Documenting the Arduous Task of Creating an Arcade Cabinet From Scratch _ Defender Mame Project

7/26/2019 Documenting the Arduous Task of Creating an Arcade Cabinet From Scratch _ Defender Mame Project

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8/16/2014 documenting the arduous task of creating an arcade cabinet from scratch | defender mame project

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Tournament 2010

Feb 27 2013

No commentsDue to the vast amount of spammers trying to spam the comments, Ive turned them off. If you have any

questions, you can send an email to (no spaces) I wont get spam at gmail dot com

Thanks and happy arcading!

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Dec 5 2011

Folding panel assembly
http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7183/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7183/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7186/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7183/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7186/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7183/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7173/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/http://martoon.org/defender/2013/02/27/285/http://martoon.org/defender/tournament-2010/http://martoon.org/defender/about/http://martoon.org/defenderhttp://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7186/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7183/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7182/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7173/


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http://martoon.org/defender/ 2

view of panel brackets front door attached

Panel folded and door closed Inside view of the front door
http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7282/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7207/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7200/http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/folding-panel-assembly/cimg7187/


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Dec 5 2011

Its been a while
http://martoon.org/defender/2011/12/05/its-been-a-while/


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Ill be updating with as much steps as I can remember and borrowing my posts from the forum at

arcadecontrols.com: Defender MAME Project

Since my last post, I completed 95% of the Defender cab. So what happened? Once I got it to a place where it

was up and running, I brought it to work and let my co-workers beat on it. Ive had to reset the PC after power

outages and remap the controls a bunch of times after someone(s) accidentally remapped the controls a bunch oftimes, but luckily, nothing major has failed. This winter, I plan to take it home & fix everything. The next steps are

going to be:

Definitely need to do:

add stiffer joystick springs

add external power button

add external USB ports

move internal sound board controls to external

replace the wing latches

replace front door wire stop clean up the wiring

add the final paint and decals

Wish list

get a faster PC

install Maximus Arcade

add pinball plunger

add motion sensor

replace marquees with lcd dipslay

install Visual Pinball/PinMAME

devise method for push button transformation from 1 to 4 player

Comments Off | posted inplanning

Jan 30 2010

Cab Takes Shape
http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cab-takes-shape/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=90099.msg945831#msg945831http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/mameattheoffice.jpg


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Defender Cab Bottom View

Detail of the cab wheels A perplexing predicament of preliminary panel

placement

prototype vs final placement of hinges

Comments Off | posted in design,planning

Jan 30 2010

Installing the SOSS hidden hinges into the panel
http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/installing-the-soss-hidden-hinges-into-the-panel/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/design/http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp12.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp11.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cab-takes-shape/defender_cab_martoon/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cab-takes-shape/cab-bottom-detail/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cab-takes-shape/cab-bottom1/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cab-takes-shape/defender-cab/


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routing test piece first cut is the deepest

marking secondary cut secondary cut marked

eased on side view

side view clamping the piece
http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp210.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp205.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp204.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp203.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp207.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp206.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp202.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp201.jpg


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pre-drilling the holes placement of hinges

hinge detail testing fit

the plans 3/4 plywood for the sides


Jan 30 2010

Cutting the Sides of the Cab
http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/design/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides1/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides2/http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp209.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp14.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp13.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cp211.jpg


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ensuring straight cuts level as a straight edge

taken shape finished sides

Comments Off | posted inplanning

Sep 9 2009

How Does It All Fit Together?
http://martoon.org/defender/2009/09/09/how-does-it-all-fit-together/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides6/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides5/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides4/http://martoon.org/defender/2010/01/30/cutting-the-sides-of-the-cab/sides3/


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This is a quick visualization designed to get a sense of the dimensions for the unit. A lot of the geometry profiles

are built full size in Illustrator then imported to Strata, extruded then positioned. It ensures everything fits the way

its supposed to and that Ill also have a full parts list when complete.


Sep 5 2009

Prototype Panel Wired

With the prototype panel wired and assembled, Ive begun testing configuration and layout of the controls. Thistest run is performed on the iMac running MAME Library and MAME OS X plugged in through the USB

port. With all of the controls wired up, there are a total of 8 USB connectors coming of the top deck. Currently,

I only have a 4-port USB dock, so a full test wont be possible until I can pick up another 4-port at the local

electronics store. This test run was performed using the main control deck, player two and three sticks and the

trackball.

The main control deck is the top the defender layout. It contains Ultimarcs Mag-Stik Plus with 10 buttons

manually wired to the I-PAC 2 board. The I-PAC was custom encoded using John Keoni Morriss

MacIPAC.app The first thing noticed is how high the sticks feel from the deck. The original Defender cabinets

have the stick riding closer to the deck which which gave easy access to the reverse button. These sticks screwin from the bottom and the remaining stick just up through the hole. Ill be glad to play them once theyre sitting

deeper on the final 1/2 plywood rather than this 1/4 test plywood. I may even toy with adding an additional

spacer to sit it even lower. I like the feel of the Ultimarc control. Its a 4-way/8-way stick with 4 switches that sit

horizontal at the bottom of the shaft. They that make a satisfying click when they make contact.

This is the first time I found an emulated version of defender to be playable. That includes home console versions

as well as MAME where I find extremely difficult to play defender using a keyboard or any of the console

controllers. Having an actual deck to play from makes the game fun again. The spacing of the buttons feel great

and instinctive and even though the original defender joystick was limited to up an down, the 4/8-way stick does
http://www.ultimarc.com/download.php#ipacmachttp://mameosx.sourceforge.net/http://www.randomsequence.com/software/mame-library/http://martoon.org/defender/2009/09/05/prototype-panel-wired/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/design/


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a fine job.

Players one through four all use the Ultimark UltraStik 360. Although a bit pricey, these are the easiest to wire

up. These controllers come with a harness to allow 7 buttons to be connected directly to the joystick and from

the joystick to the computer is just one usb cable. This stick acts like a giant analog controller. I used it to play

the fighting game and although it does have quite a long throw, I found it to be quite responsive. This test hadPlayers 2 and 3 connected. I wanted to make sure two people can play comfortably. I did a test run with Mrs.

Martoon where, not only did I discovered that her cat-like reflexes are a valuable asset to kicking my ass but the

controllers also have plenty of space for two people to sit side by side with adequate room to play.

The final game test was Robotron. Unfortunately, the MAME setup on my MAC does not allow for individual

mapping of controls for separate games. As a result, I could not control the character using the two analog

sticks. I was forced to use one stick to move and the buttons to shoot. Less than ideal. Im hoping this will be

different once I move my tests over the PC.

Comments Off | posted in equipment,planning,play test

Mar 10 2009

Building the test Control Panel

This post is kind a of a big deal. It represents the first real step towards building this crazy thing.
http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/defenderdesktop2.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/2009/03/10/building-the-test-control-panel/http://martoon.org/defender/category/play-test/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/equipment/http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cimg6026.jpg


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Click the image for a giant desktop-sized render

Earlier in the week I brought home some 3/4 plywood, but realized that it would be too thick and cumbersome

for this control panel. I returned it & bought two replacement sheets , one 1/2 inch and the other 1/4 inch.

Quarter inch is way too thin for a good solid control panel, but perfect for a test board. I didnt want to spend a

lot of much time cutting and drilling into something that was thicker than it needed to be, especially for just a test.

Cutting Plywood

I used my plans from Illustrator to measure and lay out the marks onto the plywood for where the cuts were

going to be.

Need to modify

Doing this test build gives me the opportunity to see what tools Im going to need. Also to get a feel for the panel

to see where I need to tweak or make any changes.

The trackball needs to be moved over to the left. I originally laid it out so it sat dead-center on the control panel.

Aesthetically, I liked the position, even though it slightly overlapped the joystick casing directly to its right. I

thought I might be able to counter sink one or the other to make it work. Once I cut out the hole and mountedthe trackball onto the board, it became apparent that no amount of counter-sinking would make it work, not to

mention that quickly spinning the ball to the top-right would probably result in me snagging my hand on the

joystick, bending the stick or bruising my hand. Either way, It was too close and the trackball had to be moved

to the left.
http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/img_1793.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/cimg5642.jpg


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Test Panel from below

With the sample panel laid out, my next plan is to pick up some quick connectors and do a practice-wire-it-up.

Test Panel from right

That be it for now. The next step is to wrap up the plan measurements on the computer. Finalize the graphics for

the overlays, bezels and stuff, do a bit more research, then begin a final build.

1 Player Button

Comments Off | posted in design, equipment,planning

Feb 26 2009
http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/equipment/http://martoon.org/defender/category/design/http://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/cimg5638.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/cimg5673.jpghttp://martoon.org/defender/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/cimg5669.jpg


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1st delivery of product Yes!! free water bottle!

the buttons plus trackball unpacked Happ 3 Trackball

Controllers and spinners from ULTIMARC Close up of the Analog/Digital Joysticks

The first batch of controls have arrived

What a glorious day! The first shipment of supply arrived this evening. A box of buttons with an arcade style

trackball. (UPDATE: the second shipment appeared today. Now with all of the controls accounted for, minus

some shipment damage on one of the joysticks, I should be able to get started on testing the board layout soon.)

Comments Off | tags: HAPP,pushbuttons, trackball| posted in equipment

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design(5)

equipment(6)

planning(11)

play test(1)

Uncategorized(2)

Inspiration

Arcade Art Library

Defender CP layout details

Defender CPO (Aftermarket)

Defender Manuals

Defender Stargate / Missile Command Mash-Up

Docs Modular MAME

Frostillicus, rotating control panel

ggdb.com, 1980 Williams Defender

Jeffs Arcade, two tier control panel

Jilteds Defender Restoration

Killer List of Videogames

Mameroom Designs 4-Player Control Panel Kit

Original Defender Console

Prototype Williams DEFENDER info

Seven Sided Dual Rotating Control Panel

Links

A Play Defender In Browser

arcadecontrols.com

happcontrols.com

Joystick Reviews

MacIPAC.app for OSX

MAME Library for OSX

MAME OS X

mamedev.org

ram-controls.com

tnt amusementsultimarc.com

other defender projects

Defender Rescue

Ravsters Defender Restoration Project

Stargate Bartop
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=66946.0http://www.rtype.com/arcade/rgvac/def_week1.htmhttp://www.mameworld.net/massive/Cabinet/Defender/defender.htmhttp://www.ultimarc.com/http://www.tntamusements.com/http://www.ram-controls.com/index.htmlhttp://mamedev.org/http://mameosx.sourceforge.net/http://www.randomsequence.com/software/mame-library/http://www.ultimarc.com/download.php#ipacmachttp://www.arcadeparadise.org/reviews/joysticks.htmlhttp://www.happcontrols.com/pc/pc.htmhttp://arcadecontrols.com/http://www.stupey.com/Defender/http://rototron.info/default.aspxhttp://www.andysarcade.net/personal/defproto/index.htmhttp://www.quarterarcade.com/GamePicture.aspx?c=&g=566&o=0&m=1http://www.mameroom.com/ProductDetail.asp?ID=4PLAYERCPhttp://www.klov.com/index.phphttp://picasaweb.google.com/jilted/defenderhttp://cosmicjive.net/arcade/super/http://www.ggdb.com/GameByName.aspx?vid=737http://arcade.tomvanhorn.com/http://www.beersmith.com/mame/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/callum.henderson/basement_boomera_00000d.htmhttp://www.robotron-2084.co.uk/manualsdefender.htmlhttp://www.ggdb.com/Picture.aspx?c=Coin-Op&s=Arcade&vid=737&p=6505http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=82479.0http://www.localarcade.com/arcade_art/http://martoon.org/defender/category/uncategorized/http://martoon.org/defender/category/play-test/http://martoon.org/defender/category/planning/http://martoon.org/defender/category/equipment/http://martoon.org/defender/category/design/


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Documenting the Arduous Task of Creating an Arcade Cabinet From Scratch _ Defender Mame Project

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Transcript of Documenting the Arduous Task of Creating an Arcade Cabinet From Scratch _ Defender Mame Project