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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Diewrecked on August 31, 2010, 01:05:22 pm

Title: Basic questions regarding making a MAME cocktail table
Post by: Diewrecked on August 31, 2010, 01:05:22 pm

Hi guys

My big upright arcade machine project is coming to an end and, as predicted very early on by many of you, I want to start another project :) I'm looking at a cocktail table this time. To that end I have a few questions:

1. What is the available space inside a standard cocktail table? Can I fit an SFF PC in there? If not would it fit if I decased it?
2. Are they JAMMA as standard or is that something I'd need to look for?
3. What screens go in them? Back in the day we didn't have flatscreens but then I can't see how you'd fit all the kit in there with a standard arcade monitor
4. I might be able to get an old PC for free but would a 2.8Ghz single core 1Gb RAM PC be up to the job of running (a) MAME (I think I'm on 0.127-something) and (b) the 3D-Arcade FE?
5. I've done 2-player 6-button plus trackball on my upright but obviously that's waaaayy too much for a cocktail table! What's the "de facto" generic MAME setup here? 2-player (panel each) 3-button presumably? I don't think I'll be going for fighters this time, just the usual 70's/80's nostalgia fare.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer here you guys.

cheers

Title: Re: Basic questions regarding making a MAME cocktail table
Post by: NOP on September 01, 2010, 10:32:26 am

1. there should be plenty of room for any PC.  Mine is de-cased, but it's all standard.
http://www.waste.org/~winkles/winterMAME/pix/wintermame_inside.jpg (http://www.waste.org/~winkles/winterMAME/pix/wintermame_inside.jpg)

2. my former galaga machine is pre-jamma.  I didn't re-use any of the internals anyway.
3. I think 19" arcade monitor was pretty common, at least on the most popular midway cocktail machines.
4. should be plenty of power.  you're going to be mostly oldskool there, as you have to use games that support screen flipping, and most of those came out in the 80s.
5. You can see from my pic that I've got 3 buttons and U360's for each.  Mine is a 9" control panel and it feels about right-not too cramped. 

I'd love to do swappable CPs and put trackballs and spinners into the mix someday...

Title: Re: Basic questions regarding making a MAME cocktail table
Post by: Diewrecked on September 02, 2010, 06:18:11 am

Excellent many thanks NOP. I'll just look for a table with kwg screen then and stick the PC in it :)

cheers