MAME cabinet 3D modeled and CNC milled
posted Nov 18th 2011 2:24pm by Mike Szczysfiled under: cnc hacks, home entertainment hacks
[Entropia] is just putting the final touches on his bar-top MAME cabinet (translated). The project started out as a 3D model to get the case dimensions just right. An old laptop is being, so the enclosure was designed to fit the bare LCD assembly and hide the rest of the computer. [Entropia] had access to a CNC mill through an education program and used it to cut most of the parts for the case out of MDF.
From there the build proceeds as normal. Mounting holes for the controls were cut with a drill and hole saws. We think it’s a bit easier to lay this design out once you have the control panel itself milled, rather than try to get it right in the 3D model. The image above is part way through the build. Since it was taken the case has been painted and a sound system was added but it looks like it’s still waiting for a bezel over the LCD and a marquee for the masthead.
You can see a demo of the game selection UI after the break.
[Thanks Lauri]
It’s nice and all, but that button layout kinda sucks to be frank. True, it’s comfortable to put your right hand in at an angle hence it being a tilted 3×2, but that’s not how you do it. This site shows a much better (and tried-and-tested) approach: http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html
Sorry to critique but I’m a longtime arcade enthusiast. I hate it when something is “so close, yet so far away.”