Control Panel Help

[Tahnok]

I think I am going to order my control panel parts soon and am curios about a few things.

I am looking to get two Ultimark T-Stiks. I am wondering though if it is worth the money to get a T-Stik Plus.

Also, how are the joysticks wood mounted? My panel is going to be wood and I don't want to have to shave down the inside of it. I am looking for an oval, not a ball-top so I really don't want to have to buy the Ball-top long. If I did end up having to buy a Ball-top long though, does it increase the throw of the stick?

I also am going to buy an Ultimark trackball. Can these be used with a standard mouse hack like the Happs?

I am also thinking about doing the CompUSA trackball hack explained on the controls page. How do these feel compared to an Ultimark? And how hard can you slam them without being afraid of them falling through (golden tee drive). Also how big are they? I am looking for a 2

[Tahnok]

I just finished the layout for my CP. Tell me what you think.

Small blue circles=Play buttons
Small white circles=Player 1 and 2 start
Dark blue circles with outline=Joysticks
Large blue circle with black outline=Trackball
Small black circles=Left and right click
Not on main panel=Esc,P,5,F3

[DaveMMR]

Maybe Player 2 should have the same layout (i.e. joystick THEN buttons) as Player 1.   It looks nice the way you have it but you have to hope that the second player doesn't mind controlling the joystick with his right hand and buttons with the left (or crossing his hands).

   

[DennisInMN]

I too am building my cp now as I work through Saint's book.  One thing you may want to add is a middle mouse button.  I am doing that with mine and I have seen other people suggest 3 mouse buttons as opposed to 2.  It isn't necessary but it may come in handy and it is definately easier to do it now than to add it later.  Just my $.02.

[Tahnok]

Alright, here is a picture of the first revision. I don't understand though why it needs a center button. I am going to be running windows 98 and I can't think of anything that I would need it for.

I really need an answer to the questions in my first post. Also, I can't find the CompUSA trackball for sale anywhere. Any ideas?

[Buddabing]

I don't understand though why it needs a center button.

Missile Command

[Tahnok]

I don't understand though why it needs a center button.

Missile Command

Point made. I had forgotten that there might be games that need it. I was only thinking what windows may need.

[Tiger-Heli]

>I am wondering though if it is worth the money to get a T-Stik Plus.

If you play 4-way games, then yes!

>Also, how are the joysticks wood mounted?

Dunno.

>If I did end up having to buy a Ball-top long though, does it increase >the throw of the stick?

It increases the EFFECTIVE throw of the stick, sure.  i.e., if the stick had 6 degrees of travel before hand, it will still have 6 degrees of travel, but if the handle is an inch longer, it will move an extra 1/4 inch at the top.  (Some math major can fix my numbers.)

>I also am going to buy an Ultimark trackball. Can these be used with >a standard mouse hack like the Happs?

AFAIK, yes!

>How do these feel compared to an Ultimark?

Those are old reviews - if you can find a CompUSA trackball, it's one of the better PC trackballs, i.e. not especially good for arcade games.  The free spin, feel, and longevity of the ultimarc or happ will be ten times better.

>Also how big are they?

I would guess 2"

>I am looking for a 2

[Nefesis]

this might not be very relevant, but:
how would you suggest setting up the control panel for right-handed people. having the disadvantage of not growing up in the 80's ( )), i hvaen't been to many arcade parlors. would the joystick go on the left or right of the buttons? i am planning on have 6 buttons per player, with a 2-player setup.

[Tiger-Heli]

this might not be very relevant, but:
how would you suggest setting up the control panel for right-handed people. having the disadvantage of not growing up in the 80's ( )), i hvaen't been to many arcade parlors. would the joystick go on the left or right of the buttons? i am planning on have 6 buttons per player, with a 2-player setup.

Been asked before, general consensus is stick on the left, buttons on the right.  Most right-handers prefer this, I happen to be left-handed, and I think about 75% of left handers like this as well.

[Nefesis]

ok. thank you.

[DaveMMR]

I don't understand though why it needs a center button.

Missile Command

Now that you bring up Missle Command....

If I were playing it with your CP I definately wouldn't be using the top buttons.  It might just be me but it seems way too awkward.  Why not just eliminate those buttons and have the regular buttons perform double duty (or place the three buttons in a different position).

If they are strictly mouse buttons then you could get away with two and use the joystick's buttons for tb games.

[FractalWalk]

If I were playing it with your CP I definately wouldn't be using the top buttons

Yeah. No way will you use buttons above the trackball, when you've got 3 perfectly good buttons in the same layout right next to it.

Why add Mouse click buttons when you already have 12 buttons on the CP?

[Nefesis]

are the happ super joysticks 4-way/8-way changable? or do you need restrictor plates? if restrictor plates, anyone know where i can get them?

[Tahnok]

Why not just eliminate those buttons and have the regular buttons perform double duty.quote]

Couldn't that cause problems though? If I am playing a game that works with both keyboard and mouse buttons couldn't the two interfere and cause two different signals to be sent?

As for the joysticks, here is what I am trying to do. The board will be 3/4" thick. If I wanted to use the T-Stik Plus what would I have to do? Where would I have to drill holes, how would it then be mounted, do I need the long ball top and do I need to alter the wood other than drilling?

[DaveMMR]

Well if you're just playing emulators, that shouldn't be a problem.  If you're playing PC games, well I have to say it depends on the game.  A lot of them have remappable controls.

You could always map your main buttons to mouse buttons too.

[Tiger-Heli]

are the happ super joysticks 4-way/8-way changable? or do you need restrictor plates? if restrictor plates, anyone know where i can get them?

Not easily, and don't work well in 4-way mode when switched.
www.oscarcontrols.com is the only source for restrictor plates, if he still sells them.

[Tiger-Heli]

Couldn't that cause problems though? If I am playing a game that works with both keyboard and mouse buttons couldn't the two interfere and cause two different signals to be sent?

You won't send different signals - you will just be missing three inputs.

Here are your options-

1)  Configure MAME so Missile command uses the top row of buttons (wired to the keyboard encoder).  No problems in MAME, but you don't have mouse click buttons if you need them for windows, front-ends, PC games that use the mouse only, etc.

2) Configure MAME so Missile command uses the top row of buttons (wired to the mouse L, C, and R butttons), No problems in MAME (but you do have to configure ALL games so Buttons 4-6 use the mouse buttons).  No problems in your front end, but PC games that use more than the 3 mouse buttons and more than 11 regular buttons might have problems.

3) As earlier, have 3 additional dedicated mouse buttons.  No problems, but CP starts looking cluttered.

[Tahnok]

3) As earlier, have 3 additional dedicated mouse buttons.  No problems, but CP starts looking cluttered.

Does the second picture look cluttered?

I think I will make a combination of the above two layouts. I will keep the joystick/buttons configuration of the second with the mouse button layout of the first.

I just brought up Missile Command and realized that the first three buttons act as the same thing as the mouse buttons, even with the trackball mode turned on. So you can just use the normal buttons instead of trying to wire mouse buttons to them.

[Nefesis]

do you need a trackball if you're going to use a DOS os and not planning on playing golden tee golf? or any other type of mouse?

[Tiger-Heli]

do you need a trackball if you're going to use a DOS os and not planning on playing golden tee golf? or any other type of mouse?

DOS supports mice/trackballs - Questions -

Does your DOS frontend require or work better with a mouse?

Do you plan on playing ANY trackball games (World Class Bowling, CABAL, Centipede, Golf, Mini-Golf, maybe Arkanoid, Missile Command), etc.)?

If both answer are NO, then you don't need one, if either is YES, then you do.

[Nefesis]

i haven't planned on playing those games, but maybe i'll leave room on my cp for a trackball for later.

[krick]

Hi,  sorry to be dragging this thread back up but I found it in a search and was wondering about this idea of "game buttons" vs "mouse buttons".

Is it possible to have the top three buttons act like mouse buttons when in windows and game buttons while in MAME?

You can't really wire one button to two inputs at the same time, can you?  i.e.  wire the first button to the I-PAC player 1 button 1 input AND also wire it to the OptiPac left mouse button input.   Whenever you press the button, the're both activated.

The bottom line is that I'd rather not have dedicated mouse buttons on my control panel if I don't have to.

[Tiger-Heli]

Is it possible to have the top three buttons act like mouse buttons when in windows and game buttons while in MAME?

Sure . . . maybe, depends . . . read on.

You can't really wire one button to two inputs at the same time, can you?  i.e.  wire the first button to the I-PAC player 1 button 1 input AND also wire it to the OptiPac left mouse button input.   Whenever you press the button, the're both activated.

Actually, I'm not sure you can't but you would get both signals sent and that probably isn't good.

What you can do is - MAME accepts mouse button inputs just fine - so connect your buttons up as mouse buttons and map the inputs in MAME to mouse button 0, mouse button 1, and mouse button 2.  The drawback to this is if you use any other emulators/games that don't recognize mouse buttons or allow reassigning of them, you can't use those buttons with them.

[Tahnok]

I believe you can hook up two controls to one button (I see no reason why not). However, I recommend not using the player 1 and 2 buttons. They are not normally in an easy place to use and they are not the same button to MAME.

If you are using the default MAME buttons map then player buttons one, two and three are the same as the three mouse clicks. I think you could even not hook the buttons up to the keyboard portion and just use the mouse clicks to play games. Though, I don't use an I-Pac, so you should probably confirm with someone who knows more than me.