Project: Mobile Mame - almost finished

[MrDummy]

I'm already started with the project, called Mobile Mame.

You can read whole progress at my own site http://mrdummy.net/mame
Here i post only some pics and some words.

I'm sorry the site is in Dutch langauge only, but i think you can babelfish it a little.
I try speak here in English what is going on.

You may post reactions here, i shall give my answers here.


Here i set up a mame case with 1,6 m height. It breaks in two cases, each 80 cm height.
You see a 12 cm wheel below the lower case. It's for the easy transpoartation, that is why i called it Mobile Mame.


The upper case fits perfectly against the lower case. The doors on lower case (which does also a job to store CP panels here!) can close. The result is a nice and compact box to move it around.


The case is just 65 cm width. That is almost common width for the arcade case. Buth the depth of lower case is 25 cm and upper case is just 35 cm. Not deep enough and it can call back over. I shall put at back side a support bar against falling back. The doors of lower case is also for the support because they're 30 cm width.
I have already bought 23 inch fullHD ACER screen for it.


I make the big 23 screen also rotateable. The screen bezel is exactly 60,9 x 60,9 cm.


Here is example how i can pull out the screen bezel and rotatie it 90 degrees and put it back. Two black handles are here for the rotation support.

I always dislike over-designed CP panel. I keep it clean and it's changeable from upper case. I can make many CP's if i want with joysticks or one with scrollwheels.


Here is total design for 4-person CP. It has two side-panels which is removeable from main CP. You see 6 tubes here in yellow wood blocks for support and keep it together.
The yellow button below is a shift button to call extra menu options for example shutdown and game reset.
Player 1 / 2 parts are 10 degrees rotated, and Player 3 / 4 are 40 degrees rotated.

I have already designed front images and CP layout.

for screen bezel


for CP panels. You see i have almost all black buttons and only two colored buttons for game pause and exit. I dislike over-colored CP's with too much colored buttons. I want keep it strict and nice.


The maraquee design above the upper case. Yes, you see it's related with my nickname MrDummy, that is why i call it Mame for Dummies. But generally, the project is about easy transportation of the mame case: Mobile Mame.

You can read project progress and view photos on my site http://mrdummy.net/mame/

My friend helped me with software. He use MA as frontend. The motherboard is P4 2,4 GHz with 1 MB memory and 320 GB hd, the videocard is Ati 9600.
Perhaps in the future C2D motherbord to run newest games at Full HD screen.

Well, that is general information here.
Thank you for your interest. 

[DaOld Man]

looks good.
I like the mobile idea. My arcades weigh a ton and would not be very mobile at all.

[Octo]

My big cab is on casters and it's still a pain to move....

I like your rotating screen idea, just hope it has a good grip.

[swaffar]

i don't doubt that you've given this a lot of thought but.....
are you sure you want the player 1 and 2 joysticks angled like that?  i think those might feel a little awkward.

[kizer]

For the handles I'd make them sink in when not in use and have a little notch so you can get your finger underneth to pull it out.

Cool design and its going to be very interesting to see it in the end.

[MrDummy]

are you sure you want the player 1 and 2 joysticks angled like that?  i think those might feel a little awkward.

I have calculated every player has around 50 cm room to play behind the CP panel. With 10 degrees, both players don't bump each other.
And it's also better for your hand control with angled buttons and joystick.
The case itself is still 65 cm wide.

If you don't angle buttons and joystick with 1,2 metres with CP panel for 4 players, you have trouble with players. 3rd and 4nd player are also calculated with 50 cm moving room and that results in around 40 degrees angle at both far sides.

What is more, not-angled joysticks plays not nice in the game if your body is angled in front of screen. A basic design fault in some DIY arcade cases for 2 players.

[MrDummy]

The paintwork for CP panels are done. They're now nice black.

I can put soon the buttons and print work on the CPs!
You can read more at my site.

[MrDummy]

The first left side CP is done (at outside)!


The first good results after long work and painting at panels, plates and plexiglases. Everything is planned as except.

Tomorrow the rest. 

[MrDummy]

Finally the whole control panel is finished (only build work).
Soon i can place wiring and electronics inside, and some metal work.
It looks good with 1,2 metres wide control panel, isn't it? 

[MrDummy]

The whole CP panel is after 24 days buildwork finally fully wired and it's working good.
Next monday i can start with the case build.

The question are only:
- What is the recommended keymapping for 4 players (with each 6 buttons) with two minipac controllers?
- The EMS topgun II doesn't work with some emulators. What are the setting for to make shooting possible with Mame and PSX emulator?

Your advice is very welcome!

[SavannahLion]

are you sure you want the player 1 and 2 joysticks angled like that?  i think those might feel a little awkward.

I have calculated every player has around 50 cm room to play behind the CP panel. With 10 degrees, both players don't bump each other.
And it's also better for your hand control with angled buttons and joystick.
The case itself is still 65 cm wide.

If you don't angle buttons and joystick with 1,2 metres with CP panel for 4 players, you have trouble with players. 3rd and 4nd player are also calculated with 50 cm moving room and that results in around 40 degrees angle at both far sides.

What is more, not-angled joysticks plays not nice in the game if your body is angled in front of screen. A basic design fault in some DIY arcade cases for 2 players.

I'm not trying to debate with your anything, but can you run this logic by me again? I just want to better understand the theory you're operating on. You're actually counting on P1 & P2 not standing straight? I understand that you consider straight P1/P2 sticks a design fault of DIY cabinets, but those design choices were arrived at at something like 36 years worth of control panel design experimentation with some truly carpel tunnel inducing designs. Most cabinet builders are merely following a familiar and established design stemming from the last twenty years or so.

[Bender]

Yeah, that slight angle to P1 and P2 are going to play very strange, It's not like your looking at the joystick when you play, your looking at the screen

let us know how that works out

[MrDummy]

Well, it looks first my project is stalled because there is no much update on my blog.
That is because i speed up a bit with my project.
And finally just in time, i finished the project for 99% before the Animecon 2009 in Almelo (Netherlands) starts.
The cabinet is installed in the gameroom and is working very well. I have many positive feedback from some people.

So, i show you now the pics of the almost finished cabinet.

The whole cabinet.


The cabinet in transport mode, which means upper part is placed behind the lower part case.


Inside the lower part case, i can put there my controlpanels.

Specifications:
- the cabinet is 1,60 height, with 80 cm upper and lower case parts.
- the control panel is divided in 3 parts, which 3th and 4nd player controlpanels are easy removed. Without both side panels, you can use flipper buttons.
- switchable marquee light
- Switchable five 15,000 mcd white leds above in marquee part are installed for lighting control panel.
- transportable at 12 cm big wheels for better rolling.
- the handle is extending for transport
- extendable support handle behind against falling back
- side doors lower part case is also for supporting cabinet
- Two 2 lightgun ports (they're usb ports), lightguns are from EMS Lightgun II, with special built-in IR leds in the screenbezel.
- the screenbezel is rotateable on the fly from horizontal to vertical mode.
- Runs at P4 2,4 GHz cpu and Ati videocard. In the future i buy C2D motherboard for better encoding speed.

Oh yes, it's also useable as bartop. The upper part works without lower part.

Weights:
- upper case with screen and CPU: 33,7 kg
- lower case with doors: 31 kg
- support plate: 1 kg
- sidepanels: 5 kg
- main CP: 5 kg
- some lightgun and another parts: 0,5 kg
Total transport weight: 76,2 kg

It's a bit transportable if you take upper and lower part separated in the home, and it rolls easy around on 2 big wheels.

And some action shots:


Yes, it's on Animecon installed in the gameroom. My cabinet is at left side.


4 players playing at my cabinet. You can see the led lights on the panels.

You can see some pictures at my blog site http://mrdummy.net/mame/

[spitmuckraker]

I actually was thinking of something along the same lines of what you are doing with the control panel part. (No way of proving it other than crappy drawing of it)
I was planning to do the bd25 cable but on the four corners of the connector I was just going to run power for 4 different LEDs.
I figure that if I don't get a good connection I wont see the LEDs light up on the control panel for the 3rd and 4th player
I am using 2" square tubing for my  3rd and 4th player hook ups only because I got kids under two running around and I didnt want them to be hanging on it and having it break. I figure it will fall over on them before it will break.
I do like the 10 degree offset and the 40 degree offset on the different players.
If I was better at being motivated and writing up plans I think i would have something similar on the control panel part

[Yvan256]

Really cool cabinet, especially since you made it a 4-players cabinet but still portable. Good idea about the angles for the players, I'm correcting one of my project right now for those angles, thank you.

P.S.: why a widescreen display? Almost all arcade games need a 4:3 display, so I'm just wondering...