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1st Control Panel layout
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dennis808:
Why don't you choose to use the Shift button (default P1) on the I-Pac to get to all the Admin and Coin buttons?
From what I've read here it's really wise to make a cardboard mockup and play that for a while to figure out if you like it.
Are the two buttons above the trackball mouse1 and mouse2? Maybe i'ts a good idea to map them to 2 player buttons. You can then set MAME to use the mouse buttons as action-buttons.
JonnyBoy:
I know about the shift function, I was actually thinking of making each player have seven buttons instead of six. I was thinking about making one of the side mounted pinball buttons the shift button. Is there an advantage of setting the mouse buttons to action buttons?

Roughy I agree, the entire panel needs centered.


Thanks for the suggestions.
dennis808:

--- Quote ---Is there an advantage of setting the mouse buttons to action buttons?
--- End quote ---

Since you're only using the mouse-buttons when you're not playing games (navigating & configurating in Windows) I think it's a good idea to 'hide' them.
I really prefer the idea of ging buttons multiple functions instead of having a seperate button for everything, but that's because I don't have room for lot's of buttons on my CP.

I love the default setting of the I-Pac within MAME where you can adjust all the important things (ie volume, pause etc.) with just the P1 joystick and P1 buttons 1 & 2.

Here are two examples that made me want to have a clean control panel:

and


I hope I'm not offending anyone with these pics, but I wish all panels could look a bit more like this:
Lilwolf:
that last panel was very nice.  Too bad they only put 5 buttons per side...  a TON of games use all 6 buttons.

And if you don't htink you have enough room... your right... Either remove items or make a swappable control panel solution.  But having too much too close sucks... making the controls not nearly as good as they should be.

Advantages to swappable control panels is each panel can be as simple as can be.   And you can always add more when you get a good deal on lets say a defender joystick.  Troubles are that most frontends can't handle them well.  I wrote my own to handle it (but haven't released it because of problems with the joystick control, then lack of enthusiasm for the summer)

Moduler panels can be very very cool... but you have problems in that you will probably be the only one who could ever swap them.

And if you don't want to go that route... I would go with less with a dream to build a second arcade that handles a bunch of other games with different controls.

Or heck, spend a bit more on the joysticks and go with the happs 49 ways with floyds rotary adapter and you get 4way, 8way, 49way, partial analog, rotary all in one joystick.  Then add a trackball and you have a non franken panel that has most of the controls you would ever want.
Roughy:
Part of what makes *any* of those work, however, is WHO they're for.

Personally, I agree with you that the last choice appears to be the best, for widespread usage.
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