My arcade (a work in progress)

[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 

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 

[ArtMAME]

Good to see the ladies are getting in on all this MAME action 

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. 

[DaOld Man]

Great work Gurnie!!!!
How about some pics of the innards??
(Im very demanding aint I?)
 

[ringram]

Just a thought, don't use windows as your OS. Use DOS. I use it in my cab and I only have a 300Mhz celeron, overclocked to 450mhz!

[gurnie]

lol not much to see inside actually.  It's a low profile computer sitting on a box.  Not to mention arcade pieces stuffed into a smaller box. Then there's the coin catching box (cardboard box).

I understand the benefit for using DOS would be speed, but i haven't ran into a game I haven't been able to run on my set-up

[leapinlew]

lol not much to see inside actually.  It's a low profile computer sitting on a box.  Not to mention arcade pieces stuffed into a smaller box. Then there's the coin catching box (cardboard box).

I understand the benefit for using DOS would be speed, but i haven't ran into a game I haven't been able to run on my set-up

Well, whatever you do - don't load up Mortal Kombat.

Looking good -keep up the good work. I built a jukebox with my dad and it was great to bond with him like that.

[gurnie]

I understand the benefit for using DOS would be speed, but i haven't ran into a game I haven't been able to run on my set-up

Well, whatever you do - don't load up Mortal Kombat.

Looking good -keep up the good work. I built a jukebox with my dad and it was great to bond with him like that.

You know now that you said that i'm going home and the first thing i'm gonna do is load up MK    I don't know if that works to be honest.  But the only reason why i kept the 7 button layout was for the boyfriend and his friends to play.  I RARELY play fighter games.

I'll post guts if I remember to do so tonight.  I've been working on a skimmer for my saltwater aquarium and I might be testing it tonight.

[Zakk]

This thread warms the cockles of my heart. 


I said cockles you dolts!


Nice work! As stated it's not often a woman ventures into this realm, much less to actually put one together!  Nice! 

[gurnie]

This thread warms the cockles of my heart. 


I said cockles you dolts!


Nice work! As stated it's not often a woman ventures into this realm, much less to actually put one together!  Nice! 

I had to google that after you said it (i understood the meaning, wondering what the history was behind it).  Lovely expression actually.

I'm just glad that i'm not deemed "frankinqueen" 

Oh and it plays MK3  (thanks Lew  ) and thanks Artmame for telling me how to change trackball sensitivity.  Ankroid ("breakout" game) plays MUCH better 

 

[leapinlew]

Oh and it plays MK3 and thanks Artmame for telling me how to change trackball sensitivity.  Ankroid ("breakout" game) plays MUCH better 

Good ol'Ankroid.  Just wait till you play some Macpan

[gurnie]

Macpan?

[Zakk]

Awww, that's cute, lew's all tongue-tied!   

[gurnie]

lol

ohhh, pacman 

[DaOld Man]

You got to try World Class Bowling..
Thats the neatest party type game there is (except maybe klax or a few hundred more  )
I know at least 4 people can play WCB.
Anyway, WCB is a definite must have trackball game.

[gurnie]

I'll have to check tonight to see if its on my game list.  My mame might be too old, I might need the new version of mame (and I don't remember how to compile it all)

[unclet]

I like Shuffleshot as well....

[ChadTower]

Oh and don't you boys get any ideas.  Both my boyfriend and dad are over 6'2 and I know how to fence 

Wow, that was uncalled for...

...I just don't see how selling stolen goods is going to do much for you around here.

[fixedpigs]

Oh and don't you boys get any ideas.  Both my boyfriend and dad are over 6'2 and I know how to fence 

Wow, that was uncalled for...

...I just don't see how selling stolen goods is going to do much for you around here.

why else is there a b/s/t forum...?

[gurnie]

Oh and don't you boys get any ideas.  Both my boyfriend and dad are over 6'2 and I know how to fence 

Wow, that was uncalled for...

...I just don't see how selling stolen goods is going to do much for you around here.

Oh mellow out man.     As you know the net can be a more dangerous place for a young lady.  I was weary of posting a photo of myself because i know the trouble it can cause. 

If I go and pick-up something from craiglist i make sure I have a knife on me just in case.  Why is that?  I was raised around DC, I've done stupid things and I've lucked out.  I've had friends that didn't luck out and they paid for it.  It's just how it goes.  They're a lot of creepies out there.  Besides it was a friendly joke.  Don't get your trousers in a twist.   

[Fozzy The Bear]

Besides it was a friendly joke.  Don't get your trousers in a twist.   

ROFL He wasn't.... He was making a joke  as in Fencing (selling of stolen goods) instead of Fencing (Poking people with blunt sticks) 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[gurnie]

LOL


Ahhhhh. I get jokes... 

[AcidArmitage]

no... they put up fences

[ChadTower]

While the joke was about fencing, it is a bit nervy to introduce yourself by posting a picture and then making a comment that indicates we're all a bunch of sex starved stalker freaks that will lose control because we saw her in a jpg.

She ain't that attractive, what with being so tall and having short grey hair.  And apparently a daughter.

And a mustache.

What's with the mustache?

[Fozzy The Bear]

it is a bit nervy to introduce yourself by posting a picture and then making a comment that indicates we're all a bunch of sex starved stalker freaks

We're not?    I thought we were!! 

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[bfauska]

While the joke was about fencing, it is a bit nervy to introduce yourself by posting a picture and then making a comment that indicates we're all a bunch of sex starved stalker freaks that will lose control because we saw her in a jpg.

She ain't that attractive, what with being so tall and having short grey hair.  And apparently a daughter.

And a mustache.

What's with the mustache?

But her daughter doesn't look bad. 

Seriously though, nice first project, it's cool when families work together on projects like this. If (when) you do another one try to get your dad to let you in on the woodworking and maybe make a totally custom CP, it's an addictive hobby and you might as well learn some fun new skills while your at it.