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Critique my control panel layout please!
chopperthedog:
Mount a 42" or larger screen on the wall and make the control panel a heavy pedestal about 3ft off the wall. Big control panel needs a big screen.
good day.
PL1:
Looks like quite a reach for that 4-way stick. Won't that get uncomfortable pretty quick?
Assuming that load=enter, the admin buttons look pretty good. I use menu (tab) instead of mute, but you may want to avoid having customers on the phone hearing the turtles yell "cowabunga!" :lol
--- Quote from: popester on December 11, 2012, 07:47:46 pm ---
--- Quote ---Looks like there is a lot of empty space between the player buttons and the admin buttons. Have you considered reducing that gap somewhat?
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For what reason? (other than the thing being huge)
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You need a better reason? Consider how far you have to reach to hit the desired buttons.
--- Quote from: popester on December 11, 2012, 07:47:46 pm ---Why do so many CPs have the seventh button in that location?
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Nothing wrong with the general location, just some folks have different layout preferences and use 1/2/3/* instead of 7/4/5/6 as 1, 2, 3, and 4 for neo geo games. (Once again, see Slagcoin for a variety of options.)
1 2 3 *
4 5 6
7
If you compare the center-to-center distance from 4-1 or 4-5, the distance from 4-7 will be 1.4 times as far, meaning more effort/strain to reach it.
Definitely make a cardboard or hardboard mockup with real buttons before you drill on the panel.
--- Quote from: popester on December 11, 2012, 07:47:46 pm ---
--- Quote ---Panel is way too big and deep.
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It's big and deep for a reason: sight lines to the 27" screen, and its a 27" screen so you don't want to be too close anyway :)
--- Quote ---Do you have children or do you live in a frat house? If neither are true then player 3 and 4 will almost never get used. Grown men don't like to squish in like that. I know from experience they will take turns 2 at a time on a 4 player machine instead of squeezing in all at once.
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Well, on one hand how is the CP too big and yet too small at the same time? :) I've printed this out and seems like it will work with my buddies and we're not small. I decided on a four player cabinet and that's what I'm building damnit! This may also end up in the office where the four players may get used more than average. I also really want the simpsons/TNMT experience to be really good.
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I think he meant too big depth-wise and too small width-wise.
With a screen that size I can understand wanting to be sure the players are standing far enough away.
+1 on probably not using P3/P4 very much, but YMMV.
One way to keep the P3/P4 option available is to make a 2-player panel with Neutrik USB feedthrus on the side of the CP box to plug in USB gamepads.
Bonus: You can also use them for other specialized/standalone controllers like analog sticks, SW yoke, Tron stick, dedicated Defender/Stargate layout, etc.
Scott
popester:
--- Quote from: PL1 on December 11, 2012, 09:08:24 pm ---Assuming that load=enter, the admin buttons look pretty good. I use menu (tab) instead of mute, but you may want to avoid having customers on the phone hearing the turtles yell "cowabunga!" :lol
--- End quote ---
Yea, mute is pretty necessary for the wife approval factor. Load in this case means load the last save state. I use save states pretty frequently on the control emulators so I'd like those two buttons easily accessible. I figure the enter action on menus will be the P1 1st button. I don't think that will be a problem will it?
Unstupid:
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on December 11, 2012, 07:29:26 pm ---and real Neo Geo cabinets don't have such a dramatic drop on that 1st button.
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Actually, they do drop that low.
PL1:
--- Quote from: popester on December 11, 2012, 11:02:23 pm ---
--- Quote from: PL1 on December 11, 2012, 09:08:24 pm ---Assuming that load=enter, the admin buttons look pretty good. I use menu (tab) instead of mute, but you may want to avoid having customers on the phone hearing the turtles yell "cowabunga!" :lol
--- End quote ---
Yea, mute is pretty necessary for the wife approval factor. Load in this case means load the last save state. I use save states pretty frequently on the control emulators so I'd like those two buttons easily accessible. I figure the enter action on menus will be the P1 1st button. I don't think that will be a problem will it?
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Never really messed with save states, but sounds like you've got a handle on them.
P1B1 = select should be fine, just asked to see how you were planning on using the admin buttons.
Do you also want a variable volume control (potentiometer or Vol+/Vol- buttons) in addition to the mute button or is sound an all-or-nothing deal?
Also, I forgot to ask earlier if you wanted flippers for Visual Pinball/Future Pinball. ;D
Scott