Controls question

[jricker]

After discovering MAME and BYOAC Faq, I have been hooked into the idea of building my own arcade machine.

Right now I'm in the planning stage of course and have been thinking about what controls I will want but I think I'm getting a wee bit carried away.  Hopefully someone will have some ideas on how I can pare this done or if this configuration could even be accomplished.

My "want list":

two sets of 8-way with 6 buttons (I think this is a pretty basic configuration).

an extra pair of 8-ways for each player for those two joystick type games.

two sets of trackballs with two buttons each (for two player trackball games).

a spinner

pair of lightguns

two buttons on each side for pinball plus a pinball plunger.

I don't want much do I?  

Has anybody managed to accomodate this many controls in their machine?  Any strategies I can use to use this many and still make the games playable?  Or am I just going to have to get rid of the extra track ball and joysticks?

Thanks
Joel

[GGKoul]

You sound like me when I started..  

A couple of points & questions:

- Are you planning on placing all that on on panel?
As I have a 4 player panel  - 4 - 8 ways (2 / 7 buttuns and 2 w/4 buttons) Trackball and spinner all on one panel and it measures 48x19... but it's all good, as I'm using a 29" TV.  So all can view with no problems.

So you can fit everything on one panel.  But make sure you have a enough room too spin your trackballs.  I mean make sure your hand isn't hitting the screen or joysticks.  


- Points:

Use the following button configuration
--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type-- B5 B6
B1 B2 B3 --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--  (4 lower for Neogeo)

- You can only use the 2 trackballs in dos mode.

- GET THE NEW IPAC4 and OptiPAC!! They work GREAT!!!


Have fun!!!

[u_rebelscum]

- You can only use the 2 trackballs in dos mode.

You can also use two trackballs on win Mame:Analog+ or Mame32:Analog+ with 2 USB trackballs on a win98 or winMe (not winXP) computer.  (Link in sig)

[Carsten Carlos]

Use the following button configuration
--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type-- B5 B6
B1 B2 B3 --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--  (4 lower for Neogeo)

I have seen this before, but wonder which (good -relative, I know) Neo-Geo games use the 4th button? Don't need a complete list, I just wonder if there are games that are unplayable when using simply
--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type-- B5 B6
B1 B2 B3

I don't have much place left either, but now I still got the chance for some changes, if necessary.

I never played on a original Neo-Geo, so at least I can't miss the "real" feeling!

[jricker]

- Are you planning on placing all that on on panel?
As I have a 4 player panel

[jricker]

Excuse the ignorance but what exactly are the IPAC or OptiPac.  Now I've heard (but not too familiar with) the iPac for Macintosh with are some sort of PDA?.  Are these the keyboard encoders I read about in the FAQ?

Aha... found it.  Now I understand.  My first searches on Google for OptiPac turned up some very expensive media storage devices so I started to wonder

Yep, looks like a IPAC4 and a OptiPac will be just want I need.  Now how to light guns fit into all this?  Am I going to have to wire them in separately/differently than the joysticks and buttons?

Joel

[u_rebelscum]

Now how to light guns fit into all this?  Am I going to have to wire them in separately/differently than the joysticks and buttons?

Joel

You might want to wait a little on the light guns.  Currently (v.60) mame doesn't have very good light gun support.  

Next version, though, is supposed to be better, and the ACT-Labs USB light guns will be out.  There'll be a bunch of reviews on it; we'll have to see how well they work.

[SirPoonga]

Alot of NeoGeo games use the 4th button..  I'm just going to have the button in position B6 be the fourth for negeo though.

[toilet]

For what it's worth, traditional Neo-Geo layouts are not linear in layout, the 1st button is situated lower than the other 3.

    B2 B3 --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--
B1

I don't know how important the Neo-Geo experience is to you, but going off of ggkoul's post you could do:


B1 B2 B3 B7
--BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type-- B5 B6

and use --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, B2, B3, B7 for Neo-Geo games.

[GGKoul]

I'll borrow my friends digital camera and send you a pic of my panel ASAP.

Regarding light guns.. I guess it would depend on if your using PC Monitor or TV.  As the in Actlab light gun only works on PC monitors and not on a TV.  

So as far as I can tell.. there is no easy way to get light guns to work in MAME on a TV....  But I could be mistaken.  If so, please let me know.. as I would love to install some in my cabinet!!

Get the IPAC.. it'll make your life alot easier.  http://www.ultimarc.com

Hope this helps!
-GGkoul