Admin board buttons, what to have and why.

[Dafu]

My first cabinet is nearing its construction end (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=99167.0). The last hurdle I have is to make the admin panel. I'm trying to decide what buttons/features to have on it, so I'd like to start this discussion. What buttons do you have on your panel, and why?

Some buttons I've seen on other peoples cabinets:

• power button - seems to me placing this button anywhere near the controls is not a very good idea, as you might accidentally hit it by mistake, I'm leaning towards placing it on top of the cabinet, on the top panel, where it can't be seen.
  
• emu button - I imagine this returns you back to the emulator, definitely a good button to have, but also suffers from the troubles of being accidentally pressed and ruining a game...
  
• lists button - I've seen this on peoples machines, but I'm not sure how it differes from emu button? Does this just take you back to list of games? How is that different than emu?
  
• save/load - These seem like good buttons to have, but I plan to run a number of other console emulators as well. I'm concerned that between all the emulators these buttons will end up having very inconsistent behaviours, and be troublesome.
  
• pause - a must
  
• volume knob - a must
  
• headphone jack - my speakers dont have headphones jack, so I'm not sure how i'm going to extend a working jack to the admin panel, anyone have info on wiring your own? This has to be the kind of jack that cuts off sound to speakers when you plugin headphones.
  
• start buttons - Real arcades have these on the CP, so thats where they belong in my opinion.
  
• coin buttons - I'm going with a working coin mech, so I'll pass on these
  

Anyone else have any favourite buttons? Hard to make a final choice here before taking the admin panel to the drill!

[TheGameFan]

For mame, you really want a conig/menu button to setup controls, dipswitches, etc.

[Beretta]

well... personally im not planing on having any on the CP.. my project is still far from finished btw so take this for what it's worth.

i plan on using a series of button combination for things like exit.

everything else will be mounted on the door or near the door INSIDE the cab.. not the most convenient way.. but my personal goal is the cab should look as clean and arcade like as possible.. i would'nt want people to beable to get into my dips and service setting anyway.

if you REALLY needed to put admin buttons like coin drops and such.. i suggest 1 dedicated mame button.. and then use existing controls to do the functions.. IE: the single button would shift the controls to anoter purpose when it's held in.

this is easy to do within mames own input configuration.


as for head phones thats i cool idea.. neo-geo cab's had that.

[Dafu]

For mame, you really want a conig/menu button to setup controls, dipswitches, etc.

Wouldn't you only do that once per game, and save the settings in config files? (mame n00b)

[Blanka]

power button

That switch on the back you mean?

pause

Shame on you!

volume knob

Player-one-start (shift) with up/down of stick 1 works pretty good for that.

I'm going with a working coin mech, so I'll pass on these

At least link the lit coin button too. Coins is fun for... 1 day.

headphone jack

Bluetooth is your friend.

[TheGameFan]

as for head phones thats i cool idea.. neo-geo cab's had that.

A USB port would be a good idea too.
I was thinking of having one in the Neo Geo memory card location.


For my cab, I am just putting a power button on the top, a hidden config button (maybe behind the coin box), and a USB just above the coin box.

Everything else will be a combination of buttons. For example, pause could be 1P+2P start. (Not that I would do that of course!)

[sk8ersublime]

as for head phones thats i cool idea.. neo-geo cab's had that.

A USB port would be a good idea too.
I was thinking of having one in the Neo Geo memory card location.


For my cab, I am just putting a power button on the top, a hidden config button (maybe behind the coin box), and a USB just above the coin box.

Everything else will be a combination of buttons. For example, pause could be 1P+2P start. (Not that I would do that of course!)

YES! USB IS KEY!!!! I have been complaining so much lately because I do not have a USB port for easy access on my Cab.

[Blanka]

What is the use of USB?
Keyboard? Bluetooth deals with that!
File management? Wifi deals with that!
All that can be left out of the CP, leave it out.
USB only means too easy access for others for things you probably don't want.

[Dafu]

I should clarify, this is for an admin panel, not CP. See Mountains cab (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=63629.0). This admin panel is perpendicular to the CP, and doubles as a slot for the monitor glass. I think its a very clean design that does not clutter the CP itself.

[Blanka]

But without admin panel its even nicer

[Usul]

What is the use of USB?

Aimtrak Lightgun might be a good reason.

[Blanka]

Aimtrak Lightgun might be a good reason.

I would use a NES port for that. Lacks the dirty metal edges of a USB port, since buying them Apple-style is not possible for us earthlings.

[javeryh]

Unless you live alone, a "Pause" button is essential.  I can't go 10 minutes without my wife or kids asking me something.  I also think a coin button is essential because fumbling for quarters gets old fast - at least rig the coin return to act as the coin button - that way you get to at least pretend you are dropping a quarter in there.  My advice is to label everything clearly and make it as user friendly as you can.  Only "shift" functions that only you need to access.  Volume up and down is something that someone who is playing might want to do - if you make it shifted they will never figure it out or you will have to tell them eleventy billion times.   

[Blanka]

My advice is to label everything clearly and make it as user friendly as you can.

That can be done perfectly in software . Know the iPad? No button is labeled there with stickers, etching, or what else to hard-mark it.

[javeryh]

My advice is to label everything clearly and make it as user friendly as you can.

That can be done perfectly in software . Know the iPad? No button is labeled there with stickers, etching, or what else to hard-mark it.

I agree - but people are stupid... or at least the people that come over and play on my machines are stupid.  Believe it or not, in my experiences just adding a shift button confuses the heck out of people  *coughwomencough*

[MAME TIME]

maybe this will help you make up your mind, i only have a exit button because thats all you need, if people want to pause i tell them to hold player one start and press down on the joystick (ipac). i think a busy panel turns people off from playing

[Ed_McCarron]

No love for "O" and "K" buttons?   

[Dafu]

Thanks guys, right now I'm thinking:
Back to game list
Pause
Headphone Jack
Volume Knob

I will also look into rigging coin return for coin signal, which looks as trivial as hot gluing a microswitch. Thanks for that.

Everything else I will assign to my keyboard, which is built into the control box on a flip out panel (see my link above). I also already have 2 hidden USB ports.

So why do some people have EMU and LISTS buttons? Is EMU the emulator config menu or such?

[WhereEaglesDare]

All Im putting on mine is Escape and Tab.  I may put another one or two on there but tahts all I think I need.  EVERYTHING ELSE can be done using AutoHotKey and Shifting.  I am going to put my buttons on teh very top behind my marquee so my son cant get to them.

I am also putting coin buttons next to each player start button.

[Dafu]

All Im putting on mine is Escape and Tab

Whats Tab for?

[drventure]

What is the use of USB?

Aimtrak Lightgun might be a good reason.

Definitely lightguns. I put in 2 usb ports for handheld controllers. They're nice for Gridwars and several other games I love to play that are more controller oriented.

I put in a couple of PS2 ports too, for dance pad controllers (Stepmania is fantastic!)

But they're all on the side of the cp, up near the top, so you really can't see em unless you look for em.

[CrazyKongFan]

All Im putting on mine is Escape and Tab

Whats Tab for?

To get into the MAME settings menu. While people say once you set it up you don't need to go in there, I find I'm always fiddling with settings, etc in mine. I have ESC, TAB and P available on the control panel (with small buttons out of the way so they don't get hit accidentally). And sometimes I'll fire up a game I haven't touched before, so the settings aren't necessarily set to what I want, so it's handy to have it accessible. I also have my coin mechs wired up and do keep some quarters handy, but since mine was an old cab that was gutted, it had some security bolt holes next to the coin door. Found a couple push buttons at Radio Shack that fit in them perfectly and wired them to the coin switches too, so I can use either one.

No love for "O" and "K" buttons?   

Heh, just flicking the joystick left and right does the same thing, so nope...no love for O and K

[MAME TIME]

if your using a ipac you dont need a tab button, hold player 1 and hit right on the joystick if im not mistaken. but hey if you wants then by all means i guess

[severdhed]

pause and exit are the only admin buttons i would want on my panel.  I probably could do without the pause button as well, but i like a little symmetry.  anything else on the panel is just asking for trouble.  i had some shifted commands to do various functions (load/save/service menu/tab, etc) but even as shifted buttons, they were still getting activated accidentally by children.  yes, it is a little more convenient to have admin functions available on the panel, but the first time someone else plays your cabinet, you will soon regret it.  get yourself a wireless keyboard and use it for admin functions, you won't regret it

[Ed_McCarron]

No love for "O" and "K" buttons?  

Heh, just flicking the joystick left and right does the same thing, so nope...no love for O and K

Old joke.  Next question is "Will it fit in my basement?"

I put in a couple of PS2 ports too, for dance pad controllers (Stepmania is fantastic!)

Hm, I hacked a standard USB plug onto the dance pad and use the XBOX drivers for the PC.  You ever have trouble with the PC losing the pad?  Seems like once or twice a session it disappears and I have to unplug/replug the pad.

[syph007]

I settled on EMU, LIST, EXIT, PAUSE also volume and headphone jack.  I used to have a shift button with joystick up down for vol, but I really didnt like it.  What I assume is that EMU for most people will change what emulator is running... ie. MAME, Daphne etc... and LIST is to change the game list shown in each emu.  In mame I have a lightgun list, trackball list, favs etc...  I wasnt even going to put an EMU button, since I was only planning on haveing MAME, but now it seems like a good idea to add, just in case.

I would keep all destructive buttons off for sure, no tab.  Kids could hit that and mess up settings, but they cant mess anything up with what Im putting on, and Im not useing any shifted functions.  The only other thing I might add is save/load but that wouldnt be visible, id hide those somewhere.  Maybe even a pop open hidden panel.

[Blanka]

Believe it or not, in my experiences just adding a shift button confuses the heck out of people  *coughwomencough*

Yes, that's why it is a shift button. All functions are supposed to be hidden.

[XeviouS]

Best admin button ever is to map the "Insert" key, which is the game speed throttle. Hold down the key and you can skip boring game segments (intro's, change screens etc) in a matter of seconds.

[Dafu]

What I assume is that EMU for most people will change what emulator is running... ie. MAME, Daphne etc...

Doesn't the frontend take care of that in its top most menu?

and LIST is to change the game list shown in each emu

Change the game list, you mean switch between lists of games such as racing/fighting/classic/favourite? Wouldn't this also be handled by a frontend menu, and possibly by any of the joystick buttons if you wish?

[syph007]

What I assume is that EMU for most people will change what emulator is running... ie. MAME, Daphne etc...

Doesn't the frontend take care of that in its top most menu?

and LIST is to change the game list shown in each emu

Change the game list, you mean switch between lists of games such as racing/fighting/classic/favourite? Wouldn't this also be handled by a frontend menu, and possibly by any of the joystick buttons if you wish?

Yep the emu and list buttons would only be used in the frontend.  It's easier then using other means.  In an actual list i like joy up/down to be move up one item down one item, and left and right be to jump by letter.. so down to A, B, C in the list.   handy if you have hundreds of games in a list.

[Blanka]

handy if you have hundreds of games in a list.

Thats where the spinner comes in handy!

[WhereEaglesDare]

handy if you have hundreds of games in a list.

Thats where the spinner comes in handy!

Finally a practical use of a spinnder