3 CPs and still not happy.
First one was similar to a sega astro city with a different button layout for P1 and P2. I liked it on paper, but hated P1 controls after trying them.
The depth adjustment on the harbor freight laminate trimmer I was using as a router moves, so it also has a spot where the pocket for the joystick went all the way through. Number two turned out pretty good, but it had been so long since I did the first one that I forgot that I wanted to move the bottom row of buttons to the left. I didn't like the way it felt when trying to do Sub Zero's slide or Sonya's leg grab. The third one would have been perfect, but I cut the pocket for the joystick on the top of the panel instead of underneath.
Oh well, used it to experiment with the joystick mounting depth. I'll probably wait until I have artwork done before making another attempt. 2'x4' sheets are only $10 and easy to haul home. Each one will give me 2 shots.
I really like this button layout! All the buttons are 35mm apart with the four in the middle being in a perfect square.
At that spacing, the retaining nuts just touch each other. The benefit of that is that it ensures that they are evenly spaced.
After the 2nd panel, I thought about just going back to the standard 6+1. I'm glad I didn't. This just feels right to me.
EDIT: BY DEFAULT, MAME ASSUMES YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING LAYOUT:
123
456
Map the buttons globally like that and nearly all the fighting games will be mapped correctly without having to remap them individually.
Do it like I did (the wrong way):
1234
567
...and you'll be remapping all the fighting games (except for NEO GEO ones) individually.
I had already remapped too many games individually by the time I figured this out, but the best practice is to always keep those core six in that format and make any extra buttons #7 and #8 like so:
1237
456
or
1237
4568
Saves a lot of hassle in remapping all the Capcom fighters and Mortal Kombat, at least in newer versions of MAME.
I didn't want to be off to the left side of the screen while playing vertical games, so main part of the the CP will slide on tracks.
Guide rails were too pricey, so I used miter t-bar and track from
http://www.ptreeusa.com/ttrackproducts.htmI've been wanting to redo the CP box, but that's been holding me up for too long, so I decided to at least go ahead and at least work out the mounting using the old one.
It looks like a lot of room between the bottom of the screen and CP, but by the time I get the top section of the CP and angled move list in there, it should be about the same as the top. The few widescreen games look great. The 4:3 games come out to 22" diagonally, so it really isn't much better than a 21-22" 4:3 LCD in that respect.
Vertical.....
Next I'll work on the area exposed when the CP is slid over. There will be a little panel on the back with volume/bass/treble/headphone & usb ports. I bought a drink holder to go on the flat part, but it is too deep to mount there. I may just recess a few layers of MDF and put a coaster in the bottom....but there will be a drink holder there.
Slow progress, but I've been chipping away at whatever I feel like working on.
The software is almost completely set up. Just need to work on making the transitions to the game starting look more appealing.
Here is where she stands now. I went ahead and put the t-molding on.
It's not as huge as it's looked in other pictures, only sticks out from the wall 26 inches and will slide through a doorway while upright.