Control Panel suggestions needed please?

[nexus446]

Hi, new here but have been following MAME for many years but finally building my first cabinet at last! 

Ive searched on here for ideas but cant find anything specific to my needs so forgive me if its been posted before but there is so much info on here to search through  , anyway here goes....

...I need some ideas for a control panel layout for a 2 player 30" wide cabinet (although it can be a modular contol panel that is wider than the cabinet if needed) which will be used for mainly street fighter type games MK KI SF etc, classic asteroid  & defender type games but more specifically which is causing me headaches is it must have dual joysticks per player for Smash TV etc (I love that game!)

Im thinking of standard street fighter layout per side with the extra 7th thumb button per side but cant decide if to fit the second dual joytick to the right of the button layout or to the left of the standard joysick? Im thinking of using a top switchable 4/8way stick for the main player 1 stick and using the existng street fighter type buttons for all the games i will play (either on P1 side or P2 side depeinding what feels comfortable?)
Somewhere Id also like to fit a trackball if possible and Id like to keep the layout as simple as possible to keep an authentic look so Im only going to use one admin button as a pause and use the ipac4 with player 1 button to shift & pause to escape games, any other admin could be done by shift button 1,2,3 etc for functions like TAB etc (im hoping anyway?)
Id like your thoughts and suggestions on how to lay this lot out or improve/modify my thoughts as Ive not built one before so dont know whats tried n tested or what dont work! 

Cheers people.

[Crazy Cooter]

My input:
- Put the secondary joys to the right of the button layout for each player.
- Put the switchable joy as P2 instead of P1.  That will put it towards the center of the screen.
- Consider a top button joy for the secondary joys (like Doc's dual tank configuration): http://www.beersmith.com/mame/

Keep in mind that having different types of joys on the same panel for Smash TV can feel goofy to some people.  You'll be over 30" with 4 joys, a neogeo button layout & a trackball if you don't do a modular panel.

[nexus446]

Thanks for the input, I was thinking the same in putting the second dual stick to the right of the button layout, I think i will prob go for a set of 4 mag stick plus`s so I can keep them all feeling the same and also have the function of configuring whichever one feels right for 4 way action when needed.  Is there an industry standard for joystick to button distance or even button centre distances etc?  so many loose ends to tie up in finalising the layout and dont even get me started yet on controller panel overlay questions lol 

[severdhed]

Thanks for the input, I was thinking the same in putting the second dual stick to the right of the button layout, I think i will prob go for a set of 4 mag stick plus`s so I can keep them all feeling the same and also have the function of configuring whichever one feels right for 4 way action when needed.  Is there an industry standard for joystick to button distance or even button centre distances etc?  so many loose ends to tie up in finalising the layout and dont even get me started yet on controller panel overlay questions lol 

i dont know about industry standard for spacing, but i have always gone with 3" from the center of the joystick hole, to the center of the closest button hole, and 1.5" spacing between buttons at the center of the holes.

[Crazy Cooter]

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

Joy/button spacing layouts with dimensions.  Print to scale desired.

[nexus446]

 
thanks people for the input, that puts logic to the spacing etc now I just gotta figure out the best possible layout to include the extra dual joystick per player (I love smash TV!!) 

[LeedsFan]

I also love Robotron and Smash TV. Yeah I'd go with the buttons between the two joysticks for each player. But I'd also consider dropping other controls if you really aren't gonna use them much. For example I would drop the trackball personally and add a spinner instead. A trackball really needs room around it to be played properly and the joystick handles will most likely be a little too close. I just trying to visualise it in my mind and I can see myself bumping my hand against the inner two joystick handles    You can set the trackball higher of course but then that might make the CP deeper and look a bit odd (you also need room above the trackball so you don't hit your hand against the screen.) A Spinner is much smaller and a couple of buttons either side would look fine.

It's all personal choice but I'd say that 90 percent of the planneing is all in the CP. A cab can look like sh!t but play brilliantly if the CP has been well thought out and planned.

[nexus446]

 
Thanks for all the input guys, I never even considered adding a spinner until mentioned as I only thought it would get used rarely for arcanoid or tempest but thinking about it it could be used for analogue steering input too for driving games.  Your right in saying that 90% of the planning in building a cabinet is in the CP design, ive been racking my noodle for some time over it!  I need to get a final design done soon as Im planning on getting Gameongraffix to design me a MK2 themed CPO, thanks again people