WIP Photos and Explanations of builds

[jennifer]

   What?... Somebody needs an opinion?...Stand back boys, Jennifers here now.

[wp34]

Bro I'm pretty sure he was giving you a virtual high five.

The more I thought about it the more I realized my response was hypocritical.  Having a thick skin works both ways. 

[jennifer]

 
     (A few minions, to worship Jennifers awesomeness)
                                 

[harveybirdman]

Pics or gtfo.....

 

[jennifer]

   That in a nutshell could be the problem,  ... I bought a new camera for making posts, But apparently the resolution was to high to upload (**Jennifers upload test thread) It was ridiculously difficult to get the pic uploaded for me, had to drag it into some photo manager, or edit it or something don't remeber now, But I cant be the only one who thinks that's just not worth the extra effort.

[harveybirdman]

No plenty people including cool guys like vwallbridge complain about that.

Seriously? open the image in ms paint click image reduce size to 25% and the resize the resulting pic again to about 75%.

Upload and done.

[winnydapoo]

And they ARE pieces of art!

And some REALLY great artists are also ---Deutsche Frankfurters---.

And some art critics are ---Deutsche Frankfurters---!

I think the point that everybody who isn't a giant dick is trying to make is that we care about the gallery as much as its contents.

I agree they are pieces of art. Some people see them as functional pieces of equipment and not art and that's fine too.

Either way this is a community not an art competition. If it was competitive then go right ahead be a harsh critic but if some guy just wants to wip up something quick in his garage to play some games from his past then let it be.

I agree with your statement about caring about the gallery and its contents. But neither of those things exist without the artists themselves so how about considering them too?

And if they are art, I don't know a lot of artists who document and display their entire process before releasing their art(I am sure some do exists though), they usually just put it out there and let the finished product start the conversation. So I have no problem at all with people that just want to post a finished product, we can then ask questions if we're interested in the process.

There was no need to insult everyone who wasn't on point with you by the way.

[vwalbridge]

No plenty people including cool guys like vwallbridge complain about that.

Seriously? open the image in ms paint click image reduce size to 25% and the resize the resulting pic again to about 75%.

Upload and done.

+1 I've been critical of the image uploading process here but harveybirdman is right. It's real easy to resize a picture for uploading. Something everyone should do anyway so that the picture isn't so big that you can't see it on a 24" 1080p screen.

I think the frustration/confusion come into play when builders have to figure out how to embedd the image from the "not a project" thread into their build thread.

I'm guilty of linking to photobucket but I really should knock it off. Mostly because I actually want other members to see my pictures when they are viewing BYOAC from behind their company firewall. 

[harveybirdman]

Sounds like we have plenty of common ground winnydapoo, so I'll leave it at that but I have no idea where I insulted anyone I was just talking figuritively. Not sure what Saint's swearing filter has against ---Deutsche Frankfurters---.

[mgb]

I agree it's best when someone documents their project well.
But I understand it's not always the first thing on your mind when you're dealing with typical life stuff plus trying to get the cabinet done.

what I don't get is when guys seem to get offended by certain builds.
I'm closer to a purist than many but I still like designs to be fun. The NASA project that was mentioned. Not what I would build (I don't even care for 4 player CPs) but I still think it's cool what he did.
at the end of the day, this is still a diverse community of different tastes. Some like a certain style while others like a different style.
Hell, some even like cup holders and 8 buttons per player.

I've been on this forum for a long time (even longer than my current user name) and there have been some trends.
there was the point where everyone was either building an Ultimate Arcade 2 cabinet with a Slikstik controller or a marbled laminate mess with the trackball mount in full view
there was the game changing phase when many were building Neo-Mame copies and then later, thin LCD, Woody copies.
then more recently, the damn flood of bartops.
I love some and others aren't my taste but it's all cool.
Either way, when it comes to this hobby, the best place to experience it is here on byoac

[harveybirdman]

Bad design shouldn't be proliferated, but people will build what they want (as they should and to Rodney's point so should they document accordingly) and you are right MGB, to each his own.

As for the offended, I feel that the group that acts "offended" wants to influence builders in a certain way, in the end maybe it's not the ones that they are replying to but those browsing those threads that they hope to reach.

 

[Token]

what I don't get is when guys seem to get offended by certain builds.
I'm closer to a purist than many but I still like designs to be fun. The NASA project that was mentioned. Not what I would build (I don't even care for 4 player CPs) but I still think it's cool what he did.

Are you me?

[reptileink]

I'm a forum veteran for approx. 20 years (not here obviously).

I used to customize action figures, and now I make custom dioramas an miniatures. Seems every forum runs the same as mentioned previously. Let's face it, cutting wood pictures is pretty boring especially if someone is making a clone. Some people just don't have time to sit and post a lengthy comment, and some feel bad leaving a two word response.

However, we are all here for the same purpose. Teach each other, show off our work, and maybe get a pat on the back. I know when posting WIPs of a diorama or scene I am working on gets no love, it kind of deflates the sails. As much as we do this for ourselves, it's still nice to be noticed once in a while.

I have one crappy arcade build under my belt and I am still here checking out threads, making hopefully useful comments/advice, and just enjoying the learning process. I know I will eventually build my own from scratch, whether it be a bartop or full sized, so I want to make sure I am still learning.

Sadly, my work blocks Photobucket images, and it seems a lot of people are still uploading through them, so I can't really make comments as I can't see the pictures. Then I get home and don't want to spend another couple hours on the computer going back to see the builds since I spend 10 hours a day on the computer as it is.

I do have to second the notion that there has been more in-fighting and people getting butt hurt over comments than I've seen in my short time here, so that might be why people just want to show finished builds (hey, can't fix it now, right?).  I am also aware of the "egoist" that just drops their project on multiple sites without contributing anything else.

All in all, it's a hobby, it's supposed to be fun.

[rablack97]

Good discussion folks.....

You right it should be fun, and learning is part of it.  It's probably just a mindset,

Some noobs read the forums and feel its a common courtesy to document like most of the other trailblazers. 

Some noobs as stated in prior comments are so excited that they built something they just want to show it off. 

The innovators and veterans tend to document more and thats where the learning curve begins. 

So it doesn't really matter what people post, cause somebody else will fill the showoff and leave gaps.  I guess we all should start looking and leaving as well.

Yot, I had a brisket taco this morning, it was bad ass....

[yotsuya]

You know, last night, while everyone was bitching about LEDS and Winnydapoo was playing this passive-aggressive game of footsies with me, I took the skills I have learned from arcade cabinet building and restoration and I made me a nice, solid 4 foot patio bench for my backyard since we're going to be entertaining during the holidays. That's what this hobby has given me - the ability and skill set to do things I couldn't do 5 years ago. Many of the tips and tricks I've learned to pull that off came from looking at builders like Mission control and Spyridon, who showed through documentation what they could do, in turn giving me the confidence to try it for myself. That's where documenting the process became a valuable thing. Guys like smalltownguy2 and their threads taught me tons about monitor repair, and Neph's LED wiring documentation gave me the confidence to roll my own. I'm grateful to these guys because their photos and documentation served as learning guides. And not once did their photos and words come across as a poorly disguised reason to seek attention. The purpose was to share what they had learned, not to garner praise. The end result didn't matter... the process did.

Rodney, my man, I'm having lunch with a good friend of mine today, but she wants foo-foo sandwiches. Lunchin' ain't easy...

[rablack97]

You know, last night, while everyone was bitching about LEDS and Winnydapoo was playing this passive-aggressive game of footsies with me, I took the skills I have learned from arcade cabinet building and restoration and I made me a nice, solid 4 foot patio bench for my backyard since we're going to be entertaining during the holidays. That's what this hobby has given me - the ability and skill set to do things I couldn't do 5 years ago. Many of the tips and tricks I've learned to pull that off came from looking at builders like Mission control and Spyridon, who showed through documentation what they could do, in turn giving me the confidence to try it for myself. That's where documenting the process became a valuable thing. Guys like smalltownguy2 and their threads taught me tons about monitor repair, and Neph's LED wiring documentation gave me the confidence to roll my own. I'm grateful to these guys because their photos and documentation served as learning guides. And not once did their photos and words come across as a poorly disguised reason to seek attention. The purpose was to share what they had learned, not to garner praise. The end result didn't matter... the process did.

Rodney, my man, I'm having lunch with a good friend of mine today, but she wants foo-foo sandwiches. Lunchin' ain't easy...

[vwalbridge]

[yotsuya]

[rablack97]

[ChanceKJ]

.

[rablack97]

holy crap, that escalated quickly.    i just skimmed the thread, but i'd like to weigh in on my 2 cents.

Is it me, or has anybody else noticed that folks lately are just posting finished projects and or just posting a part of the project once its complete with no documentation on how it was done.

I've seen a few members here mention that this thread isn't a showcase thread of finished projects but its a thread to show the process in regards to what your building.

I'm just wondering if all the recent arguing etc has chased away that desire to show detailed documentation, and folks are just building in private and then saying this is what i built take or leave it and disappearing.

Just wondering if anyone else is noticing this lately.

I agreed, this kinda sucks.  NASA is a prime example of a build that we lost out on because the thread was stifled by negativity. Hence my rant that saint moved to its own thread.

Thats not fair, and i was worried about this.  But if thats the way this place shifts then cool. Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome.

That NASA cab going to the "next level" is exactly what i wanted to see when i finished my thread and posted the CAD. I'd really have liked a more granular documentation of how Chris built certain things. Even though its based on a design i'm so familiar with. Not that i'm going to build them myself, but so i can build off those ideas on future projects. Thats what the spirit of these things is, and should be. Not a hate fest telling people that they're doing it wrong. Theres a fine line between giving advice, and shitting on someones ideas. Even i don't know where that line is sometimes. Some people take this WAY too serious, "Guardians of the Hobby", like they're some cultural preservation cop. I've even felt like i'm about to write something with that badge on, then i take a step back, breath, and go outside. If i don'y post in a thread i don't agree with, i won't see it show up in the "New Replies" section. 

I think one of the reasons why the WeeCade, Metropolis, Flynn's, etc is copied so much is because of the ease in which you can obtain answers to really big stumbling blocks. One being the CAD for the wood cutting. I remember the first month of planning before i made my first post, i had a MILLION questions, visited a ton of build pages, documented what i liked, and what i needed to know, and the look and design was still a frightening challenge in front of me. "How tall does it need to be?", "Will my display fit?", "how do i make it look slim, but still not ugly?". If those questions are already answered, thats a HUGE step towards making something. That and the "Cool factor", you see something you think is cool, and you want it, you design your build around it. Like i did with 90% of my build. All the credit for how it turned out needs to go to the people i thanked in the first post when i finished.  (This also makes me want to add a "Things I'd Do Different Next Time" Section to my FLYNN's build thread). We're always going to see "Open Source" designs like that be cloned as long as they appeal to other builders.

Also, this seems relevant:

"People who have abandoned their dreams and aspirations will always discourage others from pursuing theirs."
-Casey Neistat

I really dont care about the cloning, weecade thing, I don't care what you build, just share the knowledge while doing it, if you so happened to gain knowledge from others.

I make weecades, mashed up your design, and onds design for my MKX build.  Trust me i'm no old school police the forum guy, people are gonna do what they want.

When you post your gonna get negativity from somebody about something, but who cares.  Man-up and keep going, don't post thinking everyone is gonna pat you on the back on every part of the build, you will get suggestions and praise if you just continue.  People will learn something from it.

it may be just me but i dont get jack out of look at what i did, as far as im concerned you bought it prefabbed from a manuf. and i cant get that anywhere off the net.

So your documentation was great, learned from it, and its cloned for a reason, cause you documented it.  Go back 6 months or so and just post the final pic and see how many clones would show up.

As far as the back and forth, i say again, if you post MAN-UP and take the beatings, all of us have, in the end you'll finish your project and contribute back to the community your learned from.

[opt2not]

I like how Kanadian Kaneda over here states the "Guardians of the Hobby" are acting as misguided cultural preservation cops when he's got a sticky of how a Nintendo Cabinets should be made or what controls it should be populated with.   Then another on how we all should handle our relationship with our wives. Was this before or after taking a step back, breathing, and going outside? Kettle meet pot. 

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

Roast Beef and Gorgonzola sandwich, Rodney. It was aces.

Clearly there is a divide between those who grew up in arcades, who played these machines in actual locations and have fond memories of them and appreciate them for what they were and want to recreate that, and those who want something awesome that plays videos game, the more the better, for their mancave. There certainly is room for everything and everyone in this hobby. One isn't "more right" than the other. I think we can probably all agree on that.

But I do take umbrage with those who think that people's opinions are fueled by a hatred of new things. New things, if implemented with care, thought, and planning, can turn out great.

For example, my favorite cabinet last year, the well-deserved winner of the UCA Blip!, did two things I don't like in new cabinets - swappable panels and an LCD marquee monitor. But he did them SO WELL, and integrated them in such a well-thought out, well-planned manner, that I fell in love with the cabinet. Doesn't mean I now care for those two things, but I can appreciate the foresight and planning - the way make did them makes them look like less of an afterthought and more like the intended design. It's a beautiful arcade cabinet, not a video game playing machine, but a real arcade cabinet.

Yes, some people probably put way more importance on these things than they should. And maybe they need to move over for the Dave & Buster's set. But like harveybirdman pointed out, there is an art to these things, and some people like to look at them with a critical eye and offer feedback and suggestions that appeal to them. It cracks me up when people vilify movie critics because they don't like their favorite blockbuster ("What do they know!"). The job of a critic isn't to tell you how you should feel about a movie, it's to tell you what THEY thought so you can make an informed decision if you want to see it. You don't HAVE to change your artwork because someone like Opt tells you to, but wouldn't the opinion of a trained artist who makes money for what he does be of some value to you?

In the end, do what you want. Angle your joysticks, collage your characters, widescreen your LCDs. This Guardian of the Hobby doesn't really care anymore. It's all about having fun, right? In the end, no one cares about the wire looms you made by hand, the light up joysticks, the ground effects package, or the artwork you vectorized by hand.

They just want to play some Galaga.

[rablack97]

[harveybirdman]

As far as the back and forth, i say again, if you post MAN-UP and take the beatings, all of us have, in the end you'll finish your project and contribute back to the community your learned from.

THIS

I have no problem if someone quotes me and says, don't listen to this jack hole your build is awesome.

Remember how much thread crapping LeChuck had to deal with Xiaou2?  He took it like a man and didn't let it deter him in the slightest.  But someone make one aircraft carrier joke and then we have to run tell Saint?  C'mon.... If you guys like what you're doing, then tune out the hate.  There are obviously plenty more of the "new school builders" than there are of the old farts.

And again, when there are debates going on in your build thread at least your build is getting attention, like Frank said, you want to have feedback in your thread, good or bad, it feels nice to be noticed.

[BadMouth]

I don't see things that way. 

If someone wants to post their progress in a build thread, it sucks that there be a requirement to spend a good deal of their time responding to someone berating them with the same criticism over and over again.  Post your criticism, others post in agreement if there is agreement, OP acknowledges/responds.......and everyone moves on.
At least that's the way I would like for it to work.  This forum isn't about what I want.  That's what the driving cab subforum is for. 

[Token]

I like how Kanadian Kaneda over here states the "Guardians of the Hobby" are acting as misguided cultural preservation cops when he's got a sticky of how a Nintendo Cabinets should be made or what controls it should be populated with.   Then another on how we all should handle our relationship with our wives. Was this before or after taking a step back, breathing, and going outside? Kettle meet pot. 

Hey opt, you throw a lot of shade at Chance, but "Kanadian Kaneda"?

Dude, that's low! 

[ChanceKJ]

.

[yotsuya]

In the end, do what you want. Angle your joysticks, collage your characters, widescreen your LCDs. This Guardian of the Hobby doesn't really care anymore. It's all about having fun, right? In the end, no one cares about the wire looms you made by hand, the light up joysticks, the ground effects package, or the artwork you vectorized by hand.

They just want to play some Galaga.

I couldn't agree more.   More people should take a page from you when you almost passive aggressively, but politely say "Enjoy your build" and peace out. I appreciate that.

I'm really not being passive-aggressive about it. I'm wishing them good luck with the build because I think they'll truly need it. Since I'm not offering any critical feedback anymore, it's the least I can do.

Hey opt, you throw a lot of shade at Chance, but "Kanadian Kaneda"?

Yeah, haha, i really don't know where thats coming from, or where it started. With Mal either.  I'm guessing they felt i said something, some where that was directed at them, or something. But thats also an assumption. Thats just not my style. If i had beef with anyone i would directly call them out, by name, in public or via PM.   haha, whatever. 

Actually, that's not how it happened. Look at those PMs we exchanged when it went down.

[harveybirdman]

someone needs to make sure they get a vacation from that place.... comes to mind...

which is interesting since the primary member in question seems to be on a self imposed sabbatical

[mgb]

I think I see a big virtual group hug coming

[yotsuya]

LET'S HUG IT OUT, BITCHES!

[vwalbridge]

I think I see a big virtual group hug coming

Yots has a meme for that.

[ChanceKJ]

.

[rablack97]

I mean the whole purpose of the thread was documentation of builds, not who beat up who.

[vwalbridge]

I mean the whole purpose of the thread was documentation of builds, not who beat up who.

+1 And the best part is....this thread will end up with more views than most of project threads on here. 

[yotsuya]

Scott, can you lock this thread.... oh, wait...

[harveybirdman]

Delusional will move it to Forum discussion....


in 2018

[yotsuya]

Actually, forum discussion IS the place for it....