot Oscar, that's great.  I thought the depth of the cab needed to be extended slightly to accommodate the rear of the TV.  I am thinking that the 1010 should perhaps be 1100.

The cab won't fit through the front door but will have to go through the side gate and into the back sliding door.  I made sure it would fit somehow into the house.

Are all those dimensions from the outside of the back, front and top panels or the side panel measurements.

Cheers and thanks again
-cdbrown

[OSCAR]

Wow, thanks alot Oscar, that's great.  I thought the depth of the cab needed to be extended slightly to accommodate the rear of the TV.  I am thinking that the 1010 should perhaps be 1100.

The cab won't fit through the front door but will have to go through the side gate and into the back sliding door.  I made sure it would fit somehow into the house.

Are all those dimensions from the outside of the back, front and top panels or the side panel measurements.

Cheers and thanks again
-cdbrown

I've updated the above pic to show the cab 1100 deep.  I think that gives it better proportions for it's hieght and width.  The dims are to the side panels, and all the interior panels are shown inset by 10mm.

If you would like me to help out and do some more sketches, just let me know.  We can keep going via email if you would like.