Author Topic: building my own control (Read 2652 times)

mo1e · « **on:** September 23, 2005, 08:36:51 am »

hi all im new here and this is my first post ok so be nice lol

anyway basically what i want to know is i want to build an arcade control from scratch what do i need? its going to be 29 inches length 16 inches depth and roughtly 5 inches high at the highest part of the slope i know i need wood but what wood? how thick should the wood be? i also know i need the controls and buttons and wires and also an xbox adapter as i want it to work on my xbox console but apart from this thats all i know i need is there anything else? and where can i get these from? also what tools will i need thanks in advance all

carl

ginno · « **Reply #1 on:** September 23, 2005, 09:20:00 am »

Hi carl, welcome. Now your here you will be back over and over again for the rest of your natural life like the rest of us.

Just a tip, have a bit of a look round before asking too many questions, all the info you need is hidden in one post or another, people here are willing to help but not to spoon feed every last instruction on how to.

Tell us a bit more about your idea, how many players, is it a whole cabinet or just a control panel?

Once again welcome.

Cheers

mo1e · « **Reply #2 on:** September 23, 2005, 09:59:26 am »

ok thanks well its going to be a 2 player cp for a cabinet that i am going to build in future i just thought that im going to create the cp and test if it works if so then the cabinet will be next its just a little project that i think i would find quite fulfilling

o and also it will have to have the same buttons as the xbox controller and i was wondering can you use trackballs instead of the second analog stick to look around? e.g. aim and look around whilst playing halo or any other first person shooter game because i was thinking about having 1 joystick the buttons and 1 trackball instead of 2 joysticks and the buttons

mo1e · « **Reply #3 on:** September 23, 2005, 11:23:15 am »

also i have just read up about somekind of keyboard converter? i wont need one of these will i plus wen it is complete (wont be till ages) i will post a pic of my cp k

Jabba · « **Reply #4 on:** September 23, 2005, 11:41:13 am »

Everything you need to learn is in Saint's book. Saint is the owner of this website and has published a book with all the tips and info distilled from this forum.

Check out http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=15717.msg123070#msg123070

There us a whole sub-forum up there called Project Arcade - The book.

BTW: Most people will use 1/2 MDF for the control panel. Basic tools you will need: A Saw, a Drill, Spade Bit to cut round holes for buttons/joysticks, encoder card (ultimarc), joysticks and buttons (Happs), Jig Saw, Screw-driver and drywall screws....and the list goes on....

Good luck

mo1e · « **Reply #5 on:** September 23, 2005, 12:22:05 pm »

thanks for that lol i think i need a spade bit aand howmuch does it cost for a cp wen complete approximately?

mo1e · « **Reply #6 on:** September 23, 2005, 06:37:23 pm »

hey all here is my design wat do you think? it will have alot of buttons because its got to mimic the xbox control this is a 2 player cp it has all the xbox butttons including triggers and the 2 analogue sticks but im thinking about swapping the right analogue stick for each player to a trackball for easy aiming on first person shooter games such as halo etc what do you all think all crits welcome this is my first attempt k so i need to know wat im doing wrong if anything lol

here it is

also the finished cp will have artwork

javeryh · « **Reply #7 on:** September 23, 2005, 06:52:11 pm »

That is not a great button layout, IMO. Why not go for the standard "street fighter" six-button set up? I know you want to use it for your xbox (is there a hack or converter out there?) but in the future you might want to use it to play some great arcade games and that layout won't do the trick.

mo1e · « **Reply #8 on:** September 23, 2005, 06:56:55 pm »

im going to get an xbox adapter and im not too sure on wat i need and if this is even possible lol u got any examples on the street fighter layout? just my bro plays grand theft auto alot and this layout is good for gta dead or alive fighting games and halo remember i need all the buttons shown and also the 2 analog sticks would you use the right one as a trackball?

mo1e · « **Reply #9 on:** September 23, 2005, 07:03:27 pm »

or another design what i was thinking of was this one?

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #10 on:** September 23, 2005, 09:34:35 pm »

The I-Pac has an X-Box converter so you can use that, the only problem is that the controls are not analog so it will suck for several games that require precision controls, http://www.ultimarc.com

I picked up the PS2 converter, but I havent wired my CP yet so I haven't been able to test it yet. I figure the games it will mainly work good with are fighting games.

mo1e · « **Reply #11 on:** September 24, 2005, 02:01:51 am »

yer i ws going to use a trackerball for the precision movement would this work?

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #12 on:** September 24, 2005, 02:47:07 am »

are you able to plug a usb mouse into an XBox and have it work? If you can, then yes, a trackball would work perfectly, otherwise I have no idea how you'd connect it.

mo1e · « **Reply #13 on:** September 24, 2005, 04:23:38 am »

damn i dont think you can lol any other ways? if not i might have to think about using a ps2 for my cabinet lol they have usb connectors i think they have 2

mo1e · « **Reply #14 on:** September 24, 2005, 05:32:58 am »

its ok i am planning on getting the new xbox 360 when it comes out and that is said to have a number of usb ports and plays my old xbox games

the trackball will work on this right?

versapak · « **Reply #15 on:** September 24, 2005, 07:54:44 am »

Quote from: mo1e on September 23, 2005, 09:59:26 am

also it will have to have the same buttons as the xbox controller and i was wondering can you use trackballs instead of the second analog stick to look around? e.g. aim and look around whilst playing halo or any other first person shooter game because i was thinking about having 1 joystick the buttons and 1 trackball instead of 2 joysticks and the buttons

Use one of the standard keyboard encoders for the stick and buttons, and then you can plug that and a PS2 trackball into one of these:

Max Shooter
SmartJoy Frag

mo1e · « **Reply #16 on:** September 24, 2005, 06:06:00 pm »

ok thanks i will look into it so i can get a trackball running even if my xbox has no usb connections?

versapak · « **Reply #17 on:** September 24, 2005, 06:59:45 pm »

Quote from: mo1e on September 24, 2005, 06:06:00 pm

ok thanks i will look into it so i can get a trackball running even if my xbox has no usb connections?

yep

There is no way to get a USB mouse/trackball working on Xbox (unless it is through PS2 adapter), as there has been no software written that support it with drivers, so a device like these with a PS2 KB/Mouse/Trackball is the only way to go, if your interested in using em for Xbox.

I ordered the Max Shooter yesterday. It was rated best of the bunch at teamxbox.com, for those kinds of peripherals on Xbox, and it is also about $10 cheaper than the SmartJoy Frag.

I have seen many reports of it working excellently with Xbox games, but when I get mine in a few days, I will report on how well it performs with MAME on Xbox (Using a mouse for the test, before I shell out the $100 for a trackball, but I imagine the results will be close enough to gauge its usefulness).

mo1e · « **Reply #18 on:** September 25, 2005, 06:04:05 am »

ok thanks mate so basically what i would do is what lol? can you point me to any tutorials to get a cp up and running?

mo1e · « **Reply #19 on:** September 25, 2005, 11:07:02 am »

ooo and by the way i will need 2 trackballs one for each player

versapak · « **Reply #20 on:** September 25, 2005, 11:44:03 am »

ummmm...

This whole site is a tutorial for getting a CP up and running.

Those devices I linked to are pretty self explanatory. You plug a PS2 (as in computer connection, not Sony playstation) Keyboard & Mouse into them, and they let you use them as a controls for your Xbox.

So...

You would just need to build a control panel accordingly. Use a keyboard encoder that is PS2, and a Trackball that is PS2, and you should be good to go. There is TONS of information around here on building controls with those exact specs.

Just use the search button up at the top of the page, and you will be well on your way.

Keyboard Encoder

&

PS2 Trackball

Those I imagine would be 2 great search phrases to get results.

mo1e · « **Reply #21 on:** September 25, 2005, 11:48:41 am »

ok thanks i gotta buy the components now lol you got a list of what i need? sorry im so new to all of this but i am willing to try i am thinking about gettinng the happ competition controlls and buttons and maybe 2 3"trackballs

teef two · « **Reply #22 on:** September 27, 2005, 03:58:40 am »

mo1e,

Firstly, could you drop the "lol" every other sentence! Don't know about anyone else, but it annoys the hell out of me

(oh, and run on sentences!)

Right, there are a whole series of links around this site that will answer most of the questions you are asking. Why don't you go and have a look around first. Look at some of the common vendors like Happs, Ultimarc and so on. From there you should be able to work out the costs of your arcade materials. In essence, do some research. You have your panel designed in principle so it's up to you to count the buttons and joysticks and then work out the costs.

You'll find people on here are happy to help you but they'll soon get annoyed if it appears you don't want to do some of the work yourself.

mo1e · « **Reply #23 on:** September 27, 2005, 01:31:56 pm »

ok im sorry all i am in the process of re designind my cp artwork and layout i will check the links im sorry if i annoyed anyone

mo1e · « **Reply #24 on:** September 28, 2005, 02:35:10 pm »

ok all i have done alittle research on the ultimarc site and am i correct in thinking this
in this pic http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html the pic at the top of the ipac board the left of the board is player1 and the right is player 2 and i would wire the analogue sticks to the following 1rght 1left 1up 1down to players 1 analogue stick and the same for player 2 on the other side and also wire the buttons the same etc?
then i will need to get one of these http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac1.html the pic at the top of the ipac board the left of the board is player1 and the right is player 2 and i would wire the analogue sticks to the following 1rght 1left 1up 1down to players 1 analogue stick and the same for player 2 on the other side and also wire the buttons the same etc?
then i connect the ipac to the xbox using one of these
http://www.ultimarc.com/xba.html ?

mo1e · « **Reply #25 on:** September 28, 2005, 03:50:04 pm »

is that correct anyone? i need to know so i know what to buy please try and help i have tryed researching lol

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #26 on:** September 28, 2005, 04:45:16 pm »

You are correct about the ipac except that the controls are not analog, they are digital, you would then connect the ipac to the adapter.

You also also right about the optipac as long as your talking about connecting track balls to it and not analog sticks. Some trackballs have a ps/2 and usb interface built into them, so if you get one with it built-in, you wouldn't even need the optipac.

mo1e · « **Reply #27 on:** September 28, 2005, 04:49:42 pm »

ok so basically i put the adapter into the ipac which has the digital (joysticks button) then i add the ipac to the optipac that has the 2 trackballs onto it? ooo so if i get a 2 trackballs that are ps/2 i can connect them without the optimac?

mo1e · « **Reply #28 on:** September 28, 2005, 04:59:57 pm »

k this is from the trackball description does this sound like one that doesnt need an optimac?

ikyoto · « **Reply #29 on:** September 28, 2005, 05:10:13 pm »

Quote from: mo1e on September 28, 2005, 04:59:57 pm

k this is from the trackball description does this sound like one that doesnt need an optimac? Please note the trackball has 3 colored wire connections. The green, Red, yellow wires correspond to the left, middle and right mouse buttons. The PS/2 cord coming out of the trackball assembly case should be orientated to the bottom right corner of your control panel as you stand in the gameplay position in from of it. i dunno if it needs a ps/2 and a usb interface or just one of them

all you need to do is plug the ps/2 end into your ps/2 port on your pc and it functions as a regular mouse. Then use the 3 wires and wire them to the push buttons and that's that. This atleast worked for my ps/2 trackball when testing it on a win98 machine. So my understanding is that all you have to do is then run the wires for the buttons to the Ipac...no need at all for an optipac

edit: I have not tried to wire up the buttons(left click right click, etc.) yet, but that is how I imagine it'll work

mo1e · « **Reply #30 on:** September 28, 2005, 05:14:13 pm »

yes but if you read up above i want this to work on my xbox is it the same thing i have to do? i dont have any pc slots

ikyoto · « **Reply #31 on:** September 28, 2005, 05:39:17 pm »

Ha...sorry should have RTFP. Haven't tried this for x-box controls, so sorry I'm of no help.

AtomSmasher · « **Reply #32 on:** September 28, 2005, 07:38:17 pm »

with that trackball you will not need the optipac. the xbox mouse adapter you linked to earlier takes in a ps/2 input and that trackball has a ps/2 output so it would work perfect.

mo1e · « **Reply #33 on:** September 29, 2005, 01:29:03 am »

does it have 2 ps/2 inputs?

mo1e · « **Reply #34 on:** September 30, 2005, 02:02:35 am »

and im going to buy all my buttons and 2 trackballs and 2 joysticks + the trackball mounting pads lol it will come to a total of $247.60 lol am i getting ripped?


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