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Suggestions for my 1st project, where to start?
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november:
I'm going to be building/buying a cab in the near future.

I haven't decided on which I will do.

Truly I don't care about the cab at this moment, because no matter how good/bad the cab looks it won't make a difference of the machine/software/controls/buttons are setup sloppily/horribly wrong/etc etc.

Should I start with software first and then worry about how/which/what buttons/sticks to use?


I have a computer at home just waiting to be setup/sold and after I decided to do this I knew which fate the computer was chosen for :).

So I've got the actual machine out of the way but I still need worry about what to do next after installing xp or win2k.

Also, which would you use?  I, personally, would assume win2k because it's got less aesthetics and whatnot.






Front end, how many are there in all actuality?  MaLa, MAMEWAH, etc? 
Which is the best, what would be the easiest to setup?

Which would be the best/most versatile to use for emulators of older consoles and their games?

My side-plan is to make this setup have connections for ALL older controllers (NES/SNES/N64/SEGA/Saturn).  I'm going to be excluding some older systems like Atari and stuffs (before my time).

I'm doing well considering how much information I've been taking in and no writing it down, lol.

I feel that I have so many unanswered questions and at the same time I'm not fully sure what all else to ask until I get that far.

I'm not sure what keywords I should be searching for and I really do not want to read every single thread on every page.  :-/

Anyhow, I would appreciate advice, assistance, free stuff ;) and anything else you're willing to give.

Thank you.

-Nic
Sir Auros:

--- Quote from: november on January 02, 2008, 09:49:56 pm ---I'm going to be building/buying a cab in the near future.

I haven't decided on which I will do.
--- End quote ---

I'd try to look for a cab. to repair/rebuild.


--- Quote ---Should I start with software first and then worry about how/which/what buttons/sticks to use?
--- End quote ---

Kind of, but the software (and computer) really can come last, but now would be the time to decide how many sticks you'll want. Do you want it for classics, fighters, and/or a lot of four-player games?


--- Quote ---Also, which would you use?  I, personally, would assume win2k because it's got less aesthetics and whatnot.
--- End quote ---

I honestly don't know about 2k (went from 98 to XP, myself), but XP works fine on mine. You could go with TinyXP, since it's a stripped down form of XP that's lower on resource usage. I don't think it can be acquired legally, though.


--- Quote ---Front end, how many are there in all actuality?  MaLa, MAMEWAH, etc? 
Which is the best, what would be the easiest to setup?
--- End quote ---

There are a ton, but I use GameEx because it looks pretty good and has an awesome screensaver mode where it will play random (or randomly from a list) games in the attract mode like in a real arcade, only it switches games every couple of minutes. I should really give Mala a shot, but the options are too hard for me to read on the TV I use for a display.


--- Quote ---My side-plan is to make this setup have connections for ALL older controllers (NES/SNES/N64/SEGA/Saturn).  I'm going to be excluding some older systems like Atari and stuffs (before my time).
--- End quote ---

Don't count on the Saturn ports, since there's no working Saturn emulator out there and likely never will be. This is something I'd like to do with mine, adding controller to USB converters.


--- Quote ---I'm doing well considering how much information I've been taking in and no writing it down, lol.
--- End quote ---

Project Arcade, by saint of this website, is an invaluable resource if you haven't bought it already. Definitely worth checking out.


--- Quote ---I feel that I have so many unanswered questions and at the same time I'm not fully sure what all else to ask until I get that far.
--- End quote ---

This is wise. Searching for the answers to your questions is even wiser, but if you can't figure out the answer, posting in a project thread or one in the appropriate forums works just as well. There are a lot of people here who could really be considered professionals at this. I am not one of them, but I remember how it feels to get into this stuff.


--- Quote ---I'm not sure what keywords I should be searching for and I really do not want to read every single thread on every page.  :-/
--- End quote ---

Sometimes a search will pull up what you want, sometimes it won't. Be as specific as possible.

Remember to post pics as you get them. The project threads are a great resource for new cabinet builders. Speaking of project threads, would that forum be a good place for this thread? He asked rhetorically.
Jdurg:
You could always do what I'm doing and that's start out by building a control panel first, and once you've gotten that completed go on to the rest of the cab.  This is how my cabinet is getting built and it lets me progress at a pace that I'm comfortable with.  The computer will be the last thing I get.
Green Giant:

--- Quote from: Jdurg on January 03, 2008, 07:16:25 am ---You could always do what I'm doing and that's start out by building a control panel first, and once you've gotten that completed go on to the rest of the cab.  This is how my cabinet is getting built and it lets me progress at a pace that I'm comfortable with.  The computer will be the last thing I get.

--- End quote ---

There are dangers in making the control panel first.  Mainly you will make it, start playing on it, and never finish the cab.

As for all your other questions.


--- Quote from: november on January 02, 2008, 09:49:56 pm ---Should I start with software first and then worry about how/which/what buttons/sticks to use?

--- End quote ---
Just worry about acquiring the games you wish to use, and don't ask where to get them.

You probably want 7 buttons per player, 2 joysticks- preferably U360 if money allows, and a trackball.


--- Quote from: november on January 02, 2008, 09:49:56 pm ---Also, which would you use?  I, personally, would assume win2k because it's got less aesthetics and whatnot.

--- End quote ---
Use XP, tinyxp if needed.  It is easy to setup, has the most driver support of anything, and can run on most machines.


--- Quote from: november on January 02, 2008, 09:49:56 pm ---Front end, how many are there in all actuality?  MaLa, MAMEWAH, etc? 
Which is the best, what would be the easiest to setup?

Which would be the best/most versatile to use for emulators of older consoles and their games?

--- End quote ---

The frontends you want to look at are Mala, AtomicFE, and GameEX.  Don't bother with any others, mamewah is nice but the three listed have a graphical user interface that makes setup a cinch.

They all work equally well with any emulator you are looking to run.  Asside from that readup on them to see what extra features you like.  For me it came down to hardware support, Mala is the best for the ledwiz.
Turnarcades:
Several points to make;

1) The controls can make or break a good machine. Definitely choose them carefully. Cheap ones will break and make your games play like crap, defeating the whole point. For a beginner, go with a simple 'fighting' layout of two microswitched joysticks with 6 buttons each. Use Ultimarc or Happs for the best controls.

2) Decide what games you will play the most before deciding on a build. The layout mentioned above will cover most games from the arcade and home consoles, with two players available, so is a good place to start.

3) Experiment with frontends and emulators before you continue. This can be difficult for a novice, but a cabinet is lame without a good frontend. Using something like Automamewah may help you.

4) Don't mess with too much 'bare electronics'. By that I mean use ready-made pc components only, like a small desktop pc, a CRT monitor, PC speakers etc. If you start using arcade monitors or stripping wires it can get complex, and dangerous. The only wiring you should need to do is hooking up your components and a keyboard encoder; the mini-pac is best for simplicity.

5) Use a bare shell, or if you really want to build your own, try and get one in kit form, like a kit from Turnarcades in the UK or Slikstik in the US.

6) Plan first, touch up later. Measure twice, cut once!
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