Anyone with multiple spinners?

[majs]

Hello,
I currently have a USB tornado spinner. I don't have an optical encoder like the opti-pac.  I'm getting a Happ USB 3" trackball for my control panel to play trackball games.

My ultimate goal though is to have another spinner for 2 player spinner games. I'm very happy with the tornado spinner I currently have, so I'm planning on getting another one sometime in the future. By the way, I'm running XP on my machine.

My questions:

1. Anyone of you have the setup where you have 2 USB spinners and a USB trackball?

2. Are there concerns any of you could think of aside from the accidental bumping of the spinners/trackball?

3. I understand that the new version of Mame now supports 2 spinners, what version are most of you running with your multi-spinner control panels?

4. I'm thinking of doing this layout. Anyone tried this? Comments?



Thanks for your comments.
majs

[Noobert]

I can't help much because I'm still in the early construction phase.

I've got 2 GGG Turbotwist spinners, one set as an x-axis device and one as a y-axis, both USB.  Also have a 3" USB trackball.  Haven't played with them much, but I think they will all work together running an older MAME 32 version on XP.  But like I said, they are factory set to be x- and y-axis devices.  Don't know how that works for a tornado.

My current plan for my CP layout will be similar to yours in that I'm planning to put the spinners in the back.  My trackball will be pulled forward a little and I'm going to try to get the joysticks in a little closer together to make games like Robotron a little more comfortable.  I'd like to have my spinners where I might have room to rest my wrist in front of them so I don't have to hold my arm up and out to play spinner games but I'm not sure if I'll be able to accomplish that.

I hope to get my cabinet into some sort of working order in the next month (real-world translation: maybe I'll be done by this time next year), so I'll try to give you any updates if I discover anything useful along the way.

Good luck!

[ahofle]

To answer your question #3, I believe you want MAME v0.105 or later for the multiple mouse support.

[mark shaker]

One of my cabinets has 7 "mice". 2 USB Tornado Spinners. 2 Trackballs connected via Opti-Pac. 2 Act-Labs Light Guns, and a regular mouse.

For playing dual player games I use Mame Analog Plus.

But you may be able to use 2 spinners with any version of mame:

If your just talking spinners, you may be able to change a connector on one spinner and have one spinner on the X axis and the other spinner on the Y axis. (If I remember right: The Tornado PCB has 2 connectors on the PCB, one for each axis, but one is not in use.)

   - Mark

[Rocky]

My machine has 2 USB spinners and 1 USB 3" trackball.  (plus 2 USB lightguns)

I use Mame version .71 (I think).  I use Analog+ when I want the inputs to be used independently  (like driving games).

For single player games, I use regular Mame .71 and they all control the game.  No problems.

My layout is very similar to yours.  I also have a dedicated 4-way stick above the centered trackball.  I like the layout and it works great.


Good luck,
Rocky

[Oddfeld]

2. Are there concerns any of you could think of aside from the accidental bumping of the spinners/trackball?

If you get an OptiPac this isn't a problem - you can wire up a spinner and a trackball to the same device (so they're both treated as mouse1 say) and whichever you move first locks out the other one so you can't accidentally move the pointer (cursor/pong bat/whatever) if you knock the trackball when you're using the spinner (or vice versa).

[u_rebelscum]

1. Anyone of you have the setup where you have 2 USB spinners and a USB trackball?

Sort of.  I have different CPs, a couple with TBs, a couple with spinners, and my mouse is a PC trackball (always plugged in but not on a CP).  And then there's the lightguns, too.  But not a 2 spinner + 1 trackball CP.

2. Are there concerns any of you could think of aside from the accidental bumping of the spinners/trackball?

Depends on the version of mame you use and how you're connecting them.  If you plug them in seperately and use a mame post 0.105, you don't even have to worry about accidental bumping: official mame now maps mice devices just like joysticks: If you bump joy 2, if doesn't effect joy 1's input.

The only concern you'll have is remapping the mice devices, just like joysticks.  Example: you have a steering wheel (joy 2) and a gamepad (joy 1) plugged in; you need to map all "player 1 paddle" inputs to joy 2(steering wheel), and leave all 8-way & 4-way inputs to the gamepad (joy 1).  Same with mice: map all of mame's player 1 trackball inputs to mouse X (which is your trackball), player 1 dial to mouse Y (which is your spinner), and player 2 dial to mouse Z (when you get the second spinner).  Do this with "Input (general)" or a ctrlr file.

3. I understand that the new version of Mame now supports 2 spinners, what version are most of you running with your multi-spinner control panels?

I'm just moving with the most current, more for looking at the code than any other reason.  I don't have a cab yet, though; when I finally build one, I'll keep that one more static.  I use ctrlr files to keep my inputs the same between versions, but the cfg file are almost as portable now a days.

4. I'm thinking of doing this layout. Anyone tried this? Comments?

- Using the spinners & buttons in games that used both might be wierd with the buttons under the spinners.  Might not be bad, but do a full scale mockup and try to play a spinner game with buttons like tempest and see if you like it.
- I don't know if you want to play ikari & forgotten worlds type games, but with that setup it might be hard.  Again, full scale mockup.
- You'll need to remap accordingly for three-six button games, and be aware that you'll need to enable mice for games that use those buttons even if they don't use the spinners or trackball. 
- Personally, for trackball games I'd map the lower three buttons on both sides as buttons 1, 2, & 3.  This doesn't effect placement of the mouse buttons, though; you only need to know which ones are mouse buttons while outside mame.
- You might want to un-map the joysticks from spinner games, to prevent accidental bumps from effecting you play.
- Be careful playing marble madness and the like with the right joystick placement.  I think it won't matter very often; but just maybe in the heat of battle and you need to go right very fast you might hit the joystsick.  Again, full scale mockup.

I found I prefer game specific CPs over general CPs, as I am never satisfied of all games with one CP, but that's just me.  I don't find anything actually wrong with what you have, it'll just be how you feel about it that matters.

[majs]

Thanks guys.