How much do you use your keyboard on your MAME cab?

[sshaw10]

Putting a cabinet together loosely based on Knievel's Evolution but I'm wondering if I need a keyboard drawer.  I just got a small Logitech wireless keyboard with built in mousepad for my HTPC and love it, I figure if I don't need the keyboard much I can just put one in the bottom of my CP box or Logitech even let's you pair one keyboard to multiple receivers, I could just use the one keyboard for HTPC and MAME.  Saves building a pull out tray and cords.  Looks like most CP's have all the operating buttons you need.  If anyone can comment on how much they need the keyboard and if this is a good idea I'd be grateful.

[BobA]

Only time I use a keyboard is when setting up a system or adding a new emulator.  Use a wireless HTPC kb and mousepad that can be put in a drawer away from the cabinet for small touchups.  Use a logitech full wireless KB and mouse if I have alot of files to move and emulators to setup.

[korbitz]

Only used the keyboard during construction, whilst playing i never had to use it, occasionally i would plug it in to tweak something but that was few and far between

[JDFan]

Another option would be using a mouse ( or even the joystick ) and the windows On screen Keyboard program ! ( See here  for details -- http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/type-without-using-the-keyboard-on-screen-keyboard )

[DaveMMR]

I never really got why people built keyboard drawers into arcade cabs.  Seems like excess work for the occasional tweaking or, worse, for playing a FPS standing up.

So the answer is you never, ever need a keyboard (or admin buttons) if you set it all up correctly. It's actually a better idea to keep a keyboard as far away from the machine as possible if guests are using it. Unintentionally changing settings is very easy thing to do in MAME.

[keilmillerjr]

You shouldn't need a keyboard during normal use. Having a keyboard drawer is retarded.

[sandheaver]

You shouldn't need a keyboard during normal use. Having a keyboard drawer is retarded.

Minus the "retarded" comment, I second this.

People always forget about mapping drives and remote desktop (or remote mounts & VNC on Linux).  I don't even see a reason to have a keyboard or mouse connected to the machine at all.

[ArcadeNerd]

I hardly ever use a keyboard but ever one in a while it comes in handy.  Keyboard, mouse, wireless dongle, thumb drive, external hard drive are all things I occasionally use.  I install these Neutrik adapters on the outsides of all my cabs so I can have USB access anytime I need it but don't have to have anything permanently hooked to the pc except a USB cord.  I find these work great and look good as well.

http://www.markertek.com/Connectors-Adapters/Data-Connectors-Adapters/USB-Adapters/Neutrik-USA-Inc/NAUSB.xhtml

[Well Fed Games]

Only used the keyboard during construction, whilst playing i never had to use it, occasionally i would plug it in to tweak something but that was few and far between

Yep, same here.

[MTPPC]

I used this on my latest pinball build and I like that you can hook earbuds to it as well as kbd, mouse and a thumbdrive. now I disable network on my gaming machines.

http://www.gearxs.com/HYPE-Deluxe-In-Desk-USB-Combo-W-SD-MMC-Card-Reader-Headphone-Microphone-Jack?filter_name=usb%20HYPE

[Fursphere]

I use mine all the time.  But my MAME cabinet is also my "garage pc" (reference material for projects, jukebox, etc).  Its also my backup server for the other PCs in the house.   And don't forget its Windows behind the curtains - its going to goof up at some point.

If you've got a "primary" computer to build out all your emulator and config front ends, then you can copy it over - you'll be fine.  If you don't - and you'll be setting stuff up on the MAME cabinet directly - you need a wireless keyboard or a keyboard drawer or at least some easy way to get a keyboard and mouse plugged into the thing.. 

Because if you think you're cabinet will ever be "done" and you'll never mess with it again - that's "retarded". 

[sandheaver]

remote desktop & fileshares. 

Unless you're on Windows 95 or something old as hell, I can't think of a single thing you can't do over remote desktop & fileshares that you can do by plugging a mouse and keyboard into the machine, except fiddle with the bios, and some motherboards support remote management for those.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I use this wireless keyboard and love it.  It has a dongle that you put on a USB port inside your cabinet and works instantly.  The keyboard has a power switch to turn it off and on when needed.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-920-003070/dp/B005DKZTMG

D

[jasonbar]

I use my keyboard only for taking screen grabs (F12) for the BYOAC competitions. Actually, I stopped doing that & just snap pics of the screen w/ my cell phone now...

I'll only pull out my wired keyboard when needing to check DIP switch settings, really. That's about it. Rare. It's plugged into the PC, sitting on top of the tower PC, accessible by opening the coin door & reaching in & grabbing it--it's got just enough cable length to rest on the front of my CP.

-Jason

[NightScreams]

I have a remote control for HTPC's that has a built in KB and trackball. I'll probably use that for adding roms or whatever. Initial setup i plan to just take the back off and plug in a KB/mouse, it's no big deal really.

[brained]

You can also install a wireless network card and use Remote Desktop from another PC. No mess, no cables, no hassle and no extra work

[sandheaver]

You can also install a wireless network card and use Remote Desktop from another PC. No mess, no cables, no hassle and no extra work

Agreed.  The tools are more than good enough now to make this a legitimate method for accessing the operating system.

Admittedly I'm snobby in this regard; I'm a purist, though often this is an impractical position, and I know that.  However, I see no valid reason whatsoever for this logic, which I see demonstrated day in and day out on this board: "I love arcade games!  I'm going to change everything about them when I build mine!" 

It's never actually spelled out like that, but then people go and build cabinets with PC monitors or with the monitor at the wrong angle or position, or they add really weird things like keyboard drawers, or coat hangers (saw that more than once) or convertible cabinets, or what one of the worst and most common: every single input method on a single control panel.  Dual 8-way, dual 4-way, dual trackball, dual spinner, 12 buttons per player, etc.  ZERO NEED...  ZERO NEED.

The old games were so great precisely because they were single purpose machines.  I'm not saying that you should have 24,000 cabinets because you have 24,000 roms, I'm saying that you should really look closely at what you actually need, and be practical about implementing it.

Ideally, for emulation, I'd have a DOS-based PC that I could boot to USB, and autoexec.bat would have "mame mspacman" (or whatever game I felt like playing that week) and that would be that.  I wouldn't have a menu, there would be no quick and easy way to change the game (shut off, swap thumb drive, turn on isn't that bad, but menus are too easy.)

I get off on this tangent way too much.  My point is: what are you doing to your emulator PC that you need to access it at all, outside of the control panel?  Let it emulate and leave it alone.  If you have a single PC doing file serving and emulation, well, that PC is doing 1 too many things.  That's my stupid opinion, and I'm a purist, but i think more people need to truly evaluate their needs before they start implementing.

[ids]

I must be doing something wrong cuz I use mine almost every time - to update Mame about which mouse axis to use for games.  They change on every boot.  I have some vague awareness of something that might help, but too lazy to deal with it at the moment.  And the effort to put in a keyboard drawer was not much of a burden, either.  I'd do it again.

[DaveMMR]

I must be doing something wrong cuz I use mine almost every time - to update Mame about which mouse axis to use for games.  They change on every boot.  I have some vague awareness of something that might help, but too lazy to deal with it at the moment.  And the effort to put in a keyboard drawer was not much of a burden, either.  I'd do it again.

Are your files set to Read-Only?

[ids]

The problem is that on one bootup, the trackball will be "mouse 6", the next time it might be "mouse 2".   I think maybe the Controller Remap utility might be the answer.  I hope so, because I almost always play TB games, and it's a pain.

[CpCaveman]

I`ve done one cabinet build build so far, and speaking as a "retarded person" (bit strong, think you need to look that up in a dictionary btw ) I use my keyboard a lot, screen grabs, beta testing different layout/emulators, so when I build another i can just copy the final system to another computer with no problems, it wont be needed when its all DONE but its a damn sight easier to play around with with it there, thinking of setting it up for skype with a hidden webcam under the marquee. Did look at a wireless keyboard but this is my first and you still need somewhere to store it so this was what I chose. and if its not pointed out nobody knows its there

[yotsuya]

The problem is that on one bootup, the trackball will be "mouse 6", the next time it might be "mouse 2".   I think maybe the Controller Remap utility might be the answer.  I hope so, because I almost always play TB games, and it's a pain.

Are you unplugging your trackball or other USB devices?

[ids]

I don't normally plug/unplug anything.  Todays boot - no change required.  Has me wondering....  I'll keep a close eye on this and see if it relates to (un)plugging things, etc.  I could swear things change a lot more often than I change them, but at my age, memory could be failing me.  Let's assume for now it's my fault, and if I find otherwise, I'll report back.  Got ControllerRemap on the standby, just in case.

[CpCaveman]

whats mouse 2 and mouse 6? only asking cos i`ve not had any issue with mouse problems as you can see I`m using a trackball and mouse at the same time and not had a problem with anything, not showing off or anything just asking cos if you`re having a problem can guarantee i`ll end up having it, how do you know what theyre called?

[ids]

Sorry to OP for the divergence....


the "mouse#" thing is seen in Mame, when setting the inputs.  For example, run Mame with Centipede, hit TAB to enter the menu, select "Input (This Game)".  In the resulting list you'll see things like "Track X Analog" and "Track Y Analog".  If you have optical devices (trackball, spinner, mouse) then you should see "mouse #" there.  If you scroll through the list and select one of these entries, hit ENTER, then move your mouse/trackball/spinner, it will set it to "Mouse # ?-Axis", where # is the number I was referring to, and "?" is the axis in use: X, Y, Z.

[CpCaveman]

Oh right, thanks for the info havent come across that yet, may crop up when I put other emulators in, only using mame at the moment, while I configure them on another pc, using a usb optical mouse and a ps/2 trackball and the only issue I had was the trackball not working with the games to start with, went into the mame.ini file and change the mouse setting to 1 (on, not as in mouse#) now both work similtaneously, might be worth a try.

[kahlid74]

I use this wireless keyboard and love it.  It has a dongle that you put on a USB port inside your cabinet and works instantly.  The keyboard has a power switch to turn it off and on when needed.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-920-003070/dp/B005DKZTMG

D

This is what I do.  I'm a fan of minimalism and the people I build cabinets for don't mind having the keyboard off to the side in case they need it.  I'm not a fan of the keyboard drawer only because architecturally it's kind of a pain.

[Felsir]

Me too. I have that same logitech wireless keyboard. I have no shelf in my cabinet the keyboard is stored elsewhere near the cabinet.

 I just grab the keyboard when I need it (mostly during set up, and some Amiga/C64 games require keyboard to enter your name etc.).

[keilmillerjr]

Me too. I have that same logitech wireless keyboard. I have no shelf in my cabinet the keyboard is stored elsewhere near the cabinet.

 I just grab the keyboard when I need it (mostly during set up, and some Amiga/C64 games require keyboard to enter your name etc.).

There is handheld keyboards that would be great for this, and operate via Bluetooth or IR. Think googleTV. No need for a full size keyboard.

[DeLuSioNal29]

There is handheld keyboards that would be great for this, and operate via Bluetooth or IR. Think googleTV. No need for a full size keyboard.

Along with the Logitech keyboard mentioned above, I also have a handheld miniature keyboard. But I still gravitate towards the Logitech. 

Here's the mini keyboard I have:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004I4RW8C/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

D

[mgb]

Currently I use a keyboard every time I turn on my machine and get an error about my power supply and I have to hit f1 for the thing to start.

Its a darn Sony pc and the psu died so I have an aftermarket psu that doesnt have the same fan monitor connector?? as the sony one did.

I keep a wireless logitech keyboard out of view and I just quickly grab it and hit f1 when starting

[sshaw10]

I use this wireless keyboard and love it.  It has a dongle that you put on a USB port inside your cabinet and works instantly.  The keyboard has a power switch to turn it off and on when needed.

http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Keyboard-Multi-Touch-920-003070/dp/B005DKZTMG

D

That's the one, I second the love for it, it's a perfect htpc keyboard and I like the power switch.  It's small and the mouse pad does pretty well with gestures.  Thanks for all the helpful posts.  I'll be putting some design ideas in new proj announcements soon, without a tray.

[mgb]

It's good to hear positive review on that wireless keyboard.
I'm looking for one for a htpc I built.
I'll check that one out. It's cheap too

[Jack Burton]

I never really got why people built keyboard drawers into arcade cabs.  Seems like excess work for the occasional tweaking or, worse, for playing a FPS standing up.

So the answer is you never, ever need a keyboard (or admin buttons) if you set it all up correctly. It's actually a better idea to keep a keyboard as far away from the machine as possible if guests are using it. Unintentionally changing settings is very easy thing to do in MAME.

The keyboard drawers were an early part of the thought process of building MAME cabs.  When people started in the late 90s and early 2000s the wealth of knowledge wasn't there, and people assumed they wanted  a cab to do everything, and be easily updated. 

Now we know that MAME cabs are best when they only do a few things, and you can always log-in remotely for any updates or maintenance.  Or even better, stop fiddling with things and actually play it.

But you know this, Dave.

[DaveMMR]

The keyboard drawers were an early part of the thought process of building MAME cabs.  When people started in the late 90s and early 2000s the wealth of knowledge wasn't there, and people assumed they wanted  a cab to do everything, and be easily updated. 

True, true. Though I have seen it in some modern cabs (within the last few years) as well so the idea's not completely dead.

It makes sense now that back in the stone age of cab building, computer parts (PC monitor, computer, etc.) weren't as cheap and throwaway parts weren't a dime a dozen so I suppose having the cab double as a full-function PC as well was a compromise that was necessary. 

[michelevit]

wireless keyboard for the win.

i also use the logitech keyboard with builtin trackpad.

keyboard shelves and trays ruin the illusion of a arcade cabinet.

[mgb]

wireless keyboard for the win.

i also use the logitech keyboard with builtin trackpad.

keyboard shelves and trays ruin the illusion of a arcade cabinet.

I agree.
I'm not a fan of the keyboard tray.
It kinda takes away from the arcadeyness and besides its another step in the building process