[Project] KeRbDoG Bartop - WiP

KeRbDoG

I've been thinking of making one for awhile now, and the house party we had which I dig out my Naomi cab for folks to play was the push I needed to put together something a little smaller for folks to play. I'm no wood-worker (ha) so I've ordered up a kit from Arcadeforge. Pricey but I wanted a cab which I didn't need to hack around too much. Sanwa buttons and joysticks, bezel and Marquee acrylic sheets also ordered. Pic as/when it arrives/happens.

What will drive it I've no idea at the mo. Won't be a JAMMA cab from the start but I do have the bits/CGA2VGA adapter to do it. Most likely a Pi2 or PC to start, then who knows, a iCade multi-in-one cart with VGA out? I have a 19" 4:3 monitor which has been used under an hour according to the timer it has in the menus so might be ideal for it

If its a PC, emulator menu system - Hyperspin still the best to use?
If its a Pi2, what would you folks use?

The Last Bandit

If you're going with a reasonably powerful PC then Hyperspin does look the dogs-dangles BUT I do find it a bit overly flashy and distracting from the actual task of getting to the game !!
mGalaxy is a nice and clean alternative and isn't the resource hog Hyperspin is.

For the Pi the best option nowadays seems to be Retropi , minimal configuration needed on it and uses 'emulation station' as the frontend.

Steve X2

The Last Bandit wrote: »

If you're going with a reasonably powerful PC then Hyperspin does look the dogs-dangles BUT I do find it a bit overly flashy and distracting from the actual task of getting to the game !!
mGalaxy is a nice and clean alternative and isn't the resource hog Hyperspin is.

For the Pi the best option nowadays seems to be Retropi , minimal configuration needed on it and uses 'emulation station' as the frontend.

Isn't there another one for the Pi now, came out very recently and runs on everything from Linux to Windows? Can't think of the name at all but remember reading its a bit lighter than retropi.

The Last Bandit

Retroarch maybe ? Retropi uses that or rather the libretro portion as the backend emulator and replaces the supplied demo frontend with ES.

Not heard of anything else but then not paying a close eye on it either

Steve X2

Found it, it's called Lakka, not tried it myself but might be worth a quick download to see what it's like.

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-your-pc-or-other-device-into-a-retro-arca-1703576831

eddhorse

Steve X2 wrote: »

Found it, it's called Lakka, not tried it myself but might be worth a quick download to see what it's like.

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-your-pc-or-other-device-into-a-retro-arca-1703576831

Looks good thanks

KeRbDoG

Found an unused/love MiniPAC, button/joystick connectors ordered up as MiniPAC loom was a little modified when I used it on my Sega Naomi cab. I've since used a JVS-PAC for that instead so thats €50 saved!
Still in two minds what to use to drive the cab, a Pi2 seems to be an easy option but the eye candy of Hyperspin would be missed...if only they made a version for it/linux eh?

Myrddin

If you'll have the room, go an mATX setup with the full HS works. Agreed it can be flashy, but its so functional & literally takes care of everything once configured (from controlling virtual drives to load up iso's, to handling the complicated TTX2 stuff), it's a one stop shop

Speaking of, is there a way to get rid of "Optic Blast!", "Hadouken!" etc every time you scroll through games?

KeRbDoG

Myrddin wrote: »

If you'll have the room, go an mATX setup with the full HS works. Agreed it can be flashy, but its so functional & literally takes care of everything once configured (from controlling virtual drives to load up iso's, to handling the complicated TTX2 stuff), it's a one stop shop

Speaking of, is there a way to get rid of "Optic Blast!", "Hadouken!" etc every time you scroll through games?

Delete the sound files might be an easy way

Star Lord

Just turn that off in the Hyperspin HQ (Not HyperLaunch HQ)

KeRbDoG

First test fitting together - all held together with wooden dowels
14" monitor dated 2005 with only a few hours of life logged in the menu fits like a dream! Unsure what size 16:9 monitor would fit?



...and now with added perspex:

eddhorse

Looks good, thanks for the updates.

Not sure what monitor could fit, measure the width then figure out the 16:9?

Just divide your largest number ( width) by 16, and then multiply the answer by 9 to get your height.

CiDeRmAn

I still have that 4:3 lcd you gave me a few years back, would that be any good?

Myrddin

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Unsure what size 16:9 4:3 or 5:4 monitor would fit?

Fyp, & 19" all the way

KeRbDoG

Buttons added...need to order up 24mm buttons for the start buttons and coin



I've since added the monitor and wired up the buttons to a MiniPac.
Was running Raspicade on a Pi2 but it has too many emulators which don't work! might just cut it down to MAME(4ALL) for now OR just try RetroPie as suggested

KeRbDoG

Ah this might be handy, a ATX PSU breakout board to supply lots of 5V and 12V in the bartop
https://www.tindie.com/products/staticboards/atx-board/

Might be over kill when one of these might just be enough

If you want to save 20e just splice into the cables of your psu. Just use connector blocks!

KeRbDoG

Battling to find good arcade buttons which will mount through 1cm thick chipboard and also don't look/sound like ass for the Player Start and Coin buttons. Another batch on the way from the UK...we will see how this goes.
Playing around with Raspicade, very old MAME ROM set but sure it works. Got a pack of screen shots (for a later set, over kill but covers 95% of the ROMs) and a person made a nice script to create a gamelist.xml which gives you real names for the games rather than the cryptic ROM file names. Handy that.
Looks like to make full use of the cab a PC is really required. A Raspberry Pi2 is nice and all, but it isn't really good enough. In saying that, I enjoyed playing DOOM and Quake3 on it via the arcade controls a little bit mad

CiDeRmAn

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Battling to find good arcade buttons which will mount through 1cm thick chipboard and also don't look/sound like ass for the Player Start and Coin buttons. Another batch on the way from the UK...we will see how this goes.
Playing around with Raspicade, very old MAME ROM set but sure it works. Got a pack of screen shots (for a later set, over kill but covers 95% of the ROMs) and a person made a nice script to create a gamelist.xml which gives you real names for the games rather than the cryptic ROM file names. Handy that.
Looks like to make full use of the cab a PC is really required. A Raspberry Pi2 is nice and all, but it isn't really good enough. In saying that, I enjoyed playing DOOM and Quake3 on it via the arcade controls a little bit mad

A track ball!
You need to get in a trackball!
Turn the bartop into something fitting the Mame of Shame thread!

you can router out the chip board back to 3/4 mm!

KeRbDoG

BrownFinger wrote: »

you can router out the chip board back to 3/4 mm!

Ah to have the skillz to be able to do this Best case, I buy a wood drill bit to change the button locations from 24mm to 28mm. Easier maybe

KeRbDoG

Noticed I never updated this thread with at least a complete photo :) I think I did add speaker grills since. It had a NeoGeo MVS shoved in the back for a time, then a Pandoras Box for a time. Currently in storage in an attic.

CiDeRmAn

You just reminded me that Brownfinger is gone!

KeRbDoG

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119613109#Comment_119613109

What happened there?

Inviere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119613600#Comment_119613600

I could be wrong but I have in my head he couldn't stomach the new site and the whole craggy Island vibe the site has had for the last year.

eddhorse

Aww that's a shame.

Nice 7 year update anyways

Jack burton

Brownfinger has gone full troll.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119610934#Comment_119610934

I'm not really into bartops but that's gorgeous, you really did a great job on the artwork. I particularly like the little Bub and Bob on each side of the control panel. Nice little touch!