Planet Arcade Mini (99% Done 6/2)

[yo1dog]

(Mini)

While I am waiting to be able to build the full version, I am going to build this to give my fidgety fingers something to do.

Here is what I plan for it to look like:






Finished Product:



Updates:
February 24, 2010

I was hoping to be finishing up today but I actually just starting. All I got done was cutting the wood .



March 21, 2010

I got a good bit of work done this weekend. I cut the sides out and cut out the control panel. I also started putting the pieces together. More pictures soon to come.





March 27, 2010

More and more gluing.







March 28, 2010

Got the monitor attached! By unscrewing the bolts in the back and sliding the support downwards, the monitor can be removed as needed. However I am going to have to re-wire the buttons on the front; for if someone were to push on the bezel it would push on the monitor buttons. Still need to cut out the wood for the bezel and speakers.

The original plan was the use magnets to hold down the control panel, but because it is such a snug fit this will not be required. Also, I decided to put the entire back on magnets so that it can be removed easily.

On a side note: The top piece somehow found its way into the scrap pile and was cute by mistake, so I have to cut a new one of those .





Edit:
Slight change in plans: I ripped off all the plastic on the monitor and it is looking much better. I am building a frame for the monitor. More pictures coming next weekend.



April 04, 2010

Got the bezel cut out, which fit quite perfectly. After doing some more organizing on my ROM collection I realized that a lot of games used the four-button layout... so I added a fourth button. However, the hole slightly overlapped the bottom support. I drilled out a bit from the support and it fits nicely.

Starting to look like an arcade machine











May 15, 2010

I got quite a bit done over the last two days. I decided to scratch the Plexiglas in front of the bezel; Don't really need it. I have also decided to make the control panel removable. I really want a trackball to play some of my favorite games. Obviously there is no way I could squeeze a one in along with a joystick and 7 buttons. So I am making a separate control panel with a track ball and three buttons on either side. I have also decided to rig a coin reject button instead of GGG's button. The coin slot is there for donations . Here is the work chronologically:

• Cut A new top piece that I had accidentally destroyed before.
• Drilled holes into the speaker panel.
• Primed and painted the bezel and speaker panel.
• Rigged the coin reject button to work as an insert credit button.
• Put the first coat of sealer on the cab.
• Attached cabinet magnets for the removable back.

Some pictures of the progress:

New top


Priming...


Done!


Decisions, the fun kind


Mount to hold the microswitch




A bit of sticky-tack to hold


Complete


Before


After


May 16, 2010

Finished painting, now I just have to put a clear coat on. In unrelated news, I finished moving into my new apartment . Oh, and I made a custom coin reject label in powerpoint. I would have used Photoshop but I was on my Mom's mac.





May 19, 2010

Graphics are in! I finally got my stuff printed from the Kinkos down the street. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed in the quality. I had it printed on vinyl and when I got it, it already had smudges and streaks from the person handling it. The colors where also not near as vibrant or accurate as I had hoped. It only cost me 20 bucks though so I guess I got what I payed for. It doesn't look half bad under the plexiglass anyway. Now I just have to attach the marquee and get the electronics in there.
Sorry about the low quality pictures:







June 06, 2010

What I have done:
Machine is 99% finished. I thought I was going to use the input controller form my old X-Arcade control panel, but unfortunately I did not have the cable to the PC. I tried to build one, thinking it was a basic serial cable. Little did I know how "sensitive" their cables are. I almost just bought a new cable for 10 bucks. But instead I decided to just go ahead and buy a GP+LED Wiz from GGG. I figured I might as well considering I want to upgrade the lighting at some point. I also don't want to have to deal with X-Arcade's "sensitive" PS/2 cables that refuse to work with any USB converter.

I wasn't about to wait for my interface to arrive before getting to test and play a few games. I took apart an old keyboard and ripped out the encoder. I thought it would be a simple solder job, but the pcb had these weird black contacts on them that would melt when you tried to solder on them and make a huge mess. Instead I hot glued the wires to the pcb and used a small clamp and a clothespin with a rubber band to hold the wires on the contacts. It was very ghetto looking to say the least; But it worked! Problem with using a keyboard encoder is that you can't press some buttons at the same time. For instance, you can't move Up Right and Fire at the same time.

I wired up the speakers and included an volume knob as well as a headphone jack that are assessable from the outside speaker panel. I also put electrical tape along the silver boarder of the monitor which makes it look much better.

Still need to do:
I still have to make the second control panel along with wiring up everything to serial cables to allow you to easy unplug and take out and change the control panel as needed.

Still need to get some 1/2" White T-Molding to go along the sides. And a light behind the marquee.

Sense I was getting that GGG interface I ordered some clear pushbuttons along with some super bright LEDs that I got at a great price! 10 for $1.53 with free shipping! I plan on using the clear outer-ring with black centers and lighting them up. I am picking up some resistors from RadioShack. I also need to get the coin return lit up.

To be honest, it didn't come out as good as I wanted it to do. A lot of little mistakes here and there drive me crazy. Most of them are unnoticeable but they still bug me. That and the fact that I am no good at finishes.





Control Panel connected to X-Arcade interface... before I realized I didn't have the cable.


Speaker Panel


Speaker Panel with volume knob and headphone jack. I painted the knob black.


Wires for connecting to the keyboard encoder.


Wiring Diagram for inside the cab


Control Panel 1


Control Panel 2

[javeryh]

Cool.  I like the theme and the art... except I don't quite like the art.  For some reason I don't really like "real" pictures on an arcade cab - it just looks weird to me.  What about using the same image but "cartooning" it up a bit?  Check it out:

[yo1dog]

Good idea, I like that. I am going to mess around with it but I do like what I have now

[drventure]

I haven't looked for this so I'm not sure if it's even available, but if you can find some transluscent tmold (or maybe clear), then you could cut the slot deeper, lay the elwire into it, then mount the tmold normally.

Hook the elwire to the ledwiz and you can pulse it as well (pulsing tmold could be very cool indeed)!

[javeryh]

I ran the CP through the vector program at http://vectormagic.com/home and got the attached pic.  Earth looks pretty cool.

[yo1dog]

Thanks! But I like the look of the actual pictures. It goes better with the slick look of the rest of the cab.

[versapak]

I'm gonna have to agree with the others.

The real pictures do look odd, and I too recommend going for a less real look.


It is your cabinet though, so...

[javeryh]

Thanks! But I like the look of the actual pictures. It goes better with the slick look of the rest of the cab.

yeah, I'm just messing around.   

[yo1dog]

I appreciate the input! I am trying to get some higher resolution renders from the site to put on the model to see how they look I will post up a render

[bigpete405]

Go with the most expensive setup. I can't wait to check it out the model looks sick and so does your artwork. 

[Gamester]

Maybe you said somewhere in your other thread, but what software are you using to render the models?

[yo1dog]

Go with the most expensive setup. I can't wait to check it out the model looks sick and so does your artwork. 

If I had money to throw around I would haha.

Maybe you said somewhere in your other thread, but what software are you using to render the models?

3Ds Max 2010

[yo1dog]

Update!
Check first post.

[bigpete405]

What am I supposed to be looking at with all those rectangles pieces?.. I'm just playing with you bro, but I'm real excited to see this assembled, the model really looks great.  

[saleem]

when its all put together then i am sure we will see what it will start to look like.might i suggest laminate and i dont know what others will say but,i would say laminate the 2 side pieces inside and out (both sides) before construction?i had to laminate all my pieces after cutting before fixing them into place on my bartop (still a project in progress)
 

[yo1dog]

when its all put together then i am sure we will see what it will start to look like.might i suggest laminate and i dont know what others will say but,i would say laminate the 2 side pieces inside and out (both sides) before construction?i had to laminate all my pieces after cutting before fixing them into place on my bartop (still a project in progress)
 

Thanks for the advice

[yo1dog]

Update! Check first post.

[yo1dog]

Update! See first post.

[yo1dog]

Update! Gander your eyes upward to the first post.

[yo1dog]

Update! Direct your eyes at the initial posting.

[yo1dog]

Update! Running out of ways to tell you to look at the first post.

[yo1dog]

Update! Seriously, someone needs to comment! lol

[emphatic]

Okay. Stop posting everything in the first post as nobody else does this. 

[javeryh]

Okay. Stop posting everything in the first post as nobody else does this. 

+1.  It also allows people to comment about the specific step in the build process so when someone goes back to read it a year from now or whenever it will all make sense chronologically! 

Nice job so far though.  Even though you aren't using t-molding, I really like how the front appears to be one continuous piece.   

[Joezero]

Okay. Stop posting everything in the first post as nobody else does this. 

+1.  It also allows people to comment about the specific step in the build process so when someone goes back to read it a year from now or whenever it will all make sense chronologically! 

Nice job so far though.  Even though you aren't using t-molding, I really like how the front appears to be one continuous piece.   

I understand why he's putting it all in the first post and a year from now when someone finds this thread for the first time it'll be easier for them to see the entire process from the start. On some of the larger threads I wish they had done this as there are sometimes two or three progress posts and 20 "that looks awesome, you're so great" posts from people following the thread.

But I agree that it makes it almost impossible to comment or ask relevant questions, and even more difficult to follow the progress as I have to wade through the entire first post each time there is an update.  Perhaps the best solution is to post status updates as their own posts and then copy and paste it into the first thread for first timers. 

+1 on the molded front too.

[yo1dog]

Ha, my bad . You got a good point.

I am still considering the T-Molding. It would defiantly make it look more arcadeish. Only problem is that the only colors I can find for 1/2" thick wood is black and white. White might be cool though.

Can't wait to get the graphics printed!

[Bender]

I've used 3/4 t-molding on a 1/2 project and trimmed the excess off. It looks great. It takes a little practice but with a veneer edge trimer it's pretty easy. That way you can get pretty much whatever color you want

[syph007]

Off topic but I have to ask since I wonder this whenever I check your thread.  Is that a picture of you in your avatar, or are these people from some show or somthing?

[yo1dog]

Off topic but I have to ask since I wonder this whenever I check your thread.  Is that a picture of you in your avatar, or are these people from some show or somthing?

Ya that's me

[yo1dog]

Update! It's all coming together. Check the first post... I would have just posted the update here as suggested, but I have already done the entire rest of the project this way so .

[Joezero]

Update! It's all coming together. Check the first post... I would have just posted the update here as suggested, but I have already done the entire rest of the project this way so .

It's never too late to try something new 

Maybe I missed the explanation, but why is there a 2p button on a cab with only one joystick?

[yo1dog]

Maybe I missed the explanation, but why is there a 2p button on a cab with only one joystick?

For games like Galaga and Pacman that allow two players to alternate turns.

[rablack97]

Yeah I learned the hard way too, about printing stuff at kinkos.  The ink also lifts when place plexi over it and take it off.  I was completing my CP and had to adjust the plexi.   Next thing i know i have white spots all over my graphic. Sucks.

I have a 40" wide CP so the prints cost me about $40.00 on poly. 

Like you said though, not a durable workable material and toe colrs don't pop.  You touch it, it leaves smudges, you rub it, it scratches, you lean on it too much and the oils from your hand lift the ink..

My next project, definately going professional......Game on Grafix

[yo1dog]

Ya when mine goes out I am getting Game on Grafix as well... Or I might get it printed on metal.

[opt2not]

nice cab.  I'm thinking it would look really nice with smoked glass or plexi covering the monitor area. Dark like... in space.... 

[yo1dog]

First post.