Show me photos of your home-built 4-Player (Quad) Contol Panel!

[wallyworld]

I'm a newbie who's thinking down the road to building my own 4-Player (Quad) Contol Panel, and I'd love to see photos of what you folks have built and hear about how happy you are (or are not) with the layout and controls you chose.  Show and tell me what you did right, and what you'd do differently...  Thanks!!!

[Franco]

Heres mine:-



Two Ultimarc T-Stick Plus's (PL 1 + 2)
Two Happ Rotaries with custom turned 'sticks (PL 3 + 4, also doubles up as PL 1 + 2 for rotary games)

The T-Sticks rock in my opinion. Not everyones view but I am really happy with them.

I would have liked a trackball + spinner but I dont play many games that require them. The CP is inter-changeable so I may add a dedicated trakball/ spinner CP at a later date.

Im changing the button bezels to white this week on the top row of player 1 + 2 buttons to make it more obvious that they are the Neo-Geo buttons.

[Teknique]

My old one, using UA2 base design modified on Slikstik Quad.  I am in the process of remaking my cp however.  The dedicated 4 way was a bad idea, too many buttons on p3 and p4.

I have 2x 49-ways with randys hardware, that will be used for 1st and 2nd player joys- and usable as 49way , 8way , 4way , and 4way diagonal.  Players 3 and 4 are going to 4 buttons each (in two offset rows).  I have 2x LS-30s with druins hardware.  The spinner is moving down closer to p1 joy (slightly to the left of the stick) and will be using p1 buttons instead of having dedicated ones.  recessed stainless cup holders from pokerchest.com will be added in.

I tried to "hide" my admin buttons.  The two on the left of the 4 way were L/R mouse buttons and two on left of spinner were escape/ shift.  That got too confusing so Im adding one single admin button at the top by the start buttons to help- probably an escape button.   Im also adding two boom N64 adapters for PJ64 games.  Trackball will stay in the same place and will be laminated again.  Ill post pics when I get them.  Coincidently I will be selling this board when Im done- all 8 ways, 4 way, some buttons and trackball mounting plate (removing these requires delaminating the surface)

Tek   

[daveg2000]

This is still a WIP as we speak.
I am VERY happy with the way it is turning out.

Things I did right (In my eyes)

[Veinman]

I'm curious about putting all 4 players in a straight line as opposed to angling p3 and p4. Every time I see it I think that 4 people in a row would be too tight, particularly if one of them is "less than thin"  .

Any thoughts on that?

[GGKoul]

The only good thing about putting all the joys in a straight line is it makes life easier if you want to play any dual joystick games.  Karate Champ, Smash TV, Robotron.  As you have only 4 joys instead of 6.

[daveg2000]

[versapak]

[Veinman]

Very cool, versa! Are those pinball buttons comfortable to push, or are they farther apart than would be ideal?

Are those speakers on the front side? It's hard to make it out.

[monkeybomb]

I made this last summer and had it photographed.  I'm pretty happy with my work, but I still don't think it made sense for me to put 7 buttons on the 3 and 4 player controls.  Oh, well live and learn.

[versapak]

Very cool, versa! Are those pinball buttons comfortable to push, or are they farther apart than would be ideal?

Are those speakers on the front side? It's hard to make it out.

The pinball buttons are very comfortable actually. I rest my hands on the front corners, which are spaced 31" apart, and the buttons are very easily pressed from that positioning.

My cabinet is home to an Xbox, and what you see on the front are the memory card/xbox live communicator ports.

[daveg2000]

Yes, Versapak, very slick lookin

[bizquick]

Here is my WIP 4 - player panel.




This setup was just a test using some wood I had around the house.

Things I like:

[markrvp]

I made this last summer and had it photographed.

[markrvp]

Here's mine.  A little less width (38" wide).

[Franco]

Saaaweeeeeet Markrvp!!!!

You can see me Nuts (oo-er) in all there backwards supporting glory on the 1st reply! 

[markrvp]

Saaaweeeeeet Markrvp!!!!

You can see me Nuts (oo-er) in all there backwards supporting glory on the 1st reply!

[Mamezilla]

Here's mine.

[Franco]

Thanks markrvp, but I must bow down to you. I'm gonna call you Victor from now on. Geddit'? 

[jelwell]

I built my cabinet with 2 games in mind:
SmashTV
Crystal Castles.

For SmashTV the player 3 & 4 joysticks *have* to line up straight with player 1 & 2. None of this angled out shite. Although daveg2000's design works as well (but would be way too big on my cabinet). My design looks like it might be crowded, but it's worked out great playing 4 player Sunset Riders.

Franco, I'm curious. Your Player 3 & 4 joysticks appear to line up straight. Although I imagine "Up" for them is at an angle to Player 1 & 2 joysticks. But can you remap SmashTV so that "Up" is actually "Diagonal up" or whatever angle would be equivalent to Player 1's up? That would allow you to remap the 2 joystick games and give your player 3 & 4 people more space.

Mine (note the pinball plunger!):


Mine is based, loosely, on Jakobud's:


You can download plans for Jakobud's here:
http://www.jakobud.com/

Joseph Elwell.

[Veinman]

Looks cool! I'm planning on building mine based on parts of jakobud's, and parts of UAII. Mostly just using UAII for some dimensions.

I was going to do a 48" panel but I think I'll actually shave it down to 47.5 or something, just to allow for material widths not matching up... unless my Lexan and MDF both end up perfectly 48".

[IntruderAlert]

Here's mine.  A little less width (38" wide).

I was planning to build my 4 player panel off of the SlikStik Quad
but you have some cool ideas going on here too dude

Looks like I'm going to have to borrow a bit from both

So back to an earlier reply.. does it make ANY sense to have 7 buttons for players 3 and 4?

Is it better to angle players 3 and 4 so as to conserve space and looks or would it be better to line them all up so that you could play the few 2 player dual joystick games?

Is it better to have your start buttons across the top of the panel or grouped with the sticks?

I'll be using 4- 49ways a spinner and a trackball
I hadn't thought about a tron stick

If anyone has any ideas on how to improve the SlikStick Quad or markrvp's CP please share
(drawings would be nice)

[Veinman]

My 2 cents:
I've played the angled CP (my buddy has a UA II) and it gives everyone some more breathing room that I believe would be absent when all 4 are in a row.

While I haven't tried it in person, I think the player 3/4 sticks might not be so far away that you still couldn't play Smash TV.

I also prefer the admin buttons up at the top, since you are going to have to have some up there anyway, why not all the ones that don't have to do with playing the game?

[markrvp]

As long as you are playing single player (or alternating player games) my spacing for Player 1 & 2 joys is great for playing Robotron, Crazy Climber, Smash TV.

[namzep]

Not the greatest photo (you can't really see the trackball.  The eventual plan is to add dual spinners to it.  I'm mostly happy with the layout.  However, if I had it to do again, I'd angle the 3 & 4 player controls more and cut them down to only 4 buttons each.

[IntruderAlert]

Well.. with the 49 ways could you reorient the orientation (that doesn't sound just right)
so that you could play smash tv on an angle?

[markrvp]

Well.. with the 49 ways could you reorient the orientation (that doesn't sound just right)
so that you could play smash tv on an angle?

YES!

[IntruderAlert]

the only problem I see for you is that your sticks don't seem to be running on the same angles
or is it just the picture?

[SOAPboy]

You know.. i need to get someone around Topeka KS, to build me a nicer 2 player one.. id spring for the wood and such, and booze if one were wanting a drink or three.. i mean, id help too, but i just lack the over all skill to do it..

[markrvp]

If you ever get down to the Dallas area look me up.

[SOAPboy]

If you ever get down to the Dallas area look me up.

You know, its funny, you're style is the style id want too..

DAMNIT! i hate living in kansas..

[IntruderAlert]

Well.. with the 49 ways could you reorient the orientation (that doesn't sound just right)
so that you could play smash tv on an angle?

YES!  GOOD IDEA! 

The Diagonals setting should work nicely as I have the player 3 & 4 joysticks rotated at exactly 45 degrees.  You would just need to map it in Mame the first time you play.

I just started fooling around with placing the sticks in line with one another and on a 45 degree angle from one another so that the 49ways can be reprogrammed for dual SMASH TV setup


Does this look too goofy?


This is just "eyeballed" right now.
Once we get a good layout I'll measure it more precisely.

[Sinner]

I notice some people have 3 buttons above their TB...isn't this awkward for playing games...why not just use the player 1 buttons?  Is there something I'm missing??

[Steve Kaz]

Wow!  I really don't think that i have the skill to build any of these.  Some of these just blow my mind...

[jelwell]

My 2 cents:
I've played the angled CP (my buddy has a UA II) and it gives everyone some more breathing room that I believe would be absent when all 4 are in a row.

eh, i prefer crowds anyways.

While I haven't tried it in person, I think the player 3/4 sticks might not be so far away that you still couldn't play Smash TV.

Seriously, it will *NOT* work unless you put a whole lot of care into your 3/4 stick placements. And then even then I'd be concerned that it wouldn't work. The problem is the standard wing formation means that "UP" for player 4 is not parallel to players 2's "UP". Could you imagine playing Smash TV and pressing both controllers the same physical direction and ending up with two different directions in the game? I'm not sure you can even map the controls, in MAME, to fix this since "UP" would actually be an angle (two microswitches contacting). Which is harder to hit than a normal "UP". Not to mention that the feel would just be all wrong.

I'd still like to hear from Franco on whether he's mapped his cabinet up for 2 player Smash TV.
Joseph Elwell.

[IntruderAlert]

That's why Mark and I started talking about using the 49-way sticks.
As long as sticks 1&3 and 2&4 are in line with one another on perfect 45 degree angles you can
reprogram sticks 1 and 2 to work on the same angles as 3 and 4 

look at my picture and imagine each player standing in player 3 and 4 position with sticks 1 and 2 re-programed for angled play

[FoX]

[IntruderAlert]

Quote from: Veinman on April 29, 2005, 11:32:17 PM
While I haven't tried it in person, I think the player 3/4 sticks might not be so far away that you still couldn't play Smash TV.


Seriously, it will *NOT* work unless you put a whole lot of care into your 3/4 stick placements.

Joseph:

I really respect you from other posts you've made, but you're talking out of your ass on this one.  I have a 49-way with a GP-Wiz 49 that I have correctly mapped for diagonals.  See my post yesterday Re: Q-bert in the GP-Wiz 49 way thread.  The digital restriction for diagonals with a generous grid makes it WAY F'KNG EASY to hit diagonals as that is the only thing that will register.

IA, good job.  All it takes is putting the player 1 & player 2 joysticks in diagonals mode (GP-Wiz 49) and mapping it in MAME.

See here:

I had to put player 4 deeper into the CP to make this work out
I'd like some opinions on that
and also the optimum spacing between sticks
and the preferred amount of space between the controls and the edge of the CP

i left the trackball centered for now
do you think it should stay centered?

[markrvp]

Leave the trackball right where it is.  Move the spinner up a couple of inches so you don't hit in during Golden Tee Golf.

You might also put the Trackball 1 & 2 buttons at the high left and right of the trackball plate.

[Veinman]

When I said that angled p3 and p4 would work for Smash TV, I wasn't thinking about how the sticks are oriented at an angle as well.

As mentioned, this can apparently be overcome with 49-way sticks, but for standard sticks...I was wrong.

So..this means that I likely won't be getting any co-op action on Smash TV on my cab, but oh well. I can still play by myself with P1 and P2.