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| Project: My first cabinet - Mid 90s and before! [Complete] |
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| minorhero:
It's definitely something I need first hand experience with to understand. Fortunately, I have a lot of equipment already laying around so I fully intend to try out some options and see what feels right to me. To that end, I have raided my parents barn and came back with a CRT tv and a few monitors, and all of my old computers going back 20+ years. As it turns out.... there are a lot of them :P Since I am usually in the habit of cannibalizing my last computer to create my new computer when I upgrade, most of them were missing parts. So it took me a day to coble together enough pieces to make the 'best' old computer I could and reload windows on a clean partition. I am so new to the arcade builder thing that I am still wrapping my head around terminology. But I figured out that I need a frontend. I looked around for what people liked and tried both attract mode and launchbox. The latter still needs to be configured but I will likely go with that. I also need to figure out what emulators I will be using other then MAME. I want to be able to play nes, snes, and probably sega. I haven't even started looking into it yet though. Meanwhile I also put in an order at paradise arcade for buttons etc. I really wanted concave buttons so I ordered mostly IL buttons. They did not have led concave buttons, so I ordered translucent with the hope that I can figure out a way to light them. The ideal being if I can get the right buttons to light up when the right game is being played (I believe there is software for that called blinky?). If it can't happen though its not the end of the world. After looking into different controllers I ordered an ipac ultimate. I wanted to get the blue tip gaming buttons paradise arcade have, but could literally find no resource online for how to wire them so the analog function was preserved. I did find one person saying they couldn't get it to work. Sooo yeah, I skipped that. My layout will then have two Eurojoysticks, and 6 IL translucent buttons. I will also have a 1 player and 2 player button, 2 start buttons, 2 coin buttons, and 1 pause button. Any input on buttons would be GREATLY appreciated. I figured this is the minimum number of buttons I will need to play most things with a 2 player cabinet plus the pause button which is just a great quality of life feature. I have read that other admin functions can be accomplished through shortcuts. Thoughts? |
| harri:
--- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---My layout will then have two Eurojoysticks, and 6 IL translucent buttons. --- End quote --- You mean three buttons per player? Since SNES controller already has four buttons I wouldn't go with less than that per player. (Or did it had shoulder pads also, I've only played with it once or twice during the days so I can't say, if so the minimum should be six.) While I wouldn't play console games with arcade cabinet I think one option for combined arcade/console cabinet could be control panel with sticks and buttons for arcade games and two usb-ports where you can connect pads when playing console games. |
| minorhero:
--- Quote from: harri on October 12, 2023, 10:53:32 am --- --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---My layout will then have two Eurojoysticks, and 6 IL translucent buttons. --- End quote --- You mean three buttons per player? Since SNES controller already has four buttons I wouldn't go with less than that per player. (Or did it had shoulder pads also, I've only played with it once or twice during the days so I can't say, if so the minimum should be six.) While I wouldn't play console games with arcade cabinet I think one option for combined arcade/console cabinet could be control panel with sticks and buttons for arcade games and two usb-ports where you can connect pads when playing console games. --- End quote --- Sorry, should have been more clear. Each player has a joystick and 6 buttons. It seems like that configuration is generally accepted for games made before the N64 era? Or such has been my understanding from reading other people's builds. In addition to the joystick and 6 buttons per player, each player also has a coin button and a start button. There are the 1 and 2 player select buttons, and finally, there is 1 pause button. So in total I have 19 buttons and 2 joysticks. I am of many minds when it comes to controllers. Mostly though, that's not the 'arcade' experience I remember, so I'll probably skip them. |
| PL1:
--- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---Meanwhile I also put in an order at paradise arcade for buttons etc. I really wanted concave buttons so I ordered mostly IL buttons. They did not have led concave buttons, so I ordered translucent with the hope that I can figure out a way to light them. --- End quote --- There are several approaches to choose from. Slightly less expensive way - Single-color 45 degree 5mm LEDs as mentioned in the wiki. http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Lighting_Microswitch_Buttons Slightly more expensive way - RGB modules similar to the ones Nephasth used in the Two Headed Beast. (AFAIK Paradise doesn't stock that kind anymore) - Drilling holes for wiring - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.msg1167130.html#msg1167130 - Easy disconnect wiring - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.msg1177518.html#msg1177518 Another consideration is light bleed from one button to another. --- Quote from: PL1 on February 19, 2014, 02:30:43 pm ---On the light bleed problem, IIRC someone ordered an extra nut for each button to block the light. (shown with 3/4" MDF) A little paint on the parts that are still showing should block the rest and keep you from clogging the threads with paint or chipping the paint while tightening/losening the nut. --- End quote --- --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---The ideal being if I can get the right buttons to light up when the right game is being played (I believe there is software for that called blinky?). If it can't happen though its not the end of the world. --- End quote --- LEDBlinky by Arzoo. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,73905.0.html --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---I wanted to get the blue tip gaming buttons paradise arcade have, but could literally find no resource online for how to wire them so the analog function was preserved. I did find one person saying they couldn't get it to work. Sooo yeah, I skipped that. --- End quote --- They are very specialized buttons. The two analog Dupont pins next to the black body of the microswitch are electrically separate from the microswitch. - The two-pin configuration indicates that it's a variable resistor, not a voltage-dividing potentiometer (three-pin configuration) like most of the analog encoders for arcade-style controls. There are two possible approaches to using these buttons for analog: (haven't tested these, but they should both work) 1. Wire it to an Arduino A/D input and use a HID analog gamepad firmware. 2. Adding a resistor can turn a 2-wire variable resistor setup into a 3-wire voltage divider like the KADE team did here for Atari 2600 paddles on the miniConsole+. - The downsides to this method are that you only use about half of the voltage range so you have to calibrate the input in Windows and you lose some resolution. --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---My layout will then have two Eurojoysticks, and 6 IL translucent buttons. I will also have a 1 player and 2 player button, 2 start buttons, 2 coin buttons, and 1 pause button. Any input on buttons would be GREATLY appreciated. I figured this is the minimum number of buttons I will need to play most things with a 2 player cabinet plus the pause button which is just a great quality of life feature. I have read that other admin functions can be accomplished through shortcuts. Thoughts? --- End quote --- "1 player and 2 player button, 2 start buttons" - If by this you mean that you will have two start buttons, the first for player 1 with a single stick figure (2nd from left) and the second for player 2 with two stick figures (2nd from right) then that sounds good. - If you mean that you'll have two buttons with stick figures and two other buttons that are start buttons, then you've got duplicate buttons. A 2-player setup with one Pause button where each player has a joystick, six player buttons, a Start button, and a Coin button ==> two joysticks and 17 buttons. - You may also want to add an Exit button near (but not too near) the Pause button for a total of 18 buttons. Check out the "Number of admin buttons" section of the FAQ. - Some people prefer dedicated buttons. - Some people prefer "shifted functions". - Strongly consider the part about guests/kids and Menu (TAB) buttons/shifted functions. For your console emulators, use the Start buttons as Start buttons and the Coin buttons as Select buttons. ;D Scott EDIT: Looked further into how to wire the Blue Tip Gaming analog buttons and couldn't find anything about how to implement the first approach. (two-wire variable resistor and Arduino code) Measured the button's variable resistor value and calculated a suitable fixed resistor value for the second approach. Will test and, if successful, post a full tutorial in a separate thread. EDIT2: Tutorial posted at http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,167989.0.html. [/thread derail] |
| minorhero:
--- Quote from: PL1 on October 12, 2023, 01:15:53 pm --- --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---Meanwhile I also put in an order at paradise arcade for buttons etc. I really wanted concave buttons so I ordered mostly IL buttons. They did not have led concave buttons, so I ordered translucent with the hope that I can figure out a way to light them. --- End quote --- There are several approaches to choose from. Slightly less expensive way - Single-color 45 degree 5mm LEDs as mentioned in the wiki. http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Lighting_Microswitch_Buttons Slightly more expensive way - RGB modules similar to the ones Nephasth used in the Two Headed Beast. (AFAIK Paradise doesn't stock that kind anymore) - Drilling holes for wiring - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.msg1167130.html#msg1167130 - Easy disconnect wiring - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,108719.msg1177518.html#msg1177518 Another consideration is light bleed from one button to another. --- Quote from: PL1 on February 19, 2014, 02:30:43 pm ---On the light bleed problem, IIRC someone ordered an extra nut for each button to block the light. (shown with 3/4" MDF) A little paint on the parts that are still showing should block the rest and keep you from clogging the threads with paint or chipping the paint while tightening/losening the nut. --- End quote --- --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---The ideal being if I can get the right buttons to light up when the right game is being played (I believe there is software for that called blinky?). If it can't happen though its not the end of the world. --- End quote --- LEDBlinky by Arzoo. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,73905.0.html --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---I wanted to get the blue tip gaming buttons paradise arcade have, but could literally find no resource online for how to wire them so the analog function was preserved. I did find one person saying they couldn't get it to work. Sooo yeah, I skipped that. --- End quote --- They are very specialized buttons. The two analog Dupont pins next to the black body of the microswitch are electrically separate from the microswitch. - The two-pin configuration indicates that it's a variable resistor, not a voltage-dividing potentiometer (three-pin configuration) like most of the analog encoders for arcade-style controls. There are two possible approaches to using these buttons for analog: (haven't tested these, but they should both work) 1. Wire it to an Arduino A/D input and use a HID analog gamepad firmware. 2. Adding a resistor can turn a 2-wire variable resistor setup into a 3-wire voltage divider like the KADE team did here for Atari 2600 paddles on the miniConsole+. - The downsides to this method are that you only use about half of the voltage range so you have to calibrate the input in Windows and you lose some resolution. --- Quote from: minorhero on October 12, 2023, 08:21:50 am ---My layout will then have two Eurojoysticks, and 6 IL translucent buttons. I will also have a 1 player and 2 player button, 2 start buttons, 2 coin buttons, and 1 pause button. Any input on buttons would be GREATLY appreciated. I figured this is the minimum number of buttons I will need to play most things with a 2 player cabinet plus the pause button which is just a great quality of life feature. I have read that other admin functions can be accomplished through shortcuts. Thoughts? --- End quote --- "1 player and 2 player button, 2 start buttons" - If by this you mean that you will have two start buttons, the first for player 1 with a single stick figure (2nd from left) and the second for player 2 with two stick figures (2nd from right) then that sounds good. - If you mean that you'll have two buttons with stick figures and two other buttons that are start buttons, then you've got duplicate buttons. A 2-player setup with one Pause button where each player has a joystick, six player buttons, a Start button, and a Coin button ==> two joysticks and 17 buttons. - You may also want to add an Exit button near (but not too near) the Pause button for a total of 18 buttons. Check out the "Number of admin buttons" section of the FAQ. - Some people prefer dedicated buttons. - Some people prefer "shifted functions". - Strongly consider the part about guests/kids and Menu (TAB) buttons/shifted functions. For your console emulators, use the Start buttons as Start buttons and the Coin buttons as Select buttons. ;D Scott --- End quote --- Thank you! This is super helpful! I figured there was a way to light those buttons and this gives me a good place to start. It looks like I have duplicate buttons :P I definitely thought I needed separate start buttons from the player 1 and 2 buttons (one person and two person silhouette buttons). Oh well, better to have ordered too many then not enough. I'll take a look at the FAQ you mentioned later on and see if maybe I need them after all :P |
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