button color questions...

[hulkster]

alright, i think i finally have my layout i want, and i was thinking that i should go ahead and order some push buttons and all the stuff from happs while im cutting so that when im actually ready to try her out, the stuff will be here.

anyway...i would like some opinions on color combos.  right now my first cab has like all different colors of buttons and it looks dumb (at least in my opinion)  ive seen several people have like all one color for their cps, but i was thinking about when people come over to play, they will ask "what button do i push for...."  and i usually say, "oh its the red button" or whatever.  well if i make them all one color, that will be difficult.  however, i want to maintain a color scheme throughout the cab.  i was thinking like black and blue (different shades).  so if i have 6 buttons, then the first two would be black (vertically) second blue, third another shade of blue, etc.  what do you guys think?

[Oldskool]

My opinion is - the less colours the better.

My original plan was to have ALL opaque blue buttons.

My updated plan is to have a black laminate CP with:

Player 1 buttons and 1 player start, - BLUE TRANSLUCENT

Player 2 buttons and 2 player start - RED TRANSLUCENT

It should look good.

[hulkster]

hmmm...what about blue and black?  of course i would have white start buttons.   but that would look pretty good right?  however, i dont know where to get different shaded blue buttons even if i wanted to, so maybe someone could help me with that?

[GroovyTuesdaY]

I have been itching for a while now to put purple buttons on an all black panel.  I really like the look of those colors.
My next panel is going to have all purple buttons except the coin buttons and player start buttons.

Red white and blue would look nice too.  Right now i have red buttons for player one and blue for player two buttons.

Good luck,
GROOVY~

[JamesS]

I would order the buttons from Bob Roberts.  He is cheaper than Happs.

[hulkster]

well ive already ordered some buttons.  black and blue buttons, once i get them in, ill post pics of my layout and stuff.

[eightbit]

There are only some many colors of buttons manufactured to choose from. To get different shades you would probably have to mix buttons from different manufactures, which is going to look odd.

I like a multi colored panel, but solid or coordinated schemes also look good. I don't like when they do half colored and half solid.

Another option is you can mix and match the insert button and the collar. I've seen this done a couple times with excellent results.

[Zathras]

For my main control pad I am going to have all black buttons but use a different color (red maybe) for the number one button - just to cut down on the - "Which button do I press" syndrome

I may use different colors for the function buttons (pause/esc/etc)  and then put a legend behind the monitor glass.

[crashwg]

My plan is to put labels on the buttons, well not on the buttons but under/over the buttons, printed on the cp overlay that way I can just say, "A is fire"


                 X          Y         Z
                __        __       __
              /     \     /    \     /    \
              \     /     \    /     \    /
               ----       ----       ----

                __        __       __
              /     \     /    \     /    \
              \     /     \    /     \    /
               ----       ----       ----
    A           B          C         D
   __  
  /    \
  \    /
   ----

Something like that  

[Stingray]

I'm using black and blue buttons on my CP, but I haven't decided on the layout yet. Of course mine isn't going to be nearly as massive as the one your building.

-S

[hulkster]

yeah mine is going to be pretty big.  thats what its called the Mamestrosity!  (credit cdbrown for the pimp ass name!)    but black and blue will look good i think, we'll see once i get the cp all cut out and stuff.

[drunkatuw]

I see lots of people don't like the "clown color" idea.  My original idea was to have a seven button layout (6 street fighter, plus a 7th neo geo button), and my color layout was going to be:

   Y G B            Y G B
   Y G B            Y G B
R                  R

For player 1 and 2, (R = red, Y = yellow, G = green, B = blue), but after the clown color complaints, I was wondering if I should switch to something like this:

   B B B           Y Y Y
   R R R          G G G
R                G

Any suggestions?

[Tiger-Heli]

I see lots of people don't like the "clown color" idea.  My original idea was to have a seven button layout (6 street fighter, plus a 7th neo geo button), and my color layout was going to be:

   Y G B            Y G B
   Y G B            Y G B
R                  R

For player 1 and 2, (R = red, Y = yellow, G = green, B = blue), but after the clown color complaints, I was wondering if I should switch to something like this:

   B B B           Y Y Y
   R R R          G G G
R                G

Any suggestions?

Hi drunkatuw, we think alike.

For my primary panel, I am (currently, ) going with:

  BYG         BYG
  BYG         BYG
R             R

This matches the Neo-Geo layout, and I will set MAME to use either the upper or lower buttons for NG, so when the game says "Press the Red button", that's the one you press.

For my later IKARI panel, I'm still debating, but it will probably either be red and blue joysticks with

   YYY            GGG
   RRR           BBB

or

Monochrome red on left, blue on right, or

Black sticks with purple on left, blue on right, or

Black sticks with all purple buttons.

[Sephroth57]

personally i think 1 button color per player looks the best. it looks more clean and less like you made it yourself. if i made my own CP i would go black panel, red buttons player 1 blue buttons player 2. or, all black buttons would look cool

[BLACK KNIGHT]

It's all a matter of personal taste in my opinion.  Whatever you think looks good, go with.  I changed my X-arcade's all black buttons to:

red purple orange
green yellow blue

I did this to player 1 and player 2 sides.  I've had mixed reaction to it looks cheap to it looks good.  I wanted to make it look more 'fun'.  

I do like the idea of black and purple tho!

[fredster]

I put red buttons for fire, blue buttons for jump, and white buttons for the third and 4th.  I used black buttons for all the mame controls like menu, exit game, pause.  Yellow for credits.

Looked pretty good.  People always know what buttons do what by the color scheme.

[SirPoonga]

I'm looking into using yellow, red, blue, black, and white buttons to go with the pacman theme I want.

I plan on doing it like this.

Player one will have red buttons.
Player two has blue.
The start buttons will be black buttons in a red or blue holder, corresponding to the player it is the start for.
My button layout is like this

456
123

1 and 2 are mice buttons, so I plan on the buttons being red, but the holders being yellow.
3 is mapped to enter, I plan on that being red but with a white holder.
Then this info will be displayed on an instruction card (to give the cabinet a more authentic look).

My pause and exit buttons will be black.