CP Help - need opinions on my CP design

[DanteBK]

I'm doing my first (but probably not last!) MAME cabinet, and I made this CP with the templates that came with Project Arcade. It's based on the Project Arcade design with some additional inspiration from GSXRMovistar's awesome CP, and a couple of my own ideas. The 1 and 2 player layouts are 1234 top layer and 456 bottom layer, I have a plunger button for Visual Pinball in the front, admin controls on the upper left, mouse buttons above the trackball, and dedicated 1&2 with the 4-way and spinner. I think it's perfect, but that's me. Anybody see any flaws? Have any suggestions?

BTW, no current plans for a CPO - blue admin buttons, black pinball buttons, red player 1 and 2, green buttons by the 4-way, white for everything else -- will paint the CP black along with the rest of the cab

[cdbrown]

The only thing that concerns me is the fact of having to be over the top of buttons and stuff when having to use the 4-way or spinner.  You just need to be sure that either you don't rest your arms on it when playing games especially if they are common wired.  Also the spinner may be akward to use as it's just off to the left side of the 8-way.  Have you thought of moving it right (as you will need to be using your right hand for spinner control, left for buttons)?

Well designed layout though.

Cheers
-cdbrown

[DanteBK]

The only thing that concerns me is the fact of having to be over the top of buttons and stuff when having to use the 4-way or spinner.  You just need to be sure that either you don't rest your arms on it when playing games especially if they are common wired.  Also the spinner may be akward to use as it's just off to the left side of the 8-way.  Have you thought of moving it right (as you will need to be using your right hand for spinner control, left for buttons)?

Well designed layout though.

Cheers
-cdbrown

Thanks for the good advice cdbrown!

Does this look better? I figure the only buttons I might hit when using the 4-way are 3,4,6 which won't do anything in the 4-way games anyway. My only concern now is moving the spinner makes a weird blank to the right of the 4-way's buttons, but I guess it's better to be able to actually USE it, right?  

[cdbrown]

Glad I could be of help.  The location of the spinner looks better to me - when designing a panel you really need to visualise where your arms are going to be when playing games, will another control get in the way, do I want to have my arm hovering over buttons while playing - stuff like that.

Then do a full scale model of the panel using cardboard of some cheap offcut if you have some.  You can design on paper all you like, but there'll be something that needs improving once you try it out for real.  I think your ready for the cardboard trial with that layout.

Well done.
-cdbrown