Can someone create a CP template for me?

[Ninten-doh]

Pretty please?  Maybe this should go in the B/S/T forum as I am willing to pay a small fee for this.

Here's my dilemma...
I'm trying to fit a two-player plus trackball configuration onto a narrow cp space (an old Frogger/Sega convert-a-cab - see attached pic). 

Any chance I can get someone to create a CP template for me?  No artwork, just the drilling template.  The width is 23 7/8" and the original CP depth is close to 7.5", but I know I'll have to extend that out.  The parts are:
- Happ pushbuttons
- Happ optical rotary joystick (will go on the left)
- Ultimarc Mag Stick Plus (will go on the right - non-standard footprint)
- Happ 2 1/4" trackball with mounting kit (plate is 6" x 6")

In a perfect world I would want the layout that I've mocked up in Paint Shop Pro and attached here.  The picture is just a rough mock up made from an image on Edge's website.

I want this to be mostly enjoyable for single player, but passable for two player if/when necessary.  I'm not into the fighter games if that helps.  I also know that joystick on the right is going to screw up my ability to play Golden Tee, which really sucks.

Anyway, if someone is interested in helping me out, please send me a PM and we can discuss further.  I would definitely pay you for your time (is $20 too little/too much?).
 

[sWampy]

You would be better off going wider and deeper, I built one that looked about like your picture for a stargate, and it was just to close together to play 2 player, sholders were touching when you played, sitting on barstools you were likely to bump each other off.   I ended up rebuilding it to something like this

It ends up taking a little more space, looks more modern, but overall doesn't look bad, and is a million times more playable.

[Franco]

If you are not really into fighters you may want to cut the buttons down to three or four which would give you a little more room.

[Ninten-doh]

Franco, I was thinking about that, but wouldn't I still want three buttons in a row?  I don't think two rows of two buttons each would work.

[PCtech]

My $.02 worth.

I would knock it down to 3 or 4 buttons (like mentioned above) maybe stagger with 2 on top, 1 on bottom.
O   O                O  O
   O        or    O

But, I HIGHLY recommend, putting it in carboard, or on a seperate piece of MDF/Plywood, as a "mock up" first.
Then mount the controls, and play with it for a while, and see what you would change.  After you are comfortable w/ the setup, you can make a "Final Draft" and add artwork, and what-not.
The general consensus with this method, is that no matter how well it is laid out, you won't know if it "feels" good, till you try it for awhile.

Good Luck!

If you type 2P CP in the search, you should find many designs.

[zaphod]

Testing the layout on a cheap piece of plywood is recommended by me, too.  That's my test template that Swampy attached and my final layout was changed because of what I found when playtesting.  I didn't like the dedicated three mouse buttons and the seventh player button.  I also tweaked locations a bit, too, but that was only possible by 'playing' around with a test board and seeing how my arm fell, etc.

[teef two]

With that panel size there is no way you are going to be able to accomodate a six button layout.

I did a test layout for you in visio using four buttons per player. My concern would be the access to the player one buttons when using the trackball. Problem is the trackball mounting plate footprint is so large it really restricts your options. Perhaps you might want to consider a seperate trackball panel. Anyway, for what it's worth, heres the visio layout I produced.

[Ninten-doh]

teef two,
Thanks for making the mock up.  I would like to keep the width at 23 7/8", but the depth can go deeper than 7.5".  I did a mock up in Paint Shop Pro that I don't have here at the office, but it's about 9" deep or so.  Dropping the trackball down then gives me a little space so that I don't hit the player 2 joystick (as much).  I then put the Player 1 and Player 2 buttons in the space above the trackball, and got rid of the Pause & Exit (will put those on the front of the CP, along with the Coin 1 and 2 buttons.

By any chance do you know of any non-Fighting games that I would be unable to play with only 4 buttons?

[teef two]

I think to fit that in you'll have to go to around 12 inches depth to make it comfortable. If you did that you could place buttons either side of the trackball and have a 3 over 2 button layout for P1 and P2. Cutting in on the corners would make it less imposing as well rather than a huge brick shape.

As for games needing more than 4 buttons, being old school the one I would miss is asteroids but that has a very specific layout anyway. Other than that the vast majority of non fighters require two or three buttons. Very rarely has an older game gone beyond those. Can't speak for more modern games as I stopped playing in the arcade after around 1987!

[Ninten-doh]

If you did that you could place buttons either side of the trackball and have a 3 over 2 button layout for P1 and P2.

Sorry for being dense, but I'm having a hard time visualizing this.  How could you now have 3 over 2?

[Ninten-doh]

Here's the version I did that maintains the 23 7/8" width, but extends the depth to 9".