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Advice on MAME cabinet build (Actual build starts on page 3)


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#61 STAT

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Posted 20 August 2018 - 02:15 PM

btw. MAME: someone know, is "Pacman Battle Royal" avaiable and playable ?
Also i want to have "Ms Pacman Twin by Susilu" ...



#62 GInsonic

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Posted 21 August 2018 - 10:33 AM

btw. MAME: someone know, is "Pacman Battle Royal" avaiable and playable ?
Also i want to have "Ms Pacman Twin by Susilu" ...

 

Not within MAME but nevertheless available:

 

https://store.steamp.../PACMAN_MUSEUM/

https://github.com/vikbez/pacbrcade

 

http://forum.arcadec...c,119032.0.html (Hottie on first pic not included  :tongue3: )



#63 STAT

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Posted 22 August 2018 - 01:31 PM

Hey thats my Girl ;) ... thanks, didnt know about the "Mod", already have Pacman Museum.

Edited by STAT, 22 August 2018 - 01:31 PM.


#64 BoltBait

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Posted 22 August 2018 - 03:18 PM

 

Wood21.png

 

Wow! That looks really crooked, but it is not.  It is just the angle I took the picture.

 

Well, that was a damn lie. :(

 

I was cutting out the Lexan for the marquee last night... and the damn thing IS crooked.

 

The right side is half an inch higher than the left side.

 

Way too late to fix it now.  I had to cut the bottom of the Lexan at an angle and I kept the top level.

 

Then, I used spray adhesive to attach the marquee plastic to the Lexan.  I let it dry over night. Next up, use a razor blade to cut the marquee plastic to fit the Lexan piece. 

 

EDIT: Well, I've been chatting with my friend at work and he's encouraging me to fix the bottom rail so it will be level.  That means having to remove several screws (and wood putty), leveling the bottom rail, and reputty/paint the bottom rail. Then, I'd have to cut the Lexan to match the fixed rail.  I'll look at it tonight when I get home from work... *sigh*

 

EDITEDIT: Well, since it was crooked, I took off the bottom track that I'd made to hold the marquee and I made a new one.  I carefully mounted it straight this time.  Next, I covered the screws and seams with wood putty. Then, I cut the marquee Lexan straight across the bottom.

 

Here's a picture of it setting in place.  I still need to paint it, peal off the protective Lexan cover, and screw the top in. But, this is how it looks now:

 

Wood24.png


Edited by BoltBait, 27 August 2018 - 04:57 PM.

How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#65 rickh

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Posted 31 August 2018 - 11:54 AM

Boltbait,

 

I just got around to look at your masterpiece.  Very impressive, as with your pinball table, the paint job looks fabulous!  BTW- I got a HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error while accessing your website this morning.  I tried again and the problem was gone. 

 

Regards,

 

Rick


Edited by rickh, 31 August 2018 - 11:58 AM.


#66 Nemo

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Posted 31 August 2018 - 04:38 PM

That looks much better now ! Mêh, i know it took longer and is more work, but ain't you glad now you did it ?


Gone fishin', no really.......

My F14 Cab http://www.vpforums....showtopic=21820

My Coffee Table http://www.vpforums....topic=25407&hl=

My Jukebox WIP http://www.vpforums....topic=23825&hl=


#67 BoltBait

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Posted 31 August 2018 - 06:47 PM

BTW- I got a HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error while accessing your website this morning.  I tried again and the problem was gone. 

 

Yeah, I'm having nothing but problems with my hosting company right now.

 

 

I just got around to look at your masterpiece.  Very impressive

 

 

That looks much better now ! 

 

Thanks, guys!

 

The new bar is painted now.  I've been busy with other stuff, but this weekend I plan to put some solid hours into the cabinet.

 

Wood27.png

 

Next, I put on the top of the cabinet and secured the LED light bar to the top about 2/3 of the way back.

 

Wood27a.png

 

The light bar lights up the marquee perfectly--not too bright and, of course, there's no heat.


Edited by BoltBait, 08 December 2018 - 06:05 PM.

How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#68 STAT

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Posted 02 September 2018 - 10:38 AM

Someone also Play Pacman Battle Royal from Pacman Museum ?
I want to Play the Game with 2 Players without Controllers, but on Cab with IPAC 32 Settings,
up/down/left/Right and a/s/d/f.
It is possible to use other Inputs with X360CE (below, and as GinSonic mentoined above)
and further, with Keyboard - Keys with Xinput (below, dl from here: https://www.ngemu.co...o-x360ce.170425 ),
UNFORTUNATELY Key D is Pause in Pacman Museum someone want to solve it too ?

Attached Files


Edited by STAT, 02 September 2018 - 10:40 AM.


#69 GInsonic

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Posted 03 September 2018 - 10:40 AM

Hi Stefan,

 

X360CE or XInputPlus is not, what you will need here.

 

  • X360CE emulates XInput controllers using DInput Controllers but not a keyboard.
  • XInputPlus changes controller mapping of XInput controllers

 

What you really need is:

 

https://gitlab.com/S...Keyboard2Xinput

 

or

 

https://github.com/c...Output/releases

 

First one emulates XInput controllers using Keyboard sequences

The second one can combine different HID devices (including Keyboard)  to one or more XInput controllers.

And both use VigemBus and work flawlessly.

 

I did not try, if Key "D" is still sent to the game when using one of those above, but otherwise I think we can catch it using AHK (AutoHotKey).

 

Drop me a PM, if you have some questions, nothing is (or very few things are) impossible  :lol:



#70 STAT

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Posted 03 September 2018 - 12:08 PM

I will try it in the next Days, thanks :tup:

#71 BoltBait

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Posted 07 December 2018 - 06:20 AM

BTW- I got a HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error while accessing your website this morning.

 

I have moved my web site to a new hosting company... one that knows what they're doing.  No more errors on the site!  Plus, it's cheaper and they include secure hosting in the price.

 

...

 

MAME cabinet--where was I?

 

Oh, yes, I had just fixed the marquee frame and painted it.

 

Next, I cut out the bottom third of the back panel and mounted it.  I drilled a small hole for the power cable.

 

wood25.png

 

wood26.png

 

Next, I made a little frame for holding the speakers in the top section (just below the marquee).  I should probably get fancy and decase the speakers, but I made a decision a long time ago (before building my pinball machine) that I wasn't going to decase anything.

 

wood28.png

 

wood29.png

 

I ran the speaker wires down the left side of the case.  Looks like I'll need to get a 3 foot audio extension cord so that it will reach the subwoofer where it needs to plugin in.

 

wood30.png

 

I tacked the wires in place with some "U" nails.  Along the right side of the case I ran the cable for the marquee back light:

 

wood31.png

 

Next up, stuffing something around those speakers so they don't move around.

 

Then, mounting the subwoofer and case fan.

 

EDIT: I picked up a 4 foot audio extension cord.. add another 5 bucks to my build cost.


Edited by BoltBait, 08 December 2018 - 06:08 PM.

How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#72 rickh

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Posted 07 December 2018 - 06:51 PM

Now that I've finished my Pinball Cabinet (http://BoltBait.com/pinball) I'm thinking about tackling a MAME cabinet in the same vain.
 
Has anyone built one?  If so, do you have any advice for me?  Links to resources? etc.
 
Should I build a 2 player cabinet or stick with single player controls?  (I'm leaning toward single player...)
 
In addition to the standard joystick and buttons, I'd like to include:

  • A steering wheel (quick release? so it is not always in the way) for pole position, etc.
  • A ball control for centipede, etc.
  • A knob control for tempest, etc.

Anything I'm forgetting?  (I'm not really interested in gun games.)
 
I'm most interested in the older classic games (defender, star castle, etc.)
 
As I understand it, most people use a raspberry pi for this type of thing. Is that what I should use? I was actually thinking of using an old i3 computer I have.  Would this be better?
 
What software should I use?  I know about MAME, but is there other emulators that I should be considering?
 
What about menu software--is there something like PinballX for video games?

Im thinking about using my 19 4:3 LCD monitor. Or, should I get a widescreen monitor?

Dont feel you have to answer everything. :D Just give your opinion on whatever you like.

Thanks!

So , did you ever try the quick release steering wheel on spinner?


Edited by rickh, 07 December 2018 - 06:55 PM.


#73 BoltBait

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Posted 07 December 2018 - 07:08 PM

So , did you ever try the quick release steering wheel on spinner?


I have not started building the control panel yet.  That will be the last thing.  I have some really cool ideas for the control panel that will take some time to create.

 

EDIT:

 

More progress on the cabinet...

 

Learning my lesson from the Pinball Cabinet, I built a frame to hold the NUC right over the air intake fan:

 

Wood32.png

 

Only, in this case, I don't think I'll need an external heat sink as the i3 NUC won't get as hot playing the old video games.

 

Sitting next to the fan will be the sub woofer:

 

Wood33.png

 

At the bottom left of that picture, you can see the wiring for the gas pedal.

 

I mounted the sub woofer with some "L" brackets:

 

Wood34.png

 

And, I installed the top, back panel after drilling a couple of holes in it to let hot air escape:

 

Wood35.png

 

The area between the top and bottom panel will eventually be covered by a hinged door, like the backglass portion of my pinball cabinet.

 

I think it is about time to start working on the control panel.  I laid out all the buttons, joystick, spinner, trackball, etc. Now it is time to start working on the board that will hold all the controls. I bought a couple of hole saws (3" for the hole for the track ball and a 1-1/8" for the button holes).  I really wish I had a drill press... EDIT: I bought a drill press.

 

My plan is to first layout all the controls using cardboard just to see if my layout plan will work.  Then, drill holes in the wood.

 

Control00.png

 

My control panel is going to be made out of wood, covered with lexan, and a middle layer of a graphic (instead of paint).

 

Here, I used my new drill press to cut out the holes in the lexan:

 

Control01.png

 

Here's the final layout:

 

Control02.png

 

After drilling the holes in the lexan, I drilled the holes in the wood.  Then, I flipped the wood panel over and using the router, I notched out an area for the trackball mechanism. The wood panel is very thick and the track ball mechanism needs to be near the surface so that it can be used.

 

Control03.png

 

I have a color laser printer and will be using that to make the graphics layer that will sit between the lexan and the wood.  Here is a close up of the graphic I prepared:

 

Control04.png

 

The buttons are concave and clear.  My idea is to have the button light up (they have LED's in them) the color of the function of the button for the selected game.  For example, if the buttons above light up in blue, they are for left/right movement. If they light up in green and red, then they are for REVERSE and SMART BOMB.  Generally, blue will be for movement, green for thrust, and red for fire. If the button doesn't light up, it is not for use in the selected game.


Edited by BoltBait, 10 March 2020 - 08:36 AM.

How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#74 froggystyle

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Posted 18 March 2021 - 02:51 PM

Hi,

 

Just wondering if you ever finished th emame cab?

 

Cheers



#75 BoltBait

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 04:10 AM

Just wondering if you ever finished the mame cab?

 

As it turns out... no, I have not finished it.  It still sits in my garage in the exact shape shown above--all the parts and pieces still in the original boxes.

 

You see, real life got in the way:

 

In 2019, I lost my job... After working for Intel as a programmer for 23 years, my job was outsourced to a temp agency in India.

 

Being unemployed, you'd think I had plenty of time to finish the cabinet, but I was focused on finding a new job.  Not easy at my level of pay.

 

I did manage to find another job that actually paid better than Intel... but, it was in the insurance industry. So, I've been spending all of my time learning the ins-and-outs of our product while learning a completely different industry.

 

During this time, I rented an apartment closer to my new job. So, I only see my house (and garage) on the weekends.

 

But, things have settled down somewhat and I'm doing well at work (just got a glowing review for my first year).  I still only see my house on the weekends, but now that the weather is turning nicer, I'll be back to working on the cabinet again.

 

Last weekend, I cut out some small pieces of wood that I'll be using to hold my control panel in place.  Progress!  (... small as it is...)  So, there's hope I'll finish it one day.  My daughter and her family will be coming to visit in June and I'd like to have it finished by then. Time will tell.  :dblthumb:


How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#76 wiesshund

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Posted 23 March 2021 - 09:14 AM

 

 

 After working for Intel as a programmer for 23 years, my job was outsourced to a temp agency in India.

 

And this is why the programs no longer work right

Never get fixed

And it is futile contacting support, as it goes to a temp agency in india too


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#77 BoltBait

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Posted 21 August 2021 - 01:40 AM

And.... it's gone.

 

I lost my house and garage in the Caldor Fire in California 8/16/2021.  All the parts and pieces are now ash.

 

:bye2:

 

I still have the pinball machine I built as it was not home during the fire. But the video game is gone as are all my tools. I doubt I'll start over on it any time soon. Maybe I'll just buy a prebuilt one once I get a new house.


How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#78 wiesshund

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Posted 21 August 2021 - 03:47 AM

Good thing you got that insurance

At least a MAME cab is much easier to start over on

 

If it was a real cab that went up in flames though, that is a real shame

I mean it sucks to lose a hand built like that but when you torch say a real packman or defender cabinet, it's like well that is gone forever.

 

But that else did you lose?
Were all your clothes and dishes and what not in the house?
Pets? 120  years worth of family photos?

:(


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#79 BoltBait

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Posted 23 August 2021 - 02:49 AM

But that else did you lose?

Were all your clothes and dishes and what not in the house?
Pets? 120  years worth of family photos?

 

All that and more. (Except pets, they were not home at the time of the fire.)


How I built my B2S Pinball Cabinet, step-by-step, with pictures!  Full-sized cabinet for ~$700. Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

"Making anything with your hands goes wonderfully with whatever in your life you would consider your grind." ~Nick Offerman


#80 wiesshund

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Posted 23 August 2021 - 02:56 AM

That sucks :(

I am guessing you were too far away to do anything


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