Control Panel Layout feedback

[Nikrom]

Hi there folks,

I'm looking for some feedback on a control panel I'm designing as I want to be sure I'm not going overboard.  I've decided on a two player setup with trackball and an additional dedicated 4 way stick.  (See attached)
I was thinking about making the control panel 36" x 17"

• Players 1 and 2 each have 8-way sticks with 7 action buttons each.
• The dedicated 4-way has 4 action buttons split into groups of two to provide clearance to the trackball. 
• The trackball has two buttons for mouse left and right.
• Three admin buttons at the top center for Pause, Exit, Enter.
• P1 Coin and P1 Start in the upper left; P2 Coin and P2 Start in the upper right.

My plan was to work out the layout in Adobe Illustrator, have it printed by a local shop, and then use it for both marking holes as well as basic artwork until I come up with something nicer.  My major concerns right now are the admin buttons and the mouse buttons.  I'm not sure if I've made it redundant or too cluttered.

ANY feedback is welcome, but I'm also hoping to get some answers to these questions:

• Can other buttons on the panel take the place of the dedicated mouse left and right buttons?
• I know there are some ways of using Shift buttons to avoid having a cluster of admin buttons, but does the shift functionality work in MAME only, or within Windows as well?
• If I keep the mouse buttons, would that make having an 'Enter' button redundant?

Once I have my layout finalized I'll post the .ai file here for others.

[shponglefan]

Not bad overall, just a few comments:

1) The mouse buttons look like they would get into the way of the arms of P1 & P2.  As an aside, I've never really understood the need for mouse buttons on a CP.  For Windows related mouse functions, I'd just use a small wireless mouse, instead of a trackball + mouse buttons.   Much easier to use than a trackball.

2) For the admin buttons, I recommend spacing the Exit button away from the others just to avoid it being pressed accidentally.

3) For the 4-way stick, I don't really see the point of the extra 2 buttons spaced off to the right.  Unless you specifically want to play 4-way games that use 3-4 buttons (Mouse Trap uses 4... can't think of any others off the top of my head), I'd probably just go with 2 buttons.  But I'd put all the buttons together.  They won't get in the way of the trackball.

4) The location of the 4-way stick looks like it would be awkward to use, as the P1 controls are in the way.

[Nikrom]

I think you may be right about the 4-way stick needing to move.  I have this layout printed out in sections and with everything laid out I do see that my left arm would likely be nudging the 1P 8-way stick.  The mouse buttons looked like they would clear okay, but I probably could scoot them in a bit too.

As for the split buttons with the 4-way... I guess I was thinking it had an Asteroids sort of vibe.  I really don't play a lot of 4-way games with more than two buttons so it didn't even cross my mind that you wouldn't be able to reach all four.    The reason I have them split was because I've read that you could hurt yourself if you put buttons in front of the trackball. Do you think this is a real concern?  They would probably look best centered if it's not really a hazard.

[paigeoliver]

There are only 2 or 3 4-way games that use more than 2 buttons.

I know you see that second tier 4-way on tons of designs, and I have it myself on one cabinet, but it isn't really all that playable way up there. It is way more functional if you are willing to break the relative symmetry of your panel layout and put it on the main level and let it share the button bank with player 1.

Your dedicated trackball buttons aren't needed. They can be wired to any other buttons on the panel. I have the mouse buttons wired to the start buttons on my main cabinet.

Having buttons above your trackball is not an issue. Joysticks are though, as there are still a lot of people who think they need to basically punch the glass with each golden tee shot, even though that doesn't help at all.

[shponglefan]

The reason I have them split was because I've read that you could hurt yourself if you put buttons in front of the trackball. Do you think this is a real concern?  They would probably look best centered if it's not really a hazard.

For the most part, they shouldn't be.  The only way I could see them being a hazard is playing Golden Tee or something similar, and dragging ones' fingers along the CP.  Which would be an odd way to play to begin with, but everyone has their own style.

[DaveMMR]

Joining the chorus above on dedicated trackball buttons. They are completely unnecessary and use up valuable real-estate (and confuse people).

You can ditch the dedicated four-way if you invest in a servo-stick that switches between 4/8 way on the fly. Of course, you'll have to do a little extra work in the set-up, but it seems worth it. Otherwise I'd find a more remote location where you can reach it comfortably and give it two buttons - use the main bank for that occasion game of Mouse Trap.

Re: Admin Buttons. You don't need an "enter" button. Any main button (or even "Start" which seems the most obvious) can serve that function when needed.

Overall it's good - but remember to avoid the dreaded TMB ("Too many buttons") issue. Less confusion=more fun!

[Nikrom]

Okay so I'm ready for a status update.  I've done some listening (perhaps not well enough), but I do believe it's an improvement...
Mouse Buttons   I'm glad to hear I can map them to something else, and I like the idea of the P1 P2 buttons for brief use in the OS.
Admin Buttons   I can always add them on the side later, right? 

The one thing I'm really having a hard time getting my head around is moving the 4-way stick on the front lines.  I just don't think I can push myself to break the symmetry to the point that I might have to move the trackball, loose free space, or expand the panel.  I have moved it around some and sacrificed a bit of symmetry in the process, but maybe I'm too hung up on the appearance still.  I do feel like at least the panel will be roomy at 36" x17";  Isn't that large for most 2 player panels?

There is something I failed to mention earlier.  I'm planning on building this as a sort of free standing control panel on a stand which I will have to build; basically like the CP of a showcase cab.  People will be able to play Golden Tee as clumsily as they like without hitting anything, so long as they don't aim their thumb at the 4-way.  I doubt this has much bearing on where buttons go on the panel, but I figure it's worth mentioning just in case.

Attached are the current layout with mounting brackets, as well as a simulated view of the final appearance before artwork.

I really appreciate the feedback and I have the utmost respect for all of your opinions.  Please feel free to let me know what you think of the latest version.  I'm anxious to send the mounting placement off to print so I can get started on fabrication.