New Transparent Buttons Poll...

[Xiaou2]

 
 Hello All,

    Ive recently started to chat with a guy thats making the Tron handles... and I asked about making other controls as well.

   He said he was making translucent buttons... but I believe that he meant the old leaf style replicas.

  I think if theres a good interest in translucent happs style buttons... we might convince him to make these for us.

  Would be very cool to be able to light them up with Led's or simular!

  Maybe a Translucent happs bat handle to match : )  

  I was thinking that maybe they could be a hair smaller than happs - so to be able to be more compact, reducing spacing requirements.  (maybe 3 mm diameter smaller?)

 Anyway... Id redo my panels with them.   Maybe some nice Clear-red  and  some  clear-orange?


 Opinions?  


 

[Hellfromabove]

That would be so awesome!!! Yeah also make them translucent in different colors not only clear. Also make them not only on horizontals but also competition buttons as well. Thanx.

-See Ya!!!

[spidermonkey]

From time to time you'll see the old school nintendo button swithes pop up on Ebay. They are similar to the leaf switch button holders but they used a microswitch. These button holders allowed you to convert the old school translucent (or solid color) leaf switch buttons to be compatable with microswitches. The best of both worlds. I saw a whole batch of these unique holders go for cheap on Ebay not too long ago. But hey.. if this guy wants to make actuall Happ style buttons in a colored translucent form then thats even better. . I myself don't really care because I prefer the springy feel of the leaf switches over the clickity click of todays microswitch buttons but I'm sure many others would like to see these become a reality. I hope it happens as I would have to purchase a few if only to satisfy my curiosity and maybe just use them for function buttons since they take up much less space underneath your control panel. Control space is at a premium since lots of people want to shoehorn as many different controls as they can fit on there cp's.

[1UP]

Well, molding Happ buttons in translucent would theoretically be cheaper than getting translucent leafs AND switches AND nintendo holders, but from what he charges for Tron handles they might end up being the same cost or more...

Besides, you can already light normal Happ buttons quite easily, that way when the lights are off, they look like any other arcade button.  The only thing that translucency gets you is the ability to have one big light source under your panel to light them all.

I wanted translucent buttons on my cab way back when, as most noobs do, but soon fell out of love with the idea of lighting every single button on my cab when I realized it would take away from the authenticity, and might actually be a little distracting to boot.  How many games had lit buttons, other than start buttons on really old games?  Lit buttons belong on slot machines, not arcade games...  

Anyway, that's my opinion.  (Jeez, I think I'm becoming Howard...   )

[GSXRMovistar]

I

[Xiaou2]

 1up -  I have to dissagree.
 
  I think theres a distince look that im much nicer than the happs buttons.  Even when they arnt lit.

  The happs look like like cartoony plastic... while the clear-colored ones look like shimery crystal.   Which is why people love the clear-blue Tron handles so much.

 To have matching butons (and spinner ; )  Would look really wild.    Easily lit up with a single florescent - or multiple Leds.

  I think witht he right lighting and art.. the cab would look very tron-ish.  Which is what Id like to go for.

  Anyway... thats my opinion.

  Anyone else?



 BTW:  heres a pic of my failed Ultra Spinner:



  Ive asked him about possibly finishing these off.   Any interest in these as well?

  Heres a new modded drawing:


 
  I think Id have him make the spinner top with nice bumped ridges to look like the tron disc.  

( The 3 holes were originally designed to add a steering wheel or 720 type top to it... but I think the shaft isnt thick enuff... and there isnt a good way to fasten it anyways.)

  The whole assemble attaches simularly to a happs button.   Dual bearings give a nice smooth spin.  Base and spinner would be made of clear-blue or multi colored-clear so as to light up really nicely : )

 Any thoughts or interest?

 

[spidermonkey]

Lighted buttons belong on slot machines   Where were you in the 80s' ?  All of these had lit translucent GAMEPLAY buttons. Most of them are major classics and thats why many people want real translucent buttons. Homemade lighted Happ buttons look kinda cool but they are about as authentic as a track ball on a Pacman machine. Not to say that all Mame machines are supposed to look 100% authentic. God knows that most of them arent including mine but having the classic "arcadey" look of old school translucent buttons on my cp just brings back memories of some of those classics of the good ol' days.
Damn I think I've been bitten by the Howard bug too. Someone get me the antidote.. Hurry before its too late !

Mad Planets
Sinistar
Robotron
Krull
Reactor
Q-bert
Blaster
Inferno
Narc
Stargate cocktail
Turkeyshoot
Kickman
Ladybug
Wizard of Wor
Rescue Raider

[SirPoonga]

I talked to Kelsey a few months ago.  The nintendo microswitch buttons where just a piece of bent sheet metal holding a leafswitch button.  I figured you could also cut out a led holder in the sheet metal.  Kelsey looked into it, but it was too much to do using laser cutting.  I have to talk to delta88, he has a bunch of the nintendo buttons.

That would be the easy way to get translucent microswitch buttons.  Get nintendo holders and translucent leaf buttons form bob roberts.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3242575880&category=13718

[SirPoonga]

btw, how would you light up a tron knob?

[1UP]

Lighted buttons belong on slot machines   Where were you in the 80s' ?  All of these had lit translucent GAMEPLAY buttons. Most of them are major classics and thats why many people want real translucent buttons. Homemade lighted Happ buttons look kinda cool but they are about as authentic as a track ball on a Pacman machine. Not to say that all Mame machines are supposed to look 100% authentic. God knows that most of them arent including mine but having the classic "arcadey" look of old school translucent buttons on my cp just brings back memories of some of those classics of the good ol' days.
Damn I think I've been bitten by the Howard bug too. Someone get me the antidote.. Hurry before its too late !

Mad Planets
Sinistar
Robotron
Krull
Reactor
Q-bert
Blaster
Inferno
Narc
Stargate cocktail
Turkeyshoot
Kickman
Ladybug
Wizard of Wor
Rescue Raider

Again, a handful of the hundreds of classic games had these.  Most of the games I remember playing had unlit buttons, other than the old Atari-style start buttons.

[Xiaou2]

btw, how would you light up a tron knob?

 By making a new one... as seen kind of in the pics I posted.

[Grasshopper]

If someone is going to the trouble and expense of manufacturing translucent buttons then I think it would be better to model them on the modern IL design instead of copying the old style leaf buttons. The reason for this is simple - the modern buttons are a far superior design. Also translucent leaf buttons are still available from various sources.

The old leaf style buttons took up far more space under the panel than was strictly necessary, and more importantly if you decide to use them then you have to be very careful how thick you make your panel. The new microswitch buttons will fit to pretty any much any thickness panel without the need for spacers or hacks.

It is true that the leaf buttons do look and feel different, and are definitely more authentic for the early games. However this is mainly due to them being taller and having more travel than the newer buttons. If you want an authentic look and feel without all the disadvantages of the old buttons then someone could make a button based on IL's design but with a longer travel. In fact according to one of Oscar's posts Wico used to sell longer travel microswitch buttons.

Also, when I first got into this hobby lots of people complained about the clicking sound that microswitch buttons make. However now that I have had a chance to compare both types of button for myself, I believe that this is a non-issue provided you use good quality microswitches (microswitch joysticks are a different matter though). I can honestly say that my leaf buttons are noisier than my microswitch ones. This may be because they are made of a different more brittle type of plastic. In my experience if you hit a pushbutton with any force the sound of plastic hitting plastic will drown out the noise of the microswitch.

So my vote is yes, please make them (the more options the better!) but base them on the best technology available.

[SirPoonga]

btw, how would you light up a tron knob?

 By making a new one... as seen kind of in the pics I posted.

Still don't see it?  How do you mount a light source and how does the light source make it to the knob?

[Xiaou2]

 The entire thing would be made of the translucent blue plasic.  Thus the light from under panel would travel up the entire assembly.

  However... if the shaft isnt durrable enuff as plastic, (and metal one was used)... ... The lighted base should provide enuff light to illuminate the knob.

[Sasquatch!]

Since I'm assuming that the purpose of this "poll" is to gage interest in them, I'll say no, I'm not interested in them.  P1 and P2 buttons yes, but no on the other buttons.

[SpamMe]

I'd be interested in them if they're the horizontal microswitch variety, I think. For me, though, the cost of my project is primary, and I can't image these would be inexpensive to produce.

[paigeoliver]

 I was thinking that maybe they could be a hair smaller than happs - so to be able to be more compact, reducing spacing requirements.  (maybe 3 mm diameter smaller?)

Changing the size of the buttons would be REALLY stupid. Arcade buttons have been the same size since the whole thing started. If you change the size they don't fit anyone's control panels anymore, they can't be used to refit original games, won't fit original overlays, and won't have an original feel.

[Malachai]

Also a control panel with translucent buttons would work well with the controls.dat project. Light up the right amount of buttons depending on what game is selected.

I'd have to agree with this.  It would be great for a project like that.  However, aside from the people who want to light the buttons for a purpose, I don't think there be that much interest.  It's a neat idea, but I wouldn't pay extra for it.  

Now if they were under $2 with cherry switches, I might go for some transparent red buttons.  They just better work with a pushbutton wrench...stupid x-arcade buttons! *shakes fist*  

[Lilwolf]

My take is this...

Sure it would be cool... But I would consider the price as a big part.

I'm not refurbin' a machine with light up controls... So I'm not going to spend out the wazzo because its required to bring the buttons up to the quality (and money spent) on the rest of the cab.

I can already light up a happs white button without much trouble... and almost no cost.  It won't be as nice... but the question is how much nicer would custom ones be... How much more will the be... will anyone notice.

I'm (after talking to Donor IRL) came up with a realization.  He builds cabs for a ton of friends.  Why?  He builds nice looking ones and likes to make them.  I like adding to mine.... but I haven't even put my bezel on the cab I've had done for over a year.... Everyone loves mine and loves to play on it...  

BUT nobody has EVER asked me to build one to put in their house... why?  It's functional and UGLY!  Its in my office and I like it that way!

So making nice shiney blinky things to mine will only get more people to nag me to help build them one... I don't have enought time for my projects let alone others... And this gets my friends over to my house to play... And they don't get real practice at any game over the week... so I can still kick their !@# in SF3Alpha whenever I want.

But the sitdown cab is going to be nice.... I'm hoping...