New Cabinet using Pi4 (Retropie) custom control panel questions

[shazam0527]

Hi All, I'm building a second arcade cabinet (for fun because of the quarantine) and this time I'm going to build my control panel myself.  My previous cabinet I used an X-Arcade Tank stick.  Great stick but now I want more of a challenge.

My question is this - I'm a complete novice when it comes to building my own control panels.  I know I need joysticks and buttons, but I've seen some circuit boards that I'm unfamiliar with.  I want to buy the right items.  My goal is to do a control panel with LEDWiz (RGB setup).

Any and all advice/direction is greatly appreciated.  I'm a complete novice, and did some google searches but I'm not getting the results I am hoping for (probably because I don't know the terminology for what I want).

Thanks a ton!

Shazam

[meyer980]

lol you say "My question is this" but then don't really ask a question...

Specifically, which area do you need buying advice on? What control interface to use?

[shazam0527]

I apologize, here is my question(s)

1.  If I wanted to do RGB programmable buttons/joysticks, do I need something special/specific?
2.  Does anyone have experience using this setup and what was your opinion of it?
3.  I've never built my own control panel before (Used an X-Arcade one successfully), but I want to go 100% custom this time.  Do you have any wiring recommendations?

[Drnick]

1) Ultimarc Pacled64, RGB Buttons, I recommend RGB Ultimarc Goldleaf. If going RGB Joystick then recommend RGB Servostick (Allows you to swap between 4/8 way easily) although will take up a fair chunk of space under the control panel.

2) Can't advise on PI, although plenty users on here have used with PC

3) 20 Gauge wire,  Dupont pins, relevant header blocks, Use All Black wires and connectors.  Sorry, couldn't help myself, See http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.400.html for details.
In reality though I would recommend getting a couple of harnesses from Ultimarc 

RGB Commander software should help you with the setup of button lighting.

Are you already married to the idea of using PI?  if not then would look into using PC as many more people have setup RGB on PC then PI.

[shazam0527]

No, I'm not opposed to going PC   Thank you kindly for all the info!  This is what I was looking for!

[shazam0527]

1) Ultimarc Pacled64, RGB Buttons, I recommend RGB Ultimarc Goldleaf. If going RGB Joystick then recommend RGB Servostick (Allows you to swap between 4/8 way easily) although will take up a fair chunk of space under the control panel.

2) Can't advise on PI, although plenty users on here have used with PC

3) 20 Gauge wire,  Dupont pins, relevant header blocks, Use All Black wires and connectors.  Sorry, couldn't help myself, See http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.400.html for details.
In reality though I would recommend getting a couple of harnesses from Ultimarc 

RGB Commander software should help you with the setup of button lighting.

Are you already married to the idea of using PI?  if not then would look into using PC as many more people have setup RGB on PC then PI.

Dr. Nick - what software would I use that's similar to Retropie?  I'd like it to have the menu system, and attract mode if possible.  I'm familiar with Retropie, but nothing PC based.  Any advice would be awesome..

[Drnick]

I've only setup PC's with Hyperspin, HS can be a PITA to setup and configure although does look pretty at the end.  I think the current recommendations would be Launchbox/Bigbox.  Plenty of setup tutorials and videos about for it.

[ZoOl007]

RGBcommander can do what you seek. I developed it mostly on a PacLed64 board.
This is a good read (the whole post) as this person has done exactly what you want.
https://retroarcadebuild.blogspot.com/p/rgbcommander-wiring-and-custom.html
Good luck with your project.

[J_K_M_A_N]

I don't have LED buttons but I use RGBCommander for my U360 and it works great!

J_K_M_A_N

[DJO_Maverick]

Partly echoing Drnick;

I was also a novice and I did my recent build with Goldleaf RGBs and the I-PAC Ultimate from Ultimarc; the buttons are great, and those buttons have hookups designed to plug directly into their own sets of pins, which makes it extremely simple.  I lit 20 RGB buttons, a RGB trackball, and 4 single-channel buttons, and had many LED channels left to spare.  With a little bit of creative remapping, I used 2 Ultrastik 360s, 1 Ultrastik 360 FS, 2 Dominux 8s, 32 buttons total, the TB and spinner, and made it all work with just the one I-PAC UIO and no other boards.  The 360s, TB, and Spinner can interface via USB and save on inputs, and you can actually hook up more buttons to the 360s if needed.  UIO also comes with a largely idiot-proof wiring harness that simplifies that process, too; I just had to get the optional 3-4p expansion harness and an extra ground daisy chain, and I was set on wiring. 

I used a Pi 3B+, and it works great; I've found few arcade games I can't get running at full speed on AdvanceMAME or 2003 Plus, and of those few, most can at least run acceptably close.

RGBCommander is amazing; its existence largely guided the planning of my CP.  Once you figure out how to install it (took a little while because I was a Linux newb), setting it up was simple.  It can recolor all of your buttons to match the CP of the original cab, or whatever you want, and also remap your 360s to 4-way/8-way/analog/etc, all behind the scenes as you launch games.  I did have to go manually add maybe 10-20% of my games to the config that didn't have pre-done color maps, but they were a minority.