A Tough Job

[oreo632]

Hi there. First of all this is a great website. The participation of everyone is astounding. That being said please let me shed some light on my idea here. I have an original xbox, modded, and I am just about done with it. So what I want to do is put this into a cab to play not only the mame games I have on it but the xbox games I have on it as well. I know HarumaN does controller mods to setup arcade buttons to the controller. What I am really looking for is a way to transfer all of the controls from the xbox controllers (especially the analog joysticks) to the cp.

You guys are probably gonna laugh at me but my goal is to set up the arcade to play games like halo, fifa, madden etc from the cab. I want to do this from the cp NOT like I've seen with controllers with the wire ran through the cab. That looks corny. Obviously I will need all the controls to do this. I have an idea for button layout already. If this post gets enough attention I'll post it, but I can tell you that one of the joysticks would have a button on top that I would splice to the R trigger to use that for shooting etc.

I know that that is a lot of buttons but that is why I am converting a four player nba jam arcade to a two player xbox arcade. Is this possible?  Or would is xarcade, or quasimodo be the only way? Anyone know the price for the QuasiCon Axis-2 1P Controller? If all else fails I will go this route, but I'd rather not.

Any thoughts on this I'd appreciate it. I am picking the cab up this weekend. If interested I will post pics of the cab when I get it. If all goes well I will post my progress on here. Anyone who would be willing to hack or mod a controller to the specs that I mentioned above I would be willing to pay top dollar for. I am going to pm HarumaN and see if he could do this, but feel free for anyone else to offer or suggest something.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Flip The Switch]

Contoller will be the issue, i can imagine playing a twin thumb stick shoot like Halo, on some type of CP config.

[oreo632]

Contoller will be the issue, i can imagine playing a twin thumb stick shoot like Halo, on some type of CP config.

I agree thanks for the reply. Do you know of anyone who has tried this? It sounds tough but definitely do able.

[Gatt]

Contoller will be the issue, i can imagine playing a twin thumb stick shoot like Halo, on some type of CP config.

I agree thanks for the reply. Do you know of anyone who has tried this? It sounds tough but definitely do able.

The buttons are easy enough,  translucents with custom art.  The triggers,  that's tough.  Maybe happs has some analog flightsticks you could use,  I'd imagine those would be your only choice,  which honestly I don't think would be a terrible comprimise.  The D-pad's easy enough,  just use a set of four white buttons with custom art for the arrows,  TBH that's all the D-pad is anyways.

Edit:

I don't think it's ever going to feel right though,  the analogs are meant to be thumbsticks and you're always going to have a problem with choosing between an analog or the buttons on the right.

[oreo632]

Thanks again for your reply. My idea was to actually use the directional as a stick as well. HarumaN does something similar already to xbox controllers. I didn't realize that the trigger buttons would be such an issue. Well we will see. The analog joysticks will be the problem maybe I should just add extensions to the thumbpads and pop them up through the cp. I'm kinda running out of ideas here. I feel like I am heading toward frankenpanel and that is the last thing that I want.

Is there a way to mount a controller to the inside of the cp?  If so than I really don't mind going that route, just like you said the right trigger would be an issue. I'm scratching my head here.

[CheffoJeffo]

Maybe Quasimoto has something ?

http://www.quasimoto.com

Folks always mock their CP layouts, but I think they have delivered functionality that others haven't in terms of the analog controls.

[oreo632]

Yeah man! I was wondering the same thing. Does anyone know how much one of those cp cost? I might wind up calling anyways. I haven't seen anyone mention a price here so I will post whatever price I am told. Please keep the ideas a comin' this is my first cab. Once I get things set up a little more I will post my progress. I have to wait until the end of the week to get the 4 player cab. He is giving me quite a deal...4 player cab for 30 bucks!

[SammyWI]

Thanks again for your reply. My idea was to actually use the directional as a stick as well. HarumaN does something similar already to xbox controllers. I didn't realize that the trigger buttons would be such an issue. Well we will see. The analog joysticks will be the problem maybe I should just add extensions to the thumbpads and pop them up through the cp. I'm kinda running out of ideas here. I feel like I am heading toward frankenpanel and that is the last thing that I want.

Is there a way to mount a controller to the inside of the cp?  If so than I really don't mind going that route, just like you said the right trigger would be an issue. I'm scratching my head here.

Is it just the wire from the controller that you don't like?  For a console set up, I think I'd use wireless controllers and have some kind of nice cradle to place the controller on the CP when not in use.  Maybe put the cradle up near the bezel?

[oreo632]

Sammy,

That is a great idea. The only thing I don't like about that is that it wouldn't look like a real arcade. It looks more like something I put together. My goal is to make this look as legit of an arcade as possible. Thanks though for the idea.

Just got off the phone w/ quasimoto and they quoted me a stout price of $349.99 plus s and h!   I'm not all that surprised I just wish I knew how they did it. Somehow they are able to maintain the use of analog controllers without converting them to digital. I imagine that it isn't all that hard. I just don't know how yet. Any thoughts on how to bring the trigger buttons from the xbox controller to the cp?

[SammyWI]

Sammy,

That is a great idea. The only thing I don't like about that is that it wouldn't look like a real arcade. It looks more like something I put together. My goal is to make this look as legit of an arcade as possible. Thanks though for the idea.

...

NP.  You could also put standard arcade controls on the CP, and keep a couple of wireless controllers inside the cab.  Use the CP for MAME and only pull out the console controllers when playing console games.  At least it would look like an arcade cab most of the time.  Just another thought.  Good luck in any case.

[oreo632]

yeah that route is my last resort like you said at least it will look like a true arcade the majority of the time. I've got some ideas it just a matter of finding them online. They were like arcade stick that stuck on top of the analog joysticks. I saw them on here now I can't find them . well thanks again.

[BadMouth]

Things that haven't been done before are the coolest!  (but usually aren't done cheap)

It might come down to disassembling a controller and testing exactly how the analogue controls work.
I've never messed with the tiny pots in controllers before, but you might be able to hack them.
If they are 100k, it shouldn't be too hard to wire in an old analogue joystick (the kind that plugged into a gameport).

For the triggers, pedals might work.  Analogue triggers on analogue sticks woud rule, but now I'm dreaming.

Being able to hack into the little analogue sticks would be great, you could add a flight stick, steering wheel, pedals, anything potentiometer based.

[oreo632]

  That was just the kind of thing I was thinking. Could it be done with a flight stick? Like you said have the triggers be on each flight stick and the flight stick itself be analog? I think you just blew my mind... I'll have to research the values of each pot etc etc. what type of old analog joystick were you talking about? What kind plugged into a game port? Sry newbie here. I know someone who can probably find out the value of each pot. It might take a while but I will find out the value of each pot and post them here for all to see. Thanks again!

[oreo632]

Ok so here is what I am thinking in order to be able to play xbox games and mame, etc on an arcade. I am having HarumaN mod some controllers for me. I am also going to mount the controller board underneath the cp so that way the controller joysticks would be sticking out. Might need to do some hacking in order to get the trigger buttons where I want them.  I am also giong to purchase some Talismoon snapsticks that way I should still be able to utilize all of the controllers functions. The layout I am thinking about going with will be like this. Please be gentle I suck using ms paint: Any input on this would help as well. I color coded and labeled the sticks and buttons so that way you would know what is what.

Please please tell me what you think so far. When I have actual pics I know they will look much better.

thanks again to all who have put their 2 cents in and for all those who have read so far. 

[DeLuSioNal29]

Yes, I was going to suggest Quasimoto too.  I also have a modded X-box (a couple of them) and toyed with the option of putting it into a cab, but then abandoned it.  Instead, I pimped out my X-box with LEDs and such and use it as a portable MAME rig.  :-)  I also use it as a media center in my family room (I have 2).

But I noticed Quasimoto now has a new Joystick extension for the analog knobs:


That may make the control panel you build look more "legit".

Alternatively, you can find a second-hand Pelican arcade stick that you can simply take apart and transfer to your CP.  I have one that's intact (paid $40 for it a few years ago)  I never transferred it but I did open it up to take a look and it would be quite easy.


D

[BadMouth]

Found this other thread: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=95202.0

Doesn't look like anyone pursued it.
Seem to be 10k pots.

I have a generic pad that I hacked just for the experience, but didn't mess with the analogue sticks.
I'd like to tinker with it, but I have a bunch of other WIP. 

[oreo632]

Thank you so much for that last post. I did read it and talked to a close friend of mine who is becoming an engineer and said that finding a joystick and transferring it to a cp shouldn't be too bad. He and I are going to look at how to do this more tomorrow. Maybe I will get some answers by then. It might wind up costing me another controller, but thats alright. Ill post what ever I find out. Not giving up hope yet. 

[BadMouth]

I had another idea that was kinda interesting:
mounting the original little thumbsticks in arcade button housings, so they blend in with the arcade look of the panel.
You could operate them with a middle or index finger and they wouldn't interfere with the primary joystick.

[oreo632]

Hey man thats not a bad idea at all and I might wind up doing that. I found a couple different things I have that actually fit perfectly onto the gimble to extend the thumb pad out. If that doesn't work than I will prolly be doing what you just said. Actually that might look pretty cool. Thanks again man