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Author Topic: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build  (Read 12932 times)

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Pasquirlio

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #40 on: July 12, 2018, 07:48:57 pm »
That's funny stuff.  There's always going to be an academic claiming some outlandish theory in order to get attention.  Then others start jumping on the bandwagon.  Mark my words- in ten years the majority of them will be claiming this.  And then people will look back on how we raised our kids and marvel that society ever could have been so abusive and barbaric.

Pasquirlio

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2018, 10:39:00 pm »
That brings me to the next details about our plans: the buttons.  I haven't decided on exactly what type or brand to use.  I want them to light up.  (I'm not planning on lighting up the joysticks- not worth the expense and trouble, I think.)  Our current plan is to use single-color buttons (a different color for each player, and another color or colors for admin buttons, start buttons, etc...)  Our preference is for durability/reliability.  I want kids to be able to pound on them and not break them.  Responsiveness is important, of course, but I'm not looking for competition grade stuff.  A tactile "click" is nice to have, but a much lower priority than the other features.  I'm also open to RGB ones if they don't sacrifice durability and don't cost much more.  Any suggestions?

I'm looking at 20 buttons for gameplay (6 + 6 + 4 + 4), 4-8 for credits and start buttons, depending on what we do with the whole coin door decision, and 2-4 administrative buttons.  I'm not at all sure what we'll do with the administrative buttons.  One of our goals is for the CP to be idiot-proof.  (Or at least idiot resistant.)  We want players not to have to think too much about what buttons to press.  (Heck, I'm not even sure I want a pause button.  We couldn't pause arcade games when I was a kid, gosh darnit!)  How about just a shift button and an exit button?  The exit button returns you to menu (and could even double as a pause button, since I would want it to pause the game and ask you if you are sure before exiting) and the shift button lets you access administrative functions, like button mapping, when combined with other keys.  When on the menu you could just press the P1 button 1, or perhaps any player start button to enter a game.  Or do I go with "Launch" "Pause" "Menu" "Exit" "Volume +" "Volume -" or some other configuration?

EDIT: I'm also not sure what controller to use.  There seem to be a lot of choices out there.  I was initially thinking maybe I wouldn't need one.  You can wire 8 buttons to each U360.  But I don't think you an do LEDs that way.  And I probably still need one for the Trackball at the very least.  Do I get one of the ones from Ultimarc or is there a better choice?

So yeah, I'm getting up to 32 buttons, single-color LEDs and a trackball.  Any suggestions on control interface and buttons and who is best to get them from in the US?  (JudgeRob suggests IL buttons and leaf switches.)

Pasquirlio

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #42 on: July 13, 2018, 12:29:39 am »
So I've been looking at various sites and the button options are numerous.  For most, buttons that could be lit cost more than ones that couldn't, but you have to put in your own LEDs, which means buying even more stuff.  Or just get these?

$3.95 each for Ultralux buttons x 32 for $126.  They come in mono color and RGB for the same price.
http://www.ultimarc.com/ultralux.html

But then I need a control interface.  http://www.ultimarc.com/ipacuio.html
$100 for I-Pac Ultimate, $20 for 3-4 player extra stuff.  This is the only one that seems to handle LEDs + Trackball (on this site) but it looks like maybe it won't let you use a trackball in 4-player configuration?  Do I just get a separate control interface for the trackball?  i'm still looking at other options- I know I don't need to get everything from the same site.





Pasquirlio

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #43 on: July 15, 2018, 11:16:47 pm »
So for the theme I was thinking of having custom art that reflects the main focus of the cabinet: Multiplayer- particularly 4-player.  My initial thought was a big side-art melee showing TMNT vs X-Men vs Simpsons (and maybe some Battletoads, NBA (Jam) players, Gauntlet, and D&D warriors thrown in for good measure.)

Ooh, it just occurred to me that I could have the CP art actually show three characters in each player's position, reflecting the characters from those three machines.  So the first player position could have Michelangelo, Wolverine, and Homer!

JudgeRob

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    • forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,149265.120.html
Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #44 on: July 16, 2018, 12:57:01 pm »
You should go with concave buttons.  They feel better and are more classic.  And, again, I would say leaf switches for button #s 1, 2 and possibly 3 for shooting games.  You simply can't rapid fire a micro switch as fast. 

You should pick one of those games you mentioned and focus your vision on that for a theme.  I know it's hard to choose, but if you do one well it will look way nicer than something too busy with 30 characters from unrelated games.

Pasquirlio

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #45 on: July 17, 2018, 10:57:17 pm »
I can focus on just the 12 characters.  I like the idea of doing a theme focusing on the three most iconic (in my opinion) 4-player arcade games.  It would be unique, for one thing.  And the picture in my head of Raphael fighting Wolverine in one spot, with Homer Simpson going at it with Cyclops in another seems too great and weird to pass up.

You should go with concave buttons.  They feel better and are more classic.  And, again, I would say leaf switches for button #s 1, 2 and possibly 3 for shooting games.  You simply can't rapid fire a micro switch as fast. 

I was originally kind of wanting concave buttons.  Do you know of a place to get decently priced LED ones?  And don't leaf switches wear out faster or something?  Are we talking switches you put in existing buttons, or the leaf buttons I've read about?  It seems like they are harder to find these days.  I'm assuming the former though, because otherwise your buttons might not match.

I could go with these: http://www.ultimarc.com/goldleaf.html  I would have to go with the non-LED versions, though.  These are $1.50 more per button than the Ultralux if I go LED.  They are $1.50 less otherwise, so maybe I would get better buttons and save money, but at the expense of aesthetics?  I would also save a lot on the controller, since one that doesn't control LEDs is a lot cheaper.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2018, 11:13:48 pm by Pasquirlio »

Mike A

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #46 on: July 18, 2018, 03:23:59 am »
Cabs look better without LED buttons. Arcade cabs didn't light up like Christmas trees back in the '80s. Those buttons make a cab look like a crappy redemption machine.

JudgeRob

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Re: 4-Player Arcade Cab - Quad U360s - First-Time Build
« Reply #47 on: July 18, 2018, 05:32:48 pm »
IDK if leafs necessarily wear out faster.  If the contacts are exposed, you sometimes have to clean them by rubbing a business card between the contacts.  I've had to do that a couple of times in the last 2 years.  What happened with me is that I learned I wanted leafs after buying my buttons/switches.  So, I bought leaf conversions for them.  They work pretty good.  They just snap into place where the microswitches usually go.