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Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:13 am
by Trinity
I'm currently in the design stage of building myself a MAME cabinet. Due to space restrictions, it's going to be a bartop, similar in design to this one;

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I've got an old 17" flat screen that isn't doing much and an x-arcade controller that I can bastardise for bits.

I've finished the artwork for the cabinet and it's going to be based loosely on the original Bomb Jack machine.


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Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 6:48 pm
by TheTurnipKing
Those controls are going to have to be tiny.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:12 pm
by Trinity
TheTurnipKing wrote:Those controls are going to have to be tiny.



That pic's not actual size. ;)

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:29 pm
by TheTurnipKing
I'm approximating based on the assumption of a 17 inch monitor. It doesn't seem like you'd have space for two full size sets of genuine arcade controls on there.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 8:13 pm
by sw26
Keep us posted Trinity. I'd love to tinker about with this sort of thing but just don't have the time.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:11 pm
by Trinity
TheTurnipKing wrote:I'm approximating based on the assumption of a 17 inch monitor. It doesn't seem like you'd have space for two full size sets of genuine arcade controls on there.



I just need to make the bezel a bit wider. I will have the capacity to change the back panel and fit a 19" monitor instead. If my drawings are correct then the controls will be no problem. 2 joysticks (probably go for Sanwa ones instead of the Happ ones on the x-arcade) with 8 buttons per player and pinball buttons to the sides.
much the same as the original x-arcade stick.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 9:25 pm
by Trinity
Here's the Control Panel Overlay;


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I used the original overlay from the Bombjack machine and then added the bombjack from the elite version of the game (had to give him a new arm, he only had one) then added the bombjack logo and off to go.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:24 am
by mokeyjoe
Wouldn't it be better to pick up a big CRT? The graphics would look better and they cost next to nothing these days.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:09 am
by Trinity
mokeyjoe wrote:Wouldn't it be better to pick up a big CRT? The graphics would look better and they cost next to nothing these days.


Not really. I'd have to make the cabinet a lot deeper and the idea was that it would be portable (which it won't now).

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:08 pm
by SEP
If I had the resources, I'd love to attempt something like this. Good luck, dude!

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 5:09 pm
by Trinity
Here's a very rough mock-up.

Image

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:32 am
by Drunken_Master
There's a guy on Football365 who's done the same thing. Shame I can't link to the topic, as it's registration only. I've been following his topic for a few weeks

From this
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to this
Image

He hasn't quite finished yet though.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:08 pm
by Trinity
Drunken_Master wrote:There's a guy on Football365 who's done the same thing. Shame I can't link to the topic, as it's registration only. I've been following his topic for a few weeks

From this
Image

to this
Image

He hasn't quite finished yet though.



Have you got the pics back to front?

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:52 pm
by False
Id be interested to see how you get on with this, Keep us posted etc etc.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:08 am
by TheTurnipKing
It does seem to lend some credence to my concerns about the controls though. It looks a little cramped and the dude only has 4 buttons on there.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:35 am
by Trinity
TheTurnipKing wrote:It does seem to lend some credence to my concerns about the controls though. It looks a little cramped and the dude only has 4 buttons on there.


The control panel overlay I've posted is actual size. It's the standard X-arcade layout.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:25 am
by TheTurnipKing
Trinity wrote:
TheTurnipKing wrote:It does seem to lend some credence to my concerns about the controls though. It looks a little cramped and the dude only has 4 buttons on there.


The control panel overlay I've posted is actual size. It's the standard X-arcade layout.

Yeah, I figured. Curious as to how you get on with it.

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:00 am
by Turok
I hate to say this, but why would you sacrifice a SUPER MARIO BROS 3 ARCADE OMG BEST GAME IN THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!! to make your custom machine?

Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:58 am
by Drunken_Master
Turok wrote:I hate to say this, but why would you sacrifice a SUPER MARIO BROS 3 ARCADE OMG BEST GAME IN THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!! to make your custom machine?



:lol:

Duh.

It wasn't. The whole cab was built from scratch.

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Re: Building an arcade Machine.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:00 am
by Drunken_Master