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x-arcade and ipac?
whiteraven:
would this type of thing work for switching between pc and consoles? They are generally used for switching monitors?
http://www.trianglecables.com/4waydb9mansw.html
mcdo15:
--- Quote from: whiteraven on June 21, 2004, 07:58:34 am ---I think I know exactly where you are coming from. I also have an X-arcade 2 player controller and it is wrecking my head whether I should gut it and use the parts for a control panel (4 player) or keep the X-arcade intact and build the base box that it would slot into (2 player). I am using the UAII design btw.
I have already ordered 2 happ competition sticks and a set of competition buttons to replace the lesser quality parts in the x-arcade. I am also considering buying 2 slikstik chrome handel perfect 360 optical joysticks as an upgrade from the competition joysticks, I am doing this mainly because I have read that these sticks willl be good for both fighting and 4 way games.....plus they are shiny :-)
That willl leave me with 2 competition sticks that I wouldn't want to go to waste. I would like to build a bigger control panel and use the upgraded x-arcade parts as player 1 and 2 while using a usb Ipac for the competition sticks and buttons which would serve player 3 and 4. I might also rig up some admin buttons from the ipac (tab, esc, etc)
Then again that was a really good tip about using the switch to change to an "admin mode" and have the x-arcade buttons programmed to esc, tab and so on. The other thing is maybe have a 4 player panel is overkill? It is not that often that you'll get 4 people together how want to play one of the small amount of 4 player games but I am sure that those who have built a 4 player control panel haven't regretted it either.
So I guess what it comes down to is whether the Ipac can co-exist with the x-arcade and if it will be happy only looking after player 3 and 4.
I have given this a lot of thought and I might build a 2 player base and then upgrade to 4 player later (this is an expensive project, in so much debt but it is worth it) but this will affect my choice in a coin door because a 4 player coin door would look stupid with only 2 players and a 2 player coin door would look stupid with 4 players.
Like I mentioned earlier...my head is well and truely...wrecked!
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don't x-arcade and ipac plug into same PS/2 keyboard slot?
yes, my head is wrecked also but i looks like i'm gutting out the x-arcade and makeing a new CP. Opi-pac might be a solution for rollor ball but X-Arcade is releaseing a rollor ball in Aug with 3 mouse buttons.... i'm think i will email them to get the size of it. and leave space in the middle for it. i just figured it be cheaper to go that route and it's already hooked up. not sure why i'm afriad to hook wires up but maybe it's just me.
Are the joysticks really that crappy? is it worth to replace and easy to replace?
--- Quote ---That willl leave me with 2 competition sticks that I wouldn't want to go to waste. I would like to build a bigger control panel and use the upgraded x-arcade parts as player 1 and 2 while using a usb Ipac for the competition sticks and buttons which would serve player 3 and 4. I might also rig up some admin buttons from the ipac (tab, esc, etc)
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hmm..i didn't think about that. that is a great idea...plus you can switch that button on the fly if i'm not mistaken?
hmm..this is getting even better.
ok..now i a new question..i wansn't gonna do a coin slot but if i were too...techincally you you were saying before, i could just run a wire from coin to a button on x-arcade (like the side button) and the x-arcade would just be hooked up normally...?
thanks all for your time and effort and putting my mind to ease.
i do understand the rollor ball won't work for console games...
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: whiteraven on June 21, 2004, 07:58:34 am ---I am also considering buying 2 slikstik chrome handel perfect 360 optical joysticks as an upgrade from the competition joysticks, I am doing this mainly because I have read that these sticks willl be good for both fighting and 4 way games.....plus they are shiny :-)
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Two things to consider here - P360's won't work with the X-Arcade PCB - it's positive GND and I-PAC and P360's want Negative GND (not exactly accurate, but the simplest way to explain it).
P360's are a mixed bag for 4-way games - difficult to switch - You have to remove a clip and flip and actuator. Once flipped - you can NOT hit diagonals (good), but you have full circular movement, not diagonally restricted movement (bad)
--- Quote ---So I guess what it comes down to is whether the Ipac can co-exist with the x-arcade and if it will be happy only looking after player 3 and 4.
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Shouldn't be a problem (only for PC games, though).
Tiger-Heli:
--- Quote from: whiteraven on June 21, 2004, 08:13:06 am ---would this type of thing work for switching between pc and consoles? They are generally used for switching monitors?
http://www.trianglecables.com/4waydb9mansw.html
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I think so, haven't used X-arcade, but it seems like it should work fine with it.
whiteraven:
The rollerball that x-arcade are releasing is going to be in its own case if I am not mistaken and will defiiniately be to big to fit in the standard x-arcade 2 player panel. You said though that you might be making your own panel and if so you could take the x-arcade rollerbal out of its box and put it into your custom panel, however I think that it might make more sense for you to just buy a happ trackballl whcih doesn't come in a box in the first place.
Personally for starters I will be going this route
http://www.geocities.com/lusosarge2000/etrackball.html
It is the only way to get a trackball inside the 2player controller.
I will also be adding a spinner if possible (fingers crossed)
http://www.arcadecontrols.com/arcade_X-Arcade_review.shtml
I got a oscarcontrols model 3 spinner (the only one that will fit in there)
with the usb interface and left and right mouse button harness
I will wire up the left and right mouse button harness to the Player 2 bottom 2 buttons on the xarcade, I don't know if this will cause any side effects but hopefully not.
Don't know if they will both fit in there until I try.
Any happ joysticks shoud be easy to install into the X-arcade or at least that is what I have heard.
As for the joystick quality, I think that the X-arcade uses good parts but this is a dream project that I first Imagined when I was 10 years old...good isn't good enough. I think that the competition buttons are a good investment (I am a huge fighter fan) and everyone says that they are the best for fighting games, plus I really don't like the sound of the X-arcade buttons. To be honest though I am a noob and as these parts arrive I'll see what I like and what I don't, an expensive way of doing it but really the only option for me.
Hooking up the coin door to the side buttons should be fairly simple...just a few wires. Here is a webpage that uses a more complicated setup. It should help as a guide.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.nightingale1/arcades/cbmain.htm
I don't know if the Ipac can Daisy chain whith the X-arcade...would have to ask Ultimarc. Does anyone else know? That is why I thought that maybe going Ipac USB would remove any possible conflicts...Ultimarc also do an Ipac VE wich is a cheap usb ipac but may have enough features for what I have in mind.
I'll probably email Ultimarc and ask their advice.