Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Mattiekrome on April 16, 2018, 09:38:12 pm
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Glad to see this place is still kicking! I attempted to make my own control panel about 10 years ago, but never did get it completed. Everything was going great until I mis-cut a hinge slot and screwed up my CP top. Once that happened, I lost interest in it and never messed with it again.
I came across an old shoe box full of buttons, T-molding, an IPAC (PS2, lol), 2x 8-way sticks, a 4-way stick, and a bunch of other random build related things from my first attempt. I thought, well... it's a shame to let it go to waste, so here I am.
This time around, I've got a man cave, so I've decided to go with an actual stand-up cabinet instead of just a portable CP. A few weeks ago, I started thinking up some ideas on what I'd like to do. The man cave is still a little strapped for space, so I was shooting for something 'slim' that didn't stick out too far from the wall. I've also got angled ceilings, so the height against the wall is too short to stand a full size machine up against it. After doing some online searching for thin/slim solutions, I came across the Vigolix build.
The original Vigolix is more like a half-size cabinet, which isn't exactly what I was shooting for. Once digging further into it, I saw where some folks had made a larger 2-player version by doubling all the measurements. This would be the style cabinet that would work best for my situation, even if I did have to make some additional height/depth alterations.
So far this is what I've got in mind...
- Custom short/thin Vigolix cabinet made specifically for the available space in the man cave
- Initially, cabinet will be 100% designed for MAME
- May possibly add classic consoles to it later, but only if I can find a way to easily play with the intended controllers
- Main control panel will be 2 player controls with one additional 4-way stick
- Button layout will be 4 on bottom, 3 on top... Really looking forward to playing some old fighters
- Theme will be classic arcade... Centipede, Missile Command, Galaga, Asteroids, Galaga, etc.
- Since the cabinet is thin, definitely cant go with anything CRT... planning on going with a 27" widescreen PC monitor
- Due to the widescreen, planning on seeing if I can get one of those digital bezel things to work with it
- PC wise, still not sure... from what I've read on BYOAC, something with an Intel i5, 8GB RAM, Win 7 x64
- Due to space concerns with the short ceiling, going to find a way to incorporate speakers into the marquee
This weekend I bought a 1/4 sheet of paneling and did a mock up (below). Not a huge fan of the batman ears on top, and would like to level them off but wont be able to due to space concerns with the monitor/marquee. Going to drop the control panel by an inch or so, plus tilt it a little bit... feels weird with it flat.
One question I do have is getting custom artwork done for it. I am really drawn to the side art of the old school Missile Command cabinet. I know there are many folks who offer custom side art, but am having trouble understanding how I can give them my cabinet dimensions and then have them design side art for it. Obviously, the original side art of the Missile Command cabinet will not fit on mine, is there a way to redesign the old art to make it fit in the space that I have available?
Here's a pic of the mock up.
(https://i.imgur.com/57fgcYC.jpg)
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Looking good so far. Find a vector copy of the Missile Command artwork and keep the elements you want.
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Looks great.
Consider extending the top section back till it's flush with the wall. That way, it'll be flush at the base boards, and flush along the walls.
Personally, I like the "bat ears". I'd be concerned trying to put t-molding around them though. Was the plan to use T-molding?
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Very cool, love your start!
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How tall is that? I'm assuming it's not as tall as it looks... due to the ceiling slope?
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Looking good so far. Find a vector copy of the Missile Command artwork and keep the elements you want.
I did a quick search earlier and didn't find much, however I looked a little harder and did find vectorized side art. I'm not a graphics-inclined guy, so with it already being vectorized and the simple side art layout that I'm envisioning, it hopefully wont be as bad as I was thinking it would be to have someone work it up for me. Thanks!
Consider extending the top section back till it's flush with the wall. That way, it'll be flush at the base boards, and flush along the walls.
Personally, I like the "bat ears". I'd be concerned trying to put t-molding around them though. Was the plan to use T-molding?
Interesting take with cutting the back section to be flat against the wall. I thought about cutting a notch at the base so it would go over the baseboard, never thought to just leave the upper back section longer. Also never thought about the t-molding and those sharp corners. Yes the plan is to put t-molding all around it, will have to do some looking now to find other examples of how those sharp corners were handled.
Very cool, love your start!
Wow, the man himself! Thanks for the design ideas, looks like many folks have built these style cabinets! If I never stumbled onto the Vigo design, It's likely I'd have never decided to go through with it.
How tall is that? I'm assuming it's not as tall as it looks... due to the ceiling slope?
Top of the wall before the slopes starts is 65"... top of the 'bat ears' is at 69.5". If they'd have just built the man cave with a little more clearance, I could have a whole arcade, lol.
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Cool shape, I like the ears. You could maybe cut the t-moulding with a miter type cut with the front piece just a hair longer so the cut is invisible.
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I’ve always thought the ears looked really, really goofy.
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Feels like a low boy would go nicely in this room cave.
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A Missile Command would probably look like it was made for that room.