My First MAME Cab Build!

[Cobolisdead]

Ok, I have got my Galaxian project to the point where all I need to do is replace the artwork and then put on the T molding. So now I m going to put that aside and continue on with my original project, a 4 player MAME cabinet!  I have ideas about the cabinet, but I am still debating what I need to do for a monitor as well as my cab's theme. I do however, know what I am going to do for the control panel.

http://webpages.charter.net/rbecker5/plans.html#design

I plan on using that design, although modified to have the 3 and 4 player joysticks angled the right way. 

Any thoughts?

[Cobolisdead]

Here is my quick mockup of the control panel:

[yotsuya]

You don't need 6 buttons for P3 and P4 if you're going straight MAME.

[Cobolisdead]

Yeah, it's more of a symmetry thing than a control requirement.

[horizon]

As it's been mentioned to others, including myself, check out the templates from http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html.  The layout you have on your design, for me, was very uncomfortable.  I used the box that Ultimarc shipped my buttons in to play with layouts until I ended up deciding on the "standard Japanese" layout.

Also, to keep things aesthetically pleasing, would you consider making the 5th and 6th buttons on P1/2 black, to blend away, and using 4 buttons on P3/4?

I'm doing a mostly black CP, no LEDs, and am ok with the utilitarian look.

 

[yotsuya]

Yeah, it's more of a symmetry thing than a control requirement.

Your money to burn, bro.

[Cobolisdead]

As it's been mentioned to others, including myself, check out the templates from http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html.  The layout you have on your design, for me, was very uncomfortable.  I used the box that Ultimarc shipped my buttons in to play with layouts until I ended up deciding on the "standard Japanese" layout.

Also, to keep things aesthetically pleasing, would you consider making the 5th and 6th buttons on P1/2 black, to blend away, and using 4 buttons on P3/4?

I'm doing a mostly black CP, no LEDs, and am ok with the utilitarian look.

 

That is a very good read! I definitely agree with you on the  "standard Japanese" layout too. Here is the mock up altered slightly for that look.

Yeah, it's more of a symmetry thing than a control requirement.

Your money to burn, bro.

lol. True, but it was only another $10 to do that for the buttons and wiring, as the encoder already has a spot for them.

[Cobolisdead]

Slightly modified the red controls of player three to be symmetrical with Player four.

[yotsuya]

Slightly modified the red controls of player three to be symmetrical with Player four.

**Sigh**. I was going to post some comments, but I remembered my resolution since "The Kaneda Incident" to stop getting involved in 4 Player Cab layouts, so I'm going to gracefully bow out of this one. Good luck with your build.

[horizon]

Ill jump in since I dont know wtf Im talking about Yots.

I would think angled P3/4 would be better for comfort.  Think of it as a mirror rather than symmetrical.  I'd hate to be P4, either standing crooked or "over-reaching" with my left arm.  Perhaps you could keep the same angle as the CP.  Just remember to keep the joysticks putting up to the screen.  Don't angle those.

[Cobolisdead]

Slightly modified the red controls of player three to be symmetrical with Player four.

**Sigh**. I was going to post some comments, but I remembered my resolution since "The Kaneda Incident" to stop getting involved in 4 Player Cab layouts, so I'm going to gracefully bow out of this one. Good luck with your build.

Hey, I am a noob at this, so please post whatever you feel about it. I am very appreciative of all the info I can get on this.  And this is the planning stage for this control panel, so feedback is greatly appreciated and will be factored in.

Ill jump in since I dont know wtf Im talking about Yots.

I would think angled P3/4 would be better for comfort.  Think of it as a mirror rather than symmetrical.  I'd hate to be P4, either standing crooked or "over-reaching" with my left arm.  Perhaps you could keep the same angle as the CP.  Just remember to keep the joysticks putting up to the screen.  Don't angle those.

so something like this?

[horizon]

Yes. 

I would also suggest grabbing a large piece of cardboard and testing it out from all 4 positions.  An old refrigerator box is perfect to cut to size and play with.

Whats the story with the buttons at the top?  What all are you planning to emulate?

[AzureKnight]

I would also suggest grabbing a large piece of cardboard and testing it out from all 4 positions.  An old refrigerator box is perfect to cut to size and play with.?

+1 this, I cannot recommend this strongly enough.  I ended up changing my layout several times over after mocking it up in cardboard.

[Cobolisdead]

Yes. 

I would also suggest grabbing a large piece of cardboard and testing it out from all 4 positions.  An old refrigerator box is perfect to cut to size and play with.

Whats the story with the buttons at the top?  What all are you planning to emulate?

I will do that! I had a good box for it, but the Fiance made me throw it out last month in the garage purge.

As for the lights. I bet you have never seen an arcade with Simon have you?


J/K Its the admin buttons. They are a bit of an eye sore, but I was thinking something different for the top for admin stuff would be cool. Although, Simon would be pretty awesome.

I would also suggest grabbing a large piece of cardboard and testing it out from all 4 positions.  An old refrigerator box is perfect to cut to size and play with.?

+1 this, I cannot recommend this strongly enough.  I ended up changing my layout several times over after mocking it up in cardboard.

Will do!

[AzureKnight]

You also will realize just how big your CP is.  What width are you aiming for?  46"? 48"?  That sounds good on paper, but is pretty big when built.

I actually grabbed a barstool or two and set up my cardboard cp on those to get it to the height I wanted.  I then mocked up a piece of card board to represent the monitor area (including the sides of the cap thickness 3/4" in my case).  So I could get a good monitor angle that I liked as well as monitor height.  It also let me see how much of the cp would overhang the sides of the cabinet.  In the end I slimmed mine down to 42" as it was just too wide for my taste.

Also, when mocking up layouts, make sure you keep track of what is going on UNDER the cp.  You need clearance to the sides of joysticks and buttons for wires/mounts/etc.  Trackballs in particular take up a lot of room.  Also depending on the overhand the cp top has you could  bump into the side walls of the cp box.  It might look fine from above but underneath could be a different story.

[Cobolisdead]

You also will realize just how big your CP is.  What width are you aiming for?  46"? 48"?  That sounds good on paper, but is pretty big when built.

I actually grabbed a barstool or two and set up my cardboard cp on those to get it to the height I wanted.  I then mocked up a piece of card board to represent the monitor area (including the sides of the cap thickness 3/4" in my case).  So I could get a good monitor angle that I liked as well as monitor height.  It also let me see how much of the cp would overhang the sides of the cabinet.  In the end I slimmed mine down to 42" as it was just too wide for my taste.

Also, when mocking up layouts, make sure you keep track of what is going on UNDER the cp.  You need clearance to the sides of joysticks and buttons for wires/mounts/etc.  Trackballs in particular take up a lot of room.  Also depending on the overhand the cp top has you could  bump into the side walls of the cp box.  It might look fine from above but underneath could be a different story.

I am going for a 48" width. That is the width of the plywood I have already for the construction of the panel. The original design I was emulating called for 47", but I figured that the extra inch couldn't hurt.

Great idea about trying it at the right height. I will definitely keep in mind under clearance as well.

[horizon]

Im building a pedestal arcade, personally, and I am wavering about 2 or 4 player due to the massive look the CP will have.  I feel like the 25.5" base is way too small looking for the 46.5" topper.

Just some food for thought.

[stavros693000]

Slightly modified the red controls of player three to be symmetrical with Player four.

**Sigh**. I was going to post some comments, but I remembered my resolution since "The Kaneda Incident" to stop getting involved in 4 Player Cab layouts, so I'm going to gracefully bow out of this one. Good luck with your build.

hey yots, whats ("The Kaneda Incident"? and why are you so anti-4 player C/panels?

i agree 6 buttons for P3 n p4 is ridiculous..... 2 buttons is enough 3-4 at the most........most 4 player mame games only use 2-3 buttons.

but i digress......just curious friend

[Cobolisdead]

Fellas, let me address the 6 button thing in a way that makes a little more sense. SHE said that it looks better with 6 buttons. So an extra $10 for some buttons that won't do anything is something that I can handle if it means getting more acceptance for this large device. She has referred to Arcade cabinets as being defined by two main characteristics: 1. They have artwork 2. They are large bulky things that get in her way. 

[AzureKnight]

Fellas, let me address the 6 button thing in a way that makes a little more sense. SHE said that it looks better with 6 buttons.

Ace of Trumps, you win the round   

[dkersten]

I would not drill a single hole or print any artwork until you set up a 48" wide panel at the exact height and angle you will have it on your cab, then stand there at each control and see how it "feels" even if you are just using a printout to show where the buttons and joystick are.  I made a lot of little adjustments once doing this, all would have been critical adjustments.  Also, be sure the P3 and P4 joysticks are parallel to the screen, even though the buttons are angled.. Think of it like a mouse, even if you are at an angle to the screen, you will still use the mouse relative to the screen, not to where you are standing in relation to the screen. 

If you have the patience and the time, I would make a complete cardboard mockup of the control panel, wire it up to your controller, set it at the right height and angle, and try to play a game.  As extreme as that might sound, it is the best way to ensure you have things the way you want them.  You might end up shifting some controls around, moving admin buttons, etc.  This is particularly important with alternate controls like trackballs and spinners. 

[Cobolisdead]

As it's been mentioned to others, including myself, check out the templates from http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html.  The layout you have on your design, for me, was very uncomfortable.  I used the box that Ultimarc shipped my buttons in to play with layouts until I ended up deciding on the "standard Japanese" layout.

Also, to keep things aesthetically pleasing, would you consider making the 5th and 6th buttons on P1/2 black, to blend away, and using 4 buttons on P3/4?

I'm doing a mostly black CP, no LEDs, and am ok with the utilitarian look.

 

Okay, maybe I am missing something obvious here, but is there a way to actually print out those layouts to use them as a template? Every time I try to print them, it gets the measurements off and prints it too large.

[dkersten]

If you don't have some decent image software to load the images to before printing, then your printer driver settings should have an option to print at 100%.  The images are to scale at 100%.  Sometimes the option is a checkbox in your printer settings that is called "fit to page" or something like that.  Turn that off.  Once printed, use a ruler to make sure before you start drilling with that guide though. 

[Cobolisdead]

Hmmn, thanks for the tips! I finally was able to get it to print right using MS Paint of all things! So now I have four templates ready for this weekend! I plan on finally building the CP this four day weekend, so I can start work on the PC I will be running Mame on.

[yotsuya]

I've always just printed the 300dpi version. That one prints regular size, no issues. 

[Cobolisdead]

After a long time off due to life having things pop up, I am finally getting back on this project. I decided to change my layout a little bit to simplify the design since i am still a wood working novice.  I started off by removing a good third of the depth from this piece of plywood.



Then I laid down my templates, and taped them down to where I wanted them to be.



Then I started by drilling the holes for player 4.



I did fairly well, but my templates got tore up, and I messed up the spacing a little bit for player 1.



Still, it looks like it should be pretty awesome layout once it is up and running.

[Cobolisdead]

Well, I still need to do some work for the joysticks to get them to properly mount. However, here are some pics with the buttons in!



Looking at it here, you can definitely see where the spacing ont he bottom row got shifted over to the left. It actually still works well though so I will probably keep it for now.

[Cobolisdead]

So, is there a special technique to route the bottom of the control panel to get the joysticks to install properly? I tried searching for videos on it, but my Google Fu is weak today it seems.

[opt2not]

http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/mounting_layering.html

This site should have all you need. Though it doesn't spoon feed the masses with a video, it has descriptions and diagrams for practically all CP installation needs.

[Cobolisdead]

Anyone have a any recommendations for a bit for my router? I got one months ago, but I didn't get a bit for it. I need to make a quick run to lowes to get one.

[wol-nz]

ekk! are those joystick holes too close to the buttons? I'm thinking the joystick body will be touching or overlapping the button mounts.
Take your time building - the planning process is the most important stage. Good luck sir

[Cobolisdead]

Well, I test fitted the joysticks, and they seem to work just fine as far as spacing goes for players 2 -4. Now since Player 1 is off, it might be a bit closer than I would like.

[Cobolisdead]

Well, I had some measure of success tonight mixed in with some failure. For my first time using a router, I think that I did quite well. Unfortunately, the router did not do so well. It got all the way through to the last joystick, and within three seconds of making a weird noise like it was caught on some wood, it broke through the wood as the bit came flying off! Fortunately it didn't hurt me or do too much damage to the control panel. Here are the pics of the control panel with everything assembled on it.











I think that this is still salvageable, but now I am definitely going to need to put some sort of layer on top of it.  Also, I still need to work on the joystick spacers a little bit more as they don't want to hit the microswitches when the control panel is turned right side up.

[rovingmind]

if you have a holse saw, a leftover plug can be glued in there, then bondo and sanding to fill the "oops" caused by the bit.  Otherwise, fiberglass and epoxy, although a new section of wood might be cheaper, although you will probably end up needing the bondo to smooth the top out anyway.

[Cobolisdead]

I might try to bondo it if I get some free time this weekend. I might be able to do Friday since I won't be shopping this year.

[Frank Drebin]

Between the mishap on P4 and the weird button layout on P1 I'd think about chucking it out and starting again.  Not trying to insult you but the effort in fixing what you have now probably won't be worth the result.  Just my 2 cents.  Cool project!

[Cobolisdead]

Yeah, I thought about doing that too. Might just end up doing that and using the first one as a template, minus player one of course.

[Frank Drebin]

You could do that, or use the printouts from slagcoin again but this time use a smaller drill bit to mark the center of the cutouts instead of going right in with the spade bit.  Once the center pilot holes are marked you can throw the paper away and drill with the spade.  I'm assuming thats what happened is that the spade bit caught your printout before you had a chance to drill them all out?

[opt2not]

Yeah, I thought about doing that too. Might just end up doing that and using the first one as a template, minus player one of course.

Or use it for routing practice, since it's your first go at using a router.

[Cobolisdead]

You could do that, or use the printouts from slagcoin again but this time use a smaller drill bit to mark the center of the cutouts instead of going right in with the spade bit.  Once the center pilot holes are marked you can throw the paper away and drill with the spade.  I'm assuming thats what happened is that the spade bit caught your printout before you had a chance to drill them all out?

Yup. It ripped the template away from the tape and tore it to pieces. The next two I ended up drilling pilot holes in the center of and removing the paper, exactly like you just said.

Yeah, I thought about doing that too. Might just end up doing that and using the first one as a template, minus player one of course.

Or use it for routing practice, since it's your first go at using a router.

Now that is a great idea! I could use it for practice when I attempt to cut the groove for the T-molding.