Great project. I liked your initial design better than the new one, but I prefer a traditional looking cabinet.Thanks for the comments. I think I'm going to stick with the curved design. The more traditional one has been done before. I'm up for the challenge.
I really wanted to have more curves on my design, too, but in the end decided it would be too difficult to build.I'm thinking about using 1x1" or 1x2" ribs along the top edge and lower front and skin it with 1/8" or 1/4" plywood. It's going to take some experimentation to get it looking right. The back and bottoms will be straight pieces. I was thinking the contour on the bottom would only be cosmetic, done with flat black paint. If that looks too cheesy I might route out a slight recess and let the shadows provide the effect. We'll see.
The profile pieces are easy to cut up all curvy and such, but it's harder to build the cross sections. Maybe you're thinking of bending material somehow?
Anyhow, great hacking job. This will be a cool little cab.
How are you planning on covering the monitor i.e. bezel?
Your cyans, magentas and greens are "illegal". They will grey out quite a bit in the printing process. This piece also screams out "Hey, I'm learning photoshop!". I would tone down on the beveling and drop shadows. Right now your cast shadows and highlights (on the letters) are in conflicting directions.Thanks for the feedback. What do you mean by "illegal"? What printing process does that? Regarding the screams... thanks. I'll tone it down a bit. I also need to change the shape. The oval does not go with the crescent contour. I'll post another image for you guys to throw rocks at, er, ah, critique.
I had a MAJOR problem when I tried to use my Dell latitude in a cocktail.Good advice on testing before building. Not that I've ever been burned on that before. Sorry to hear about your experience. Perhaps the monitor had a critical PCB embedded somewhere? I lucked out. It worked fine.
When I unhooked the monitor from the laptop + motherboard, things went very awry. It had ran fine on the external monitor prior to disconnecting the laptop's monitor, but the screen resolution changed immensely despite reinstalling windows XP and the proper drivers after taking off the monitor. Additionally, I had to reinstall all the usb drivers (it would no longer recognize usb keyboard, IPAC, etc). Hopefully yours won't act as schizo as mine did when I took off the monitor....so test it out first BEFORE having your cab done....
Tomorrow I'm picking up the wood for this project. I spoke with a cabinet maker friend of mine. He recommended going with birch plywood. He showed me some stuff he uses that has 12 plies. He claims it is stronger than MDF, is a little lighter (remember my weight goal of < 25#), and takes wood screws much better. Unfortunately it is more expensive than MDF (around $50 per 4x8 sheet). I asked him about using formica for the rounded surfaces, but he said it is only good if you have a solid surface under the entire area. He also said it does not take well to paint. He recommended going with a "bendable" plywood for the rounded surfaces. My neighbor had a stack of old 1/8" paneling that is 3 ply. I'll give it a try.
The MAMEY award is a little award for excellence in arcade cab building. IG-88 probably thinks your cab would win the misc category. (KenToad's bartop won the last one.)
http://www.mameworld.net/massive/NEWMAMEY/awards.html
Great work on the curving back panel! It'll be fun to see this little cab finished.
Thanks. But not so fast, I've still got lots of opportunity to screw this thing up.The MAMEY award is a little award for excellence in arcade cab building. IG-88 probably thinks your cab would win the misc category. (KenToad's bartop won the last one.)
http://www.mameworld.net/massive/NEWMAMEY/awards.html
Great work on the curving back panel! It'll be fun to see this little cab finished.
Exactly.
Incredible effort !!!So how do you plan to enter. Go for it!
There are so many ways to enter this hobby/obsession.
This is another seriously origional unique machine built for the joy of the games..
Well Done.
I hope to some day follow in your footsteps and have multiple cabinets of different types.
2) The metal dimples that you used to transfer the location of the dowel holes to the opposite side and cross members, what are those called and where did you get them? I typically use a template to transfer the dowel hole locations, but those would come in handy as well.
coder,
Great project!
Couple of questions for you:
1) Sorry if you covered this and I missed it; why did you decide to use a 15" external LCD monitor instead of the LCD panel in the laptop?
2) The metal dimples that you used to transfer the location of the dowel holes to the opposite side and cross members, what are those called and where did you get them? I typically use a template to transfer the dowel hole locations, but those would come in handy as well.
thanks
I simply used the existing cable/LCD panel and placed the panel on the back of the notebook.Cool approach. If you do this however, how do you get to the CD drive? I was planning on having mine "point" up, putting a door in the top. Doing so however would really complicate the back contour. I decided to mount it so that the CD points down, and I'll cut a slot out the bottom.
2) Thanks for posting your progress with these. I've tried to mickey mouse something like those before, I didn't know things were made specifically for that purpose!When my friend pulled them out, I knew immediately what they were for and though they were so cool. Before he could set the box down I had my camera in hand taking shots.
From left to right I would put joystick, buttons, then trackball. Centipede and Missile Command had the buttons to the left of the trackball.Thanks for the compliment.
Wonderful workmanship on the cabinet!
I think (??) it is better to be consistant with which hand you use for guidance (joystick & trackball) and which hand you use for buttons.
I'm right handed but prefer to use a trackball with my left hand. Do more people use their right hand for trackballing or their left? Comments?
Have you thought about laminating the sides?How do you compensate for the additional thickness of the laminate relative to the t-molding?
How do you compensate for the additional thickness of the laminate relative to the t-molding?
Awesome work so far! You're quite the electronics expert.Thanks for the compliments guys. I got the general pointer for the voltage regulator circuit from a post I made in the Main forum. I'm more of an electronics hack than expert. I rarely get anything right the first time. I slept through my 7:40 am electronics class in college. You just need to be careful with the big stuff (live 220 or 110 voltage), the big red wire on the back of TVs, and things you've got a lot of money into. The rest can generally be handled with a little Googling, and yet another trip to RadioShack.
By the way, I'm insanely jealous of you having a friend who has a CNC machine. Oh the fun I'd have with that.
Keep up the great work!
The artwork follows the flowing bell bottom, tear drop lines of the cab profile. The colors match the blue t-molding & gray paint of the cab. Any concerns / comments / recommendations will be appreciated.
I still think you should change "$$" to "25
better yet, change it to a picture of a coin.
I still think you should change "$$" to "25
I like the first one - the swirl version.
-D
I still think you should change "$$" to "25
I still think you should change "$$" to "25
I was the one with the idea of a picture of a coin, yet my name was deleted from the quote. I think Ninten-doh paid someone off.I did...with a quarter. :laugh2:
hehe, no worries, I just thought it odd how he edited my name out of the quote.I was the one with the idea of a picture of a coin, yet my name was deleted from the quote. I think Ninten-doh paid someone off.I did...with a quarter. :laugh2:
My lame quip aside, let it be officially recognized that the quarter graphic idea came from AtomSmasher, not me. :cheers:
Sorry for the omission AtomSmasher; cut & paste error. Actually, I was trying to help you avoid the hit for your blaphemy comment.hehe, no worries, I just thought it odd how he edited my name out of the quote.I was the one with the idea of a picture of a coin, yet my name was deleted from the quote. I think Ninten-doh paid someone off.I did...with a quarter. :laugh2:
My lame quip aside, let it be officially recognized that the quarter graphic idea came from AtomSmasher, not me. :cheers:
Sorry for the omission AtomSmasher; cut & paste error. Actually, I was trying to help you avoid the hit for your blaphemy comment.
Sorry for the omission AtomSmasher; cut & paste error. Actually, I was trying to help you avoid the hit for your blaphemy comment.I only said picture of a coin, you came up with a picture of a quarter all on your own ;D
The BYOAC token looks kind of hard to make out, while it might be better after printing out, its not exactly self explanitory to new users so you will always have to explain what it is.I agree. By the time it was shrunk down to the size I needed, you can barely make out the image. I switched it back to the quarter. At least my guests will recognize it as a quarter.
Also, the outer circle of the trackball design doesn't look perfectly roundTrue. It appears to be a problem with the chrome effect. I will add a few rows 1 pixel wide to clean it up.
< Right Plate >
LAN Port
...if nothing else, it keeps me off the streets at night.
I hope you guys are not getting sick of the quantity of pictures I'm posting. I'm sure some of this stuff is no-brainer to you more experienced cab builders. But I
Its how people who are much less talented live vicariously through the work of others.I can relate to the "living vicariously" comment. It is cool to see how different people solve similar problems.
...I have started 3 cabinets-- sold one, the other 2 are still not playable. :(So what's keeping you from from finishing one of them? Too much time modding XBoxes and selling them to unsuspecting fools like me. Thanks again for the unit. I can't wait to finish this project and build a cab around it.
So what's keeping you from from finishing one of them? Too much time modding XBoxes and selling them to unsuspecting fools like me. Thanks again for the unit. I can't wait to finish this project and build a cab around it.
It's looking great!The screen is only about 1" higher than the top of the CP. I'm concerned that my left hand will block the view of the screen. That is the primary reason I placed it where I did. I didn't consider a place to rest my wrist. I'll check it out tomorrow and see if any adjustments make sense. Thanks for the input.
Quick question - where does your wrist land when playing games? I ask because I generally install my joysticks higher to allow my wrists to rest on the cp.
Couple quick questions and a comment.
The trackball - which model did you go with? I would love to flush mount mine, but I didn't go with a high lip model. Is yours a high lip?
I think Gamecreature's "blue" layout that he did for Mala would look great on this.I'm all for re-use. Gamecreature, did you do this in photoshop? Could I get a copy?
I'm all for re-use. Gamecreature, did you do this in photoshop? Could I get a copy?
Could I get a copy?
I
I like World Class Bowling. The game play and graphics are much better on Gutterball however. I also like Shuffleshot, but it always had a sound "stutter" on my last cab. Hopefully it will work out on this new machine.
I tried gutterball, and the graphics are great, but I don't like rolling the ball by pushing a button. I like the way World Class Bowling uses the trackball and picks up on the speed & spin when you roll the ball. Does the downloadable version of gutterball work like that, or is it "click" like the web version?
I'd probably start with a bolder font - this ones getting lost. Have you browsed 1001fonts.com? Using the screenshot as an anchor is a good idea, but it needs a frame, preferably something that contrasts with the blue that dominates the rest of the menu. Feel free to hit me with any questions you have.
You could go with a transparent mask that overlays the snapshotSounds like a Mala thing. How is that done?
If you haven't done so already, download the Blue layout and see how I've prepared the art. If I recall correctly, the mask is called "bluesnap.gif". Go to the pulldown menu where the elements are and select one of the custom boxes (preferably one you haven't used yet). Click on it, tell it what art you want to use and make sure the transparent box is checked. The custom window automatically sizes to the size of the art.You could go with a transparent mask that overlays the snapshotSounds like a Mala thing. How is that done?
Where do you go for Mala help in English?
If you haven't done so already, download the Blue layout and see how I've prepared the art. If I recall correctly, the mask is called "bluesnap.gif". Go to the pulldown menu where the elements are and select one of the custom boxes (preferably one you haven't used yet). Click on it, tell it what art you want to use and make sure the transparent box is checked. The custom window automatically sizes to the size of the art.
The antenna you have made wont work very well at all.
Coder, What about making the background behind the featured game black or something so that it "pops" a little bit more?
The antenna you have made wont work very well at all.
Boy you got that right. I pretty much figured I'd be plugging in to the copper until I could come up with something else. Unfortunately my PCI slots are at the very top of the cab and are blocked by the top rib/skin of the cab. I could possibly go USB, but I wouldn't want it to be a permanent thing. I've only got 2 USB ports to play with. I guess I could put in a small hub. Do you have a particular wireless lan USB brand/model you'd recommend?
absolutely fantastic work!
.....really sweet set up you've got there!!!
Most of the improvement came from turning off 19 services.
will you be playing any of my 3D Ultra Pinball games on your machine? Thrillride was always a personal favorite.I've got the CD somewhere, but it is not on my short list of pinball games. I'll dig it up and take a second look.
Anyone else twitchy at the thought of a wooden arcade box sitting on top of a stove with front-mounted controls and the potential for small children running around?My wife said the same thing. It was more like, "You've got to be crazy if you think...." Actually, I've got a much better place to put it, on the edge of a counter on the other side of the kitchen, but I didn't want to clean up the clutter before taking the shot.
Now you need to make a matching jukebox :-)I'd rather spend my effort (and money) on another cab. I'm the only one in the family that is really into music (Classic Rock and the occasional bit of Metal). I've got a very nice pair of Sennheiser headphones that let me rock out without disturbing the household.
Cant wait to see the xbox based driving cabinet in the future.....I mentioned it to make sure you guys pressure me to get started on it. Stay tuned.
What I like most about the cab is it's form factor. It not only doesn't overwhelm the countertop, it looks like you could take it with you.I wanted it small and light enough to be ported around to various parts of the house, as well as lent to friends when they have parties. The CPU has a thin layer of foam rubber around it where it touches the retaining ribs. It should travel well.
I can't remember reading if that was a magstik or not, if it is a magstik - whats your thoughts?It's a 4/8 way magstik, top switchable with the magnetic centering mechanism. So far so good. The action is very light.
I would reconsider your plans and do a jukebox next. I actually need to build another jukebox.This might be a good little project if I can track down another semi-dead laptop. I wonder if there is jukebox software out there that could be driven by buttons only (no joystick or trackball)? You got me thinking about a small, thin box, limited only by the size of the speakers. Hum...
How do you find it plays with it's lower weight? Any issues with the cab moving around a lot, especially on a smooth surface like a counter-top?No problem so far. I should have a much better idea in a few weeks when it gets christened at its first party. Yea... PartyBox's first party ! I'll post some pictures.
Wow, that's one sharp little unit...very professional end product alright. Looks like LCD's are taking over this hobby. ;)Thanks for the compliment. I seem to recall studying a black and blue cab with lots of lit buttons before beginning this project. I probably won't use LCD's on all projects that I may do in the future, but hey, I had to do it at least once. I think it works on this cab.
... I wanted you to know I found the tips for hacking the power switch very useful.... Thanks for the details - they come in real handy.My pleasure. It is nice to know my documentation efforts are occasionally more than just entertainment for the causal reader. If you want to pay me back, take a picture or two of your hack and post it in your thread.
Just stumbled across this cabinet last night. This is one the sleekest things I've seen in a long time. I'm very inspired by the design and can't wait to start yet another cab myself! It takes a lot of planning for something like this. Great job and thanks for sharing the progress!
Just stumbled across this cabinet last night. This is one the sleekest things I've seen in a long time. I'm very inspired by the design and can't wait to start yet another cab myself! It takes a lot of planning for something like this. Great job and thanks for sharing the progress!
Thanks. I wasn't necessarily going for sleek, just something different and mobile. I haven't played that thing in about a month. My current project is operational and I'm spending way too much time playing it instead of finishing it off. For those that missed it, I wrapped up this blog, dropped a lot of the dialog, and packaged it up in a cool website presentation at:
http://home.comcast.net/~larmead/partybox/
Great site coder. I might do that with the bartop I just finished. I would be a nice finishing touch so Dad can see all the work I put into the project. ;DWhat I like about doing a post project site is you can cut out a lot of the discussion, jokes, and not-as-valuable photos. You end up with a concentrated documentary that takes 5-10 minutes to read through. I'd rather point my friends and relatives to that than a 7 page blog.
...Are you using a Mame overlay effect to help simulate good ol' CRT sanlines / aspect of the montor?Yes, I've got the scanlines in there. It really makes it look original.
I live in a flat which really doesn't allow for a full sized cab - this would be perfect...They definitely don't take up much space which also helps with the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). Mine is also very portable (29 Pounds / 13 Kilos) My friend that owns the shop where most of the woodworking took place is having his annual barbecue blowout party next Saturday. If this year goes anything like last year, it will get quite a workout.