Main > Main Forum
My arcade (a work in progress)
(1/6) > >>
gurnie:
Well i think this adventure started about 4 years ago in college when i first heard of this nifty thing called "MAME" and then saw people building arcades and using MAME software.  Once I read about it, I was totally hooked and i had to have a cabinet.

Its come a long way, and it still needs a lot of help, but its progressed more in 6 months than it has in a year!  I think being out of college and being able to afford things helps  ;D

I still have my old hotrod se controls, but after the chip broke the whole system has been changed.  I now use an ipac board, dad installed a trackball (whoo!  go dad!) and the cabinet has been fitted for a coin door.  I have to touch up the pain (we'll leave the side art alone).  Its turning out to be a nice father/daughter and occasional boyfriend helps project.

In the last two photos below the coin door isn't totally hooked-up because i just put the panel back in last night.  But thanks to a member of our forum, DaOld Man sold me a hacked mouse for the trackball.  Thanks again.

My 7th button on each player acts as the right and left mouse buttons (totally easy to manage since there are hardly any 7-button games).

I found that the trackball is not as sensitive as i'd like it to be.  I can't run a newer version of mame (stuck on .61 with a P3, 900mhz, 386 ram computer) so if anyone has any suggestions on how to make the trackball more sensitive (its all the way up under window's control panel) then let me know.


Anyways here's some photos.  I have a control panel layover i'm going to put over that nasty, nasty purple.  I just want to tweak it a little more.



A more recent update of the work we did.






Oh and don't you boys get any ideas.  Both my boyfriend and dad are over 6'2 and I know how to fence  >:D
ArtMAME:
Good to see the ladies are getting in on all this MAME action  ;D

The cabinet looks great with the Solar Fox marquee instead of the MAME collage marquee.  Now if you had a plain black CP overlay and maybe a monitor bezel, you could apply some small Solar Fox icons on it and complete the Solar Fox theme.  Looks real nice so far.

If you want the trackball more sensitive, go into the game that uses the trackball and press TAB for your control options.  Go into the "Analog Controls" menu and tweak the Track X Sensitivity and the Track Y Sensitivity settings until you get the desired response from the trackball in the game.  You may have to do this for each trackball game that you play depending on your tastes.
LeedsFan:
I know there are hardly any 7 button games in Mame but I would alwyas still have 7 buttons instead of 6 and have them in a very similar layout to yours. And that's simply because for some games like Defender the 7th button is just nicely placed for Reverse. I tend to find the lower row of three buttons are the ones I hardly ever use.
gurnie:
I have a nice texture bezel that has yet to be cut (ohhh daaaaad).  I really need to get on that.  Right now the arcade is in the kitchen's "sun room," and I use the tv a lot in the morning or when i'm cooking (a two-for!) 

I picked up the marquee on ebay i think for 20 (including shipping).  Good deal, though I worked on that marquee for a long time.  It'll fit better when we have a house and I can have my own bar area and  turn it into a nice lighted sign  :)

tomorrow i'll look into the sensitivity of the trackball options.  Is that accessible in mame .61 ?

I've been working on the control panel.  Not done but i've been playing





Neither idea is done b/c i feel i need to add some solarfox art.  Black buttons on black spaces... not sure if that's gonna look good.

speaking of solar fox art, i just really dig it.

Ok /put down sake, time for bed.  :cheers:

DaOld Man:
Great work Gurnie!!!!
How about some pics of the innards??
(Im very demanding aint I?)
 :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud: :applaud:
Navigation
Message Index
Next page

Go to full version