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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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0.  Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:07 am Post subject: DDR Cabinet design |
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| Man, I'm tired of google searching and finding nothing. Does anyone know of a site that has step by step instructions on building a ddr/stepmania arcade cabinet from wood? |
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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| 1. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:08 am Post subject: |
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| Oh, and pictures too. |
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DeVolver
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Joined: 04 Feb 2005
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| 2. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:28 am Post subject: |
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No idea mate.
But have you tried checking online stores where they sell all the parts? That might give you some ideas for measurement.
It would be a big project, but mostly it would be monkey work.
you could just make a shell of a cabnet, with all the decals and stuff, then, put a computer inside, and a T.V. with stepmania. Hook up some metal pads with a USB adapter.
It doesn't have to be a pro cabnet, just has to look like one.
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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| 3. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| I don't care about stylish metal pads or flashy decals or huge speakers, I just want to know how to make the shell and make a usb adapter (which I know how to make thanks to stepmania.com) |
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DeVolver
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Joined: 04 Feb 2005
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| 4. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:26 am Post subject: |
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http://www.ddrfreak.com/library/contributor-article.php?postID=7818281
there you go. Scroll down a bit to the "Physical Specifications and Maintenance"
Then, if you need to order anything for the machine, you know, like, DDR cabnet specifics, any lights, or any buttons, and such:
http://www.channelbeat.com/products/parts/dance_dance_revolution_parts.html
Even if you don't plan to buy any parts for the machine, it's good to see their measurements, so you get an idea.
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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| 5. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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PICTURES!
And I want to know exact sizes of boards, exact cuts of boards, and exact......those things.
And more specifically, I want to make a stepmania cabinet, not a DDR machine. I just want a shell and monitor stand so I can put my computer and TV inside. |
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j1ng
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Joined: 09 Feb 2005
Location: Kansas City, Kansas |
| 6. Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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j1ng.bravehost.com any questions just ask me.
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Ko5
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Joined: 26 Jan 2006
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| 7. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:21 am Post subject: |
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| maxx freak wrote: | PICTURES!
And I want to know exact sizes of boards, exact cuts of boards, and exact......those things.
And more specifically, I want to make a stepmania cabinet, not a DDR machine. I just want a shell and monitor stand so I can put my computer and TV inside. |
Well not to sound like a smartass, but you arent doing any work here yourself or contributing to the project. use your head bro, think about it. You arent making a professional machine so I doubt you will need everything one has but lets just go for some specifications.
1. What kind of monitor will you use? This will be the basis of the width of the front and back of your machine, as well as determine its length (sides). If you use a CRT (tube) television you will need to make a larger machine, if you use a LCD you will be able to use a smaller machine
2. Is this commerical -- ie: are you going to have it set up to accept coins? If so you need to factor in where the coin chambers are going to fit and which size coin chambers you are going to use (size meaning how much money it will hold).
3. You said you werent going to use "flashy metal pads" so you are using soft pads? In this case think about this the monitor is on a slightly downward angle (I am 5'9) so, I would say that the monitor should be mounted roughly at about 5 feet 6 inches, or 66 inches (this should be the center of the monitor, then add half the height up and down to get where your mounting brackets should be.
4. Are you going to be machine vaulting? If you are you should suggest a steel frame with wood panelling covered by aluminum and then paint/stickers.
5. The plastic that will cover the screen, how wide is it going to be, and are you going to make a slot fo it to mount into on the inside or are you going to screw it on the outisde? Make sure if you are mounting it on the inside the brackets for your monitor are wide enough to support the monitor AND the plastic.
6. Are you going to hook up the strobe lights and speakers like an official ddr machine? If so I would suggest making the machine a little taller than regular machines because to me those strobe lights go right in my eyes if i look the wrong way, you will also then need to construct and purchase speakers ot put in the box.
7. Are you going to put a ps2/xbox, stepmania, or an official ddr arcade box inside there? If you are going official then you might as well buy your own machine, its like $500 for the cpu, then if you want mem cards and all the hook ups and poopy its gonna run you pretty steep. If you are going with Stepmania MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BOX THAT
--Wont crash
--Wont overheat
--Has a card strong enought o accurately push those arrows across your screen for elongated periods (local movie store tried doing it through a box and theirs couldnt push it)
--You have a way to perform maintenance on the box and it is cool enough for the box.
8. If you want exact dimensions and pictures how about this -- GET A TAPE MEASURER AND A DISPOSABLE CAMERA AND TAKE SOME DIMENSIONS YOURSELF, IM SURE THERE IS A MACHINE SOMEWHERE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO YOU.
--Okay now im making my own box and this is what im going to do--
32" LCD
Im going to have a hookup for my laptop that is external, otherwise I will have it running on a PS2 / DDR Extreme2 (I left my PS2 on for 1 week straight before it froze so I think its pretty reliable).
Im going to put 4 10" subs in it
Im NOT going to include the strobe lights
Im going to hand paint it or i might purchase stickers
Im going to build or purchase an identical replica of the arcade pads
I will have it accept coins (only $0.50) but im only gonna have it hold about $100 because I dont plan on having it set up commercially really.
Im going to make it about 48"s deep so it will be slim, it will have a steel frame, covered with wood panelling, covered with aluminum to give it a "cool to touch" feel and an industrial appearance. Im going to mount a 32" LCD inside with a 4" thick plexiglass covering it. It will be 36" wide with external speaker enclosures
At the base I will have it weighted down with something (not sure if i will use weights, lead, or sand) with about 100lbs so if someone does machine vault it wont be moving (that + the wood steel aluminum and electronics should make it sturdy enough
It will have the classic arcade shape
Hopefully you get the picture, where that slop is im going to cut off about 6"s of the size so it can have a slight slope.
With the SMM box I can easily do the front buttons, I dont know how I will do it with a PS2 yet but I will work something out.
I hear you cant just "buy arcade pads" well im calling Konami today to find out.
Oh and as far as you searching on the internet -- well you are a liar and you really dont deserve any of this information ive told you or will tell you. Occasionally machines come up for sale, when they do come up for sale you can check their DIMENSIONS
This is for pump it up exceed
Main Body: 81" H x 44" W x 32" D
Steps: 7" H x 88" W x 36" D
Now if I was you I would do this right here. Before you start buying plywood and 2x4s and poopy think about it, how sturdy do you want it? Just gonna use it to look cool? Well then id go with plywood and a 2x4 frame some screws and nails and you are done. Now if you want it to be something besides a square box, cut the shape out on cardboard, then use a jigsaw, tablesaw, whatever and cut the shape out of the wood (use the cardboard as a pattern).
If you just want a square box, go buy one -- they sell those. Get one of those 2 door cabinets. Make the back face the wall. Cut out a slot for your monitor, mount it, put your machine in the back (conveniently placed doors) plug it all up and viola. easy peasy. |
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grumbles
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Joined: 03 Oct 2005
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| 8. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| Build your own cabinet without any plans, imo. DDR cabinets use an 8 year old design that is severely outdated. Is that really what you want? |
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ColorOfSakura
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Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Location: The user formerly known as Zajitarrius |
| 9. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| grumbles wrote: | | Build your own cabinet without any plans, imo. DDR cabinets use an 8 year old design that is severely outdated. Is that really what you want? |
And yet to this day that "severely outdated" cabinet design still works just fine for its intended purpose.
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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| 10. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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To Ko5:
1)An old SHARP brand TV, don't know the dimensions, don't have a tape measurer on me. It is a tube
2)No, no coins just stepmania
3)Yes soft pads, 2 ignitions
4)I don't know what vaulting is.
5)Plastic?, I just want a hole in the wood for the screen to show through, I'm not being that protective
6)Nah, No lights and I will just use regular computer speakers on high volume.
7)I just want to stick my computer (stepmania) into the shell.
8)Again, I don't have a tape measurer, and I am not planning to do this for a while because I may move, I am just getting prepared ahead of time.
Hope that answers all your questions |
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maxx freak
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Joined: 09 Aug 2005
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| 11. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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And yeah I just want it to look cool, and if all the wood and stuff is too much then I will go with a square cabinet.
But I doubt it will be too much, my dad has built a pool deck, a porch over concrete, a doghouse, a gameroom, a workshop... all from scratch. |
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Ko5
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Joined: 26 Jan 2006
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| 12. Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| maxx freak wrote: | And yeah I just want it to look cool, and if all the wood and stuff is too much then I will go with a square cabinet.
But I doubt it will be too much, my dad has built a pool deck, a porch over concrete, a doghouse, a gameroom, a workshop... all from scratch. |
Well I regret to inform you, you will need a tapemeasurer this is a fact. Okay so what you are going to want to do then.
1. Decide how tall you want the cabinet to be -- do you want it to be taller than the people playing or do you want it to be as tall or shorter than people playing?
2. Take measurements of your TV, its going to be the biggest factor in the size.
3. If you want to add design like i said go to a local hardware store and see if they have any empty refridgerator boxes, from there draw out a shape to cut out of the wood.
4. Before you start cutting the wood get a piece of paper draw all 6 sides (left right top bottom back front) what they will look like inside and out and where everything will be placed -- this will insure more accuracy when putting things inside and making sure you have enough room.
Machine Vaulting is where people jump off a machine and stuff for freestyle. |
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