4 down to 2 - layout?

[IncrdblHulk7]

I am just starting to plan out my cabinet.  I want it ALL!  But I know that can become quite cluttered!  

Initially I wanted to go with a 4 player CP with additional 4-way, TBall, and Spinner.  I would probably only make use of the 3&4 player controls when I had a bunch of friends over - while my roommate and I will definetly use the 1&2 player controls.  So, I had the idea that I should simply build a 2 player CP with add-on controllers for 3&4 player games (Gaunlet, TMNT ...).  I was going to convert a pair of NES/SNES controllers to plug into the parallel port of my PC - have them each "plug-into" each side of the CP using DB9 or RJ45 connectors.  I know this is not in-line with a cabinet arcade control system - but it is kinda retro and will save space and money.  

Has anyone tried the controller to Parallel port hack?  Would this work along with the Player 1&2 using the CP interfaced with an IPAC? (dont see why not)

Anyone have any good suggestions for 3"TB, Spinner, 4-way placement among a 2-player (8-way_7button)  CP?  I have seen lots of examples, but it always seems like some of the controls end up being quite a "stretch" on the CP?  I have seen some placements of the 4-way all the way at the top (above TB) - this seems like it would be uncomfortable? (can anyone comment?)

[Doc-]

I have two Saitek P880 gamepads for players 3 and 4.  These are nice gamepads with six main buttons, dual analog sticks, a digital mode and a  few extra buttons.  They are USB and just plug into a 4 port USB hub under the control panel when you need them.

The best configuration for most games is to use JoyToKey (just do a google search for it) to map the gamepad sticks and buttons to the player 3 and 4 keystrokes.  This saves a lot of mapping in MAME.  You can also use them in analog mode for PC games and other emulators.

As for layout - you might want to consider a modular control panel - you can start with a basic 2 player fighter layout and then add more joysticks and panels over time.  You can actually have it all.  My site below has an example.

Doc-

[IncrdblHulk7]

Thanks Doc!  I was admiring your modular panels earlier today!  Very nice!

If I cant fit it all on one panel - I was thinking about doing something similar - but not as many pieces (I dont think I would need that much flexibilty).  I was thinking about making 3 equal width segments.  To begin, the two outer ones would each have a set of 8way+7buttons (NeoGeo style) and the center segment would house the 3"TB.  Then I could make two more center segments - one with the spinner and some buttons and another with the 4-way and a couple buttons.  And probably mount the Player1&2 start buttons above segments.  

That would cover most of the good games right?  How many buttons should the Spinner and 4way have by them?  I was thinking 2 or 3.

Later on, I could add another TB or Spinner and just remove the outerpanels with the two TBs.  

I think I can get away with doing all of this with the 28 input IPAC, since there will be alot of overlap of button assignment between segments.  

Doc - your CP is very inspiring!

[Doc-]

If I was going to make a "flexible" panel without quite as many segments, I would probably start with a two fighter, 7 button each  layout (six buttons plus a thumb button, 8 way joystick) like mine and then make the middle segment switchable.  Make it wide enough for your trackball and the joysticks will easily fit.

In practice most of the time I'm switching the center panels out to put in a 4 way, trackball or spinner.  You can also put a top-fire there for games like battlezone.  On occasion I will swap the 8 way joysticks for 4 way ones (bomberman world) but not too often.  The only rare exceptions are games like Tron where you would like the spinner on the left and joystick on the right (I just finished hacking a "tron-like" joystick from an old Wingman joystick - I need to post some pictures).  Finally I have rigged four joysticks for tank style/smash TV games - but again you are getting into pretty rare layouts.

I don't think you really need buttons mounted on the spinner panel as most the time you are running the spinner with one hand and buttons with the other - so you could use your existing 7 buttons.

I would mount three buttons on the trackball panel - and rig them to the left, middlle and right mouse buttons.  This lets you use it as a fully functional mouse.  I think they are best above the trackball.  Get a 3 button USB mouse and do a mouse hack on it.

My cabinet is a 28 input IPAC.

Doc-

[Kremmit]

Doc-
It seems there's nothing new under the sun.  I've been working on a modular system (it's still vaporware ) for my new cab, & I thought nobody else had done it yet.  Seems I was wrong- you've done it and done it well!  I was thinking along similar lines for the wiring, thanks for the tip about using stranded cat5, as I was going to use some old solid stuff I've got laying around.  

-Kremmit

[Doc-]

Kremmit,
  Thanks for the kind words - but I really can't take credit for the "modular" idea - I found it here on the forum and there are at least 3-4 good examples that preceeded me (just do an search) that I'm aware of.

  The only unique feature I added (I think) was the panel mounting system - which allows you to quickly swap the boards.  Others have used various screw-down, rail and other connectors that take more time to swap.

  Still I think the total combination of USB, Cat5 and the panel mounting system is pretty nice - there are only a handful of game layouts that I can't recreate with this system.  One nice thing is that you can add panels as you think of them - so over a period of months I've purchased new joysticks, buttons, etc...and added them as they came to mind.

  Now I need to find a good arcade steering wheel to mount...

Cheers!