Best or "must have" applications for cabs...

[Invincer]

(Im)patiently waiting for my Sting arcade cab from DreamAuthentics to get finished and delivered this month; passing the time setting up games and emulators on an HD I plan to relocate into the cab when it comes. I am running GameEx and since it so effortlessly will allow me to launch applications in a cab as easily as games; I was wondering what might be some "must have" or highly recommended applications to be able to run on a cab along with or alongside the games. Thanks in advance for the recommendations and thoughts!

Ambience App : Arcade Ambience sounds on secondary speakers for true arcade sounds
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=82754.0

CabVol : use buttons or spinners to control the volume level on your cab
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=69901.msg714459#msg714459

CFG Magician : Create Custom Mame Cfg Files Automatically
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=88948.0

CPWizard : create a control panel layout and then shows which buttons are used in each game
http://members.iinet.net.au/~freeaxs/cpwizard/

Instant Sheller : allows you to one click shell GameEx or any other front end
http://www.gameex.net/Community/InstantShellerandshellingguide/tabid/73/Default.aspx

LEDBlinky : Arcade LED Control Software for use with LED-Wiz, Pac-Drive, and U-HID controllers.
http://www.dndw.com/arcadeaddiction/SoftwareD.htm

Xpadder : Load different cfgs for different joysticks/controls
http://www.xpadder.com/


...keep em coming...

[9innail]

Why wouldn't you build your own cab? It's a whole lot more fun. 

[Invincer]

I can handle electronics and computer stuff no prob; but in terms of woodwork or drilling etc; I'm all thumbs. Takes me hours to put together furniture from WalMart So to get this done sooner rather than later, going with the professionals. Maybe if I try a 2nd one at some point I will try to make one myself

Back to the software/apps.... anyone??? Any recommendations??

[cmoses]

CabVol - allows you to use buttons or spinners to control the volume level on your cab.

CPWizard - just started playing with it, but allows you to create a control panel layout and then shows which buttons are used in each game

[TheShanMan]

CPWizard, absolutely.

And sorry for the shameless plug, but I think my Ambience app (see my sig) is pretty indispensable. I don't think many have started using it, and I don't know if that's because it's hard for people to visualize the end result or because it takes some effort to do it right. The idea if implemented fully, though, is that you add a second sound card to your system to play the Arcade Ambience sounds that Ahofle made, piped to speakers placed ideally away from your cabinet (think surround sound), so that when you're playing games you get the feeling of being in a full arcade. I have to say that this is one of the highlights of my cab and when friends come over they always comment on it.

[wooowman93]

Try Mame that's some good software to have on it

[Space Fractal]

http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Utilities

Look like you diddent have looked at the wiki, if might have found this forum straight from a search machine (then other other section is very unnoticed).

But anyway it really great idea to doing this in as a thread anyway, so I just think the link

But I think you could link this one in your top thread, which have various cabinet based utilities.

Welcome on board.