Monday, January 17, 2011

Drawings and cutting the wood will be starting on Thursday as Corey is working all week.

With my help from Elvis, it's now easy for me to simply buy a cheapie arcade stick from ebay and just rip that apart and re-solder my buttons in replace to theirs. At first I wondered if there would be a problem in ghosting or performance issues, but he said that it was all made the same and that it would all work the same. There would not be a difference for me to notice, and who cares - this is my first ever mame build and I've been a cheapass. Elvis stated that he only used the I-PAC controller on his original build because it was all that was available at the time.

 

This is what I'll be purchasing from ebay. Absolute bargain, $4.15 + $10 postage. I'll have to buy two, but that's still $20 cheaper than the I-PAC Controller and will be much easier to configure. My plan is to separate the internals from the casing, replace all buttons and joysticks with my own, and simply chuck them into the cabinet. All this connects simply via USB and will be recognized by the computer as the original arcade stick, only with better quality buttons and joysticks.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Well, today is probably a good day for a major update. Today, I bought two pieces of wood, it's not enough for the whole cabinet, but enough to get the sides done and some offcuts. The 2 pieces were 2400mm x 1200mm (12mm thick) MDF - it's very solid and will be great for the sides.

I only decided to get 2 due to money issue again as few hours before this - I also managed to pick up a 21" IBM CRT screen for $25.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Few people have actually asked me what the hell is a MAME. I do have a description, but I guess I still don't provide the proper answer.

So I'll show you in pictures of what I am building!

I love this cabinet. This is the reason why I want to build one. Thanks to Elvis, he has given me the inspiration - this is Elvis' first ever cabinet, I envy him so much for his talent. I hope that mine will come out as awesome as his. 







Random picture from the net. I love the blue lighting! It catches my eyes everytime! One day when I am experienced enough I will make something similar to this.

The side art decal is awesome. I love oldschool MAME builds. Something so retro, it deserves a 10/10. 





Well there you have it. These are just example pictures from the net that I have come across and really like.
Now you know what a MAME is. It is those awesome old school arcade games you used to play as a kid. A MAME is an arcade cabinet built to play more than just a single game, hence the name - Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator!

More updates soon - Corey and I will be going to Bunnings to pick up some MDF so hopefully we can start building the cabinet asap. Whilst we wait for more money to come so we can finally purchase our order from OzStick. Stay tuned fellas.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Well this isn't an update that goes towards our build log. This is just a minor update to show our button layouts.

From our previous post, you can notice there are 6 buttons for each player. We're changing this layout from the traditional 6 button game play to a 7 button layout. I do this following Elvis' layout as what he has done seems very appropriate.

 

Please note, the pictures dimensions are not accurate, this was just drawn in paint to give you an idea.

There are 7 buttons for in game play - I do this because the same reason as Elvis'. 6 Buttons (all red) will be required for games that require 6 buttons. Games that require 4 buttons, will use the bottom row (1 black and 3 red buttons). This makes the MAME compatible to play games in both 4 and 6 button configurations.

The centre button will be used as a Menu/Frontend button, which will exit games and take users to the MAME's frontend. 

 

This is the order that will truly start the MAME's build log. It hasn't been ordered yet as I'm a cheap ass - just waiting on additional funds. Here there are the orders for the 2 black buttons required for the 7 button layout. 2 extra button hole plugs, in case we decide to upgrade to an 8 button layout for whatever reasons.

2 standard microswitches, joystick mounting bolts, the IPAC controller which will be very vital in mapping the buttons/joysticks to the computers keyboard, some overlay for the control panel, and wiring kit. 

As stated before, Wednesday will be the next official update when Corey and I go and pick up some MDF. We decided on MDF as its much stronger than plywood - however people tend to not use MDF as its poisonous to work with (of course we will have our masks on).

Friday, January 07, 2011

Now that Christmas and New Years have passed, Corey and I have now started to focus directly on the MAMEs build log. We have actually been planning this project for quite some time but have been distracted by other reasons.

The design we will be following is from Elvis, someone I found searching the internet but turns out he is also a friendly OCAU member where I have also contacted him from. This is his first build log in which I will be taking guidance from. Link.

Today, I have received the first batch of buttons and joysticks from Austin Amusements. It was ordered on Monday, January 03, 2011 and surprisingly I received it in no time. I am very pleased with their delivery and order confirmation.

This is our very first MAME build, we have no experience in building cabinets or mapping the buttons to a microcontroller, so we are hoping for the best. With that out of the way, we chose the cheaper solution in our parts. I've ordered the Complete Arcade Joystick pack (2 Joysticks, 12 buttons, 1x Player 1 Button, and 1x Player 2 Button). I did this because if we however manage to give up on the MAME, it wouldn't be a problem to spend parts on the cheaper option. Of course, in future if we decide to build more, our parts will be top quality. Click here to view the button packed we purchased from Austin Amusements.

However, we are still far away from the beginning of the build. We still need to acquire some other items which will cost us more money. We are on a tight budget having pass Christmas. We are awaiting on an IPAC controller and wiring from OZStick, so until then we cannot start.

 

 Here's the buttons which came today! 

Now that we have the first batch of orders, there's no turning back.

Next update will be Wednesday,  January 19, 2011 - Corey and I will be going to Bunnings to go pick up MDF for the cabinet.