Swappable CPs: What controls on each panel?

[Necro]

Need some insight/thoughts on my CP setups.  Right now, I have the following (note that exit and coin are hidden under the CP area):

Fighter: 2 joysticks (U360's or 8-ways), 6 buttons each side, 1 & 2 player
Classic 'Multi': 2 Joysticks, Spinner, 7 buttons (2 on left, 5 on right, close to Multi-Williams Layout)
Alternative CP:Flight Stick (Saitek ST90 hack), Spinner, Trackball, 5? buttons)

For the spinners, I have a Arkanoid and Oscar/Tempest spinner and need to decide on which spinner to put on each pannel.  Leaning towards tempest on the classic and arkanoid on the 'Alternative', but not sure. 

Other options:
Spinner/Trackball CP: 2 Spinners, 1 trackball, 6 buttons (3 on each far side)  - This would replace the Alternative one above, eliminate a flight stick option from the CPs, and have the classic multi not have a spinner.

Thoughts?  Good, bad, insane?

[HaRuMaN]

Do a 7 button on the fighter, so you have the Neo Geo row...

[Donkbaca]

Insane is my vote.

Depends on what you like to play, really. 

[Necro]

Donkbaca, just trying to cover my bases on designs.  What sucks is I can get three COPs printed by mamemarquees (or whatever they are called now) for one price.....so....I'm trying to design all three at once.  I think it may end up being a bad idea...unless I can get things somewhat 'set'.  The other side of the coin is I'm using metal CP's, so I'm modding actual CPs from my cab I acquired...which means screwing them up is an issue as well (i.e., redoing a layout is a PITA).

I def. like the first two layouts and have mocked up the fighter one and played on it a bit.  I'm debating the 7 button layout still and may mock that up before ordering, but I don't see a complete need for it.

Just looking for input on what I'm missing, not thinking of, etc. 

 

[Turnarcades]

There's also the cost consideration. Some interfaces may be USB hot-swappable, but others may not like the physical controls being removed from them if you are planning to use a single interface and create a plug connection on the control side of the wiring. If this is the case and you have to use separate encoders for each panel, you should try and group controls to use the least expensive interface combination possible on each panel.

[Necro]

Ok...sorry, I realize there's a ton in this I didn't consider.  One of them being what you just brought up Turnarcade.  I have an Ipac2 that I'm using for the buttons (as needed), an OptiWiz for the spinners/trackball, and a PacDrive for the LEDs I will eventually use. 

The main thing I was looking for from this thread is - overall - what I needed control panel wise.  I'm fine with rebooting between swaps if needed.  Hell, the cabinet is already a PITA because it's mirrored and - contrary to popular believe - nearly NOTHING support mirrored cabs (except for MAME and a few FE software that only works on certain OS's). 

So...from a control standpoint - ignoring that things will take me a ton of time to actually get working - what do you think?  

(Extra info here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=85429.0.  This cab has been in development for 3 years almost.  I had a kid, things got delayed, etc.  I want to finish.  I need some help getting over the 'control setup' hump.)

[Necro]

Here are the current layouts visually with CPO's, in case that helps.

[VanillaGorilla]

I had a single-interface cat-6 cabled swappable set up on my first rig .It was OK, but you never wanted to swap, it was too many cables, etc. I now just throw down and put whatever interface I will need on the control panel itself, and then have 1 or 2 usb cables connected. Much easier to deal with.

An optiwiz costs like 15 bucks. You can connect a trackball, 3 buttons, and a spinner to it.
A Xin Mo 2 joy 22 button joystick interface - $25

The LED controllers are what will break the bank. Esp if you're doing RGB.

Spinner/Trackball CP: 2 Spinners, 1 trackball, 6 buttons (3 on each far side)  -you'll need 2 interfaces - $30, I would just do 1 spinner here(arkanoid), then you only need one interface....

Fighter: 2 joysticks , 6 buttons each side, 1 & 2 player - 1 interface - $25

Classic 'Multi': 2 Joysticks, Spinner, 7 buttons (2 on left, 5 on right, close to Multi-Williams Layout) - if you use the u360's here, you just need 1 addtl optiwiz - $15

Personally, I'd skip the saitek. They never look 'arcade', and flight sticks get very limited use in most set-ups. But thats a real personal decision. For all
I know, Afterburner is your favorite game....

Thats not a bad outlay; $70 in interfaces for 3 panels.

[Necro]

For interfacing, I actually have a three cable setup - all DB cables.  Each one runs to one specific 'controller' - one cable for the Optiwiz, one for the PacDrive, and one for the Ipac.  There is also a USB hub located within reach so the U360's I have and other USB devices can connect easily. 

If that doesn't work, I may just get seperate controllers, but the limited space on the CPs themselves (24"x6", with only about 5" of usable space front to back due to cab design) makes it easier to have them off CP (even if swapping is a bit of a PITA). 

The desire to not swap constantly is why I'm going to select joysticks for the Classic and Fighter that allow for play of as many games - even suboptimally - as possible.  I'm thinking the classic is the 'standard' CP and the 'fighter' is the CP I use when we have a party or people over to play (i.e., most likely to play fighters).

[D_Harris]

For interfacing, I actually have a three cable setup - all DB cables.  Each one runs to one specific 'controller' - one cable for the Optiwiz, one for the PacDrive, and one for the Ipac.  There is also a USB hub located within reach so the U360's I have and other USB devices can connect easily.  

If that doesn't work, I may just get seperate controllers, but the limited space on the CPs themselves (24"x6", with only about 5" of usable space front to back due to cab design) makes it easier to have them off CP (even if swapping is a bit of a PITA).  

The desire to not swap constantly is why I'm going to select joysticks for the Classic and Fighter that allow for play of as many games - even suboptimally - as possible.  I'm thinking the classic is the 'standard' CP and the 'fighter' is the CP I use when we have a party or people over to play (i.e., most likely to play fighters).

The actual number of control panels you want for your set-up shouldn't dictate a need for more than one controller interface.

A while back I mentioned my idea of setting up a controller inside of a project box that would be separate from the control panel and positioned in between whatever control panel you want to use and your computer.

(You'll only have to use a cable between it and your control panel).

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.