***Free Play Arcade *** is coming!

[ffingers]

So, I, much like everyone else, has lurked here for awhile. I first wanted to get build a MAME cab about 8 years ago, but alas, I was a poor college undergrad and had no skill whatsoever beyond computers. Fast forward to today....I was jumping around and saw a MAME cab and it sparked my interest again. So, again, like everyone else, asked the wife and she gave me the okay!!!  

So I built a crappy PC from spare parts, got some ROMs and went to town. For the first few weeks I did nothing but tinkered with the ROMs and although I have a good set, I still need to trim them to something manageable. However, in my testing, I realized the PC wouldn't suffice as it didn't play a lot of games smoothly. So I am building a new monster for the cab, but that can wait.

So I turned to ideas and themes. I battled through and got some ideas....I started designing something and came up with the title of "Free Play"....and had logos and Mala themes already done up...but it wasn't what I had in my head. So last night it hit me...the "All-you-can-play Arcade"....and the marquee will look like neon like an old diner sign...and i will use neon effects on the control panel and theme and make it look very diner-esque....i THINK i can pull it off  

so after all the art work i have done over the last few weeks, it's gonna be scrapped....but i will post it here...just for posterity sake and if anyone would like to use or have the files...

i also grabbed two happ comps cheap from a member here off ebay (yes i wanted happs )and got some buttons and did a rough layout of the buttons on some foam core board, but i don't like the scheme so the control panel is being re-worked again as well...

finally, i decided to base my plans off Knievel's Neon Mame, but I didn't want to make just another clone, so I tweaked it a bit and now, it's not much like it anymore....haha....i am attaching a rough sketchup model for your opinions...

soo...without further ado...let the thread begin....

the cab will have a 27" JVC television to start - to be replaced with a WG D9800....so the specs are made to house both....
computer specs i will list later....

here's a rough google sketchup...don't mind the floating panel, as i am going to make it a little bigger, i haven't made the "box" for it....

thoughts, suggestions???

[Gamester]

ffingers,

Congrats on the start of your project!

Here are my comments on your initial design:

The slant of the lower front face might be a problem, since it appears you're planning to use a coin door.  The protruding area you have there for the coin door and the inward slant of the face would possibly prevent coins from being able to travel through the mech and into a coin box properly.  Assuming the coins would even make it past the edge of the protrusion, you'd almost need to build a "tunnel" on the inside of the face to route the coins down the slope.  Another option is you could have it slant down part way, then flatten out so the coin door has a verticle surface to mount to and path for the coins to travel.  Probably just something you need to play around with.  At the very least, I would be very thorough when determining your angles and distances to be sure you know the end result will work like you envisioned it.

Also, just from a purely aesthetic standpoint, I'm personally not too crazy about the overly flat top and non-sloping back.  But, the bottom line is, it's about what you like...

The design process is definitely a trial and error thing.  You're off to a good start!  I applaud you for trying to make your own unique version.

Good luck!  Looking forward to watching your progress.  

[ffingers]

thanks for the comments...always welcomed...

as for the your idea on the slant of the coin door, i can't quite envision what you are saying... could you try again...cause i thought about the coins and what not....although from the drawing you can't really tell...it's only about a 4" protrusion from the front i think ....so i am thinking it might not be an issue...maybe i can grab some dimensions of the coin mech and see exactuly how far out it would stick...

i am also concerned with how to open the front for PC access so that is weighing on me too...i really like the slant, but it's a matter of finding a way for it to work....

as for the top...yeah...looking at it again, i see what you mean....i personally like a lot more curve as well, but when i was playing initially, it looked a little too thin if i dropped the back, but i might adjust that like you said....i am also going to round the edges on everything of course...

i am still REALLY new to sketchup and can't figure out how to clip or convert the corners into a nice rounded corner easily....so i am doing just rough sketching at the moment....

like i said, i'll post some art i worked on but am now going to scrap

[Gamester]

as for the your idea on the slant of the coin door, i can't quite envision what you are saying... could you try again...

Sorry for not making myself more clear.  Basically, you have to consider where the coins drop out of the bottom of the mech.  If you draw a straight line down from that point, depending on how far out the door protrudes from the front (or from the back side perspective, how far INSET it is), and how steep your slope is, the coin is possibly either going to hit the ledge of the protruding area, or if it makes it past there, it may hit the slope on the way down.  

If I'm still not making sense, I can probably illustrate it for you.

[ffingers]

no i got that part, but not your suggestion as to how to fix it...

but i think i understand now...something like this....looking at it from the side???

[Ryglore]

Unless you go with the Over/Under style coin door. If that's the plan, it's really no problem, since the bottom section is for the coin bin. Of course then you would need to figure in the extra height into your measurements. Also, when you think of it, 4" is a lot of distance. The standard coin mech is only 3" deep if I remember correctly.

This is a suggestion from Yvan256 for when I was working on the sloped front panel of my cabinet. You may want to go with something like this, with just a little bit of an offset.

[ffingers]

yeah i guess i sort of forgot about the coin catch 

might have to re-think the front...i think the over/under would work, but the length might make it stick out so fare and look funny....hmmm...

[Ryglore]

I guess it all depends on the slope of the front panel. At the bottom of my CP stand on SHMUP it's 12" and the top, where the control panel box sits is 15" or so. Which when I recessed my coin door it's only inset maybe 1 1/2" - 2".

[Gamester]

ffingers,

Here's the approach I was thinking about when I said that:

[Ryglore]

ffingers,

Here's the approach I was thinking about when I said that:

The only problem I see with that, is the coin door may be a tad bit low?

[ffingers]

yeah that was my thought....i initially did that design and it came out too low for my tastes...it was only like 18 inches off the ground...it would be a far bend... 

[Gamester]

yeah that was my thought....i initially did that design and it came out too low for my tastes...it was only like 18 inches off the ground...it would be a far bend...  

Obviously my drawing wasn't made to any sort of scale.  It all depends on how your control panel is configured.  If your CP protrudes outward (like the Neon MAME design you referred to) and your coin door is too high, you won't be able to see to insert the coins and you'll end up bending down in that scenario too...

Since you haven't completed the design of your CP area, it's hard to say exactly how your coin door should be positioned.

[ffingers]

So I have updates....

i should be starting construction some time next week...but i have FINALLY settled on a marquee, name, and cab design....so any opinions would be greatly appreciated!! hope you guys like...

here is a pic of the marquee, and some cab views....i haven't added controls to the sketchup model yet nor have i added the coin door and a couple other small details, but it is done enough to see the basic shape....

let me know what you think....

BTW...i am not sold on the blue lines on the marquee (you know the maze lines in pacman)...it seems off to me...wonder what you guys think?

[emphatic]

The cabinet design look very nice. I like the roundness at the back. Perhaps you could try and match that curve in the front under the marquee space, like the shape of classic TAITO cabs? The marquee graphics looks like it's been commercially designed, but more like some modern touch screen or slot machine style than arcade IMHO.

[jasonbar]

I like the marquee design--but perhaps instead of dollar signs, Pac-Man could be eating dots that, upon closer inspection, were quarters or tokens?

Thanks,
-Jason

[ffingers]

@emphatic - thanks...i did consider rounding that portion as well, i may do a version with it curved to see how it looks...i dunno though....i am a little scared with the two big curves i already have in it....lol...as i am not a woodworker really...(i'm okay, just never done anything this involved)...so adding another one was intimidating...haha...

as for the marquee...is it the pacman and the dollar-signs that makes it look less arcadish???

@jasonbar - thanks a lot, i really like this design, i have gone through a handful of revisions and this one my wife actually liked...the only thing i am not sold on is the pacman...the way it is in there....i dunno...it just doesn't seem to fit well enough for me....initially i had the dollar sign in the circle and was going to put a slash through it, sort of like no-smoking type sign...but then went with pacman and added the dollar signs as the dots....

problem now is that the wife said she actually liked this version and said he was hoping i was going to add pacman...haha...so i have to figure out a way to pacman without it look cheesy...i am think i might add a character version of pacman in the bubble...that might work best...and just forget about referencing anything having to do with money in the marquee...

[Gamester]

ffingers,

I really like the new cab shape as well.  I'll have to respectfully disagree with emphatic's suggestion of making the area under the marquee round as well.  I think it would be too much.  I do however think you should make sure your corners are all rounded off and not pointed as in the render.  Not only does it look a little more "finished" IMO, it also makes T-molding installation a little easier when you don't have to make sharp 90 degree bends.

Did you do away with the coin door?  I mean, I understand that it somewhat conflicts with the whole "free play" theme, but at the same time, that area under there looks really plain without something there.  You could always do something clever like have the coin door, but make some custom button inserts that effectively say "No Token Needed" or do the ghost busters thing with a dollar sign marked through.  Anyway, you could probably be creative with it and stay true to your theme.

Just my $0.02.  I like the direction you're going...

[kizer]

Or you could have the $ be $ with slashes through them to say well its free.

[ffingers]

thanks gamestar....

that is initially why i didn't round out the viewing area under the marquee...but i may test it out just to make sure on yours and my feeling...

as for the rounded corners, i agree 100%...it's just doing rounded corners in sketchup is such a PITA...i just started using it and that design above is actually my first real attempt at using sketchup to make anything...i can't find a simple way to make corners so i didn't add them...but i plan on rounding all the corners..in fact, i have a thread going about how to make rounded corners as i can't seem to figure out how to make consistent ones....i am likely starting to cut mdf this weekend, so i am preparing...

and the coin door...oh yeah i am still doing it...most definitely, just didn't add it to the design yet....i wanted to make sure the design was good before i started adding all the little details like controls, coin door, etc....

as for the free play..i have my own little idea which i haven't seen done before...it's nothing huge, but i think it will be neat....essentially i am making it that with a turn of a KEY...i can turn on or off "FREE PLAY" buttons (essentially the 1 and 2p quarter buttons) and always leaving the coin mech operational...

this way my son and his friends and my nieces and nephew, when they come over, it's not truly free play...but how many tokens daddy gives ya for the day! but for me and the wife, it will always be free play  

[Gamester]

as for the free play..i have my own little idea which i haven't seen done before...it's nothing huge, but i think it will be neat....essentially i am making it that with a turn of a KEY...i can turn on or off "FREE PLAY" buttons (essentially the 1 and 2p quarter buttons) and always leaving the coin mech operational...

this way my son and his friends and my nieces and nephew, when they come over, it's not truly free play...but how many tokens daddy gives ya for the day! but for me and the wife, it will always be free play  

Oooh, I like this idea A LOT.  I actually wanted to have the ability to disable those buttons on my cab too, but I figured I'd need to do it via software.  I didn't think about doing it mechanically.  I may try your idea.  :-)  Will certainly give you credit, if it works out.  

If you've worked out any of the details on how you're going to do it, I'd certainly appreciate the info.

[emphatic]

The thing that does look "non-arcadeic" to me is the color choice, as it's so bright. I think the oval "window" should be round as well, as it sorta clashes with the roundness of the Pac-Man chasing the $.

I actually put a coin button on/off switch in one of my JAMMA cabs, but inside the coin door:

[ffingers]

i see emphatic...i like the bright colors  ...i have a red and black Honda CBR (see avatar) which is why i am sticking with the red/black scheme...and really only yellow pops out enough...i am going to change the pacman tonight though, i'll update it tonight or tomorrow...

as for my "trick" gamestar...i will divulge...i have already worked it out in my head, and it SHOULD...work....

if you do a search for "key switch" you can find mechanical switches that are keyed...meaning that if you put the key and rotate it left or right, it essentially opens or closes a circuit...very very basic structure....

what i planned on doing is wiring the coin mechs to my key whiz directly so they are always "live"....then...UNDER my cp...back deep so you would have to get underneath it to see it...i am going to insert the key switch...i am going to wire two "coin" buttons under the CP panel in the area that a player would stand...they'll be black and somewhat inconspicuous...these buttons will be wired to the same terminal as the coin mechs....BUT......seeing as the buttons have to be grounded to work....i am going to wire the grounds of the buttons to the key switch so that when the key switch is "OFF" - the buttons won't be connected to ground and will effectively be useless....once i insert the key and turn it "ON" - the circuit for ground will close and the buttons will work....this way....the "FREE PLAY" mode will only be available when i USE the key and turn on...

i have a feeling if i did it software...the kids would figure it out...lol...this way...unless you have the key...you NEED tokens...i also liked the idea because the will be no labeled coin buttons, but rather black buttons underneath the black CP that will only work when i let them work....should make for a clean look...i hope 

and just for example...a POSSIBLE key switch...

http://www.amazon.com/Off-Key-Switch-Round-Keys/dp/B001TR5BSE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258412039&sr=8-2

[ffingers]

alright...i am 95% sure i am done on the marquee....here she is...and the official name....you like 

[Gamester]

Marquee looks really good to me!   

And, thanks for the idea for the coin button lock...  I think I will definitely pursue that approach.

[emphatic]

  That marquee is 100% better!

[ffingers]

So sorry I haven't been on and posting updates...turns out my financial situation won't allow me to start just yet. However, I have worked on my CP quite a bit and tidied up the marquee so that I feel like the marquee is finished and the CP is "on its way."

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the joystick spacing. I went to slagcoin.com and got some base dimensions and worked off from there. If anyone is interested in the setup I used, let me know. I personally feel it's very comfortable and uses the staggered layout for the different finger sizes but keeps the verticals of the buttons in line as opposed to the Japanese layout where the verticals are also staggered. The staggered centers made my fingers hurt.

I tried this layout out on a piece of foam core board and it's very comfortable (even my wife said it was decent). I also measured how much distance I would need to "palm" the trackball and how much space I need around my hand when grasping the joystick. All these things were taken into account when they were laid out on the visio diagram.

Once I had all the measurements, I grabbed the visio stencils from BYOAC and started laying it all out. I also partially based the layout out on pixelhugger's Mission Control...meaning I liked the idea of the 4-way located above the 1-player 8-way and the spinner located above the player-2 8-way in the same manner. It looks clean and comfortable when all the button mapping is all laid out.

So let me know what you guys think of both the layout and the graphics at this point. All comments welcomed!

[emphatic]

  Good stuff!

[ffingers]

Thanks...it's not as good as some on here, but i think it's okay... 

[Pixelhugger]

Loooks awesome. You may want to print it out and attach controls to a cardboard mockup. I moved my 4 way a bit further from the 8 way to avoid having my left arm too close to the 8 way. Same thing with the spinner. Even if it "technically" clears, you don't want to feel crowed. Just a thought.