Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: drventure on April 13, 2011, 09:06:25 am

Title: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: drventure on April 13, 2011, 09:06:25 am
I've been looking around to answer this question but haven't got very far.

Anyone know if there are any games (mame mostly, but potentially others I guess) that use guns AND a rotated (vertically oriented) monitor?

My monitor will (eventually) rotate, and I'm working out the design of my Aimtrak IR bar and how it will be mounted. Since my monitor is "exposed", I can't really mount the IRBar "underneath" a bezel or some such, so I have to mount it visibly. Not a problem, but then the question becomes will it need to accommodate a rotated monitor? Obviously, if there are no games that fit that category, I don't need to bother and the IRBar can just rotate off to the side when the monitor rotates up.

If there, I'd likely need to have the IRBar extend up to the new "top" of the monitor when rotated, but otherwise stay in the horizontal position.

Any thoughts?
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: BadMouth on April 13, 2011, 09:43:57 am
The only one I can think of is Fast Draw Showdown,
but it isn't emulated and I've never seen a copy of the Digital Leisure port for sale.
(http://rpmedia.ask.com/ts?u=/wikipedia/en/3/31/Fast_Draw_Showdown_Poster.png)
"Verti Vision"  ::)
http://www.digitalleisure.com/contents/pcCDRom_games.htm#fastDraw (http://www.digitalleisure.com/contents/pcCDRom_games.htm#fastDraw)

I don't think you'll miss out anything by not having the sensor rotate.
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: Erik on April 13, 2011, 09:45:05 am
(http://www.pixplzthx.com/albums/host/simpsons_gun_sideways_01.jpg)
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: Paul Olson on April 13, 2011, 09:45:36 am
I don't think there are any, but I think it would probably work rotated just fine if there are. I haven't tried it, but I can't think of any reason why you couldn't use it that way. I would just be like holding the gun sideways which works just fine.
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: DNA Dan on April 13, 2011, 11:25:59 am
drventure, we're in the same boat. Are you planning on putting the sensor above the monitor so it rotates with the monitor, or somewhere in the "stationary" bezel so it's always on top? I mean what's worse, being on the side for a vertical game (if one exists) or being higher above the monitor that it's supposed to sit?

What about neo-geo games like Hogan's alley which split the screen into two? Wouldn't you want to play this vertically or can you remove the other screen in newer versions of mame?
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: Donkbaca on April 13, 2011, 12:20:12 pm
The sensor won't work on the side.  It doesn't matter how high you mount the sensor, as long as its calibrated right
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: Tumerboy on April 13, 2011, 01:36:23 pm
wouldn't you have to recalibrate it every time you rotated the monitor?
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: DNA Dan on April 13, 2011, 01:48:38 pm
I suppose. My setup is going to have a stationary portion of the bezel that I can use for this. I just hope what Donkbaca says is true about the height. If I mount it in the stationary portion of my bezel behind the glass, It would be a good 6" from the top of the monitor. This would make more sense to mount it here because I can't see the point in rotating the leds if they would need to be fine tuned after each rotation.
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: TopJimmyCooks on April 13, 2011, 04:21:22 pm
If there was any emulated game available for vertical, it would be cool to have a cam or something that slides the aimtrak receiver up to a new elevation above the monitor when the rotation happens.  It would be easy to do and could be steampunk'd nicely. 

However, since there is no use for the aimtrack on the vert games, I would either let the rotated monitor cover it up or else mount it to the monitor and let it be off to the side and unused when vertical. 
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: Donkbaca on April 13, 2011, 04:39:50 pm
just mount it above the monitor, it will be fine
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: drventure on April 13, 2011, 04:45:22 pm
Yeah, Sounds like There's so few (if any) games that would make use of guns AND be verticle, it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

This little gizmo is already turning out to be a LOT more work than I originally anticipated. But, with all the brass, copper, steam engine oilers and an actual antique steam gauge going into it, it should look the part at any rate  :)

Thanks for all the comments!
Title: Re: AimTrak and rotating monitor
Post by: DNA Dan on April 13, 2011, 05:46:45 pm
Yeah, Sounds like There's so few (if any) games that would make use of guns AND be verticle, it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

This little gizmo is already turning out to be a LOT more work than I originally anticipated. But, with all the brass, copper, steam engine oilers and an actual antique steam gauge going into it, it should look the part at any rate  :)

Thanks for all the comments!

I thought you were building an arcade cab not a time machine ..  ???