Help with my 2nd CP

[rcub3]

My MAME cab will have swappable CP's.  I have everything I want for my main CP (essentially 4 joysticks and buttons for 4 p games, but making sure it works well for fighters too). 

My second CP will be the frankenpanel for games that use everything that is not a regular joystick.  I want to have a spinner and tron stick, and a trackball.  My question:  how many pushbuttons should I use, and where should I put them?  I'm guessing that something like a triangular layout would be best:

SPINNER          TRON

        TRACKBALL

Maybe a pair of buttons between the spinner and the tron stick?  and maybe to the right of the Trackball?  How many?

As an aside, anything else that I should include? rotating stick?

[Paul Olson]

Since you are using swappable panels, why are you trying to add everything to one panel? I think you would enjoy trackball games much more if you make a dedicated panel for it. That was you won't have to worry about hitting any other controls.

[Vigo]

Since you are using swappable panels, why are you trying to add everything to one panel? I think you would enjoy trackball games much more if you make a dedicated panel for it. That was you won't have to worry about hitting any other controls.

My guess here is because he really has a larger area to work with...he is only using swappable Control panels to avoid the mothership sized frankenpanel, and probably doesn't want 5 customized control panels lying around at the same time. To me, a trackball, tron stick and a couple spinners doesn't seem too cluttered for one control panel.

rcub3: I don't know exactly how many buttons you would want for this, but are you planning on using your spinners for racing games as well? That would possibly dynamically what you would need on the panel.

[alfonzotan]

Oh, no, I'm not falling for this again.  It all starts out innocently with control panel talk, and the next thing you know, the thread is all full of Big Toe Poke Of Death instructions from the Hong Kong Book Of Kung-Fu...

[rcub3]

Yes, I don't really care much for how that second panel will look.  But the main one that will be on the cab most of the time should be as "clean" as possible, IMO.  Maybe I could add the trackball to the main cp, but I already invested in one optipac....

Re Spinner: Sure, I could do racing games, but it would be mainly for games like Arkanoid, and whichever other good classics.  I've seen CP's with 2 buttons for the spinner, so I'm guessing this is enough for it.  What games would "a couple of spinners" be good for?

Re Trackball: There are quite a few CP's that have 3 buttons for the TB, but I think this is only to be able to use it as a mouse?  Are there any games that actually use 3 buttons with the TB?    

@alfonzotan:  Keeping my fingers crossed...   

[alfonzotan]

Okay, somewhat more seriously...

If you're going to have a spinner, sooner or later you're going to want to play Tempest.  So that's two buttons at least.  Trackball?  Missile Command.  Three buttons.

I would suggest going with two or three buttons on either side of the trackball, that way you can play Asteroids (with left and right hands separated by the trackball) and similar shooters along with the rest.   And there's got to be room on there for a 4-way stick...

[PUTTIN'ONTHERIIIIIITZ!]

(Oh, regarding the OptiPac... it's much cheaper just to hack an old USB ball mouse and use that for a trackball interface.  Very simple, even for the soldering-challenged like yours truly.)

[Vigo]

Re Spinner: Sure, I could do racing games, but it would be mainly for games like Arkanoid, and whichever other good classics.  I've seen CP's with 2 buttons for the spinner, so I'm guessing this is enough for it.  What games would "a couple of spinners" be good for?

If you are just looking to play a few casual multiplayer racing games, like Super Off Road, spinners and a couple buttons will work in a hitch. If you are one that really gets into racing games, I would just go ahead and plan a 3rd racing control panel with a pedal and shifter. I would just take a look at the racing games in MAME and see what you would be interested in playing.

(Oh, regarding the OptiPac... it's much cheaper just to hack an old USB ball mouse and use that for a trackball interface.  Very simple, even for the soldering-challenged like yours truly.)

You have a point, but I think if you are going to make a panel with multiple spinners and a trackball, an OptiPac makes things pretty simple and is a small cost to have everything work without the effort. It's all preference though.

[alfonzotan]

(Oh, regarding the OptiPac... it's much cheaper just to hack an old USB ball mouse and use that for a trackball interface.  Very simple, even for the soldering-challenged like yours truly.)

You have a point, but I think if you are going to make a panel with multiple spinners and a trackball, an OptiPac makes things pretty simple and is a small cost to have everything work without the effort. It's all preference though.

True.  I'm no doubt influenced by having put in a straight-to-USB spinner and an old trackball hacked to a mouse board in my own CP.

[Vigo]

(Oh, regarding the OptiPac... it's much cheaper just to hack an old USB ball mouse and use that for a trackball interface.  Very simple, even for the soldering-challenged like yours truly.)

You have a point, but I think if you are going to make a panel with multiple spinners and a trackball, an OptiPac makes things pretty simple and is a small cost to have everything work without the effort. It's all preference though.

True.  I'm no doubt influenced by having put in a straight-to-USB spinner and an old trackball hacked to a mouse board in my own CP.

It's definitely a good feeling accomplishing that yourself. I am currently working on a mouse hack spinner, when things start coming together, you can't help but feel good about the mouse hack! 

[scofthe7seas]

...are you planning on using your spinners for racing games as well?

I thought I was the only one who pathetically used a tiny spinner for driving games

My wife mocked me for this.  

Oh, no, I'm not falling for this again.  It all starts out innocently with control panel talk, and the next thing you know, the thread is all full of Big Toe Poke Of Death instructions from the Hong Kong Book Of Kung-Fu...

Talking like this could get you Shaolin Toe Stabbed in the throat.

[yotsuya]

Heh. I play Pole Position quite successfully with my TurboTwist 2!

[Donkbaca]

If you didn't have the optipac, I would say get one of these:

http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=206

then have your second CP be a dedicated Tron CP