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Author Topic: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!  (Read 3195 times)

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Keroppi

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So...I am not a huge fan of franken-panels, but this one is well built, not horribly fugly, and I bought it for a song. I am going to use it as an interim until I build my own CP for dynamo showcase.
It came with:
  • a full set of HAPP controls
  • a ps/2 ipac4
  • a turbotwist (with opti-pac and energy cylinder)
  • a happ ps2/usb trackball (a bit of waste, could've run off the opti-pac)
  • and the 3/4p sticks *are angled correctly (toward the screen)*

Other than LED buttons (that I'll eventually move over to my next build), I am mostly considering: what to do with the extra controls and buttons?

I am thinking of replacing player one with a servoStik, which I then in turn could replace the dedicated 4-way with something more useful like an UltraStik 360FS Flight Stick

I really just don't understand the logic behind the extra buttons.
It leaves me 2 disjointed admin buttons across the top, along with a set of 3 buttons which are currently wired to the trackball, which seem all but useless nowadays.
Then there is the 2 buttons on either side of the 4-way. Maybe I just haven't played enough of the right classics in my life, but I don't recognize the value of this layout.
That said, they can go with the spinner or the flight stick; I am not opposed to swapping sides of them. I'd like some input here from people with more experience I guess.

Had I built this thing myself, I would have probably only done 2-3 admin buttons in the middle, where the useless "mouse" buttons are currently. Really only a pause+(Shifted) exit, info, and fe favorites buttons come to mind.

Note, I do not intend to "rebuild" this control panel (ie filling or adding holes, etc) ...I plan to use it pretty much as is, with maybe the replacement of a couple controls as mentioned.

So basically, I am asking this: if this was *your* control panel, how would you map the buttons given, and what would you do with the upper area, and why? FE will be hyperspin, if that matters. Thanks in advance!



leapinlew

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Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2020, 10:41:54 pm »
Thought about that. Felt like it'd be a bit of a waste though, spending (albeit very little) money to get rid of buttons that are already there and could be made useful. And, I really kinda hate the look of button plugs.
Were you recommending that for just the top row, or the ones surrounding the 4-way as well?

Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2020, 07:00:43 am »
This is the same cabinet I have, and wemr97dl did a badass job on his. Mostly posting for my own bookmark, but you should check out his build.

leapinlew

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2020, 09:10:03 pm »
It think it's too many buttons.... my guests wouldn't know where to start.

However, the suggestions I would make are:

Pause
Exit game
Volume up
Volume down
game list select
system select




KenToad

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2020, 12:30:45 am »
I have 4 admin buttons, well separated from any gameplay buttons. They are exit, save, load, and pause. The one button that I would add is a fast forward button, because enough arcade games have fairly long boot sequences.

Your admin buttons look to be placed too close to gameplay buttons to be anything but a nuisance, unfortunately.

BadMouth

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2020, 07:26:57 am »
I'd rewire the mouse buttons to a keyboard encoder and use the center one for exit, flanked by arrows to switch gamelists or emulators.  I'd wire the two outlying ones together and make them pause.  Labels would be paramount.

  I think you are on the right track with replacing the 4-way with a flight stick, but I would go for a tron stick and swap ouy the current spinner for a high low one. 
Noy sure about the buttons on each side of the 4-way.  Maybe add another below and to the left of the right ones and label them for asteroids.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2020, 07:30:44 am by BadMouth »

keilmillerjr

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2020, 08:32:11 am »
Buy lots of button plugs. You don't need any of that sh{t.

Howard_Casto

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2020, 08:41:43 pm »
I would put all that extra crap in a box and send it to me... I can make two more control panels out of that.  ;)

Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #9 on: February 17, 2020, 12:36:55 am »
I'd rewire the mouse buttons to a keyboard encoder and use the center one for exit, flanked by arrows to switch gamelists or emulators.  I'd wire the two outlying ones together and make them pause.  Labels would be paramount.

  I think you are on the right track with replacing the 4-way with a flight stick, but I would go for a tron stick and swap ouy the current spinner for a high low one. 
Noy sure about the buttons on each side of the 4-way.  Maybe add another below and to the left of the right ones and label them for asteroids.

Haha, that's close to what I had planned! Except I had decided to make the outer ones volume. Since they're more likely to get hit errant-ly, I'd like to make them something useful, but not really problematic when hit.
I like shifted keys, so exit would be shifted pause, etc.
I'd love a Tron stick and/or high/low spinner. But those are on the back of the list, they each cost more than the whole control panel!
When I saw that button arrangement around the 4 way, asteroids is what I thought of. Is there any classics anyone can think of with the weird 2-buttons on either side of a joystick?


BadMouth

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #10 on: February 17, 2020, 05:58:13 am »
A number of the early games had two buttons on each side of the 4-way to allow for left or right handed play.  They were wired together.

Zebra

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #11 on: February 17, 2020, 01:41:08 pm »
Maybe it would make sense if you could rotate the control panel to use it from both sides. I'd find it uncomfortable leaning across other joysticks to get to the stick towards the back.

If it were my panel, I'd ditch the two joysticks at the sides unless you regularly have people over to play 4-player TMNT and Simpsons etc.  I'd replace them with a pair of positional guns and possibly a mounted race wheel.

I'd leave the rest of the buttons though. There is enough functions in mame to use all those buttons twice over.

I'd cut out the 4-way stick as it's in an awkward position and install a light gun holster in the cavity. You can play 4-way games with an 8-way well enough. If it had to be left as a joystick, I'd put an Ikari Warriors style rotary stick instead.

I'd put a flight stick at the front in between the two six button sticks. If it's a good flight stick, you want that front and center where it's comfortable to use. And, where it can share the buttons from the other joysticks.

Mike A

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #12 on: February 17, 2020, 01:53:23 pm »
Are you freaking high?

keilmillerjr

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2020, 02:48:42 pm »
Are you freaking high?

A win is a win, even if featured on the cr@pmame site.

Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2020, 12:06:23 pm »
Are you freaking high?

LOL...Mike, you always crack me up.


Mike A

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #15 on: February 18, 2020, 12:09:22 pm »
He suggested adding 2 positional guns, a regular light gun holster, and a racing wheel to that CP. Oh, and a rotary stick and a flight stick in addition to the regular controls.

Is there any other valid explanation other than he got into Jennifer's meth supply?

Zebra

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2020, 02:37:07 pm »
He suggested adding 2 positional guns, a regular light gun holster, and a racing wheel to that CP. Oh, and a rotary stick and a flight stick in addition to the regular controls.

Is there any other valid explanation other than he got into Jennifer's meth supply?

Yeah it's just crazy adding arcade controls to a multi-game arcade control panel....

Let's here your helpful suggestion.

Mike A

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2020, 02:39:44 pm »
Okay. My helpful suggestion is ignore Zebra's advice. It sucks. Horribly.

Mike A

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2020, 02:45:27 pm »
Quote
Yeah it's just crazy adding arcade controls to a multi-game arcade control panel....

Adding every arcade control ever invented to one control panel is a little nutty.

yotsuya

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2020, 02:59:06 pm »
Quote
Yeah it's just crazy adding arcade controls to a multi-game arcade control panel....

Adding every arcade control ever invented to one control panel is a little nutty.

Just because you CAN doesn’t mean you SHOULD....

Make one game that plays a subset of games right instead of a monstrosity that half-asses everything.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

yotsuya

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #20 on: February 18, 2020, 03:00:54 pm »

Let's here your helpful suggestion.

My helpful suggestion is that it is “hear”.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Mike A

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #21 on: February 18, 2020, 03:06:24 pm »
You can't even cram all of those controls on there if you wanted to.

Zebra

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #22 on: February 18, 2020, 05:38:55 pm »
Quote
Yeah it's just crazy adding arcade controls to a multi-game arcade control panel....

Adding every arcade control ever invented to one control panel is a little nutty.

That control panel is already a bit nutty with too much going on. If you were designing multiple control panels from scratch, you'd go a different way. But, if you're reusing that panel, I'd want to put controls in that would be the most useful to me.

For a lot of people here, playing 4-player games is rare. But, most Mame users have a whole lot of different types of games on one machine. Positional guns have to mounted. Extra joysticks do not. You can always plug in an extra couple of pads if guests come over for a 4-player game. Positional guns is a better use of the space imo (unless he doesn't like shooting games).

Having multiple different types of controls on one panel is a necessity to get the most out of Mame if you don't have multiple cabs. People should put in decent arcade controls for all the genres they enjoy. Personally I'd get more enjoyment from recoil guns and race wheels than trackballs and 4-ways.

I'm putting a race wheel next to a positional gun on mine for Lucky and Wild. My race wheel comes off when not in use though.

Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #23 on: February 18, 2020, 10:21:47 pm »
I actually will play a lot of 4 player on the machine.
I think many people include a 4 way, 8 way, trackball, and spinner because that is the best compromise to play most games.
Where it becomes a matter of "gotta be able to play x game" is is when you start adding wheels, multiple trackballs, rotary sticks, etc.

I appreciate the input, but I'll be playing more 4 player games than I would ever want to play operation wolf or pole position.

I have pretty well decided to swap the 4way with a trigger stick,  possibly the new GRS Tron Stick (due to cost, I'd love an original)

I'll be leaving the buttons on either side, since they're already there and I hate plugs.

I just don't know if I should wire them:

1 - 2 - stick - 1 - 2
(or)
2 - 1 - stick - 1 - 2

...anyone have any examples of original games with 2 buttons on either side of a joystick?

yotsuya

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #24 on: February 18, 2020, 10:39:38 pm »
2 - 1 - Stick - 1 - 2 all day!
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Keroppi

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #25 on: February 18, 2020, 11:17:35 pm »
2 - 1 - Stick - 1 - 2 all day!

That's how I have it mapped currently...good to know I am on the right track. Know any original games that are like that?

yotsuya

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Re: Help me to decide what functions to map these franken-panel buttons to!
« Reply #26 on: February 18, 2020, 11:52:51 pm »
2 - 1 - Stick - 1 - 2 all day!

That's how I have it mapped currently...good to know I am on the right track. Know any original games that are like that?

I dunno, but that’s how I did my 4-way vertical cab. It was perfect.
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***