Zac's 80's Zombie Arcade - new pics of arcade / cpo 10/11/09

[iammortos]

Hey arcade guru's!

My name is Zac, like many others here, I've been reading through countless threads on arcades and building and all that since I had the crazy idea of building one of these things!

I'm planning a ridiculous first cabinet, and am currently working through all the cabinet designs (read: having fun with grid paper, cardboard and since last night sketchup7!)

This cab is going to be i guess you could say "new age" and probably very unpopular here with restorers and good old fashioned arcade enthusiasts!

This project is gonna take a while, but I've been wanting to make a post about it to tell you all about it so here is what I have already sitting at home

-------------------------------------- What I have so far ---------------------
Monitors
21.6" BenQ LCD - Main Screen
7" LCD for the marquee - no longer doing this, it looked terrible in motion and very colourless





Sound System
2.1 - Genius System with control panel



Lighting
2 x 15" Green Undercar Neon's (front panel)
1 x 30cm Lava Green Neon (Marquee)
2 x 30cm UV Sound activate neon's (not sure yet haha)
1 x 5LED Mini UV Spot light
1 x Lightbus - Sunbeamtech model

Computer - quite new, had for about a year and a half
Q6600 Core 2 Quad 2.4
ASUS 8800GT
4GB Ram etc etc
External 4 Port USB Hub for extra controllers to plug into

Controls
X-Aracde BYO kit
2 x X-Arcade Joys
20 x X-Arcade (black) buttons
2 x USB Controllers for players 3/4 (side scrollers and other party games)
2 x Guitar Hero Guitars (PS3)
2 x N64 Controllers (wooohooo!) on the way from hongkong

Software
Windows Tiny 09
Gameex

Misc:
Fan Grills for speaker covers - very cool looking 3d design



------------------------------------ Planned - in the works -------------------------

Purple Plexi for the control panel (looks amazing, cant wait to start building and pick this up)

----------------------------------------- Done So Far ---------------------------------

Set up 2 player controls and tested on cardboard cutout (ill put up pics tomorrow)
rewired the 15" Car neon's to be powered by the PC molex connectors
Set up Windows & emulaters (snes, project64 and mame)
built scale model of design

---------------------------------- Why "Zombie" Arcade? ---------------------------

My GF is going to be painting/building a 3D Zombie on the side of the cab, very much in the essence of Zombie Bash, the very old 80s PC game by Apogee, with graves, bats and an angry zombie for side art
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Bash)

His arm is "hopefully" going to protrude from the cabinet and act as a beer holder (this will be one of the last mods), she has all kinds of plans to make this work, so here's hoping! but at the very least, we are going for green and purple theme with an angry zombie on the side!

That's all for now, ill try get some pics up tomorrow as i finally have a free night to get some sorted, I think tonight will be more sketchup and perhaps try plugging all the lights in to see what kind of crazy effects i can come up with!

Zac

ADDED PHOTOS
http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc88/iammortos/

[iammortos]

Oh yeah, by the way

The Control panel is going to be very basic and follow the usual pattern for street fighter etc

Player 1 / 2 Start Buttons
Player 1 / 2 Coin buttons
2 Joysticks
6 Buttons each

which leaves me with 4 buttons to spare, that im not to sure what to do with yet lol

[Yvan256]

The Control panel is going to be very basic and follow the usual pattern for street fighter etc

Player 1 / 2 Start Buttons
Player 1 / 2 Coin buttons
2 Joysticks
6 Buttons each

which leaves me with 4 buttons to spare, that im not to sure what to do with yet lol

If you plan on playing any Neo-Geo games at all, you might want to add a button at the lower left of your lower left SF2 button layout. Sure you can play Neo-Geo games on a SF2 buttons pattern, but that's like playing Donkey Kong with a brake pedal for the jump button. 

Other than that, can't wait to see the pictures and design!

[javeryh]

Wow dude those specs sound ridiculous.  Plus, I freaking LOVE zombies.  I can't wait to see this thing get going.   

[YoGaBaR]

That theme sounds awesome. I have a zombie raid and I love the side art on it. Cant wait to see this painted up.
What style cab are you gonna use? Are you gonna have 2 - 7" lcds for the marquee cuz wouldnt 1 just look small?

[Yvan256]

That theme sounds awesome. I have a zombie raid and I love the side art on it. Cant wait to see this painted up.
What style cab are you gonna use? Are you gonna have 2 - 7" lcds for the marquee cuz wouldnt 1 just look small?

I was kind of wondering that myself. Has anyone ever used one of those ultra-widescreen LCD used in rearview mirrors?

[emphatic]

Also, make sure that GameEx will run on a Tiny XP build before buying it. You need at least WMP 10 or so IIRC.

[spOOf]

Since you love zombies,  you have to check out this cab: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=93535.0

[iammortos]

If you plan on playing any Neo-Geo games at all, you might want to add a button at the lower left of your lower left SF2 button layout. Sure you can play Neo-Geo games on a SF2 buttons pattern, but that's like playing Donkey Kong with a brake pedal for the jump button. 

Other than that, can't wait to see the pictures and design!

Thanks for the tip, I see that the x-arcade does have 8 buttons per player, and that the "8th" button is coin in mame, so perhaps the mysterious 7th button could be added to the bottom, ill have a play this weekend

That theme sounds awesome. I have a zombie raid and I love the side art on it. Cant wait to see this painted up.
What style cab are you gonna use? Are you gonna have 2 - 7" lcds for the marquee cuz wouldnt 1 just look small?

Hey thanks for the comment, just checked out the zombie raid cab art, it is very cool!

I havent gotten around to the marquee desgning yet, but i dont think it will look too bad, it should take up the middle "third" of the cabinet

Im thinking of building a modified artifact cabinet, but im still in the works of learning sketchup and figuring out bits and pieces.

-----------
Cab plans so far
* going to be 60cm wide (plus side panels of 16mm each)
* total wide - 63.2cm
* height - at least 185cm so that its in line wih my head i think

(sorry I have to get used to working in CM! i started planning in inches and got told off! haha) - im from New Zealand and we dont have wood in inches

[iammortos]

Sorry for double post!

I have added 3 pics from my first attempt at sketchup managed to get a screen online!

was very proud when i got that in there haha - tryed to find controls but they were either giant or too small and i havent gotten used to changing sizes yet

but ill get there!

Thanks all for your input and help

[iammortos]

Update from the weekend 

- got my 2 ps3 guitars in the mail, have gotten one up n running in GH3 (pc) and its great fun, took a while to get it going!

- downloaded frets on fire, have not tried this out yet, but should be able to sort out multiplayer rather quickly

- ordered 2 N64 controllers and duel adapter from ebay! (tried to play some of the 64 games on the standard controller, it just wasnt the same ($80 delivered to nz)

- installed project 64 and null dc

---------
Monday - lunch break
Getting closer and closer to a final design for the cabinet, will be buying wood in 2 or 3 weeks to get this under way!

Cheers!

[iammortos]

basic scetch idea for the control panel (done in paint at work haha)

this will be under the purple plexi, so the colours may change alot, ill be working on this during the week, updates to come

http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc88/iammortos/?action=view&current=zombiearm.jpg

[SithMaster]

---------------------------------- Why "Zombie" Arcade? ---------------------------

My GF is going to be painting/building a 3D Zombie on the side of the cab, very much in the essence of Zombie Bash, the very old 80s PC game by Apogee, with graves, bats and an angry zombie for side art
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_Bash)

His arm is "hopefully" going to protrude from the cabinet and act as a beer holder (this will be one of the last mods), she has all kinds of plans to make this work, so here's hoping! but at the very least, we are going for green and purple theme with an angry zombie on the side!
http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc88/iammortos/

Monster bash was all sorts of fun when I was a kid.  How did she plan on making the zombie?  If I was making one id start with a plastic skeleton from party city or someplace and cut some of the bones in half.  They can be placed on the side of the cab flat forming a profile view that you could add bits to making it look more zombie like.

[Beretta]

cool, i am a fan of horror my self especially zombies.

the side art idea sounds really neat might also suggest you do something with the marquee.. obviously you dont want it sticking out to much up there so maybe just a few inches like a face or something, then put red or green led's to make it's eye's glow.


alternatively i dont know how you would do it but holograms would also be awesome, from different angle's it would look like the zombie was shambling towards you.. that would be awesome but again i dont know how you'ed do holograms.

it might also be cool to do something with black lights and UV reactive paint on this.

[iammortos]

New Control Panel Overlay Pics





2 pics uploaded from last nights messing around, i was playing in illistrator for 2 hours before i went to save and realised it crashed when you entered the save as screen!!! 



------------

Thanks for the input guys, not 100% sure what shes got planned for the side art, she wants to see the sides made up from wood first haha

We've got plenty of black lights ready hehe, so UV paint will hopefully get some space on the cab

ill post up some pics of the design later in the week or next week going to be a busy couple of nights here

[iammortos]

Small update from the weekend:

1: Built a scale cardboard model from my plans, looks like it will be a very sexy shape 

ill post some pics tomorrow, have to get the camera out tonight.

2: Set up Project 64 with all the scans/cart art etc, working very nicely

3: Got hold of Monster Bash! (havent played it yet, have to sort out dosbox etc for gameex)

4: Managed to get the PS3 guitar to stop working with GH3

5: Realised i have no "escape" button for my emulaters, so have to work this out with the x-arcade buttons etc before i start the build 

--------

Other news: Im getting the MDF to start the construction this weekend! SO gettting very excited for this, have to con my friend clements into helping me haha (neither of us have worked with wood for years and years)

note: im only 23, hes 22 i think, so should be a lot of beer involved... after we put the saws away haha

[iammortos]

A few pictures of the model ive  done up with cardboard almost ready to start! woohooo!

[iammortos]

Hey guys, small update

* got my 2 N64 controllers and adapter in the mail yesturday (so happy!) havent tried them yet, but will hopefully get some time with these tonight

* Started making my own intro movies  with fraps, involving: zombies, heavy metal, blood, guts and gore, video games and of course zombie movies!

made the first one last night, 35odd seconds. its "anthrax - what doesnt die" music video with clips from some of my fav action games thrown in

started on one with the movie... zombie strippers!

started recording all the fighting games scenes with fraps

- still waiting patiently for sat, when i get to start on the build! ill take lots of pics!

[YoGaBaR]

What is this zombie strippers you talk of? 

[iammortos]

haha very funny story...

a work mate in aussie gave me a copy of the movie, said he had watched the first 5mins and that it looked like a great b-grade zombie movie... so i took home, to watch with the girlfriend at the time, first 5 mins was great zombie movie, then turns rather interesting to say the least haha

to say the least, it was lucky the family wasnt around!

[Ond]

Hey g'day,  you might want to get those pics into the thread rather than linking to your photobucket page, click on the img tag when you post (three to the right of the youtube tag) and paste your photobucket image url in between.  You have some very cool stuff there like the fan grills for speaker grills and so on.  Also I love seeing peoples cardboard mock-ups of their cabs before they build.  You never know somebody might help out with some design stuff  (if you want it that is, some folks just want to solo, it's all good)

[iammortos]

Updated, thanks for the tip Ond

yeah, im hoping to get lots of input on the design, i think it looks quite good, a few nice curves heh heh

starting work on the cutting tomorrow! im going insane!

[iammortos]

Well... the weeknd went half to plan!

We picked up the wood (2 sheets of 2440x1220x16mm to start with),  the good old new zealand weather wasnt the greatest, but we had enough sun to start

so we grabbed the power saw, cut out the basic shape, then clamped the two sides together (there was some small discrepensys, but thats what sanders are for right!), jig-saw-ed the curves, and then started sanding the curves

then my partner in crime had to be dropped back into town, so that saw the end of the day, with my plans to return on sunday for more

sunday, was one of the worst storms we've had in a while so no cutting for me

but what a start! it stands at a nice height, and is starting to look like an arcade machine! Ill upload photos sometime during the week

its starting!  yay x9!

[iammortos]

the plan is to go and do some more work on the arcade tonight after work, heres hoping we get there before the sun goes down so i can make some cuts and take some photos for you guys



gah, scratch that, weather took a turn for the worst, no arcade for me tonight

[iammortos]

Sorry for all the boring posts with no pics!

- went out to do a little (very little) bit on the arcade last night, managed to cut the base square, and also another small 10x60 plank.

Turns out the jig blade was not quite straight, so i learnt to use a super duper power sander type thing.

Great fun! got dark before i could do much, looks like it will be next week/end before the next update. and pics of course

zac

[Benevolance]

The title of this thread is appropriately punny.

I like the CP mockup. At first, I didn't notice that it was a mockup printed up regular paper and I have to say, my initial impression was that it looked like an old B&W film reel. You know, the grainy, greyscale film quality of yesteryear? Which I thought looked fabulous.

I notice that you've got a couple different colour mockups on your other site. How about you recreate the greyscale reel look deliberately? Or if you want a splash colour, a zombie CP should have RED.

Also, another thought. You've got the P1 and coin buttons placed over the graphic. Why not move the buttons over so that the image is clear? I know it's not quite as traditional, but...you've got an awesome CP graphic. I think you should show it off.

[iammortos]

Some pics from a few weekends ago! We got a little bit further then the pics show, we have both sides fully cut out now, just need to sand them a bit:

First Cuts made, you can see the shape begining to come out!


A look at the general shape


Annnnd the bottom part cut and sanded


We'll be working on it heaps this weekend, so I hope to have some pics for you guys come monday of the progress

[iammortos]

The title of this thread is appropriately punny.

I like the CP mockup. At first, I didn't notice that it was a mockup printed up regular paper and I have to say, my initial impression was that it looked like an old B&W film reel. You know, the grainy, greyscale film quality of yesteryear? Which I thought looked fabulous.

I notice that you've got a couple different colour mockups on your other site. How about you recreate the greyscale reel look deliberately? Or if you want a splash colour, a zombie CP should have RED.

Also, another thought. You've got the P1 and coin buttons placed over the graphic. Why not move the buttons over so that the image is clear? I know it's not quite as traditional, but...you've got an awesome CP graphic. I think you should show it off.

Thanks for the ideas man, Black and White might look quite good under the purple plexi, Ill be sure to trial a few different ones before its finished up!

Im not tooo worried about the placement of the buttons and them covering the CP art, but if it ends up looking bad, hey, i can always get some more wood right! haha

[iammortos]

A huuuuuuuuuuge weekend for the arcade, managed to get some done before the rain on sat, a few bits and pieces cut out, then on sunday, the sanding and cutting continued! Got the sides both finished perfectly, and have cut most of the panels as well, started to sand them up, making them all exactly the same, its alot tougher than I would have thought! haha

Good old sander!


Working away with the grinder


Debbie Helping me out


The Two sides, finished up and sanded, what do you think of the shape?


Ghosty Me - Covered in Sawdust!


All in all, a great weekend!

[iammortos]

Dear lord, this whole... making an arcade cabinet takes a while huh! weeks have gone past with only small amounts of change done each week!

Well, its a small picture-less update for today, i have a few pics from the last few weeks to show you guys and ill up them in the next day or so!

its been hell not having time to do enough worthy of an update on the forum! but its crazy work, even just sanding, cutting holes etc it takes hours!

weeks have rolled by and heres what we have now!

* an amazingly sexy arcade cabinet, that is standing by itself!
* both sides are together, the roof, bottom, and front parts are glued and screwed in

i have a few pieces left of the body to have sorted by the 7th of next month (where moving and having a house warming, so i must have the thing functional for that!)

* the control panel is coming along, i cut a few bits short, so i have made little bits to fill the gap between the CP and the side. i also stuffed one of the holes, its a little too close to the other, its the top right button, but ive talked to the plexi guy, and he says that shouldnt matter. if it turns out rubbish ill make another!

* thats the other thing,the plexi guy is actually going to pick up my CP from work on thurz! what a legend! so that should be ready by the 7th as well!
* need to sort out the CP, Admin panel and marquee screen
* need to cut the back panels and a board to mount the (now) 24inch screen  on[/li][/list]

so its all falling together! ill shrink the photos from debs camera tonight and post them up here in the morning!

very happy man right now! 

cant wait to up pix for you guys, i have a feeling you'll like the shape

[iammortos]

First side
Took this shot a couple of weeks back, took a day to put the supports on each side, then another day to attach a few bits: yes yes im slow!


Full shot
Here it is as it stands now, it has both sides, and a few middle-y bits now. marquee hasnet been attached as i had hoped to connect a 2nd screen up there (7inch one) that has failed, it just looked terrible and colourless, so have dropped that idea


Full shot 2
another thing, that CP is just sitting there, its not connected yet, have to finish up the holes, and might make a 2nd one as the holes are slightly off on one or two


Close up
A closer look at the top half, i think the curves are looking niiiiiice!


hopefully... you guys will take a look and post something this time? heh heh

[Epyx]

Looks good so far! Just a note you can rotate those pictures in Photobucket after you upload them so they are positioned properly.

[Ryglore]

Nice, I dig the shape of that cab. Can't wait to see it fill out. 

[iammortos]

Looks good so far! Just a note you can rotate those pictures in Photobucket after you upload them so they are positioned properly.

cheers man, ill have to give that a try again later, didnt seem to want to save them once id rotated. might do it at home and then re-up them so its nice and neat

thanks guys for the feedback im very happy with it, and theres bound to be a lot more photos coming as she moves along slowly!

- going out to debbies parents again tonight to finish the control panel (and maybe re-try a 2nd one, and choose the best) as the plexi guy is going to start tomorrow! cant wait to see that stuff again, so cool in purple!

[Epyx]

didnt seem to want to save them once id rotated. might do it at home and then re-up them so its nice and neat

Ya its a bug...the original image will still look like it's on its side but the link will be rotated...same with clicking on the photobucket picture for an enlarged view...its just the thumbnail that looks like it hasn't saved

Cheers!

[opt2not]

Wow, I love the curves. Really nice shape you got going there. I'm going to keep watching this one develop for sure! 

[iammortos]

Spent last night re-creating a new Control Panel, exactly the same design, just made the holes slightly further apart, was much easier the second time.

and as of 5 mins ago, the CP has been picked up from my Plexi-guy and is off to have a cool purple plexi-glass cover made up 

so hopfully in a weeks time, ill have a picture of that! (we're moving flats next weeks so might not be an update till after next weekend

PS: just bought two other things for the man-room in the new house. A Bruce Campbell poster (Bubba Ho-Tep) and a "totally nerdcore" nudie 2010 calander thats full of horror movie shots

awesome... awesome to the max

[iammortos]

Small update for today, ill have pictures tomorrow for you all to gaze over (and hopefully drool over)

Last week:
1* attached afew more of the panels

2* countersunk all the screws

3* wood filler and sanded some of the not so good fitting parts and over the screws

Yesturday
1* i put the screen in last night, the 24inch looks very smooth in there and fits nicely

2* put the pc inside adn the speakers (just sitting at the moment for the testing weekned (flatwarming))

3* hooked up some of the lights

4* played some street fighter alpha

--------------
Today:

1* getting the CPO printed, pickup tomorrow or later tonight

2* picking up my purple plexi glass from the plexi guy

3* installign the control panel! wooohooo!

Tomorrow: Pics gallore! 
Saturday: Party on wayne!

[Gamester]

Tomorrow: Pics gallore! 
Saturday: Party on wayne!

Looking forward to seeing them! 

Party on Garth! 

[opt2not]

You big tease! 
I can't wait to see!