Idea: Combination sit-down driving and showcase style cabinet

[KissMyWookie]

I'm still in the planning stage for my MAME cabinet and came up with a new idea last night.

I love driving games, so was thinking it might be possible to build a Showcase style cabinet with a driving setup between the monitor and the stand-up control panel.

The front half would be a regular driving setup, with steering wheel mounted just below the monitor. Then there would be the seat and behind that, the stand-up control panel.

Obviously, the stand-up control panel would have to be further away from the monitor than usual, which might/might not work with my 29" NEC Multisync monitor.

It would also be a nice setup to use for light gun games (I have a couple of Guncon 2's on the way).

...

Has anyone seen anything like this before, or do you have any pros/cons about this idea?

Steve

[bkenobi]

Fire Truck...

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/img/cabinets/firetrk.png

[Dr Zero]

Fire Truck...

http://maws.mameworld.info/maws/img/cabinets/firetrk.png

Ah! beat me to it LOL

I hated that game it was a royal pain the back up of that truck was all over the place 

I was thinking along these lines and another design I thought about was the star wars trilogy

http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=1080&image=1


or the star wars racer
http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=1552&image=2

[YoGaBaR]

A guy took a Luky and Wild and converted it to a dedicated driving and gun game. Really neat idea. Maybe something like that with a CP on the back side of the seat. The L&W had a 27" monitor.

[mvsfan]

A guy took a Luky and Wild and converted it to a dedicated driving and gun game. Really neat idea. Maybe something like that with a CP on the back side of the seat. The L&W had a 27" monitor.

Im gonna be looking for the right driving or gun game to convert into a combination setup.

andy from ultimarc was recently asking about a gun interface for mame, so id guess hes planning to build one. Dont quote me on that though.

[mvsfan]

A guy took a Luky and Wild and converted it to a dedicated driving and gun game. Really neat idea. Maybe something like that with a CP on the back side of the seat. The L&W had a 27" monitor.

Im gonna be looking for the right driving or gun game to convert into a combination setup.

andy from ultimarc was recently asking about a gun interface for mame, so id guess hes planning to build one. Dont quote me on that though.

right now the only option i know of is using positional guns. they use switches and pots and you can wire them up cause the computer actually sees them as joysticks.

[Malenko]

A guy took a Luky and Wild and converted it to a dedicated driving and gun game. Really neat idea. Maybe something like that with a CP on the back side of the seat. The L&W had a 27" monitor.

Im gonna be looking for the right driving or gun game to convert into a combination setup.

andy from ultimarc was recently asking about a gun interface for mame, so id guess hes planning to build one. Dont quote me on that though.

A guy took a Luky and Wild and converted it to a dedicated driving and gun game. Really neat idea. Maybe something like that with a CP on the back side of the seat. The L&W had a 27" monitor.

Im gonna be looking for the right driving or gun game to convert into a combination setup.

andy from ultimarc was recently asking about a gun interface for mame, so id guess hes planning to build one. Dont quote me on that though.

right now the only option i know of is using positional guns. they use switches and pots and you can wire them up cause the computer actually sees them as joysticks.

you have the WORST QuoteFu EV4R

[Xiaou2]

 I had made up a quick design sketch for someone else:



 


 
 The cabs sides would have slots/rails in which the wheel/pipe assemblies
would slide.  You could probably use a cheap Harborfreight 12v winch for
raising and lowering the section.

 And now that I review it again.. I see you could probably mount the pc into the
base of the standup assembly.  Wires could be movable, in a protective sleeve,
and routed to the appropriate places.

[Turnarcades]

Not a bad concept, though I imagine this would also work quite well as a 'fixed' design, if you mounted the wheel and pedals a bit further in, mounting the controls tho the rear of a regular sliding arcade racer seat and setting the monitor at a moderate height to suit both.

[KissMyWookie]

Xiaou2: That's the kind of layout I had in mind, but without the folding design and with the PC in the cab under the monitor.

The 29" monitor is too big to stand right in front of, like in a conventional cab layout - as it strains my eyes up close. Which is why I was thinking of alternate layouts. It's much more comfortable to view at 4-5 feet away.

I guess the Star Wars trilogy cab is closest - imagine that with a Showcase control panel stuck on the back.

[Xiaou2]

Turner:

 That was the main problem.   The height difference for happy viewing on both
standup and sitdown  is HUGE.   

 If you move the monitor back a bit...  you make the entire assembly Very deep,
taking up lots of space.  You could tilt the monitor I guess.

 When I had designed it... it was with smaller monitors in mind,  thus you would
feel comfortable when driving...  and then the control panel moved in when you
were standing so that the monitor was not binocular length away.

 
 I think the concept could be simplified by scrapping the fold up,  and making the
monitor assembly simply lift up and down.   The base unit could then be pushed in
and out manually.

 I think the reason I went with fold up bars, was to avoid the pedestal unit from
sliding during heavy gameplay.

 Rubber feet and some sandbags might resolve that issue.  Just makes moving it
a bit more effort.

[bkenobi]

I hated that game it was a royal pain the back up of that truck was all over the place 

That's why it's so much fun to play!   

Whenever my sister-in-law comes over, she always wants to play the "firetruck game".   

[Dr Zero]

I hated that game it was a royal pain the back up of that truck was all over the place 

That's why it's so much fun to play!   

Whenever my sister-in-law comes over, she always wants to play the "firetruck game".   

LOL 

[Turnarcades]

I think the concept could be simplified by scrapping the fold up,  and making the
monitor assembly simply lift up and down.   The base unit could then be pushed in
and out manually.

If that is the case with the monitor height then this would probably be the route to go down. Yeah it means two mechanisms, but the one in the original sketch would concern me due to the weight distribution involved and the potential for collapsing. Good call.