Wickcade 2 Player BarTop

[colindecon]

Hello its been a while since ive been here hope you take me back,

So i want to build a Full size arcade machine but wifey says Not until we have a garage 

but... i can build a bartop

So where to start..


I want 2 players

thinking 7 buttons each

stereo sound

19 inch wide screen or 17 inch not widescreen


Design phase:

i will be using Adode Illustrator and Maya 2013


Build Phase:

MDF Baby or maybe ply or maybe pine um

Tech: My netbook or new parts 






I will base my design on this design i found online




well anyway  any input as i go will be very welcome


Colin

[colindecon]

i basic recreation of the plans above

[colindecon]

[matsadona]

Just a small advise... make a cardboard mockup and try to "play" two persons side a side and verify if it is really a feasible design or if it has to be wider.
Second, do you really need all buttons? If you are in to the fighter games I suppose it is a yes, but else? Just MHO but the games most played around here is 2 or maybe 3 button games...
Finally, when it comes to the arcade art I believe less is more if you ask me. The sideart might be more "bombastic" but I would change the CPO to something less detailed.
I think all the Koenig designs are very minimalistic and mimics the old arcade art pretty well (http://www.koenigs.dk/mame/).
But as always - it is your cabinet and there will probably be as many voting for the "all in super detailed" concept as there are people with the same opinion as me 

[Unstupid]

These are all different.... Which style are you going with?  Also figure out what you are going to use for a marquee retainer and adjust your design to fit...  nothing screams "amateur hour" more than marquee retainers hanging over the side panels.  Also the control panel, if you recess it a 1/4" from the side panel on top do the same on the front of the control panel....  also factor in the thickness of any covering you plan on using for the CP

[colindecon]

Just a small advise... make a cardboard mockup and try to "play" two persons side a side and verify if it is really a feasible design or if it has to be wider.
Second, do you really need all buttons? If you are in to the fighter games I suppose it is a yes, but else? Just MHO but the games most played around here is 2 or maybe 3 button games...
Finally, when it comes to the arcade art I believe less is more if you ask me. The sideart might be more "bombastic" but I would change the CPO to something less detailed.
I think all the Koenig designs are very minimalistic and mimics the old arcade art pretty well (http://www.koenigs.dk/mame/).
But as always - it is your cabinet and there will probably be as many voting for the "all in super detailed" concept as there are people with the same opinion as me 

a mockup: i did not even think of doing that

Buttons: I wanted the neo geo layout and fighting layout so thats why im thinking 7 buttons

artwork: im still dont know what to have i just but them in just for the render

Thanks for the great input,

Colin

[colindecon]

These are all different.... Which style are you going with?  Also figure out what you are going to use for a marquee retainer and adjust your design to fit...  nothing screams "amateur hour" more than marquee retainers hanging over the side panels.  Also the control panel, if you recess it a 1/4" from the side panel on top do the same on the front of the control panel....  also factor in the thickness of any covering you plan on using for the CP

I dont know what design to settle with i want something thats different.

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

 Thanks colin

[Unstupid]

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

I mean, like these:

[colindecon]

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

I mean, like these:

That is not very nice at all,

im thinking of making a slot for the marquee to slide into from above

[CoryBee]

Hey now, after the constructive criticism I bought better marquee retainers. Aluminum L shaped thingys from Home- Depot.

[colindecon]

Hey now, after the constructive criticism I bought better marquee retainers. Aluminum L shaped thingys from Home- Depot.

vERY nICE;)

[dextercf]

Subscribed

[Unstupid]

Hey now, after the constructive criticism I bought better marquee retainers. Aluminum L shaped thingys from Home- Depot.

You have certainly come a long way since your early builds!   

[CoryBee]

You have certainly come a long way since your early builds!   

Yes I have, thank you. Good luck with your build "colindecon"

[rablack97]

You have certainly come a long way since your early builds!   

Yes I have, thank you. Good luck with your build "colindecon"

 

He's all grown up now.....

[Drnick]

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

I mean, like these:

That is not very nice at all,

im thinking of making a slot for the marquee to slide into from above

Good Choice, I didn't make a slot for my marquee to slide into and I am now paying the price. Yep that overhanging Bracket is almost exactly what mine looks like currently  I have a feeling some very careful routing will be in my immediate future 

You have certainly come a long way since your early builds!   

Yes I have, thank you. Good luck with your build "colindecon"

 

He's all grown up now.....

Soon he won't need us at all. Well except to explain what those funny style electrical sockets he saw lots of recently are. 

[CoryBee]

Haha, I noticed as well when soldering that the iron heated up uber fast in Ireland.

I knew they were funny looking and 240v or what have you, what I wasn't sure of was what country's used which style. I think the french use a two round pronged plug.

[colindecon]

Haha, I noticed as well when soldering that the iron heated up uber fast in Ireland.

I knew they were funny looking and 240v or what have you, what I wasn't sure of was what country's used which style. I think the french use a two round pronged plug.

er.... Plug?

[colindecon]

I did a mockup like you said and i feel its perfect even with 8 buttons, me and the wifey had an imaginary game

Sorry about the poor hole positions, i was using a step/cone cutter

[Unstupid]

gotta love them 8-button fighters!   

[Yvan256]

Good luck in your build, colindecon.

... "colindecon" is a strange name, sounds like something in French-Canadian but I don't want to translate it, in case it's just a coincidence. 

[colindecon]

Good luck in your build, colindecon.

... "colindecon" is a strange name, sounds like something in French-Canadian but I don't want to translate it, in case it's just a coincidence. 

i would love to know the translation

Well my name is Colin Higgins

Decon was just a nick name


And thanks i need all the luck i can muster

[colindecon]

Got Homebase to cut me some MDF so i can trial my sizes and see what it looks like in real, might be all the right sizes i need already if im lucky 

[colindecon]

Dont want to drill out any holes yet, does this seem ok?

[Drnick]

Its going to be a little squeezy in there, but yep that looks fine.  I take it you made sure to print the layouts at full size with no scaling/resizing

[jmike]

How wide is that control panel?
You said the mock up felt good so it should be okay.

[PL1]

Dont want to drill out any holes yet, does this seem ok?

Have you tried a cardboard test panel yet?  (Cheaper and less messy than making an MDF test panel.)

A test panel lets you confirm the feel in 3 dimensions for the actual button layout.


Scott

[colindecon]

Its going to be a little squeezy in there, but yep that looks fine.  I take it you made sure to print the layouts at full size with no scaling/resizing

yes its all correct

[colindecon]

Dont want to drill out any holes yet, does this seem ok?

Have you tried a cardboard test panel yet?  (Cheaper and less messy than making an MDF test panel.)

A test panel lets you confirm the feel in 3 dimensions for the actual button layout.


Scott

i did it on some hardboard and it was ok for me and wifey to use

[colindecon]

How wide is that control panel?
You said the mock up felt good so it should be okay.

its 500mm by 212mm

[jmike]

How wide is that control panel?
You said the mock up felt good so it should be okay.

its 500mm by 212mm

That's about 19 inches or so.
The bartop I just made is 22 inches across (558 mm) and it's pretty comfortable when playing 2-player fighting games.
You can check out my build here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130529.0.html

 

[colindecon]

How wide is that control panel?
You said the mock up felt good so it should be okay.

its 500mm by 212mm

That's about 19 inches or so.
The bartop I just made is 22 inches across (558 mm) and it's pretty comfortable when playing 2-player fighting games.
You can check out my build here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130529.0.html

 

ooooooo  curvy

[colindecon]

progress so far on my Test/Practice build

[colindecon]

[EMDB]

Nice design although I find it a bit dark with a black background, black sticks and black buttons. Have you considered using red buttons?

[colindecon]

Nice design although I find it a bit dark with a black background, black sticks and black buttons. Have you considered using red buttons?

i have not thought of that, i had black buttons already so i wasnt even thinking of any other colors, sounds nice though, i have a think

[CWorley]

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

I mean, like these:

unstupid, what causes this to happen?  What can someone do to prevent the retainers from hanging over the side panels?

[BobA]

To prevent the holder from hanging over the edges just recess the front edges of the area where the marquee goes.  If the top panel and the bottom panel of the marquee area were 1/4 inch behind the sides of the panel there would be no overhang.   Adjust the 1/4 inch recess as required for your holder and plexi.

[CoryBee]

To prevent the holder from hanging over the edges just recess the front edges of the area where the marquee goes.  If the top panel and the bottom panel of the marquee area were 1/4 inch behind the sides of the panel there would be no overhang.   Adjust the 1/4 inch recess as required for your holder and plexi.

Precisely.

[Unstupid]

What do you mean by "marquee retainers hanging over the side panels" ?

I mean, like these:

unstupid, what causes this to happen?  What can someone do to prevent the retainers from hanging over the side panels?

Lack of planning..... Draw (by hand/by CAD) what you plan on building before you start cutting.  I lay everything out in Rhino (3d cad software) before I start cutting to make sure everything fits and makes sense before I send it to be cut!