VGCollect Forum
General and Gaming => Off Topic => Topic started by: scott on October 26, 2012, 12:35:46 am
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(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/21697512/RetrotronMarq.jpg)
Hey all, I'm working on a new Mame arcade cab for a friend of mine and thought I'd share the link to the build progress thread over at BYOAC. The plan is to make this old cab look like a Robotron cab, but instead the art will all be modified to read "RETROTRON: 1984". I've been commissioned (read: given a bunch of PS2 games) to build this as a surprise for my friends 7 year old son. And the plan is to sneak it into the house just before he has a big sleep over with his friends on the 24th of November!
If you're interested in the project, feel free to check it out over here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,123258.msg1308938.html
Wish me luck.
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Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. I'm been promising to do a MAME cabinet for my brother for over a year, but I'm still a little intimidated, as I'm really not very good with electronics.
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They are a super fun project and once you get rolling on it you'll learn a lot on the fly. If you wanna check out my cab's thread (Right Here) (http://tinyurl.com/6s883hc) I did a pretty good write up on the whole process and maybe it'll give you some pointers. Also, if you need to ask questions feel free and if you want you can hop on the BYOAC forums and they are great at encouraging folks and helping overcome obstacles.
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That looks like a cool project. Are you going to be doing custom side art on it?
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Ya basically, I'll be taking the Robotron: 2084 graphics and changing them to say Retrotron: 1984. So rather than 2084 down the side of the cab, it will say 1984. 8)
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That's pretty sweet! Nice work so far. :)
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Thanks! I hope to have the artwork done soon so I can get that on order. It's the only thing I'm worried about at the moment, since once I order it, it's out of my hands and I'm at the mercy of the printer's schedule.
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Just finished doing the artwork!
About to send it off to be printed, possibly tomorrow. I just need to do some last minute check and tweaks to make sure that all 3 of the prints have the exact same colors, especially black.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/LOPWyrm/Retrotron/ControlPanel.jpg)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/LOPWyrm/Retrotron/RetrotronBezel.jpg)
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That looks so cool. I can't wait to see it when it's done! ;D
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Those graphics look great, I can't wait to see the finished product.
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Thanks guys. I put in the order for the graphics late last night and now all that needs to be done is the PC and cabinet work. If all goes well I should have no problem meeting my Nov 24th deadline.
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Posted a new update. We are now 2 weeks away from the deadline. Will he make it?
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Good luck Scott. Just read your whole thread on the other forum ... looks like a really cool project. I have been thinking of making me some sort of mini arcade but Im not sure how its going to go. I may plan it out soon (I want it done before Ni No Kuni comes out cause once it does, Im going to be in hermit mode for a while). Once you are done with your project, maybe I can beat some details out of you on how to get mine going. :P
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Ha, k. You may be able to glean some idea from my other thread too.
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Oh man. The artwork was at my house when I got there.... they look so sexy. It just made me that much more hyped about this project.
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New Post! http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,123258.msg1315904.html#msg1315904
Here you'll see the side being painted, the control panel being assembled and a few other misc things. It's all starting to come together and I just found out that we're gonna move it on Saturday. So that means I can do any last minute touches on Friday night. But I should have the paint don by Wednesday at the latest to allow ample cure time.
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That control panel is really cool. Love it.
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Thanks!
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It's looking great!
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Thanks, I'm totally starting to feel the pressure of the deadline of this SATURDAY. Sigh...
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Haven't even posted this on the BYOAC boards yet. But, thought you all might get a kick out of it.
I wired the control panel into the cab tonight and hooked up the coin door and a couple misc buttons. Then I cut the Plexiglas and the monitor surround and got that mounted into place. Then I finally was able to put the t molding on the edges. Now all that is left is to stencil the side art on, mount the speaker box and mount the PC and she's done!
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/21697512/IMG_20121120_232323.jpg)
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Looking good! I cant wait for you to do mine. :P
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Ha, after this one, I need to find the funds to finish my Centipede bartop and finish that finally. Its going on 3 years since I started it.
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But ... but ... but ... I need you to make this for me!
(http://www.amiwiitos.com/juegosgratis/dragon_quest_victory2.jpg)
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Ha the amount of time and work in making a replica of that, you'd be better off getting one shipped from Japan. :P
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You dont have any plans for the next 2 years, do ya? 8)
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But ... but ... but ... I need you to make this for me!
(http://www.amiwiitos.com/juegosgratis/dragon_quest_victory2.jpg)
This might be the ugliest arcade cab I've ever seen.
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While I will agree that isnt the most visually appealing arcade, I must have one!!! That would be my holy grail of Dragon Quest collecting. :) I just wouldnt be able to read the thing.
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Finished it... kind of. I may have screwed up the PC for it and it is currently running on my PC from the SHMUP. Which means I am without a mame cab until the PC for the Retrotron is fixed/set up.
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/21697512/IMG_20121124_141007.jpg)
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That is pretty effing awesome. :) Nice work!
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Thanky. I can honestly say that this project involved a lot of blood, sweat and (almost) tears. :)
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That looks awesome. You, sir, have real talent.
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That looks awesome. You, sir, have real talent.
Thanks!
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So what did your friend think of it? :)
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Oh they love it. They had a party the night that I brought it over and there were like eight 7-8 year olds playing on it. There were a few hiccups, but I got the bugs fixed and it's pretty much fully operational. Of course, he's using my PC for the moment until I get the one for his cab fixed... I kinda borked it. ha
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That looks awesome now that it's complete, I don't know how I missed that you had finished it!
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Thanks man! It looks really good in person, I wish that the pictures showed it better. But without professional lighting it's really hard to get things to look their best with just a digital camera in the basement. I'm really surprised with how well the metallic paint turned out, I was expecting it to look gaudy. I'm glad its in it's new home for sure and now Matt helped me fix the PC for it so I'll be able to get my cab up and running again in no time.
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And as of last night I have the PC ready to go. We created a minor issue with how the PC loads up when matt got it running again. somehow we ended up with an extra user and all the settings transfered over to it. The xp login screen wouldn't vanish and when I set it to auto log in, it would sign in the original admin account with default settings.
I got it all set around 11pm last night though and its just a matter of doing some quick soldering on the power button and we should be ready to rock... again
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The power on button has now been bypassed and the PC is getting swapped into it's final home tonight! woot!
Also, here's a little before and after
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/LOPWyrm/Side_By_side.jpg)
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Looks great Scott!
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Braved a snow storm tonight in order to do the PC swap. His PC hooked up no problems, I did a little touch up paint on the side art where we scratched it and everything is running smoothly. Then I headed back home and reinstalled my PC back into the SHMUP and got the graphics all switched back around.
Was it the smartest move to drive in crap weather to just swap PCs? Prolly not. But it was well worth it. I'm now officially done with the Retrotron project and I have my mame cab up and running again. So I'm really pleased atm.
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I'm now officially done with the Retrotron project
You know what that means ... Time to start on my DQ arcade. :D
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Are you prepared to buy me every game I want for the rest of my life, regardless of price?
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Do you age like a rat? :) If not, then Im not sure :P
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Nope. My family is pretty long lived actually. ;D