Archive for ‘Portfolio Category’ :

Replacing your Marquee Lights with LEDs

Guest article written by Andy Thompson The flourescent tubes for the marquee lights are extremely difficult to find replacements for if they have broken or gone out. Changing them out for LEDs instead of fluorescent tubes is a long term solution that is also more durable, not to mention both…

July 3, 2016

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Foam Modding L-Brackets

Guest article written by Andy Thompson The most common modification done to any DDR/ITG machine is foam modding the L-brackets found inside of the pads.  This raises the arrows to be more in line with the adjacent metal plates and brackets on the pads. Doing this can make it require…

May 30, 2016

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Diffusing Lights

Arcade marquee lights, while attractive, lend themselves poorly to gameplay. These things are bright. It’s not exactly enjoyable to have the peripheral glare of a dying sun burning your retinas, which is probably why most of us hang a jacket to cover them up. Thankfully it’s a simple and cheap fix…

March 18, 2016

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Bass Neons to LED Strips

Most dance game cabinets come with neon tube lighting which flashes on and off during gameplay. While these look nice, if one of your lights breaks it can be difficult to find a replacement. You might also want to give your machine a refreshed look with a new set of lights….

December 29, 2016

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Replacing DDR Bars with Pump it Up Bars

If you’re an In The Groove or Pump It Up player, stock DDR bars are going to feel a little… lacking. DDR bars are shorter and narrower than ITG/PIU, and if you prefer height and width you can swap out your factory bars for something new. It’s unlikely you’ll find…

March 25, 2016

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Controlling Cabinet Lights with a LumenAR

What’s an arcade cabinet without lights? If you have a DDR cabinet running OpenITG (or other dance game emulator) and are looking for light support for buttons, pads and marquee lights, you can use a LumenAR to connect the cabinet lights to your PC. This wonderfully simple solution gives full…

March 25, 2016

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Removing Screws

Stripped screws are an enormous pain to deal with. Chances are your arcade cabinet is over a decade old, which is plenty of time for screws to strip, rust, and otherwise become near impossible to remove. Fortunately there’s methods for getting these suckers out. Below are a few options to…

March 13, 2016

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Countersinking

Tired of tripping over bulbous screws? Screws typically found on DDR machines are round, obnoxious and easy to catch your feet on. What you want is screws with a smooth head (called countersink screws) which sit flush with brackets/panels so your feet glide right over them. Project Breakdown Cost: $40…

March 13, 2016

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Arrow Panels Part 1: Making New Panels

Whether you want to replace your existing arrow panels or are building a new arcade setup, you’re gonna need plastic for the panels. Dance game arrows need to be highly resilient because, well, you’re crashing into them with your feet every day. There’s also something to be said about having…

March 13, 2016

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Arrow Panels Part 2: Arrow Decals

If you’re here, chances are you’ve already gone through Arrow Panels Part 0: Restoring Polycarbonate or Arrow Panels Part 1: Making New Panels. Here you’ll learn how to create, print and apply graphics to apply to clear arrow panels. Project Breakdown Cost: $40-80 Time: 2 Hours Skill level: Medium What You Need A set…

March 13, 2016

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Arrow Panels Part 0: Restoring Polycarbonate

If you’re converting a DDR/Pump machine to ITG or something else, to really complete the look and feel you’ll want some new arrow panels. If you’re looking for something cheap, you can remove the decals from existing panels and apply new ones. Be warned, this is a huge pain, takes a…

March 12, 2016

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Repainting Pads

Arcade platforms face a lot of abuse leading to wear and tear on the paint. Whether your pads are chipped, scratched, or just need a refresh, giving them a new coat of paint can bring a lot of life back into the look of your cabinet. Before you begin, please note…

March 21, 2016

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