This is Ground Control

[gabrielmtl]

Hy everyone, long time reader/dreamer of having his own MAME cabinet here... but life always found a way to stop me. As I get older... life can now suck it. 

I have cleaned out my small guest bedroom and prepared the area for the build. I have decassed a Sony 24" Trinitron (KV-24FS100) and will use a Soft15hz compatible card, connected to a Crescendo TC1500 VGA to YPrPb Transcoder (thanks rCadeGaming, your threads on VGA to Component have been highly helpful in convincing me to go with a TV).

My main question, if I may, is related to proportions and measurements (or whatever else I might be missing). Based on the two images below, is there something that I am not seeing, that might be bitting me later? I'm at the point where I can't continue reading threads and hoping to find info I haven't read yet... my mind is numb.




cheers and thanks

[Generic Eric]

A couple of minor points.  I think the edges for the t molding on the CP are too square.  Also on my cabinet, I have it on a platform the width of a 2*4.  Think of it as a sacrificial base in case of water on the floor.

Otherwise it looks great.  One other suggestion.  I labored for longer than necessary on the angle of my monitor.  Sure enough I have to change it a second time despite my wait.  I would recommend setting up a test of sorts to determine the right look angle for your monitor.

[yotsuya]

Love the classic design, my friend. Keep it up! 

[Generic Eric]

I noticed that there aren't any player 1 or 2 start buttons on the CP.

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the feedback. I actually just received my Crescendo this morning, I'll put it to the test later today.

I will indeed round up the corners of the CP. I still need to add the 1&2 player buttons, as well as Pause and Exit buttons.

In all it's glory :

[Yvan256]

Other than the sharp corners for the T-molding, the missing Player 1 and Player 2 buttons, if you like to play Neo-Geo games, that button layout will not be optimal. Otherwise, it seems like you are on the right path.

[CaptainMarvel]

Totally looking forward to seeing your progress with this project !!!


In other words  . . . WE EXPECT TONS OF STEP-BY-STEP / WORK-IN-PROGRESS PHOTOS along the way.


 

[Dawgz Rule]

I absolutely love the classic look and feel of this cab.  Can't wait to see the build.

[CaptainMarvel]

I absolutely love the classic look and feel of this cab. 

As do I  . . .  My only thought/concern (if this were my project) would be comfortably fitting in a trackball and spinner onto the control panel. 

[a1pharm]

This design is looking pretty sweet.  If you plan on using emulators for consoles, consider putting 2 USB ports in the front somewhere (perhaps under the CP on the panel that is facing the ground).  Also, put a volume knob somewhere on the outside of the cab.  You may also want to put a dimmer on your marquee (or an on/off switch), as it is sometimes annoying to have it blasting your retinas while you're trying to play something.

These are just suggestions, mostly based on my personal preference.  Your design looks just fine without them.

Keep up the good work,
Cheers!
 

[gabrielmtl]

I should have mentioned that the CP layout isn't final. I am trying to fit a trackball but I don't want the left joystick to be moved too far right (currently 4"), I still haven't found a compromise that I like. I also want it to look somewhat centred. I'll post my drafts in a couple hours.

[gabrielmtl]

I am meeting an artist friend of mine later tonight. He agreed to help me for the marquee, side panels and CP art. He's going to do small 8.5 x 11 drafts of what it could look like... the side panels would most likely be the same art, flipped.

Here is some of his work. I don't want any type of character on my cab, but this should give you an idea of his skills (all by hand).




He's also the artist who made this cool short :

http://cargocollective.com/somnium

(do you guys care about these types of details??)

[Ond]

(do you guys care about these types of details??)

Yes, we care.     I like your friends art very much, very nice.  Ond watching.

[a1pharm]

Commissioned art by a real artist? Do we care? Of course! Keep the updates rolling.

[eds1275]

To me, an arcade machine looks best with the control panel fitting between the sides. Good job!

[gabrielmtl]

To me, an arcade machine looks best with the control panel fitting between the sides. Good job!

You know what, it was one of the dilemmas I faced during planning. I almost went with a MK2 looking cab, but it felt wrong for what I was looking for. Between sides makes me warm and fuzzy.

[eds1275]

Like bacon, lettuce and tomato between 2 slices of bread...

[emphatic]

I really dislike control panels that stick out of the sides, so I know I'll enjoy this build. And the art is all sorts of badass as well. 

[gabrielmtl]

empathic, I have to be the biggest TPB fan this side of Canada... 2 smokes, let's go

[gabrielmtl]

While trying to round up the CP corners, it gave me the idea of simply eliminating the front T-modling by routing a 1/2" curve on the top part of the CP. Green is the top part (24" x 1/2") and orange the other vertical piece, which would line up.

Has anybody ever played around with curving plexiglass? It would be amazing if I could stick the vinyl art under a curved piece of plexi, all seamless.

(soon, the picts will be of actual MDF

[SavannahLion]

That's where my cab is headed. I curved or joined the pieces and, before I realized it, all of the T molding was gone. I really really want to do the lower portion (below the CP) in a metal such as aluminum. We'll have to see if I can pull it off.

[gabrielmtl]

That's where my cab is headed. I curved or joined the pieces and, before I realized it, all of the T molding was gone. I really really want to do the lower portion (below the CP) in a metal such as aluminum. We'll have to see if I can pull it off.

Is the bottom part visible? A part from weight (and coolness), is there an advantage with the aluminum?

[gabrielmtl]

Finally started building over the weekend. I managed to finish both side panels. I HAVE SIDE PANEEEEEELLLLS!!1

No way I was cutting that much MDF inside - I had to go the ghetto route and cut outside in the dark... the next pictures will be better.

First panel done.


Tracing the second panel


Clamped both sides together for some sanding.. dat curve..


Back in the house, ready for the next step : building the base, side supports and tv support. Lots of work ahead.



I love how the shape turned out.

More soon!

[Yvan256]

gabrielmtl, as in Gabriel of Montréal?

Let me know if you need any 6x4 inches, 3/8" thick MDF plates cut by CNC. The smallest holes I can cut are 3.5~4mm in diameter.

[harveybirdman]

Lookin good bro. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the tv pc interface. Powerstrip the transcoder the whole 9.

[gabrielmtl]

gabrielmtl, as in Gabriel of Montréal?

Let me know if you need any 6x4 inches, 3/8" thick MDF plates cut by CNC. The smallest holes I can cut are 3.5~4mm in diameter.

Yes, from Montréal. I'll definitely keep your offer in mind. Where about is the machine?   

[gabrielmtl]

Lookin good bro. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the tv pc interface. Powerstrip the transcoder the whole 9.

Thanks man. Powerstrip all the way for sure. I don't plan on having 6000+ roms but rather a good selection of games all calibrated properly.

That 24' trinitron is my sweet spot, I'm trying to buy them as much as possible. I might do a 27' at some point with a different cabinet style, but for now I'll stick with 24". I should probably finish this project before talking smack about an other one

[thomas_surles]

I love the design. I am looking forward to seeing this finished.

[gabrielmtl]

The angle works well. For my next build, if ever there is one, I will make the CP a bit more horizontal, with a less accentuated slop towards the player. It still feels pretty comfortable, even on the ghetto mock up.




Starting screen mount tonight. I haven't been looking forward to this step,

[eds1275]

Starting screen mount tonight. I haven't been looking forward to this step,

Best to do it and get it over with then! The hurdles give you more joy than the easy stuf... after you get over them!

[gabrielmtl]

Life got to me... 2 weeks with no work done... this weekend I shall make it so.

[ppv]

Salut de Laval!

Looking good so far, will be following this one!

[gabrielmtl]

Alright, here's a rather big update. I haven't been able to put many hours until recently.

Funny how I get excited after each little step is done. I can't wait to play, yet it seems it will never happen

Installing remaining supports. I went with hard wood, harder to work with (cracks easily if not predrilled properly), but the result is better, IMO.


Installing the base to the right side. I changed the structure design midway so I am going backwards here, attaching the 2x4s to the sides instead of the base and then fixing the sides. The weight is still mostly being transferred to the base. 


Last minute spacing verifications..


On it's side, ready for assembly.


Routed the two sides for the t-molding. Here is a quick test I did. Since the t-molding is just little bit wider than the 3/4 MDF, I made the cut so the t-molding would come out on the outside of the cabinet for both sides, which will technically protect the vinyl print (not sure that made sense, it's 1 am and I'm dead tired) FYI the blue is just the test piece and not my final choice. The color will depend on the final art.


Here it is standing up for the first time. It's only 24" wide inside, but appears wider here.. perhaps my camera phone lens.


The safely de-cased Sony Trinitron 24", ready to be installed.


My assistant holding the speaker piece in place so I can get an idea of the finished look.



I nailed nails to hold the TV in place while I fixed it properly.




Back view


Starting the control panel :


Just before rounding up the main corner :



The main CP, with the rounded corner. The bottom piece is fixed to the cabinet.


I haven't finished sanding the rounded corner but this gives an idea of the final look :



Tomorrow I will experiment with bending acrylic over the CP (top and front, following the rounded corner).

Quick question : what do you guys recommend to patch holes I made in the MDF?

cheers

[BAMBOO]

The main CP, with the rounded corner. The bottom piece is fixed to the cabinet.

gabrielmtl, did you use wooden pegs and glue to keep those two pieces together for the CP?

[emphatic]

This is looking fabulous. Way to go on installing the TV.

[rablack97]

Bondo or any woodfiller would work, or you could just laminate the sides.

Nice work on the CP, how did you connect the top to the front, the seam is very nice.

Looking with interest, might use this as a commissioned build, as it needed to be less than 30" wide to fit through a door....

 

[mcseforsale]

I like this one.  Reminds me of my wee-cade attempt (yeah, it's still sitting there.).

subscribed.

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

An other update! This is f*$# fun. <--- Not being sarcastic

I did not use dowels/wooden pegs for the CP, I don't trust MDF enough to rely on pegs, especially since I needed to router a 1/2" round corner, I could have further reduced the strength by cutting through them.

Instead, I used a pine piece I had, cut the same angle as the top part so it would retain the shape, and screwed both sides to it, with predrilling and glue :


Starting the acrylic bending process :


I used a heat gun on High and patiently softened the acrylic. It's a rather long process but oh so worth it. I might redo it since I made a couple mistakes (it shrinks when heated, so it's not 100% flush with the CP, something like 1/16 off on each side.. no big deal EDIT : Acrylic does NOT shrink when heated. My technic just wasn't good. I ended up making something like 5 pieces (really), the last one was good. I made it a bit wider and sanded it down so it was perfectly flush with the MDF).


Then I did the second bend, which goes at the bottom. This allows me to drill the piece in place where the screws are not visible. The buttons and joystick will hold the top part in place.


The piece, once the drilling holes were made :



I couldn't resist inserting a piece of tmolding and some old movie posters on the CP to see what it will look like. The effort is well worth it!!



What do you guys think of a simple but strong magnet solution to hold the CP? Hinges will be a pain in the ass since I will need to use kitchen cabinet style...

[emphatic]

Beautiful!

[gabrielmtl]

I bough a coin mech today, complete with 25c canadien mech (I obviously don't know the lingo . Hopefully I'll manage to link it to Hyperspin. I have to change the 2 lightbulbs but the rest seems intact, I'll just have to rewire it. I've never wired anything beyond electrical house work.

40$, not sure if it's a good deal or not, but it's what I was looking for and it was at hand reach.




That's a lot of games (13 605 $ worth) I'm thinking it's rather old... anyone can confirm? It says Vendal SF-2 on the back..


I disassembled everything in order to clean and repaint. I removed the big coin metal container, I'll build a much smaller one. Any suggestions on the type of paint?


cheers!

[rablack97]

hammered paint.....

This was redone by Maximus for his missle command

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,137008.0.html

[PL1]

hammered paint.....

This was redone by Maximus for his missle command

Was it hammered or textured?

Time for paint, I'm a huge fan of this Textured Black

Scott

[mcseforsale]

Hammered's different.  And Maximus wouldn't be caught dead playing any of my cabs.   Problem with Hammered is it's not *quite* black, which is a shame:



A bit more "texture".  It's basically a bunch of orange-peel:





AJ

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the input, highly appreciated.

So to be clear, the pictures above are with the hammered paint, right?

Is priming recommended?

[mcseforsale]

The hammered are in my last post.  The other one is the Textured black. 

As for the metal, that coin door had to be fully restored since it was rotted and fully rusty.  So, a quick paint removal session with Rustoleum Aircraft Stripper and a lot of work with repairing using metal epoxy.  Once it was usable again, I used an automotive etching primer, then the hammered black.

It used to look like this:





Make sure if you're doing a coin door repair that you use a copper-based anti-seize on the threads of the screws when you put it back together, too.

AJ

Thanks for the input, highly appreciated.

So to be clear, the pictures above are with the hammered paint, right?

Is priming recommended?

[mcseforsale]

Oh and if you're going to do a restore, I found that the new coin door takeoffs that end up on flebay are quite useful.  This is the donor coindoor without frame that I scored off ebay for cheap with coin mechs.  A lot of these are being replaced with dollar acceptors:



I think I gave 12 bux for it plus shipping.  And, all of the mechanicals fit in the VERY old Happ over/under that I got for 5 bux plus shipping.  All the stuff bolted right up.  So, for about 30 bux, I had a VERY nice old school over/under with brand new coin mechs and plastic bits.

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

I am undecided between LED buttons and Goldleaf buttons from Ultimarc. To LED or not to LED, I can't seem to be able to decide.

I love the old school look of standard buttons, but LEDs are funkier and I like the idea of having the right buttons light up for the game being played.

Anybody ever regret LED buttons? Would you all buy LED buttons if they were the same price as standard ones? Perhaps there is a technical aspect I am overlooking that would push me toward one option..

[mcseforsale]

The only thing I regret about my GGG EI2 buttons is the light feel of them vs. standard microswitch buttons such as Happ.  Everyone loves the look (as do I) but they don't feel as solid as standard buttons.

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

The only thing I regret about my GGG EI2 buttons is the light feel of them vs. standard microswitch buttons such as Happ.  Everyone loves the look (as do I) but they don't feel as solid as standard buttons.

AJ

Thanks for the input.

I can't seem to find anything wrong with Golden Leaf buttons.. I bet I'm wrong

[mgb]

This cabinet progress is looking really nice.
To me, I think the EI2s feel fine. I found that the micro switches had a little play so I hit them with dabs of hot glue to keep them from wiggling at all.
I'm very happy with them.

[Ben1981]

i use the old concave EI2s with leaf switches and i like them a lot! Only thing that's really important is that you have to strain the spring a bit to increase tension. Without that little modification my buttons were too loose and noisy.

Has anybody used the new Helio9 LED system from GGG? Looks promising, maybe just the right thing for this awesome build! 
http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=405

cheers,
Ben

[gabrielmtl]

Well, I'm stuck trying to take a decision, for the 100th time with this build :-)

I prefer the classic look of none-LED buttons, but having the right buttons light for the game is also very nice.

I take my decision before my coffee tomorrow.

/vent

[gabrielmtl]

I FINALLY just ordered all of the CP parts. I had to share.

I went with Goldleaf, U360s with longer shaft and stronger spring, 4-8 restrictors, U-Trak and some other goodies.

Standard buttons feel "right" for my cabinet design, IMO.

Thank you all for the input.

[gabrielmtl]

Hi all,

Can someone point me to a thread explaining how to connect my coin door lights to my PC power supply? I can't seem to find the proper info.

[PL1]

On a computer PSU molex, the yellow wire is 12v, the red is 5v, and the two black wires are ground.



For 12v bulbs, connect the yellow and black to the wires leading to the bulb sockets, wired in parallel.

12v -----|------|
           bulb    bulb
Gnd -----|------|


Scott

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks a lot, PL1.

Perhaps you can help me with something else. I haven't researched this on the forum so I'm being lazy, but is there a way to activate the old coin counter when I'll connect the coin acceptance trigger to the IPAC? I'd love to continue the count on it 

[PL1]

Interfacing the coin counter sounds like a good topic for you to research.
Remember that 12v + IPac =/= win unless there is a zener diode involved.

I haven't researched this on the forum so I'm being lazy

I appreciate the honesty and don't want to be the one responsible for keeping you from enjoying both the process of discovery and the understanding of the bigger picture that one can achieve doing research on a topic like this.   


Scott

[gabrielmtl]

Interfacing the coin counter sounds like a good topic for you to research.
Remember that 12v + IPac =/= win unless there is a zener diode involved.

I appreciate the honesty and don't want to be the one responsible for keeping you from enjoying both the process of discovery and the understanding of the bigger picture that one can achieve doing research on a topic like this.   


Scott

Yeah, you're absolutely right. Anything electrical should be understood, not just copied, IMO. I'll get on it 

[jimfath]

Ben1981, how did you tweak the spring? My EI2's are rather noisy.

[gabrielmtl]

A bit of a dilemma planning my CP layout.

I don't know if I'll be able to fit the TB, which I only decided to add recently. I only have 24" wide to work with.

The only solution I can see is moving both sets of stick/buttons closer to the edge of the CP. It might look silly.

Am I missing something? Anybody else ever managed 2 sticks/8 button each with TB on a 24" CP?

[mcseforsale]

You might be able to fit a 2 1/4". 

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

I probably just won't include a TB for this cab, which was my original plan. I'll have it for the next one.

That's too bad, it looked great with a LED 

[gabrielmtl]

I've been unable to work on much for a couple of days, because of this little girl :

[yotsuya]

Cute cute!

[Dawgz Rule]

Awesome pic....and Dawgz would know!

[gabrielmtl]

Awesome pic....and Dawgz would know!

Man... it's pretty much like having a baby around. Next update will have to be closer to February 10th. Will be a big one I hope.

[yamatetsu]

A bit of a dilemma planning my CP layout.

I don't know if I'll be able to fit the TB, which I only decided to add recently. I only have 24" wide to work with.

The only solution I can see is moving both sets of stick/buttons closer to the edge of the CP. It might look silly.

Am I missing something? Anybody else ever managed 2 sticks/8 button each with TB on a 24" CP?

Hi !

I'm currently building my first cab. The dimensions of the CP are 60 cm x 30 cm, which is approx. 23.6" x 11.8". I'm using just 6 buttons, but eight should fit too. Basically my layout is like yours, but I moved the joysticks & buttons a little higher.

I took a piece of sturdy cardboard and drew a rectangle the size of the CP on it. Then I cut pieces of cardboard representing the buttons, joysticks and the trackball and moved them around in the rectangle until I thought I had a working layout.
After that I marked the positions and cut out the holes. Then I put the buttons and everything else in. No problems. A thing you have to remember is that the microswitches and the wires take up more space than you see on your plan.

Hope that helped (and was not too late) ...

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the input, yamatetsu.

My problem isn't with the placement itself, I know where I would like to place all the elements. Problem is, it's not possible considering the space I have.

No TB for this build

[mcseforsale]

Why not try a 2 1/4" trackball?

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

I would have to reorder one. Not sure about it yet.

Do you guys find the 2 14" adequate? never used one myself.

[yamatetsu]

I think that with a little juggling around you could find the space for the TB. Here is what I have come up with :




Edit : From the look of it, I have the same TB as yours, so that *should* fit. Will find out for sure when I build my CP.

[yotsuya]

I built pretty much the same panel, but only went 6 buttons each. They fit.

[eds1275]

A bit of a dilemma planning my CP layout.

I would recommend nudging your layouts a bit to each side so you can get your parts to fit, and pulling your trackball as close as possible to the front edge. Looks like you could drop it another 3/4" or so. That extra room to follow through is neccesary for some people. And I think once the t-molding is in place it will be comfortable for player 1 to rest the side of their hand on the edge of the cabinet.

[gabrielmtl]

Good point about the t-molding.

I'll be back home Saturday and will experiment some more. I definitely want the joysticks and buttons to be aligned with each other, perhaps I can live with the TB being lower.

The beach here is fine and all.. but I'd sometimes rather be home and working on the cab. Am I normal?

[eds1275]

I personally can't sit still. Vacations where I get to relax drive me bonkers.

[mcseforsale]

Can't stand the beach.  I get to chase the kids around while wifey lays in the sun.  I can't lay down or sit for that long.  Pisses off my next door neighbor as he can't ever get me to sit in his house.

AJ

[gabrielmtl]

Hi guys,

I think I finally finished my CP layout. I was going to remove the track ball, but since I'm way too stubborn for that so I tried my best to include it in the layout. It will be a bit of a pain to install, but I wan't that glowing TB!

The width is 23 7/8". I will have to pierce new holes in the right joystick plate to achieve the 45 degree angle, which allows me to fit the TB. Unfortunately, the ball is not centred on the CP, but that just isn't possible.

The grey gradient close to the bottom is the rounded part where the two CP pieces meet (bottom part is vertical).

I don't have much experience with TB games, do you think the positioning of the ball is adequate?

Is 7" sufficient between the center of the last button of the first player and the second player joystick? I can always move the first player set to the left a little, but I don't want it to be too close to the t-molding, and/or move the second player set to the right.

I'd would sincerely love some feedback. Cheers!

[gabrielmtl]

I forgot to mention, the two buttons on the top left will be Pause and Exit. The two buttons on the vertical/bottom part will be 1P and 2P coin up.

[yamatetsu]

Hi,

the trackball should be placed as close to the bottom of the control panel as possible, as shown in my and eds1275's pictures. If you place it close to the top, chances are good that someone who plays 'wildly' will smash his hand into the monitor glass.
There is a golf game named 'Golden Tee' where you have to move your hand as fast as possible from 'down' to 'up' on the trackball, imagine doing that when there is a panel of glass at the end of the way ...

There is a Hall of Fame of cabinets in this forum, if you look at those, you'll see that the trackball is always mounted at the bottom of the CP.
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Hall_of_Fame

So, if you're a 'gentle' player who only does controlled movement on the TB your layout will work, but it would probably better to move the trackball down and the buttons/joysticks up.

[PL1]

To achieve the repositioning suggested by Yamatetsu, try this:

Turn the trackball housing 90 degrees CCW so the side of the trackball housing that is toward the upper left side of the joystick is toward the lower left side of the joystick.

Swap the two X-axis data wires for the two Y-axis data wires. (usually yellow+green and blue+purple IIRC)

If the motion is backward on an axis, swap the two data wires for that axis.


Scott

[yotsuya]

GO TO BED, SCOTT!!!! 

[PL1]

Should I dream of electric sheep, too?   


Scott

P.S. For those of you who aren't sci-fi fans, this is the reference -- don't go diving into the gutter.

[Louis Tully]

.

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the replies.

Scott, I'm so happy to know I can rotate the TB, thanks a lot. Here is a version with the TB centered and lowered.

I am pleased with this design. Any final words? 

[PL1]

Hate to break it to you, but that won't work.

You only turned your UTrak 45 degrees instead of 90.   


Scott

[gabrielmtl]

aaah of course.

Can you tell that I'm fed up with this step

[gabrielmtl]

Well, I have to choose. 1. The TB is not centered and higher on the CP, like the first layout I presented yesterday, or 2., it is centered and lowered but the 1p joystick is close to the left side.

VOTES!

[Malenko]

Well, I have to choose. 1. The TB is not centered and higher on the CP, like the first layout I presented yesterday, or 2., it is centered and lowered but the 1p joystick is close to the left side.

VOTES!

axe the trackball and put a spinner there instead.

[yamatetsu]

My 2 cents : Make a mockup of the CP (cardboard, thin wood, whatever). You only need the PL1 joystick at the position in your 2nd layout.
'Install' the joystick into the mockup, place the mockup into your cabinet.
'Play' with the joystick. Is it comfortable ? Go with the 2nd layout. If it isn't, choose layout #1.
Hope that helps ...

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks again for all of the input.

I think this is the final final final. I can't do much better than that while keeping the minimum distances I want and what not. I'll have to cut part of the 2p joystick bracket and possibly carve into the front part of the CP so that the TB fits that low.

[yamatetsu]

Final final final thought : You could move the PL2 joystick and the buttons up a little bit so you don't need to cut the bracket. Granted, it will not be symmetrical any more, but who cares ? In this case, I would vote for function over form   

[gabrielmtl]

nah, I'd rather cut metal 

[InfraredMonkey]

This is project is looking pretty good!  When I did my first MAME, I regretted the decision to build the CP to what I want instead of adapting to what was already existing.  I ended up with a Taito CP with 3 buttons then added two for each player.  Once I did that, the button layout ended up looking like Mortal Kombat.  IMO, was too cramping for other games.  All I had to do in my situation was cut another control panel, but I was young, naive, and broke financially.   

What I really like is the input from the folks on the forums on the CP layout.  If I knew about this forum sooner, I would have been probably been in a better position.  Anyways, sorry for jacking the post, but I gotta say - I love the project so far.   

Did you end up deciding the marquee/side art/control panel overlays yet?  Oh!  How about a name?

-- Spencer

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the kind words!

My friend is finishing the art right now, after tons of brain storming and such on what we wanted to achieve. One thing is for sure : YELLOW!
And yes, I do have a name... I think. I'll show the marquee soon, should be done Friday.

[gabrielmtl]

Final positioning before piercing. The joysticks are a little higher than I would like, but it's the only way to get that TB centred and lowered.

It does feel very comfortable, which is the important part. Lots of space to rest my hand under the joystick and buttons.

[gabrielmtl]

Got some cool progress done!

I made a custom plexi guide for my router, in order to make the TB hole perfect. I didn't want to use the bezel supplied with the U-Trak, but for that the cut had to be perfect. I spent a good 4 hours making it happen! I almost gave up. I'll have to do the same for the plexi. Wish me luck.



Test piece:


I wasn't kidding when I said everything would be tight.


In order to have the 2p joystick properly aligned and not too far on the right, I had to put the bracket under the u-trak, so that they could be touching. Also, I made the mistake of fixing the vertical section of the CP before making my holes, so I could not use my router to carve the inserts (router too big, no place for the guides). Instead, I used a small rotating Dremel without guides. A bit crooked but it works!
 


And voila, here it is temporarily assembled (buttons not aligned yet). I am very happy and proud of the result!!

[yamatetsu]

This looks good. Nice idea of placing the joy plate under the TB instead of cutting it.

[gabrielmtl]

Redid the plexi bending, the last one was too thick and I scratched it a bunch during the bending.

I tried leaving the protecting plastic on while heating the plexi to avoid scratches and it works fine. (Edit : just re reading this post and I think it's important to point out again how the plastic covering the acrylic can stay on while heated. It resist heat better than the acrylic itself. I even routed all the holes with the router directly on top of the plastic covering)



Routed the TB hole.



I have to learn how to thumbnail pictures... sorry for the large format images.

[gabrielmtl]

MY SIDE PANELS AND CP ART ARE BEING PRINTED RIGHT NOW!!!

Marquee next week!


 

[gabrielmtl]

What a weekend... Nothing went right! I had a couple moments of discouragement, but I managed.

I broke two plexiglass CP covers while piercing, even after making tons of practice holes. I also messed up the CP art.

At some point I was going to give up for the weekend, instead I decided to clean up the workshop. I realize now that the mess wasn't helping. Much better now.

So here is the CP. I have to reprint the art since it got scratched (dropped my drill on it.. yeah.. 35$..). I debated on not showing the CP alone without the rest since the art was designed as a whole but whatever. The buttons and joystick ball colors aren't final. The two coin buttons are not installed yet, they will be on the front, aligned with the black bars.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO STILL, HOW WILL I EVER FINISH, PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS AN END WHERE I SIT DOWN, LIGHT UP AND ENJOY SOME GAMES

[yamatetsu]

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO STILL, HOW WILL I EVER FINISH, PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS AN END WHERE I SIT DOWN, LIGHT UP AND ENJOY SOME GAMES

Nope, this will never end. Perhaps one day you might sit down, light the thing up and enjoy a nice fire   
But seriously, think of how good you'll be feeling when it is finished and about the stories you can tell about it then ... That at least is what I'm telling myself when something goes wrong with mine (like the ***-ing paint job I'm trying to get right for seven weeks straight now).
The control panel looks cool, by the way. Can't wait to see the rest of the artwork. Keep going !

[gabrielmtl]

Quick update:

I refinished the top of the CP so that the vinyl would stick. Plaster, sanding, 3 coats high gloss polyurethane.

I added the coindoor :

More measuring..





Of course, a detail escaped me. Once again my rotary Dremel comes to the rescue.


It's centred on both axis but somehow I feel like I should have placed it higher.


A big update coming soon, I hope.

[eds1275]

I have the same trackball as well as limited "runway." For golden tee I set my x and y sensitivity to 50 and its a good compromise if all the supermen out there are willing to alter their technique!

[gabrielmtl]

Not sure I get it, why change the sensitivity on a 3 inch ball?

 

[mcseforsale]

You'll like it where it is when you are standing over the CP.  Mine's just the opposite...it looks "right" to me standing away from the machine, but putting coins in there is an exercise in squatting.

AJ

Quick update:

I refinished the top of the CP so that the vinyl would stick. Plaster, sanding, 3 coats high gloss polyurethane.

I added the coindoor :

More measuring..





Of course, a detail escaped me. Once again my rotary Dremel comes to the rescue.


It's centred on both axis but somehow I feel like I should have placed it higher.


A big update coming soon, I hope.

[fablog]

What a good job so far gabrielmtl 

If you need a hand I live in Montreal too

[gabrielmtl]

What a good job so far gabrielmtl 

If you need a hand I live in Montreal too

Thanks! I'll invite you to the launch party for sure

Same goes with me, if you need any help, I'm around.

[eds1275]

Not sure I get it, why change the sensitivity on a 3 inch ball?

Because on a game such as golden tee where you need to fire forwards as fast as possible to get the distance, with your screen right there you don't have the clearance for much follow-through. If you are into those types of games, give it a shot and you will see what I'm talking about.

[Malenko]

for some reason I think the red buttons should be on the top row. Coin door looks fine where its at.

solid progress!

[gabrielmtl]

for some reason I think the red buttons should be on the top row. Coin door looks fine where its at.

solid progress!

Yes red should definitely be on top, you're right. I still have to figure the final color layout.

[gabrielmtl]

Sanding, painting, sanding.. I hate it so much.. If I'm lucky, the side art is going on in 30 minutes.

Also, I'm not from the Pokemon generation.. I think I'm stuck with younger people thinking my CP is inspired from it

[Malenko]

Im definitely NOT younger, but I thought it was a pokeball thingie too.

[gabrielmtl]

Alright, here it is with the side art. You can't see it from the picture but the coin door is there also.

I can't believe I'm at this stage. It feels great!! Next step is the screen, speaker piece and marquee, in that order.





The yellow is actually a lot brighter. I'll take pictures with something else than my phone soon

[yamatetsu]

  That looks AMAZING ! 

[gabrielmtl]

That looks AMAZING ! 

Thanks!

[gabrielmtl]

Here is the marquee lighting, off and on.




For the speaker wholes, I wanted the design to appear to be floating. It looks pretty good in peson but not exactly to my liking, I could have applied myself more and made it straighter, I just don't have the time/patience to redo everything right now. The speaker panel has 2 squares cut out and I added those square pieces horizontally, black with yellow vinyl for the sides and attached together with an acrylic strip to get the transparent look. The fact that the marquee LEDs are installed on acrylic allows the light to go trough and light up the speaker "grill". I havent been able to capture that in a photo yet.



Ghetto speaker mount




Here is the marquee sandwiched between two acrylic pieces.  Space Oddity from David Bowie is my favorite song and represents the 70s and 80s for me.  I thought it would be perfect for such a nostalgia machine, and a cool way to make it a bit personal. I might print a version where the wording is bigger, not sure yet.



All I am missing is the acrylic to cover the screen and then I can focus on the CP, coin door, PC and video (that TV better still be working once I plug everything back in...)



I'll try to have better pictures once I'm done. How do you guys take pictures with your marquee lite up?

cheers and thanks for reading

[yotsuya]

I like the abstraction! Great job!

[yamatetsu]

Cool ! The speaker grills are looking great. The marquee looks good too, but IMHO it would look even better with bigger wording. The words just look a little 'lost' in there. Just my 2 cents.

[jeremypps]

amazing.
I'm planning to build a full cab some day and your will be my main inspiration

 

[gabrielmtl]

I'm having some trouble with outputting 15khz. Not sure if I should post this here...

I've done hours of research and tests and I can't make it work. My plan is to run a Crescendo TC1500 to my Sony KVFS100. For that, from what I understand the signal outputted from my card needs to be at 15 kHz. I have a Radeon HD 3450, that for some reason Soft-15khz recognizes as a HD 2400. I am running Windows 7/64, which I understand now was a mistake, XP64 appears to be much better with CRTs.

I can install 15khz, but nothing happens when I restart and I have to click Install 15khz again, like it was never installed. Quickres isn't showing any 15khz resolutions.

I'm a bit discouraged by all of this, I realize that I would need to spend a LOT more time researching and testing to make it work, and I simply don't have the time. Should I install XP so that the drivers and soft15 work? I'm reluctant to do so since my Hyperspin setup is very advanced and I would be afraid to mess something up by changing OS.

Sorry for the rant.

Here is my CP, almost fully wired. I think I am missing a cable to connect the U-Trak to the Opti-Pac. I'll have to figure that out eventually, I know for a fact I didn't receive any other cable in my order. (Edit : Andy replied quickly and told me how to plug it directly on the opti-pac, Black wire to any GND, Red wires to any +5V, The other 2 pairs of wires to X1, X2 and Y1, Y2)

[rCadeGaming]

Gabriel, thanks for the shout out in the first post.  Glad I could inspire someone to keep CRT's alive.  Also, I'm honored to have had an influence in your cab, because it's gorgeous.  I love the style and the artwork, and especially the bent plexi.  I'm sorry I didn't see this thread earlier.  I haven't been in this section much.

Anyhow, no you shouldn't need to switch to XP to use CRT_Emudriver.  I haven't been following super closely, but it looks like CRT_Emudriver and GroovyMAME is at or nearing full compatibility with Windows 7.  This thread should have all the details:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,138903.0.html

(Gabriel already mentioned switching from Soft15kHz to CRT_Emudriver in a private message.)

[mgb]

This cabinet is looking great. very nice work.
I love the artwork.

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the kind words Rob, much appreciated.

That is a very interesting thread, hopefully it will help me keep W7.

I have a confession to make : I ordered a ArcadeVGA 5000 yesterday, if I get my ATI HD 2400 to work 'till then, I'll keep the ArcadeVGA for my next project (which I'm already anxious to start).

[rCadeGaming]

I would stick with your current card.  IIRC, you can't get as much adjustment out of an ArcadeVGA as you can from CRT_Emudriver.

[gabrielmtl]

This cabinet is looking great. very nice work.
I love the artwork.

Merci!

[gabrielmtl]

Well, not much luck with the ArcadeVGA 5000. First install worked fine, after I followed all instructions, but the DVI port won't run my small LCD that I need to configure. Also, the site mentions 3 very important points but with no explanation on how to do it (HARDWARESTRETCH MUST BE OFF, YOU MUST USE DIRECT-DRAW NOT DIRECT 3D, SWITCH RESOLUTIONS MUST BE ENABLED). I can google it obviously, it's just hard finding straight answers.

Uninstalled all ATI drivers to try and start from fresh, hoping it might fix the PC monitor issue. Now I can't install, I get a "INF file not found" error..

Just venting here, I'm sure I'll figure it out once I get some energy but man, this is draining. I can see why some folks don't finish their cabinets.

[Malenko]

4 pages and no "Major Tom" reference? As a community , we are slipping


Glad to see you are plugging away at it still.     

[Rick]

4 pages and no "Major Tom" reference? As a community , we are slipping

I immediately thought of this. (Definitely couldn't be in better company.) This, however. This machine is art!

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the comments guys, always appreciated. I have to stop working after 9 on weekdays, I get discouraged too easily at that point

I debated on including "to Major Tom" after Ground control but decided against it. I like to see if people figure out where the title comes from 

Tomorrow I will dust off and start over with a clean W7 install. Too many cards/drivers installed/uninstalled since I started, I think.

[rCadeGaming]

I debated on including "to Major Tom" after Ground control but decided against it. I like to see if people figure out where the title comes from 

That was the first thing I thought of.  I thought it was just me, until you explained that it was in fact a Bowie reference in one of your posts.

Tomorrow I will dust off and start over with a clean W7 install. Too many cards/drivers installed/uninstalled since I started, I think.

Yeah, that can definitely cause issues.  A clean install should help.

Which card are you going to use?  You could probably fix your monitor issue with the ArcadeVGA, but I know you definitely could with CRT_Emudriver.  Just add an extra modeline designed for the monitor.

[gabrielmtl]

Such a great song. Once all is done, I will make an HyperSpin intro animation using the vectors from my design and a modified version of the song.. you know, in 6 years 

I'll try with the AVGA first, I'm hoping it will get me setup faster.  I have a feeling it won't!

[rCadeGaming]

Given the quality of this cabinet so far, I'd go for a quality final product instead of a quick setup.  GroovyMAME is a must for best results from MAME on a CRT, and CRT_Emudriver will work much better with it than a AVGA.  Also, I was looking at the AVGA's "Arcade Perfect" utility.  It is way oversimplified compared to CRT_Emudriver's ArcadeOSD.  ArcadeOSD is much more powerful, and much more useful to a knowledgeable user.

[gabrielmtl]

Given the quality of this cabinet so far, I'd go for a quality final product instead of a quick setup.  GroovyMAME is a must for best results from MAME on a CRT, and CRT_Emudriver will work much better with it than a AVGA.  Also, I was looking at the AVGA's "Arcade Perfect" utility.  It is way oversimplified compared to CRT_Emudriver's ArcadeOSD.  ArcadeOSD is much more powerful, and much more useful to a knowledgeable user.

Rob NOOOO!!!! Alright alright I'll go with the 2400 and CRT_Emudriver.

[gabrielmtl]

After my fresh W7 install, i tried the ArcadeVGA one last time to see if I could get my DVI LCD screen to work on the DVI port. No luck. I am very disappointed in the product, it's far from plug and play, unfortunately.

New fresh W7 install done just now, will go the full CRT_Emudriver/GroovyMAME route.

[rCadeGaming]

Get Windows 7 installed.  Then, before you install CRT_Emudriver, pick the resolution you like for the LCD screen.  Run Winmodelines and copy the modeline for that resolution.  That way you restore it in case it's lost after installing CRT_Emudriver.

[gabrielmtl]

I'll try that tonight, thanks.

[gabrielmtl]

Back from the dead. I've done some good progress recently but life got the better of me in the last 6 months. Dog gained 65 pounds.

I'll post progress pictures soon.

I'm stuck on something stupid right now, perhaps you guys can help me out.  Here's my post on the HS forums:

Hi everyone

First time I post a question. I tried real hard not to, but I've been stuck for a while and it's starting to get me. I know it must be something very simple...

I have two Ultra360s and a bunch of buttons connected to an iPac. When in HS, I can't use the joystick to navigate. If I go down, it sometimes starts spinning the wheel, which will never stop, sometimes it won't do anything. My dedicated Enter and Esc buttons work to select games and exit.

I set wheel speed to low in HQ in wheel setting.

Can anybody help? Thanks a million

[yamatetsu]

Just a wild guess : Are the U360s connected via USB ? If so, Windows recognizes them as joysticks. I don't use HyperSpin myself, but I have read somewhere that it doesn't support joysticks, that you have to use Joy2Key to translate joystick commands into keyboard presses which HyperSpin can recognize. You can look in the HyperSpin forum how to set Joy2Key up.

[n3wt0n]

Back from the dead. I've done some good progress recently but life got the better of me in the last 6 months. Dog gained 65 pounds.

I'll post progress pictures soon.

I'm stuck on something stupid right now, perhaps you guys can help me out.  Here's my post on the HS forums:

Hi everyone

First time I post a question. I tried real hard not to, but I've been stuck for a while and it's starting to get me. I know it must be something very simple...

I have two Ultra360s and a bunch of buttons connected to an iPac. When in HS, I can't use the joystick to navigate. If I go down, it sometimes starts spinning the wheel, which will never stop, sometimes it won't do anything. My dedicated Enter and Esc buttons work to select games and exit.

I set wheel speed to low in HQ in wheel setting.

Can anybody help? Thanks a million

Great build. I just looked through the entire thread and the cab and artwork are beautifully old school. I like the addition of the CRT and hope you get those gremlins worked out.

I just dealt with the Hyperspin/joystick issue the other day. From what I i have recently read ont he Hyperspin forums, Hyperspin doesn't actually play nice with Joysticks, spinners and trackballs.  Joystick controls need to be mapped to keyboard buttons to work properly.

This link has some Hyperspin known issues and is where I found my answer...
http://www.hyperspin-fe.com/forum/showthread.php?35865-Known-bugs-and-handy-hints-for-HyperSpin

I hope this helps or at least points you in the right direction.

[bfauska]

If the issue with Hyperspin is U360 related you could also use the U360 digital outputs and send them to your encoder to act as a digital joystick, then keep all your assignments in the games to use it as the analogue with various mapping options.

[gabrielmtl]

Thanks for the replies.

I will try some suggestions now and update later with some overdue picts. Maybe I'll get to play my cab for the first time this week-end..

[gabrielmtl]

I removed my AVGA 5000 and installed an HD2400 with CRT_Emudriver and GroovyMAME. Still trying to figure it out. I'm at the end of my rope, so many hours/months spent trying to get everything going right with my CRT, it's starting to get to me, I'm turning in circles. I'll prevail

I am unable to create the mame.ini from GroovyMAME using the command line. I try inputing mame_folder>groovymame.exe -cc but it says it's not recognized. Do I have to input the exact path to the groovymame.exe or am I missing something?

(sorry about the venting.. I'm sure you've all experienced frustration at some point or an other

[gabrielmtl]

I'm back on track, after the precious help from Calamity. GroovyMAME works as intended and the 15khz res looks amazing on my CRT, with the Crescendo TC1500.

Hoping for a big update tomorrow.

[Yvan256]

gabrielmtl, as in Gabriel of Montréal?

Let me know if you need any 6x4 inches, 3/8" thick MDF plates cut by CNC. The smallest holes I can cut are 3.5~4mm in diameter.

Yes, from Montréal. I'll definitely keep your offer in mind. Where about is the machine?   

Sorry about the late reply, I lost sight of a few threads in the last few months.

Update the size of panels that I can cut to 21x16cm. I'm in La Tuque.

[gabrielmtl]

gabrielmtl, as in Gabriel of Montréal?

Let me know if you need any 6x4 inches, 3/8" thick MDF plates cut by CNC. The smallest holes I can cut are 3.5~4mm in diameter.

Yes, from Montréal. I'll definitely keep your offer in mind. Where about is the machine?   

Sorry about the late reply, I lost sight of a few threads in the last few months.

Update the size of panels that I can cut to 21x16cm. I'm in La Tuque.

Thanks a lot Yvan, I might need to for my next project.