modular spinner or trackball

[stephenp1983]

This may be a really dumb question, but if I don't ask it I'll never know lol.  I am building my first cab and for now my time restraints are making me go with an x arcade 2 player controller.  That is fine as most of the games I enjoy are fighters.  However I would love to be able to have the ability to use a track ball and spinner some times as well.  I was wondering if it would be possible or easy to make something like a modular spinner that you would hold in your hand and simply plug into the usb port when you wanted to use it, like an extra controller.  I drew something up really quick in google sketch it which kinda gives an idea of what I'm talking about.  It would be harder to do with a trackball but might work.  Just wondering if this is plausable.  Im new to this so any other ideas would be appreciated./

[leapinlew]

For a spinner - that would work... but it wouldn't work for spinner games that require you to spin and use a button or joystick. Since 1 hand would be on the spinner and the other holding the spinner.

How about hack the x-arcade and add the spinner? It's only 1 hole.

As for the trackball.... I totally know what you mean. You want to play trackball games and there are a ton of good ones. There won't be a great way to use the trackball in your hand as a controller....

Let me give you a word of warning... you want a trackball and spinner right? You'd be better off taking longer to build a control panel with the trackball and spinner on them or instead of the x-arcade go with a slikstik. What will happen is you'll finish the cabinet and then build a control panel and end up spending more money and time...

[stephenp1983]

I definately want a trackball, and to be honest I've never even used a spinner in the aracades, but it just really seems fun lol.  I'm debating on holding out for a few months and buying the xarcade with the trackball built in.  I emailed them in and they said they would be release in around 4 months.  I didn't think about the button thing that changes alot.  So honestly how hard is it to build a control.  I won't be doing the woodwork but a buddy would who is helping me with the cab.  Im basing my design off the one on arcadecab.com  Is the wiring complicated?  I've been debating it and reading over the site for a few months but I haven't really decided if I want to leap into it.

[ahofle]

In my opinion, the wiring looks harder than it is.  It was quite fun actually.  What's hard is making it look as clean and professional as soom of the people around here do.  The woodworking, drilling, and lexan cutting was the hardest part for me.

[stephenp1983]

My friend would be doing all the woodwork type stuff.  So b asicly I would need a set of buttons, joysticks a trackball and spinner, and then an intereface card right.  Then all the buttons etc just plug into the intereface card right, which has a ps2/ connection for me to intereface it wih my computer

[ahofle]

That's more or less it in a nutshell, yes.  Although it could be more than one 'interface card' and USB rather than PS/2.

[stephenp1983]

Maybe I'll build a small trackball/ spinner cp that I can use in sort of the same idea.  That way I can just get it out and hook it in when I want to play the certain games that require it.  How many buttons would a trackball/spinner cp only need.  Might throw in a 4 way

[stephenp1983]

Alriight I've got a new idea.  Let me show you what I am planning to do with my cab and the x arcade.

Here is my cab or a rough sketch


I plan to mount something like this in the blank spot to allow me to simply sit my x arcade in it



And now I could build something like this to simple remove the x arcade and replace it when I wanted to play certain games.


And I hope the cab control pannel to be like the example below, but the cab itself to be more like mike's design