Control Panel w/ buttons you can rearrange

[wescotte]

I'm currently starting my design on my first cabinet. I'm leaning towards a four player setup with at least 6 buttons per player. I'm toying with the idea of having the buttons moveable so that you can arrange that according to the game you are playing. So far I've come up with a track based system (in theory so far) where you could move the buttons in a 5x5 grid. My basic concept came from that little puzzle game where you had numbered squares (sometimes a picture) and a empty square and the goal being to rearrange the pieces in the correct order. I was assuming I could key each button so that no matter what square they were positioned in it would still be the same keypress. Has anyone toyed with such an idea? Any suggestions or better ways of doing this? I could live with 2 rows of three per player but why?!

Eric

[1UP]

Sounds like you're getting yourself into an engineering nightmare for a small number of games that don't conform to the common button layouts.  If you're planning to slide buttons on a track, how are you going to cover empty spaces?  How are you going to prevent wires from cris-crossing and tangling and pulling loose when you scramble buttons all around?  How will you keep the microswitch tabs from getting hooked on each other?   A few things to consider...

[SirPoonga]

Kinda sounds like the engineering nightmare of a rotating panel.

[spidermonkey]

Dude, why don't you just build a giant rubiks cube and put buttons and joysticks on all 4 sides! Why not make a game out of rearranging your controls. heh heh. (just busting your chops)  Actually its not a bad idea but you would always have an empty hole on your panel and what about all your wires connected underneath? You wouldn't be able to bundle and organize any of them because they would have to be loose and not to mention extra long to be able to move buttons in different locations. Anyway, this site is all about new ideas so it never hurts to share. If you do design something similar to what you're describing than post the finished product.  

[wescotte]

Kinda sounds like the engineering nightmare of a rotating panel.

Well I sorta have that worked out. See each grid space would have 6 contact points. each button would have a contact that would line up with a single contact point on each space. That way the red button would always be the same button number/keycode whatever. And as far as covering the unused grid I would simply have a cover with the grid design with the remaining spaces. You would move them to unused spaces and drop it over. My main problem would be making sure the button snaps into place on the grid. I was thinking you could move it freely and push it into place downward to lock it.
If I was any kind of artist i would draw up some nice images but I'm not.   Does it make sense now?

[wescotte]

Actually after thinking about it abit more I think allowing the buttons to slide is the wrong way to go. Maybe simply allowing them to lock into each grid space (just twist and pull out) would be a better method. The cover would be the sliding part. Having squares on a grid that slide to cover the wholes and simply place the cover over the unused spaces. I would assume I'd have to create some sort of device around each button so it could lock into place. Would there be problems with swapping the buttons while the machine is on as long as you don't have the button depressed when you're inserting/removing?

Eric

[CthulhuLuke]

I remember this thinking was used in Jelloslug's cabinet, and if you just followed what jello slug did, you could make any layout of buttons as long as they fit in the mounting thing, you'd have what you're wanting in no time.
  http://www.jelloslug.mamehost.com/cp.htm
   Splut!!!!
 -CthulhuLuke

[1UP]

Kinda sounds like the engineering nightmare of a rotating panel.

Actually, it was simple to design, but took awhile to build.  The hardest thing was mounting it!

[wescotte]

I remember this thinking was used in Jelloslug's cabinet, and if you just followed what jello slug did, you could make any layout of buttons as long as they fit in the mounting thing, you'd have what you're wanting in no time.
  http://www.jelloslug.mamehost.com/cp.htm

Yeah I've seen that method, and I'd prefer to be abit more flexable with the buttons. I don't want panels with each config but I've considered that method for joysticks.

[Xiaou2]

 Hmm... I think you would be better off making a 'section' of the control panel removable.   Then,  you could put in a different secion that had a differing button layout.  

  The downside, is that you would need more buttons... but the upside is that it would be a LOT easier to build that way.  Also, a little easier than taking off an entire control panel.

  I had this as one of my first few ideas when designing my controller.  It had each control device (joysitck, trackball, ect..) with its own box surrounding.  Each device could then be placed in any order inside the main control panel box.

  Later, I decided against it... as I didnt want to have to swap anything... hence the rotating control panel.

  And 1up... you cant say that the 3 panel design was entirely easy... as Im sure the idea of the 'offset' sides took a bit of cranial strain to formulate.   : )

  In my case... the building was fairly easy... it was the designing/prototyping  that was the challenge.  : )


 

[telengard]

I'm currently starting my design on my first cabinet. I'm leaning towards a four player setup with at least 6 buttons per player. I'm toying with the idea of having the buttons moveable so that you can arrange that according to the game you are playing. So far I've come up with a track based system (in theory so far) where you could move the buttons in a 5x5 grid. My basic concept came from that little puzzle game where you had numbered squares (sometimes a picture) and a empty square and the goal being to rearrange the pieces in the correct order. I was assuming I could key each button so that no matter what square they were positioned in it would still be the same keypress. Has anyone toyed with such an idea? Any suggestions or better ways of doing this? I could live with 2 rows of three per player but why?!

Eric

I have swappable metal panels and it takes a lot of planning/effort to accomplish what you're trying to do.
As well as duplication of effort.

Because of this, I have decided to make a modular panel ala jelloslug, but  use standard rackmount parts to do it.  This will give both super rigidity and flexibility in width of modules.   Also the entire panel will be modular
not just a few sections.  So I can take a trackball or spinner, and put it on the left, or move it to the
right, or to the center.  Same goes for all the other controls and buttons.    This will allow me to
swap out all of the different joysticks and other controls I've been accumulating without having to build an entire panel to use them.

I was wary of doing this because I never thought it could be done and be as solid as my metal panels.  
I didn't want to have to worry about  stability  and this will be just as good I think.

I've got the hardware now and am in the 'building' phase.  I'll post some pics when it's done if
anyone is interested.  ( If only I had thought of this in the beginning!! )  

~brian