Bar Top build questions

[bclinton]

I started my bar top mame build this weekend. I have the shell basically built and am waiting on the 19 inch monitor to be delivered. I have a question on the button layout. The cab is sanded pine right now. I plan on primering it and painting it. I would like for my control panel to have a design on it thought rather than just paint. I will be installing 2 joys a trackball and probably 6 buttons per player. The dimension of the panel is about 8 inches by 20 inches. I really haven't decided to go with one of 2 player layout since it is a smaller cabinet. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get a design on my control panel? I see the ones on here and they appear to be professionally done. Do I order something like that and apply it like a laminate?

[Malenko]

after making up the art, you get a printer like http://www.gameongrafix.com/ to print the art for you. Its adhesive backed vinyl, with either a polycarbon layer or under plexi/lexan

[bclinton]

after making up the art, you get a printer like http://www.gameongrafix.com/ to print the art for you. Its adhesive backed vinyl, with either a polycarbon layer or under plexi/lexan

Ah, great info thanks!

So - what I should do is determine my controls layout and drill out the needed holes. Order the artwork sized for my panel, apply the artwork then cutout the holes?

[Malenko]

some people drill holes through the art to make sure the hole line up, some people print templates, it all depends on how accurate the hole need to be for your art. Just spend some time lookin at project treads and see how other people did it.

[Drnick]

I started my bar top mame build this weekend. I have the shell basically built and am waiting on the 19 inch monitor to be delivered. I have a question on the button layout. The cab is sanded pine right now. I plan on primering it and painting it. I would like for my control panel to have a design on it thought rather than just paint. I will be installing 2 joys a trackball and probably 6 buttons per player. The dimension of the panel is about 8 inches by 20 inches. I really haven't decided to go with one of 2 player layout since it is a smaller cabinet. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get a design on my control panel? I see the ones on here and they appear to be professionally done. Do I order something like that and apply it like a laminate?

20" x 8" I don't think you will get 2 player 6 button with a trackball in there. I recommend you firstly go to slagcoin.com and find a button layout/template that you like.  You want to save this somewhere and print it out a couple of times. Make sure to print out at real size, no rescaling or anything.  (Tip, Get the 300 DPI Version, You will want this resolution for the rest of the art when you do the artwork)  Then take a piece of cardboard same size as your panel and put the overlays on it moving and adjusting until you are happy. This will also help tell you if it's possible to fit the trackball in there as well.  When happy make a note of certain key locations From top and left you want measure to the centre of the joystick. It doesn't have to be perfect but you want it pretty damned close.   You then create a blank piece of artwork in whatever package you want to use. I used Gimp. Create this at 300 dpi so your canvas should be around 6000 x 2400 (Make sure this is the exact size of your control panel. So if your panel is actually 20 + 1/4" it would be 6075 x 2400)  Put the Overlays in this template use some reference points for the joystick centres and then start on the art itself.

I personally found it easiest to create the artwork using the templates from slagcoin then got it printed. Stuck it to the control panel and then drilled straight through the art and panel. (If you go this route make sure to leave the centre point of each button marked on the art. I didn't and 2 of my buttons are off, it's less then 1mm but I can see it).