Scratch Build – In Progress Project C-Macc's 2 - Sub zero arcade system..... :)

C-Macc’s 2 – The Revenge – Jan 2009

sponsored by Ultimarc at http://www.ultimarc.com you local source for High end arcade control's and the fantastic software front end Gameex at http://www.Gameex.net. All so im being sponsored as well By http://www.carcomputer.co.uk/. They supply a large range of Touch screens and small Screens that are excellent for modding. You may what to take a look they have some wonderful toys just waiting to be added to any good computer mod ...






A while back I took a jap candy cab and built myself a system that could play any game in the world. I re worked all the internals and upgraded all the hardware with in the cab so that it had the ability to play consoles to pc to old retro computing it was all covered. It has been and still is a big hit with everyone who gets to play her and always draws a whoo “How many games” …. And all ways the question “does it have so and so game?” which has always followed with a few clicks of the buttons to reveal it hidden surprises to its amazement of the guests. Followed by many hours of finger bashing pleasure that any arcade owner would be proud off.

Now as per the norm some people like the system and some who well they don’t but they are normally people who have never seen the system in the flesh and only seem to criticize for no good reason. There however was a few question’s that made me think and a few real “What ifs ?” that made me wonder.

Pics of the Past C-Macc’s below











But and this is the big but I was never realy happy. I hadn’t made the casing myself and all I had really done was introduced a way that all the systems could work together in harmony and beefed up the electronic components inside I needed more (I called it my ½ Mod). I decided to redesign a new model arcade system which I first called I-Macc’s but after finishing off the frame work and taking my time to view it in all its glory I decided it was not what I was after. It just didn’t jump out and kick you in the teeth. I was not happy.

Here are a few Pictures of I-macc’s from Concept to frame work before I took a saw and sent it back to the depths of depravity.

I-Macc's









I started up Google sketch up and after a few hours of learning how to use the program I went under my merry way of a complete redesign of the sub frame and control panel system. Now this took a few weeks of pulling the design apart and re configuring everything and well as you may or may not know just hammering away till it looked right and was feasible. I then started to build the 2nd frame but after the frame was built I came to release that I had missed one vital error and that was the width of the screen was to big to be seated on the frame work correctly and there was no way to fix this problem .. so I had started again but this time taking into account the Screen sizes.

Below are some Pics of the concept views of C-Macc’s 2 and a YouTube Video that I put up.

C-Macc's 2 The Revenge







and this is the Youtube Video i put up a while back



Link in case it doesn't work properly - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6-9kRb7JEU

So with a few ups and downs and with the recession seemingly hitting every one very hard I proceeded with my plans and started work on the sub frame of C-Macc’s 2.

Now to point some thing out before others do this frame work was basically designed around the looks of a Sega Naomi arcade cab but with some major design differences. You'll see them as the build carries on.

Sega Naomi Cab



Its taken quite a good few weeks to get this far due to the above problems but things are starting to look up. The frame work is built using Hollow steal 2 x 1” and this is what it looks like so far without the TV bracket mounting. Im stood next to it to give you a good idea of the size of the frame work.

Now some Pics of some of the work so far ...

This is the basic frame work complete with out the TV mounting fitted.



Now that will do for now ill post up more as the project progresses. Hope you enjoy the work so far. Im open to comments or suggestion of my project.

 

Forgot to add i did have a old Project log up but cannot seem to find it so ive started this one up. Sorry

 

it's here

looking..........I'll warch

Alan

 

Thks for that alien i new i had it some were. I have a mind like a sieve atm hehe.

Any way no pics just yet been working on the mounting for the TV and came across a few more problems. I was going to have the TV rotate 90 degrease to play games such as pac man and the like but because LCDs seem to be any ware from 3" to 5" in depth this caused a major head ace in the fact that only 32" can rotate and i would like to be able to fit up to a full size 50" . so that idea has been canned for the moment and i have reverted back to it just being able to be adjusted from 90 degrease flat facing to a 25 degrease slant. So if you sitting on a couch say you can view films on it or play console games from a distance easily and still view the screen flat and when you sitting up close you can slant the screen and still have a comfortable view.

This in turn will also help with games on the Wii and any gun games through mame as the screen is best suited to it being flat. Ill post pics once im ready to do so.

 

Time fly’s when you having fun. Here is a 32″ Samsung LCD Fitted. Ive taken photos at different angles on the frame. It will house up to a 50″ Screen which might be just a little to big for most but when i get the chance ill show it with a larger screen later on. Time to crack on learning wood work now lol. if next time i come on and i cannot type its because ive never in my life used a new tool called a Circular saw that ive just bought hahaha … finger liking good stuff …..

 

Some times you have to let your kids help .. he was doing well ....






But then he got a little fed up with it not fitting correctly so he got some thing a little larger to use to cut the wood.




















Extreme Modding to the Max !!!!!!!!!

 

Incase any ones intrested more pics

 

Interesting! I've seen some of your earlier work, and it looks really good! Would be really cool to try one of them, since I've never tried one in my entire life!

I wonder whar your neighbors thought if they saw your son with that chainsaw in the kitchen... Hehe.

 

Came across a big problem once the tabs were welded on. The tabs are to hold the back box in place. I found that i have cut the back box to short. So i have two chose, hack the hell out of the back box and make it fit or do it all again.

Now im going to re do it again as if i hack the hell out of it i will lose approx 1" off the back box and this is not ideal.

1) i lose hight

2) I lose my hidden wall to hide all the wiring

3) I lose 1/2" off were the pc will be fitted and this will cause air flow problems.

4) The lcd will not fit

5) it will change the looks dynamically

hence im going to remake the hole back box again but this time a little more carefully. This wont be just yet though as money is very tight so ill just have to weight.

 

A few small updates. the back box is being redone as it just was not right.

Mounting points now welded to the frame work.

CP Parts have been ordered will some of them any way and you can see my shopping list below -

2 x UltraStik 360 Ball Top with USB cable
2 x Blue Ball top for U360
2 x UltraStik Button / Encoder Harness
1 x PacDrive USB driver board. With USB Cable ID #2
1 x Extra cables for Opti-PAC (ps2 version not usb)
26 x Ultralux Chrome Illuminated Pushbuttons (blue)
26 x Ultralux 5 Volt LEDs (Blue)
2 x Joystick Mounting Kits (for Ultrastick 360)
1 x SpinTrak Rotary Control (opti Pack Version)
1 x Knobs for SpinTrak (Blue w Flange)
1 x Flyweight for SpinTrak (Large)
1 x U-TRAK Revolutionary new arcade trackball (U-Trak Pearl white for optipac)
1 x Optional Trim Bezel for U-Trak
1 x U-Trak RGB LED Illumination Kit
1 x Trackball Adaptor Harness for Opti-PAC
1 x Crimp Connectors (100 pack)
1 x Daisy-Chain Harness
1 x I-PAC 2 Interface (Ps2 cable)
3 x PCB Mounting Feet

Still got to get some more bits but bank account is now empty for another month after buying that lot above .....

You might think some things are missing but i already have some spares from a previous build.

 

Well some good news for me is Im now sponsored by http://www.ultimarc.com . This is good news as i love there products hence the whole control panel is being designed around there latest and best controllers.



So for all the BEST arcade controls in the UK goto http://www.ultimarc.com. all so if you do get some and see this let them know its from me ....

Ill be taking close up photos of all there gear as it arrives.

All so im Sponsored by Gameex one of the best FE for arcades out there !!! I should know i love it hehe.



www.gameex.net

 

Now one of the biggest problem is working out the lay out of the control panel for the system. Its easy enough to sit there and throw together a Google sketch but in practice this is no good in real life as it may not feel right.

So with a bit of card board in hand i set to recreate my control panel in a card board mock up. This will give me a good idea of placement of the buttons and joy sticks before any drilling has taken place. I think its called learning from your mistakes lol ... Now i fully understand its not to pretty but hay at least its going to save me a fortune if i mess up again ...







Once the new parts have arrived from andy over at www.ultimarc.com ill take some more photo and start placing them on the mock control panel.

 

well OND has been helping me out with concept drawings of the art work im looking for. Im a massive fan or HR Giger and well c-macc's 2 is going to have some thing close to his work. These pics were done By OND for me. These are just a taste of what is to come ..

These are original works so please dont copy them with out any permission from me. thank you.




This will be close to the CP top cover.

 

Well some of the new parts arrived this morning. from http://www.ultimarc.com

Ill go through wg=hat they are and what they do at a later stage.

Here are some pics of some of the cp items.










Below id pics of the Digital Ultrastick 360 being configured.





Vid of the track ball testing (U-Track) -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks1rLDR8gy4

 

working on the cp.












as you can see i first printed off some templates then simply cut the holes

 

testing the cp lights on test bed system

 

nice work!
keep on going!
nice joystick parts

 

That you for your comment its really appreciated.

Still working on the LEDs and lighting and the CP. Things are coming along but slowly. hehe

 

I love these types of projects. Good work so far.