Criticism for my latest Frankenpanel Layout

[Timoe]

Any thoughts or suggestions on my latest CP layout ideas?

[JODY]

If it were mine, I'd put the player 3 and 4 buttons at a slant to match the angle of the cabinet in front of the joy, move the three buttons in triangle pattern above the trackball, move the spinner down closer to the trackball and off to one side (so it is closer in and not behind the trackball), move the top fires to the right so they aren't behind the buttons, and move the left 49 way and buttons to the right (allowing the use of the 2 49 ways for Robotron and putting more space between the two players on the left hand side).

[paigeoliver]

What are the buttons over the trackball FOR? You aren't going to be playing games with them, and you have like 9000 other buttons, any of which could be hooked up as the mouse buttons.

[Kev-in DFW]

Ditto on the last two posts.  The first thing I thought of when I looked at it was the button angle for the four buttons next to the player 3 and 4 joys.  Other than that, it looks great!!

Kev~

[Veinman]

I roughly went with that CP shape, but I left 90 degree angles at the back. It gives more room for the side players, more room inside (if needed) and is less angles to deal with.

[Timoe]

Thank you for all your input.

I made this image in paint so I couldn't rotate 45 degrees.  Thats why player 3 & 4 buttons are layed out wrong.  But yeah, the plan is to have them match the layout of players 1 & 2.

Its the Topfire sticks that are giving me problems.  I really want to be able to play 2 player smash TV and games of that sort.  Plus I already bought them, so I'm pretty sure I'll end up using them.

I never thought of removing the "mouse buttons" entirely.  Thats a great idea that I'm going to explore. 
What do most people do with the mouse buttons?  Do you put them in player one's button layout or just not use them at all?

Anyone care to play with the jpegs in paint and give examples regarding spinner layout?

Anyway, Thanks again.

[Timoe]

update?

[paigeoliver]

I normally set up the mouse buttons as either the start buttons, or as the buttons that go with the 4-way joystick.

[markrvp]

If you want to play 2 player Smash TV then you need to bring those top-fire joysticks in-line with Player 1 & 2 sticks.  Speaking from experience, I don't like the spinner on top of the trackball.  Nearly everyone who plays Golden Tee with me bangs their fingers into the spinner.  With practice, this doesn't happen, but it's just not the best place.  I moved yours over to the right where you can reach between the joysticks easily to get to it.  You may want a couple of buttons dead center for playing Tempest and other spinner games.

[Lilwolf]

I would move the trackball over the left (player 1) buttons and the spinner over the player 2 buttons.  Not sure if it would work better but it would look better.  The question is if you mind having your arm laying on buttons with the trackball.   Also you want the spinner at a location that you can easily access a top fire joystick for tron.

[Teknique]

update?

You have alot of admin buttons,

[quarterstringer]

I would move all

[Timoe]

Here is my latest revision.  Any suggestions.

[HyperHautian]

I like Markrv's suggestion.  You still get 4-players..  But, on the other hand, your 2-player layout looks great also.  Just a newb question..  Is it possible to play Tron with the sticks/spinner setup you have?

[Teknique]

controls look very high up on the board especially the spinner- which, in its current position, you will have a very hard time playing anything unless you want to be hunched over the CP.

[JODY]

I agree.  Move the controls down.  I'd put the spinner up and to one side of the trackball.  Does Golden Tee require spinning the trackball at a diagonal?  As long as the spinner is out of the way... 

[markrvp]

I like the 2 player panel idea.

[Timoe]

Thank you for all your help and suggestions. 

I've got ALL sorts of parts laying around now because I was planning a 4-player panel.  My wife doesn't like that idea however (no reason given here) and the more I think about it the more I agree.  I'm rarely going to have 4 people over at my house that would want to play at the same time anyway.  And I can always build a swapable 4 player CP at a later date.  (I've got enough parts anyway)

As far as what I'll be using on my main/first CP:
2 x Happs/Midway 49ways with a GP-wiz each and rotary adapters hooked to a druins
2 x happs topfires
3" Trans Blue Happ Track Ball
Tornado Spinner with various knobs
 (***side note:  My company was demolishing a 1970s Xray lab the other day and I grabbed a bunch of GIANT 2.5 - 3 inch jog dial knobs off the ol skool machinery, I hope to use them on my cab from time to time, they're reeeediculous /:end side note***)

And heck yeah I will documenting the HECK out of my process in the Project Forum once I start (seems like this will never happen) .  I actually built a cab with a friend awhile ago (see avatar) before I found this website.  We designed as we built  oh, If I only knew then.......

I will document the deconstruction process of that beast as well.  I swear you could drop that thing off a roof and it would be just fine.