Updated User Interface Design
July 7th, 2007I recently worked on the UI design again, and cleaned up alot of little things…
Control Panel Overlay design
February 17th, 2007(This is a flashback post actually written on June 5th, 2007)
The Control Panel Overlay (CPO) is the artwork that will surround the controls, and will also contain any button labels that players should keep in mind (attack, jump, etc..)
Cutting the new pieces
January 27th, 2007(This is a flashback post actually written on June 6th, 2007)
Well after much consideration to the options, I decided that it was time to start cutting our new pieces… I based my new design heavily off the original MvC cab design, so there was a good base to start off of there.
I made alot of different sketches as to the size of different pieces and their relation to each other…
Logo Design
January 12th, 2007(This is a flashback post actually written on June 5th, 2007)
As stated in my concept post, I wanted to evoke the artistic styles and sensibilities of both classic and modern arcade machines, while keeping a unique and believable identity. I began the Logo, GUI, and CP Overlay artwork at around the same time, and worked on each of them sporatically for months, taking in input and comments.
User Interface design
December 10th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on June 1st, 2007)
Although the arcade machine will look (hopefully) like the real deal , anyone playing games on it will really be playing off of a regular Windows-based Computer. It’s important to circumvent windows at every possible angle so any given player will not know that a PC is behind the works. Part of that is having a centralized piece of software (called a “Front-End”) that allows the player to browse and play all the different games I have set up through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) using the arcade controls and not needing any type of keyboard or mouse.
Control Panel’s layout
November 29th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on May 31st, 2007)
As stated before, I was doing alot of research into CP types and styles, and one name kept shouting out at me … LuSiD. Lusid’s cab and CP style is widely used around the community, and I felt as though his base was a good one to start from.
Drawing of MvC cab with Lusid CP I did
to get a feel for what I was gunning at.
Control Panel’s options
November 28th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on May 31st, 2007)
The demise of the last cab had at least one good side effect: it got me thinking a bit more seriously about the kind of control panel I wanted. At this point I had been browsing many different project and resource sites, taking everything in and trying to keep myself from just taking everything possible and finding a way to stuff it on there.
I ended up looking at my own arcade experience and reflecting on the types of games I played the most..
The Beginning, again.
November 20th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on May 31st, 2007)
After the fiasco from the last cab, we were at the drawing board again, which was unfortunate, but did bring along some positives. As it stood, we had no head start anymore, so anything I didn’t really like about the MvC cab could be changed. I still decided to keep the essential design of the side and front the same, though, as I did like the cab itself, and it evoked exactly the kind of attitude I was looking for.
I had to do a few things:
The Artwork and Name origins
September 20th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on June 1st, 2007)
I’ve come across many projects over the course of my time researching that had incorporated the word “Mame” in the name (referencing the main software emulator used to play arcade games), and used a collage of arcade characters for marquee, control panel, and side artwork. The naming never made sense to me, as most people will not know what “Mame” is, and thus won’t feel any sort of impact by the name, but I can’t say I didn’t feel the urge to splash the artwork with my favorite game characters.
As much as I felt that urge, though, I felt a bigger urge to make this machine truly my own.
Preparing a doomed machine…
August 19th, 2006(This is a flashback post actually written on May 31st, 2007)
The cab was delivered to me, and Will (friend of mine with woodwork experience behind him) and I started going at it. We cleaned it and took it apart for restructuring and strengthening.
