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| Expandable Modular CP – Finished - Mouse buttons Update |
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| TopJimmyCooks:
Greetings and Salutations- I am wrapping up work on a standalone CP with fixed controls for P1 and P2 with hot swappable center sections. The gameplay layout borrows heavily from Knievel's tried and true setup. Using sliding hardware, the sides expand while being indexed together via gear racks. If you move one side out they both move together so the swappable panel section is always centered. I have already built the Kneivel trackball/spinner center section, flight stick and sidewinder wheel panels; others are possible in the future. It would be trivial to add Asteroids, Defender, etc. if the need arises. It’s basically done; I’m wiring it up now and intend to be back at work on my Galaga HS by this weekend - we'll see. Considerations: • I mainly play mahjong classics and analog flyers but wanted a lot of options for my young kids and family. • I needed to be able to interface with a possible future cab – Like the Woody or DNA Dan's build: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=110471.0 It would be around 24" wide, so that is the smallest dimension when the wings are slid in. • I didn’t want to limit the future cab design/art options, so I did a quick faux carbon fiber-ish paint job instead of committing to and investing in a cp overlay at this point. The top mounts are left exposed and painted black to complete the quasi "racer" look so at least there's something to look at. FWIW the dust washers are under the lexan. CP with a center section inserted: a peek on the inside prior to any wiring: Running gear: • P1 and 4 way buttons– U360 via usb, arcade classic buttons from GGG, and I’m trying a Microleaf on the primary button. • P2 and pinball buttons– Happ super and happ pushbuttons. • Turbotwist 1 spinner • Happ 3” TB • Ms Pac/galaga microswitch 4 way • Interfaces are Ipac2 on PS2, Optiwiz on USB. • Four port usb hub to connect flight stick, sidewinder, etc. • I also am putting the wireless KB/mouse dongle in there if I’ve got the milliamps available on the hub. The expansion mechanism presented some build issues that I will note in the build photos to follow. The swappable connections were handled with typical methods (cat 5 patch cord, USB) and will be detailed as well. I have a very trick solution (I think) for mouse buttons that is being implemented now. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome and appreciated, just realize it’s pretty much a done deal-Thanks. TopJimmy 8) |
| Nephasth:
--- Quote ---Tits. :) --- End quote --- Are the trackball and joystick mounting screws under the lexan (hard to tell from the pics). And post some pics with the other panels in place! :cheers: |
| TopJimmyCooks:
Everything's underneath. The lexan is pretty thin and its only the buttons and t mold holding it on, we'll see how it goes. Right now I don't have enough Lexan and T-mold to completely finish the other panels, so unfortunately here's what they look like right now, sans their various hardware, stood up against the wall. The wheel panel is larger to extend forward far enough in front of the CP box to fit the mounting clamp for the wheel. The flight stick is a logitech 3D extreme pro (I like to play X Wing alliance, etc) and the wheel is a used MS sidewinder. Not much to them. |
| TopJimmyCooks:
Carpentry work: Center box bottom set into dados on the front and back. 3/4" birch plywood. There were a couple of spacers used to keep it square, not part of the finished product. Wing boxes of 1/2 and 3/4" ply, routed, dadoed, ready to glue up Wings glued up. Each wing has a bar across the front to carry the hinges for the fixed sections of top, which have to move with the wings and extend to the center of the box when it's closed. I'm mortising for the hinges here so there is no gap between the box and the CP top. Blanks for P1, P2 and the larger driving panel. 3/4" MDF was selected since there was a lot of routing to be done. I had to fiddle with it to use 3/4" T-mould with a 3/4" top and .187" lexan, but apparently, fortunately, 3/4" t mould is more like 7/8". It works. Next post will be the hardware for the wing expansion mechanism. |
| eds1275:
That's pretty slick looking. I like it! Can you give a little more info about the "faux carbon fibre" paintjob? More and more of use are trying to make these things beautiful in a furniture sense of the word so that we can sneak them into the living room. That finish looks good. How did you do it? Spill the beans. Spill them. |
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