Control Panel

[UFO]

Thanks Scott... very valid points, maybe an out of the way admin button may be more prudent.  Since this is my first build, these are the challenges I face trying to get it right!

I actually originally planned to have a dedicated admin button on the cp, but I think even this might be a temptation to press for waiting players!

[Dawgz Rule]

UFO, the one thing I will add to this is to simply know your audience that will be using your cab.  I opted to have four buttons (Esc, Pause, Tab, Enter) and have never had an issue with anyone hitting buttons.  Then again, I don't have a bunch of 8 year old kids going nuts on the cabinet.  In hindsight, I probably would have done something different with Tab and Enter because they get very little use since the cabinet has been configured...maybe an occasional adjustment here or there.  Esc and Pause have proven to be invaluable and are out of the way enough where it doesn't seem to present an issue.   

[severdhed]

i have found that Pause and Exit are the only two admin buttons i want on my panel.  everything else is used so little, it is better handled with button combos, or a keybaord.  One thing to watch out for, it people accidentally pressing the exit button (happens with kids alot for some reason)  it sucks when you've spent 20 minutes playing a game and someone exits your game for you.

i have handled this several different ways.  on one of my cabinets, i had a single admin button, and used autohotkey to make it serve a dual purpose.  if pressed normally, it pauses, but if pressed and held for 3 seconds, it exits...that way you have to want to exit. on another cabinet, i have a dedicated pause and dedicated exit button, but the exit button is still on a 3 second hold.  on my friend's cabinet, he has two pause buttons (mapped to two different inputs on the ipac)...if you press either one, it pauses, if you press them both at the same time, it exits.  this works well also.

[UFO]

UFO, the one thing I will add to this is to simply know your audience that will be using your cab.  I opted to have four buttons (Esc, Pause, Tab, Enter) and have never had an issue with anyone hitting buttons.  Then again, I don't have a bunch of 8 year old kids going nuts on the cabinet.  In hindsight, I probably would have done something different with Tab and Enter because they get very little use since the cabinet has been configured...maybe an occasional adjustment here or there.  Esc and Pause have proven to be invaluable and are out of the way enough where it doesn't seem to present an issue.

Yea, I think this is one of the things to take into account ... I don't too many drunken parties, or lots of smaller kids around now my daughter is a little more grown up.

Thanks Dawgz... 

i have found that Pause and Exit are the only two admin buttons i want on my panel.  everything else is used so little, it is better handled with button combos, or a keybaord.  One thing to watch out for, it people accidentally pressing the exit button (happens with kids alot for some reason)  it sucks when you've spent 20 minutes playing a game and someone exits your game for you.

i have handled this several different ways.  on one of my cabinets, i had a single admin button, and used autohotkey to make it serve a dual purpose.  if pressed normally, it pauses, but if pressed and held for 3 seconds, it exits...that way you have to want to exit. on another cabinet, i have a dedicated pause and dedicated exit button, but the exit button is still on a 3 second hold.  on my friend's cabinet, he has two pause buttons (mapped to two different inputs on the ipac)...if you press either one, it pauses, if you press them both at the same time, it exits.  this works well also.

I like your way of thinking, but if possible I would like to have none at all - I want to go for as clean a look as possible.

Will be starting a build thread soon, so you can see where I'm going with things.

Thanks SH