Check out my newest Project, I call it Mini-Mame. PICTURES BACK UP FOR THOSE WHO ASKED!!!

[jcovercash]

So after building a Mame Cabinet for GCS from these forums, I decided to build a cabinet for my girlfriend.

She liked the first arcade cabinet I built, and She wached me build most of GCS's cabinet and she kept telling me how she would like to have one but she knew she didnt Have the room. Well I set out on the task of creating her a miniture version of a mame cabinet.

MiniCab.JPG
MiniCab2.JPG

It is going to be painted black and orange with some side art and a custom painted marquee by me .
Its running on a dreamcast too.


Tell me what you think.

Josh



UPDATE
ControlPanel.JPG This is the Control Panel Installed.

CustomTitle.JPG Custom Title Screen I made to show the cabinet on it.

Tetris.JPG Tetris w00t ....

Side Art Progress - Still need to finish the rest, just havent had time.....



Josh

 

[ky2pip]

It looks awesome :beer:

 

[Evadman]

That looks awesome!

 

[CPA]

Cool. One day I'm going to build me one of the full-size ones. One day.

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: CPA
Cool. One day I'm going to build me one of the full-size ones. One day.

You should you will never regret the fun you will have building it/playing it

Josh

 

[Kelemvor]

Awww, ain't it cute? What are you going to have for controllers and such? Enough for 2 players?

What you could do is make a full size Control Panel that somehow clips into place on the front but then could be removed and stored on end when not in use. If you use IDE cables, you could use two and fray oen end of each and then just get a connector somehow.

But it looks near for being so small.

 

[edro]

Holy shiat! That first cabinet blows away all others I have seen! Your tiny one should be just as good.

Great job!

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Awww, ain't it cute? What are you going to have for controllers and such? Enough for 2 players?

What you could do is make a full size Control Panel that somehow clips into place on the front but then could be removed and stored on end when not in use. If you use IDE cables, you could use two and fray oen end of each and then just get a connector somehow.

But it looks near for being so small.

Well I was going for all out compactness on this project.... Didnt want a big bulky CP hanging over.
It has 1 joystick and 7 buttons. Its hooked up to a dreamcast so I hacked a dreamcast control to use as my interface for my arcade controls.

Its only 15" Wide x 40" Tall x 20" Deep

Josh

 

[bleeb]

Sweet! Be sure to update this thread with pictures once it's all finished...

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: bleeb
Sweet! Be sure to update this thread with pictures once it's all finished...

Will do, the paint is drying now, Im getting ready for side art. It sorta looks like a harly ATM now though with the black and orange .

 

[sygyzy]

AMD - Extremely impressed buddy. I see you are already thinking a step ahead. The other week I was thinking how MAME on consoles (specifically X-Box) paired with arcade controllers, will change the world of home aracade cabinets/machines.

Think about how small a cabinet you could make with an LCD TV and an X-Box?

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
AMD - Extremely impressed buddy. I see you are already thinking a step ahead. The other week I was thinking how MAME on consoles (specifically X-Box) paired with arcade controllers, will change the world of home aracade cabinets/machines.

Think about how small a cabinet you could make with an LCD TV and an X-Box?

Yea I was thinking about making the table top ones next with an lcd. But hey if the dreamcast works for $15 why Get an xbox?

Josh

 

[mitchafi]

Looks really fun to make. You should publish a step by step guide

 

[maziwanka]

i agree (about the step by step guide). i do have a dc just lying around and it would be great to use it for an acrade in my basement.

 

[V00DOO]

Wow that looks awesome! What is the raw material cost? How much time does it take?

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: V00DOO
Wow that looks awesome! What is the raw material cost? How much time does it take?

I have under $200 total in the project, about 3 weekends in it.

Josh

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: sygyzy
AMD - Extremely impressed buddy. I see you are already thinking a step ahead. The other week I was thinking how MAME on consoles (specifically X-Box) paired with arcade controllers, will change the world of home aracade cabinets/machines.

Think about how small a cabinet you could make with an LCD TV and an X-Box?

Yea I was thinking about making the table top ones next with an lcd. But hey if the dreamcast works for $15 why Get an xbox?

Josh

Josh,

I wasn't saying X-Box is a better choice. I was just saying it's an idea. I have an X-Box and I know them. I don't know anything about DC

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz

Originally posted by: sygyzy
AMD - Extremely impressed buddy. I see you are already thinking a step ahead. The other week I was thinking how MAME on consoles (specifically X-Box) paired with arcade controllers, will change the world of home aracade cabinets/machines.

Think about how small a cabinet you could make with an LCD TV and an X-Box?

Yea I was thinking about making the table top ones next with an lcd. But hey if the dreamcast works for $15 why Get an xbox?

Josh

Josh,

I wasn't saying X-Box is a better choice. I was just saying it's an idea. I have an X-Box and I know them. I don't know anything about DC

Neither did I but just a few hours of research it is working

Josh

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Is there some site that helps with this stuff? It's a project I'd really like to consider doing

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: AgaBooga
Is there some site that helps with this stuff? It's a project I'd really like to consider doing

With mame, or making the little cabinet? Build your own arcade controls is a good starting resource.

Other than that just google around.

Josh

 

[sygyzy]

Josh - How did you interface the MAME controls with the DC? The only solution I have found for MAME controls to console is the X controller with a USB adapter.

But that is a pre fabricated keyboard. Don't all the MAME-heads use the ipaq or whatever? Where you buy a kit from some guy/company in the UK and wire it up then it has a usb interface? How do you connect *those* to the console?

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Josh - How did you interface the MAME controls with the DC? The only solution I have found for MAME controls to console is the X controller with a USB adapter.

But that is a pre fabricated keyboard. Don't all the MAME-heads use the ipaq or whatever? Where you buy a kit from some guy/company in the UK and wire it up then it has a usb interface? How do you connect *those* to the console?

Yea I have always used an ipac from ultimarc.com but that doesnt work on anything but a pc so I just hacked a DC controller. This here, Then those are wires are going to be hooked up to the Arcade controls acordingly....

Heres the cabinet with some paint. The purple stripe is painters tape not paint.

Josh

 

[sygyzy]

I don't understand how you did this. Are there instructions? I can figure that each wire carries on on/off (1/0) state so you know when it's pressed. Ok, but what interprets it and sends it accordingly so that the machine and MAME software knows that ok she pressed the fire button?

 

[jcovercash]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
I don't understand how you did this. Are there instructions? I can figure that each wire carries on on/off (1/0) state so you know when it's pressed. Ok, but what interprets it and sends it accordingly so that the machine and MAME software knows that ok she pressed the fire button?

Ok each button has two contacts. A ground and a Hot. Each ground is connected. So you only need one ground connection. You then link that to the arcade controller microswitch. The microswitch has 3 prongs. Normally Open, Normally Closed, and Common. You link your common/ground off the dreamcast contoller to a common on the acarade microswitch. Then you link all those commons in a chain.

Then you run one wire from each button on the DC controller board to the Normally Open contact on the microswitch. When you press the button it is like pressing say the X button on the DC controller. Then the DC controller board tells your program running on the dreamcast that you pressed X and it acts acordingly.

Josh

 

[bloinkXP]

AMD - Great mini-case! I can't wait to see the end result. You should definately send this to Saint on BYOAC. It's nice to see a case that doesn't have the massive control panel these days.
I have a DC and I played with MAMEDC and some older roms. I seem to have an "overscan" problem. Ie the TV cuts off 10% from the top. Did you run into this?

Great Cab!

-d