Main > Main Forum

Looking for some advice

(1/4) > >>

Sedistik:
I have been lurking for a little while, as I research building my own arcade system. I had already spent time collecting screen shots and links to other peoples builds (not copying any specific one - but looking for inspiration on what I want to build). Short story - I deleted the damn folder and am unable to recover my research. I have built most of it back up, but I am missing the most important picture (and while I keep looking, I am not having much luck).


I really want this for a 4-player gauntlet games. Most of the time it will be 1-2 players, but 4 players would happen occasionally. I know I will be building my control panel quite large (2 feet of space per player), because we are not tiny people, and I have space. But I know players 3 and 4 would only be on occasion, so I want those players to be removable. I know I saw a picture of someone who built a design like that. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I am enlisting the assistance of my father-in-law (as his wood working skills are much better than mine), and a picture would help (as he knows nothing of video games).

yamatetsu:
There's a sticky in the main forum called Control Panel Database: Post a picture of your Control Panel!. Maybe you can find something there.

Another sticky to try would be I completed my project! I posted a pic and a link to my project thread. Not many 4 player setups there, but who knows. You might get lucky.

PL1:

--- Quote from: Sedistik on October 14, 2024, 01:36:00 pm ---I know players 3 and 4 would only be on occasion, so I want those players to be removable. I know I saw a picture of someone who built a design like that. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

--- End quote ---
Not sure where to find the photos you're referring to, but Marsupial brought up the idea of using another pedestal (or two?) for P3/P4 in this thread.  Neutrik feedthrus are your friend.

--- Quote from: PL1 on June 13, 2021, 01:15:50 pm ---
--- Quote from: Marsupial on June 13, 2021, 12:40:48 pm ---You make the 2nd pedestal like a separate joystick, with its own controller boars, and connect it to a USB port on the first pedestal.

--- End quote ---
You might want to consider using Neutrik NAUSB-W-B (black) or NAUSB-W (nickel) USB feedthrus if you want to use removable, commonly-available USB A-B cables.
- Pull two screws (2nd photo) and you can reverse the center barrel so the "B" side is on the outside of the 2nd pedestal's enclosure. (3rd photo)
- The second pedestal's USB encoder board plugs into the "A" side of the feedthru on the inside of the 2nd pedestal's enclosure.

   



--- End quote ---

If you find a 2P pedestal design that you like, your father-in-law can build either a second identical copy for P3 and P4 or two narrower versions that have the same side profile as the main P1/P2 pedestal.

Either way, the P3/P4 pedestal(s) would have the controls and an encoder that plugs into the main pedestal via USB.


Scott

minorhero:
Rather then make a really weird looking arcade machine with a giant control panel for occasional 4 person (you are talking about a control panel 8 feet long). I would consider making a more traditional 2 person and just using gamepads for player 3 and 4. That's the easy solution. Or if you want everyone to have their own controls, you can just make mini control boards they could put in their lap. This would be a lot easier to store away as well.

If that is not an option, then I could make each control panel its own separate pedestal. That way you can move everyone as far away or as close they want to be. Then your screen would be centralized and everyone can kind of arrange themselves around it.

What I would not try to do is make a control panel 8 feet long or one that was 4 feet wide with add on panels to extend it up to 8 feet. That dynamics of such a critter would just be too much.

MartyKong:
I second minorhero's idea of using gamepads for player 3 and 4. That's what I've done and it works great without all the clutter.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page