Arcade [Side Art] Photoshop Template

[musei]

So I was thinking of making some custom side art, but I wanted to run it through Photoshop obviously so I can move characters and backgrounds to the way I'd like it. And to make sure I don't cut off a head or arms or bodies or whatever. So wanted to know how you guys go about making a template for your Cabinet. Obviously I can't just put it in a scanner and scan it up cause that would be nice.

• Do you guys just take a picture with your camera, crop the image around the cabinet then blow it up to 300 or 600 DPI so that you can work the image in the way you want?

• Is there a site that has templates for all kinds of Arcade Cabinet types in PSD format?

• Do you just go old school and measure every weird angle and curve and draw it up in Photoshop yourself?

Thanks in advance for any assistance guys.

[wol-nz]

I'd probably be no help as i just do every thing by rough measure and by eye. I only rule component locations just to make sure it fits.
I would just recommend creating your canvas big enough to cover the entire side and a bit more. One of the first pieces i made was a street fighter collage (looked cool) but was a pain in the ass to get on straight as it had a white boarder that hugged every curve and straight line on it.

[musei]

Yeah that was kind of the scared response I thought I'd get.  Just gotta measure this all out as best I can, try to make a template myself, add my image, print it oversized, apply, and then cut around the cabinet with an x-acto knife or something.

Unless someone has a better technique.

Has anyone ever tried making a Custom Fathead decal sticker thingy and putting it on the side of a cabinet?  Do they stick pretty well?

[opt2not]

Mostly this:

• Do you just go old school and measure every weird angle and curve and draw it up in Photoshop yourself?

But it's not old school, it's the right school. Do it right with the measurmements and you'll save yourself from headaches later.
I like to use sketchup to draw it up instead of photoshop, for the precision in measurements, and it's quicker and easier. Then I just save out a template image from that and open it up in photoshop for the art.

I keep Photoshop as my creative tool, and sketchup as my boring measurements tool.

[GregD]

Yeah that was kind of the scared response I thought I'd get.  Just gotta measure this all out as best I can, try to make a template myself, add my image, print it oversized, apply, and then cut around the cabinet with an x-acto knife or something.

Unless someone has a better technique.

Has anyone ever tried making a Custom Fathead decal sticker thingy and putting it on the side of a cabinet?  Do they stick pretty well?

Those are crazy expensive.

[musei]

Thanks opt2not, didn't even know about SketchUp, so I'll give that a shot and do it the old school / right school way.

GregD were you talking about the Fatheads being crazy expensive?  They seem to have sales all the time with coupon codes you can apply that let you make large decals for like $60.  So I was just curious if anyone ever ordered one and applied it to a cabinet.  See if they were any good.  I've never ever ordered one, even for the wall.  

Figured that way you could change up the artwork if you wanted without that big of a hassle.

[rikitiki]

I recently posted a mini tutorial on this on my latest project
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=117767.0

[rikitiki]

and this is why a proper cab shape/template is important to have when starting
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=117252.120