@eddybigdude What are you looking for? Artwork for the outside of the cabinet? Game art?

@clyde Thanks! Over the years I had a lot of time to think about creative solutions to problems in the build. I never anticipated taking it as far as I eventually did (you can tell the original design was quite simple). But I'm happy with it now. Maybe someday I'll try something more advanced, like rebuilding a classic cabinet in need of saving or something.

@cnoto Cool! I did something similar with the speakers in my cabinet, but I think yours turned out even better. The speaker covers were a good choice.

There are actually several MAME roms that are essentially video pinball machines. The coolest thing about them compared to console or PC pinball titles is that they actually prompt for coins (like any other arcade game) and keep real high-score lists (also like most other arcade games). Some are better than others, FYI. Time Scanner is pretty good, as is Pinball Action, Speed Ball and Grand Cross (which is really unique).

http://mamepedia.com/game/category/pinball

Just a quick update, and maybe a helpful suggestion for others.

I ended up hard-wiring button pairs in parallel and attaching them to the same port :

Controller 1 (numbering according to the above diagram)
J1_8 and J1_5 => left shoulder
J1_9 and J1_4 => right shoulder
J1_7 and J_11 => select
J1_6 and J1_10 => start

Controller 2
J2_6 and J2_8 => select

Thanks to everybody for help!

@cnoto Thank you very much. This database looks awesome! I will surely find the right stuff for my bartop.

@ReadyPlayaWon
Not "really finished", just need to to put a piece of MDF on the hole

This worked well. :)

I commented out the back button mapping in es_input.cfg.
I used Notepadd++ to inject <kidgame>true</kidgame> on the line just before </game> for each entry in the gamelist.xml.
I set ES to start in the arcade system.
I set ES UI Mode to Kid.

The only buttons that now work are Launch (A), Random (X), Page Up (L) and Page Down (R). Connecting a keyboard (already mapped) or exiting Kid mode gives me full UI control again.

This is the solution I have been looking for all along! :)

John

@sepsism wow it looks great!! Which cabinet plans did you use? Do you have any more information how you did this?

Thanks!!!

@chubsta

try https://www.arcadeworlduk.com they sell good arcade parts at reasonable prices and they do have kits ready to assemble, both flatpacks and joystick/button kits.

Mostly not at 4:3 or 5:4, as I said, because they haven't been manufactured in bulk in almost a decade. It is actively hard to find a brand new 4:3 or 5:4 LCD panel. 99% of new monitors are 16:9 or 16:10.

One solution to noise and ground loops is to use an isolated sound card for the Pi.

If the sound card is magnetically isolated, then noise and hum (ground loops) from the Pi can't get to the acoustic pathway.

Matt

I also have a Lenovo M92P Tiny that I can use. However, this bartop will be dedicated solely to arcade platform, I have changed tactics and just ordered a Pi3B+. I really want to use GPIO for the controls so I can remove the USB encoder.

I will use a Lenovo T430 laptop connected to our main TV for console emulation (4x PS3 controllers). This has Intel HD4000 GPU so it handles most everything that I care about.

John

@ClassicGMR @robertvb83 Okay, I can accept kids as "most hazardous environments". 😉

edit: Hm … maybe a slightly electrified wire mesh instead of the glass … but I digress. 😈

What a superb work man! I always dreamt of doing something like that

I wanna know if the gifts was a success? :)

@Kopfsturm Dude, this thing is awesome! What a beast!

Nice job.

squints "That wiring looks familiar"

I may have my carpentry skill down, but I am always in envy of the artistic skills other people can display. It's a shame about the one side but that is what first runs are for.

One other bit of advice. Be sure to give the outside a few coats of polyurethane or something to protect it after all that hard work on the art.

Very nice!

Nice suggestions from both of you. Thanks!

@caver01 There IS a recess/gap of about 2 cm, so you idea about a square piece of wood that fits the inside of the edges is quite brilliant. And would be very, very easy for me to do. It would be steady from sliding to the sides at least, and I can probably attach something on the back and/or front, so that is also keeps it from sliding back and forth.

The best part of that idea is almost that the recess/gap was probably going to look a bit strange on the stand (because the bartop bottom can't be flat on the stand), but this solution can actually hide that gap when it's on the stand, making it look more like a full size cap!