Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: thrasherx on September 03, 2013, 11:59:34 am
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I bit the bullet a few days ago, and cut a side panel. I had been designing the profile and control panel for the majority of this year, but hadn't fired up the saw. As a last-minute change, I scrapped the original design, and got to work.
I ordered the flush trim and t-moulding router bits, borrowed a friend's router and cut the second panel. Then came the 2x2s, and the rest of the other panels. I made an adjustable TV mount out of extra MDF.
Issue #1: My first attempt at doing the acrylic LCD panel led to mixed-results; for the most part it looks great, but I got a little overzealous with the jigsaw and chipped one of the sides. The acrylic sheet is only 1/12" thick, and ideally I'd like to get something thicker/sturdier. Alternatively, I could get a second sheet of equal thickness, mask it like the first one, and cover up the chip. The third option is to make a frame out of aluminum angle and mount it to the side panels.
Issue #2: The control panel prototype that I made months back is made from 1/2" thick MDF. The T-moulding I got is 3/4". I can either get 5/8" t-moulding, top-mount the joysticks and trackball, and add 1/8" plexiglass cover, or go with 3/4" MDF and bottom-mount my trackball and joysticks. I'm hesitant to bottom-mount this, as I'll be losing 1/8" shaft length of my LS-32 sticks, which already are a bit low, however It would make it easy to apply vinyl art without plexiglass. Any thoughts?
Issue #3: Art. Right now, I'm leaning towards either a gray and black theme with vibrant 80's lime green, hot pink, and bright blue, or a black and white theme. I'm salivating over Nave Arcade's artwork and theme: (http://videogamo.com/contenido_para_referenciar/Nave_devlog/NaveArcade-haedo-street.png)
Thanks for looking and feel free to leave comments and suggestions!
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How wide is that TV? And does it feel pretty stable to you?
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How wide is that TV? And does it feel pretty stable to you?
It's 39". So far it's rock-solid, but I've yet to build the CP box. Also, it's not on a base. I'm going with HAPP wheels in the rear and adjustable legs up front.
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I'm debating which front-end to use. Right now, since the CP isn't done, I just have an XBOX hooked up running Coin-Ops 5 and Visionary 3. Something I dislike about HyperSpin (not sure about MALA) is how difficult it is to combine genres. I want to pick a genre, and have a merged list of all arcade games, across all systems and emulators. The XBOX front-ends nail this (search youtube for Visionary 3 videos).
Hyperspin forces you to choose a system and then pick a genre within that system. How many people actually say, "I'm dying to play a Sega Naomi game. Now I just need to choose a genre..."?
For all you MALA users, is it possible to merge all the arcade games into a single list? If so, how easy is it?
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(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/07/ese6esuv.jpg)
Quick update:
I cut the rear access door last night. The door houses 1/4 acrylic, which I plan to frost and illuminate. The two circular holes in the bottom are for 130mm intake fans. The box to the right will be for the power strip and the one in the left will be for A/V and network connections.
I also cut the exhaust fan holes in the top panel. Little by little it's coming together. Next up: coin doors.
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hardware: I am also building a 39" tv based 4 player cab. we elected to do a showcase due to the use of light guns and the viewing distance being close. If i had done the standup it would have looked just like yours. looks nice.
software: I am also interested in grouping different emulators in one gamelist and I thought you could do that somehow with custom wheels in hyperspin. maybe not.
you can do it in MaLa and it's been documented I think by badmouth here on this board. it takes some scripting and running different instances of the same emulator. let me know if you don't find what you're looking for. Thanks.
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hardware: I am also building a 39" tv based 4 player cab. we elected to do a showcase due to the use of light guns and the viewing distance being close. If i had done the standup it would have looked just like yours. looks nice.
software: I am also interested in grouping different emulators in one gamelist and I thought you could do that somehow with custom wheels in hyperspin. maybe not.
you can do it in MaLa and it's been documented I think by badmouth here on this board. it takes some scripting and running different instances of the same emulator. let me know if you don't find what you're looking for. Thanks.
I'm actually following your build. I suggested you use the 39" LED LCD that I have. I recently found a limitation of the display: it doesn't power back on after lowing power, which means it can't be controlled by a smart strip.
I'm glad you like the design and advised me not to do a rotating 39" display. This is my first (and hopefully last) full-sized cab that I'm making for myself. I plan on adding aimtraks at some point. I can't commence the distance yet, as the CP isn't done. I should be back a good 24" from the screen. In my experience, that should be comfortable.
I found that guide right after I posted. It's easy to get lost in forum posts and links when you research for 8 months before making your first cut. Don's Hyperspin Tools also has a list merger to accomplish the feat. It leaves with a single XML file with an <exe> tag for each game. I'm not sure how you combine the launching scripts, and even more so now that they've regained HyperLaunch. I'll report back with whatever I decide to do.
Again, I'm glad you like the design. I can't take too much credit as the CP and side panels were adapted from other builds. I hope to add innovations in the future.
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I ended up getting an off brand (Sceptre) 39" lcd. it was $260 with free shipping, versus about $420 minimum for any 42" I could find. the client went with the savings. it looks great so far. I'm not a heavy twitch gamer but I can't detect any weird lag or anything, seems to work well. It's a cheaper TV without a lot of onboard processing which helps I think.
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I ended up getting an off brand (Sceptre) 39" lcd. it was $260 with free shipping, versus about $420 minimum for any 42" I could find. the client went with the savings. it looks great so far. I'm not a heavy twitch gamer but I can't detect any weird lag or anything, seems to work well. It's a cheaper TV without a lot of onboard processing which helps I think.
I get 42" LCD (sometimes LED-LCD ones) for $300 to to $330 all day. Part of my day job to source parts\electronics at the lowest price available.
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I ended up getting an off brand (Sceptre) 39" lcd. it was $260 with free shipping, versus about $420 minimum for any 42" I could find. the client went with the savings. it looks great so far. I'm not a heavy twitch gamer but I can't detect any weird lag or anything, seems to work well. It's a cheaper TV without a lot of onboard processing which helps I think.
I get 42" LCD (sometimes LED-LCD ones) for $300 to to $330 all day. Part of my day job to source parts\electronics at the lowest price available.
I paid $330 for mine. I was motivated I find a good deal since it was going to be MINE. At that price, and because I wanted to play XBOX 360 and newer PC games, it made total sense to skip the CRT. Still, it's tempting to build a CRT cabinet for games older than 2000. And a bartop. And a driving cabinet. Well, there goes the idea of having just 1 cabinet.
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Minor update:
The coin doors and rear door are now on. I'm using magnetic latches to keep it shut. It's not perfect, but it's functional; there's a bigger gap at the top than the bottom.
At this point I'm just about done with covering my garage in MDF dust. Things that remain are the base, the speaker panel, and control panel. The control panel should be CNC'd by the weekend.
Then everything gets torn apart, primed, painted, and artwork applied. To be honest, I still need to settle on artwork.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/10/u8yzu3an.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/10/hyde3ama.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/10/e4u7e3ag.jpg)
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Looks good, I really like the shape of this cabinet
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Looks good, I really like the shape of this cabinet
Thanks! Again, I can't take too much credit. I just took what had already been done and made it my own. I have very high expectations since, like many, I've been waiting over 20 years to have my own arcade cabinet. At the same time, it's very difficult to balance the build alongside the rest of life (work, family, kids, etc.).
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(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/13/qu4ehyry.jpg)
I got the base mostly finished today. It wasn't nearly square enough the first attempt. I'm hoping the cabinet will be stable enough without needing to tilt it back much.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/13/emuqy4yr.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/13/6ana6yzy.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/13/ubaza5ud.jpg)
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I put those wheels on mine and they're just too small to help much. the cabs are too top heavy to wheel around on their own. I ended up using a hand truck for any real moving around. anything is better than nothing, though.
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I put those wheels on mine and they're just too small to help much. the cabs are too top heavy to wheel around on their own. I ended up using a hand truck for any real moving around. anything is better than nothing, though.
Thanks for the insight. I'm mostly looking to move it a few feet if I need to access the CPU, etc. I plan on making mine disassemblable for serious moves.
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those are the good type of wheels as well - they stick out behind far enough.
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I picked up the 3/4" birch plywood which will be CNC'd into a control panel, a new TV mount, and a speaker panel. Woo-hoo! Next week should be fun.
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Just a quick observation...
Because the monitor is so large and so close, mid height, and purely vertical ... It looks like the viewing angle will be a little painful. Especially if people are different heights. Unless this is a sit down.. ? And even then, Id probably still angle the monitor away a bit.
Pedestals can use vertical display, because they are far enough away to negate any height issue differences. But most cabs employ a slanted monitor, to help give some breathing distance and account for various peoples differing heights.
The same is true for slanting control panels... as various peoples arms will rest at different angles. IE: If your short, but CPs angled, its still comfortable. But it its not angled, your arm will be on a 90 degree /steep edge, which isnt comfy at all.
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Nice build as mentioned the monitor position may cause you problems,has anyone built a machine that can adjust the monitor angle?
(http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f225/imlived/imageedit_5_9062874812fggfgfgfg.gif) (http://"http://www.customcades.com/")
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The monitor is at a 15 degree angle. I didn't want to angle it too much because it's going to live in our home gym and serve as a TV. I do wish I had gone to 15 degrees or so. I had it totally vertical when it was mounted on the wall with the mocked-up control panel. I figured anything, even 10 degrees. I haven't decided on a sloped CP but plan on having 30" stools as an option. I appreciate the expert advice.
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If its dual purpose, then maybe the option is to have an adjustable monitor angle. Via handle or motor.
But, realize a few issues, if your trying to watch tv...
- Controls may obscure vision and be annoying.
- If you put plexi or glass in front of the monitor, you may get bad reflection issues
- Height for watching tv while sitting on a couch, is different from a standup height.. which would cause neck strain for tv at the arcade height.
Other options for dual use, would be a two part cab that can be raised or lowered.
Or - if its more of a distance distraction thing while working out.. then maybe raise the tv right out of the cab, above the cab.
Or - simply make a podium cabinet, or a half cabinet that wheels in front of the tv for game use, with the tv on a mount that can be adjusted for angle.
All in all, comfort is key in whatever you do.. especially if its more than 5min spells. Discomfort can severely hamper enjoyment. And being that many LCDs often are not the greatest from steep viewing angles, that may further cause issues too.
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It's an IPS so viewing angles are great. The height will be great from the treadmill and elliptical (I've spent hours using them while staring at the wall, imagining how it will be. As far as light reflection from plexiglass, I'll have to manage that using lamps or something next to the machine as opposed to using overhead lights in front of the machine.
All of this does make me consider tilting the LCD back a little more. The 2x2 that holds the LCD bracket is roughly 1" away from the 2x2 that supports the back. That should equate to another 5-10 degrees.
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So my estimate of 10 degrees is a little off.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/7uzuremu.jpg)
I have very little room to adjust, plus the 2x2s are already glued and screwed. I may change my tune later but it hasn't been bad so far. Possibly not ideal, but live and learn.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/17/ydaqaje8.jpg)
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Just a quick update- I figured out how to get into my TV's service menu to enable auto-on after power restore (score!).
I've started routing the control panel after my CNC guy failed. I'm going to have to do top-mount joysticks with plexiglass.
I posted my artwork in-progress over in over here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134936.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134936.0.html)
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Shorten the 2x2 that the TV mount is attached to. That should allow you many more degrees to tilt it back, if you wanted.
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Shorten the 2x2 that the TV mount is attached to. That should allow you many more degrees to tilt it back, if you wanted.
What angle is your tv?
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I re-cut the control panel using 3/4" birch to minimize bowing. After routing the holes in the plexiglass cover, it occured to me that I could put Sanwa JLF joysticks in place of the second joystick for players 1 and 2. Originally my plan was to have 4 Seimitsu LS-32 in 8-way configuration and 2 Zippy 4-ways for players 1 and 2. I haven't done much research into the number of 2-player 4-way joystick games. When I was choosing a model for the main sticks, I was torn between my love for fighters, and my love for shmups.
It's hard to choose between the JLF and the Zippy 4-way. Either way I'll have to lift the panel and reconfigure the stick. At least the Sanwas can switch from 4-way to 8-way by simply rotating the restrictor as opposed to removing screws like the Seimitsu.
Any other way of looking at this that I'm missing? I'm sure something like an Ultrastik or one of the new servo-based sticks would be perfect, but I'm past that point now. I also feel like the "jack of all trades, master of none" motto applies to joysticks.
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are there any 2 player simultaneous 4 way games?
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Shorten the 2x2 that the TV mount is attached to. That should allow you many more degrees to tilt it back, if you wanted.
What angle is your tv?
It is tilted back 15 deg. Also, look into the Mag-stick Plus from Ultimarc (it is a top switching 4/8 way stick that is pretty slick).
You only need one 4-way stick, as there are only a handful of unpopular games no one played that use two 4-ways.
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Shorten the 2x2 that the TV mount is attached to. That should allow you many more degrees to tilt it back, if you wanted.
What angle is your tv?
It is tilted back 15 deg. Also, look into the Mag-stick Plus from Ultimarc (it is a top switching 4/8 way stick that is pretty slick).
You only need one 4-way stick, as there are only a handful of unpopular games no one played that use two 4-ways.
I'll try out 15 degree tilt once I get time to work on the cabinet again (hooray for homeownership).
The thing that I don't like about the Mag-stick, Happ competition, JLW, and other sticks is that they're neither good for shmups nor for fighters. I know I probably only need one 4-way stick, but the hole has already been cut. I like the symmetry of having dual sticks for both players. I think I'll go with 2 JLFs. If only there was a mod to make them top switchable like the Mag-sticks...
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It's been a long time. A lot has changed but not much that's visible:
-The LCD was remounted at a 14-15 degree angle.
-The cabinet was disassembled and reassembled in the basement, this time attached to the base.
-The control panel is 90% wired, with the top panel hinged.
-Car stereo amp and 6"x9" speakers installed.
-4 XBOX 360 controllers and relay hooked up to PC + Xbox 360 (not done).
There's still what feels like a ton left to do, without even considering filling, sanding, and artwork:
-Tweak controller order on PC and XBOX 360.
-Figure out how to lift the control panel top from the rear edge (closest to the start buttons) once the LCD bezel is installed. The control panel top is heavy and I'd rather not used the joysticks as handles.
-Figure out what to do with the awkward area between the TV and marquee. I'd like to make the marquee taller. It's currently 6"x42" but I'd like it more like 10"x42". It would require adding material to the side panels (boooo). Still, I think it would look better. The original plan was to have a rotating 39" LCD, but it fell by the wayside long ago. Another option would be to add an LED graphic equalizer (http://amzn.com/B00E3A8J7E) or a second monitor for CPWizard.
-Bend, mask, and paint acrylic bezel.
-Wire lights and fans.
-Tidy up cables.
-HyperSpin final config including joystick config
-And, worth mentioning again, finishing work, art work, complete disassembly and reassembly.
Thanks for tuning in!
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My SSD and HDD died on me. It pays to have a backup! I'm back up and running; still trying to solve the 'all 4 xbox 360 controllers not recognized after reboot without plugging them in one at a time' situation.
Has anything been done to improve the sound range in MAME? I'd love to put a sub in my cabinet, but most (older) games don't have much bass. Also, are there any plugins that normalize the volume, so it doesn't BLAST you when you start a new game? I think the MAME volume settings are recorded in the .cfg for each game, but I'm not positive.
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I put down some paint this weekend (Pantone Jet Black in Matte). It feels nice to make some progress after doing nothing with it for so long. My goal is to have it done by the end of April. I'm really stuck on the artwork and may enlist an artist friend. Artwork seems so permanent.
I picked up some nice Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers for $20 at the thrift store. The 6x9s have waaaay too much treble, even with the bass maxed out and the treble minimized. The amp sends a transient spike to the speakers when the computer gets turned on. It's just not worth it.