Shes almost done!!!! - Just need artwork

[Todesengel]

This is my first cabinet and my first ever CP I made from scratch. Had to buy all sorts of tools/router bits just to make the CP! But it was worth it! She started as a $60 empty silver-strike cabinet, no control panel, had some water damage on the bottom and a few holes that needed patching. This was my first bondo experience, and I must say what a kick-ass compound bondo is!! You can kinda see on the bottom where the paint is fresh, had to bondo up the corners. This cabinet did not come with a control panel, so it was my first time building a CP from scratch. When I was done... I was jumping for joy it came out so much better than I expected!!! Went through 3 revisions, but none the less I was happy with the end product! Still think I might build a fourth iteration, but that will be down the road. Damn that hindsight!!


She is almost done! Just need artwork!

IPAC4
TurboTwist 2
Happs 3" RGB Trackball(set to green for now)
27" Wells Gardner Monitor 640x480
AMD Quad Core 2.2ghz
Geforce 2 with custom drivers to get 640x480 running in Win7
4gigs of Ram
Cheap PC speakers
Hyperspin Front End

I dont have a picture of the cabinet when I got it, but it was a rundown version of this.


Crappy picture, but after bondo and painting.



Control Panel 1


Control Panel 2 (Did not like the staggered middle buttons)


Control Panel 3 (Good for now)


Got my TurboTwist in the mail today(Thanks GGG)

[Brian74]

Why do you need special drivers to get 640x480? Just go into the adapter settings, advance and find it in the list and add it.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[Todesengel]

Why do you need special drivers to get 640x480? Just go into the adapter settings, advance and find it in the list and add it.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

They don't make geforce2 drivers for Win7. The generic driver that came with windows would not allow me to go to 640x480 at less than 60hz. Anything higher than 30hz, and the monitor throws a fit.

[05SRT4]

I love the Green and Black. Do you already have an Idea on the artwork and marquee?

[Todesengel]

I love the Green and Black. Do you already have an Idea on the artwork and marquee?

Thanks man! I appreciate that. I really have no idea on the marquee, or side art. The sides are a little narrow, so I am not quite sure what to do. I am open to all sorts of suggestions.
As far as the control panel artwork, I found a psd on the forum somewhere, and managed to edit it. But I am not really satisfied. Might have to hire a professional for the art.

edit: I got the PSD from Shaner, so credit goes out to him.

[Brian74]

I would love a copy of that cp artwork. Now to find someone to modify it to orange and black.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[Todesengel]

Here is where 6 hours of photoshop took me. What do you guys think? Actually took my time on this one, and figured out the pen tool as well! Gotta love youtube tutorials.

[Brian74]

That is looking killer!

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[AlienInferno]

That looks really good but what games are you playing that require 8 buttons per player?

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[Todesengel]

That looks really good but what games are you playing that require 8 buttons per player?

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I plan on eventually setting up majority of hyperspin emulators. So I guess you can say its a precaution? Trying to account for almost anything.

[Todesengel]

This is why I'm not an artist of any sort! I am never satisified with my work!

What do you guys think about this one?

[Trebeck]

Great job dude!
I prefer the shattered background version.

[Brian74]

Look'n sweet man

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[Todesengel]

Great job dude!
I prefer the shattered background version.

I like that one too, but I am having a problem trying to theme the rest of the cabinet. With that control panel art, I'm just not sure what to do for a marquee. I really don't wanna go the "aliens" route, its been done again and again. But, can't really think of marquee or sideart that would match explosion. With this alien background, thinking of doing like a Double Helix marquee and naming the cabinet, "Prometheus".

[Kier]

I like the Alien One, the shattered one is too much. Although I might also consider losing the spinner. It might just be me but too many options detract from the cabinet.

[Todesengel]

Here is the marquee, we'll see if I decided to modify it at all over the next few days before I send everything to the printers.

This is why I'm not an artist of any sort! I am never satisified with my work!

What do you guys think about this one?

[AlienInferno]

Looks good to me. Of course I'm into the whole alien thing.

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[05SRT4]

wow the alien theme is wicked I dig it!!

[PL1]

Several questions on the CPO:

1. Since there are no labels on the joysticks/player buttons/trackball, do you want/need the "360 spinner" label?

2. What are the two unlabeled buttons above P2 Joystick?

3. Are you sure you want/need all of those admin buttons?

I like dedicated admin buttons, but depending on your configuration and emulator choices, Save/Load/Setup may not get as much use as you think.

If you haven't loaded/configured the emulator and FE software yet, you may want to do that before you print your art and drill holes in the CP.

Given the amount of time it takes to initially configure the software compared to how often you need to change settings later, do you really want to put menu access on the CP? 

Using a wireless keyboard tucked into the coin door may you save a lot of time and effort if kids or not-so-knowledgable friends will be using the cab unattended.


Scott

[Todesengel]

Several questions on the CPO:

1. Since there are no labels on the joysticks/player buttons/trackball, do you want/need the "360 spinner" label?

2. What are the two unlabeled buttons above P2 Joystick?

3. Are you sure you want/need all of those admin buttons?

I like dedicated admin buttons, but depending on your configuration and emulator choices, Save/Load/Setup may not get as much use as you think.

If you haven't loaded/configured the emulator and FE software yet, you may want to do that before you print your art and drill holes in the CP.

Given the amount of time it takes to initially configure the software compared to how often you need to change settings later, do you really want to put menu access on the CP? 

Using a wireless keyboard tucked into the coin door may you save a lot of time and effort if kids or not-so-knowledgable friends will be using the cab unattended.


Scott

1. I don't think a lot of people know what an actual spinner is, or even does. So the label will kind of serve a useful purpose for that. Most friends my age havent ever played spinner type arcade games.

2. Those will be player 1/ player 2 start buttons. Buttons will have labels on them, so no need for CP labels.

3. I don't ever want the need to break out a keyboard. I want the CP to be as self sufficient/explanatory as possible hence all the admin buttons.

Hyperspin is 100% configured, along with mame, project64, and nes.

Edit: Only reason for setup button, I can see it taking years to properly configure an entire MAME romset. This will be bound to tab to setup buttons on the fly for games that have not been played/setup.

[yotsuya]

All it takes is one kid/drunk friend to push that button, move around the joystick and push more buttons, and then your MAME setup is FUBARed for the rest of the party. Just something to think about.

[thatpurplestuff]

I definitely agree with yotsuya in regards to drunk friends/kids.  Granted I owned my last arcade cabinet when I was in college, but this was a fairly consistent problem when I had friends over (and I'd assume would be a problem with children as well).  You get people that aren't familiar with how a MAME cab operates accidentally opening a menu and it can be a huge pain to deal with (especially if you aren't there when it happens and just have to guess what settings got tweaked while the user frantically hit up and down and smashed buttons).  The amount of beers consumed by the user usually determined the extent of the damage haha.

I wouldn't say it's a deal-breaker in terms of having dedicated config buttons, but after owning that cab for about 5+ years I definitely do not plan on having any dedicated config buttons on my next control panel.  I'm not saying that you absolutely should not do it, and in the end you're going to want to do what looks and functions best for you, but you may want to seriously weigh how often you plan on needing to use those buttons vs the risk of players accidentally jacking your setup.

[Todesengel]

All it takes is one kid/drunk friend to push that button, move around the joystick and push more buttons, and then your MAME setup is FUBARed for the rest of the party. Just something to think about.

This is actually something I didn't really take into consideration as my house is anti-kid zone, and my friends are all techies. But this is something that I could definitely see happen after a heavy night of drinking.
I really wanna be keyboard free, this is a main requirement. However, I know I am going to run into 100+ games that need the keys to be setup.
I am thinking about removing the setup button, and deleting the area for P1 and P2 start - however, I don't really like having P1 and P2 on separate ends of the CP. I rather have them right next to each other. This would also then center the fire1,2 and trackball. Thoughts? I definitely need the pause button, the load/save is something I thought would be useful. Again, my whole thing is to get AWAY from the keyboard at all cost.

Maybe I should omit the labels, and use vinyl stickers as labels? This way they would be dynamic in case I change things in the future? Or an inline switch on the setup button, that would have to be "ON" to enable to setup button?

[yotsuya]

I had a USB port hidden inside right next to the coin door on one cab and a wireless keyboard and mouse combo hooked up to the other. No need for any admin buttons. 

I don't know how save/load works, but let's say that you're almost at the ending boss when you have to go use the bathroom. You hit save at the start of level 99 and leave. Your buddy comes along, starts a new game, and hits save at the beginning of level 1. Does it override your level 99 save?

[AlienInferno]

I have two admin buttons.  Pause and Exit.  For anything else I may have to do, I plug in a keyboard, or mouse, or external pc monitor, etc.  I have the connectors for these flush mounted into one of the back panels.

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[Bambam1963]

Here is the marquee, we'll see if I decided to modify it at all over the next few days before I send everything to the printers.

This is why I'm not an artist of any sort! I am never satisified with my work!

What do you guys think about this one?

That is a very cool theme.    Love your cabinet too. 

[Todesengel]

Well, Sorry to bring this post back from the dead. My 5 year girlfriend at the time decided that I spent to much time with my projects and not enough time with her. After I put about 2 solid weeks into the artwork for my control panel, she decided to call it quits. Had me doubting my self and sense of direction with my life, but I have since found a new amazing girlfriend that encouraged me to finish it. So last weekend, I rebuilt my new control panel with MY ARTWORK!! YAY!

Problems: When using my flush bit router, the damn bearing flew off!! This caused me to cut 1/4" into the side of the CP, so I had to cut both sides 1/4" shorter to make it symetrical. Then when I was almost done, just about home free - making my VERY last cut into the acrylic. My 2" hole saw grabbed the acrylic just enough to move it 1/16" off center, and my trackball wouldent fit! Ugh I was so mad, so instead of spending $35 on another piece of acrylic, I just sanded it slightly larger than the trackball hole. But now its not perfectly round, and its all I see everytime I look at the trackball.

All in all, I give it a 80/100. I am happy with hole it came out, but it could be better.

[AzureKnight]

Great work finishing it!

[DeLuSioNal29]

I wish I had seen this thread in 2013!  I was going to warn you that you need to allow space for the marquee bracket when designing your marquee.  It still looks good though.

Now you need to order vinyl stickers to rub onto the admin buttons.  You may want to swap out the player 1 and 2 buttons for plain black ones and then use alien heads for the players instead (rub on vinyl stickers).  The possibilities are endless.

Nice work and glad that you finished it up!

DeLuSioNaL29

[rablack97]

Yeah these things can get addicting, the new GF said yeah finish it, but thats because it was almost done.

If your like me and get so engrossed in projects that you forget about the real world, make sure she has her own hobbies, otherwise, these things can be relationship killers no doubt.

Congrats on the completion.  I would have left the label names underneath though.....it looked good in the artwork.

[a1pharm]

Congrats on finishing this, and finding a better person with which to spend your time.

+1 for ensuring your SO has her own hobbies (aside from nit picking your life choices).

 

[Todesengel]

I wish I had seen this thread in 2013!  I was going to warn you that you need to allow space for the marquee bracket when designing your marquee.  It still looks good though.

Live and Learn right! haha - That was the first thing I saw when I put it together. Awww moment for sure... I was disappointed but hey, it happens.

Yeah these things can get addicting, the new GF said yeah finish it, but thats because it was almost done.

If your like me and get so engrossed in projects that you forget about the real world, make sure she has her own hobbies, otherwise, these things can be relationship killers no doubt.

Congrats on the completion.  I would have left the label names underneath though.....it looked good in the artwork.

Thanks man. Yeah the ex had NO hobbies at all other than watching Greys Anatomy and reading magazines. So when I had a project that I wanted to spend a few hours in the evening working on, she sat in front of the tv. She refused to work out with me, I quit smoking and she didn't want too. Whatever, 2014 was a ---smurfy--- year but here is to 2015!!

Congrats on finishing this, and finding a better person with which to spend your time.

+1 for ensuring your SO has her own hobbies (aside from nit picking your life choices).

 

Thanks! Yeah, the arcade mocked me for an entire year every time I passed it. The new girlfriend actually had my new tv setup and running by the time I got home. She also plays video games like FarCry and COD! Definite upgrade, and I am so much happier!

[Todesengel]

Now you need to order vinyl stickers to rub onto the admin buttons.  You may want to swap out the player 1 and 2 buttons for plain black ones and then use alien heads for the players instead (rub on vinyl stickers).  The possibilities are endless.

Oh, the black buttons and alien heads is AMAZING!!!!! I will be doing that for sure!

[matsadona]

I see buttons. They are everywhere...  Anyway, it turned out pretty good in the end

And as always, I am allergic to "big box overhang control panels", so when building something from scratch I would have tried to overcome that design flaw. But that is my personal opinion.

[gamer83]

Great work man,you guys on this forum got skills,i dont even want to reveal my cab,its pitiful compared to some of the cabs ive seen on here.i would totaly destroy your spinner playing golden tee 

[stavros693000]

well done mate, I think it looks great.
regarding the cut out around the track ball, I believe u can get bezels for track balls to cover that kind of thing or if it really bugs you just ---fudgesicle--- the plexi off, .You don't need it anyway.
and too late now but just for future reference , the admin buttons for hyperspin your using (I assume) , u only need exit ,load,genre at most....and just use a mini wireless keyboard .Their so tiny you just hide them on top or inside the cabinet...they are very handy for tweaking and administration duties.

anyway great build, love the art work
ps...your new missus sounds like a keeper

  stavros