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Author Topic: Please critique my CP  (Read 6179 times)

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thelevin8r

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Please critique my CP
« on: March 25, 2003, 01:59:31 am »
My Arcade panel layout
The link below will take you to a large JPG of the CP I'm designing in Visio. I changed of few of the designs that were in there to accomodate my Oscar joystic mounting plane, a 2.25" track ball, and an Oscar spinner. I would like to here any inpot on what you would do to make it better.
The horizontal line you see running through the Trackball marks the size of the original panel. The other diagonal lines and arched lines are thoughts on where to cut the panel. What do you think of the button layout? In this one I don't have a left and right fire buttons for the top center joystick, but I think I should. Incidentally I am using Oscars joystick mounting plate and restrictors on this one so I can switch between pacman and qbert. The stick will be a Happs super in 8 way mode. I also have a 2.25 wico track and an Oscar spinner and mounting plate. I think the mouse buttons are out of place too. Any input welcome!!!

http://home.attbi.com/~levindavie/Arcade_Controls_layout.jpg

TheLevin8R

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2003, 02:23:52 am »
I personally would put the spinner on the left for Tron, but that depends on what you are targeting the spinner for.  
This opinion was created from 100% post consumed information.

SirPoonga

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2003, 02:26:05 am »
do you play bowling games? or golf games with the tball?
And I assume the middle 8way is for 4way, why not just get a 4way stick?
« Last Edit: March 25, 2003, 02:27:36 am by SirPoonga »

Nailz

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2003, 02:28:17 am »
I would re-think the mouse buttons, if you are right handed, move them both to the left so you can use the buttons and keep your hand on the trackball as opposed to having to keep switching hands depending on what you want to do with your mouse/trackball.  Also seems like the trackball and the player 2 and the the restricted joystick are quite close together, could be trouble with Missile Command, Centipede, etc., you could end up slapping into those sticks.

As for the extra joystick with the mounting plate, why not just put the plate on your one player stick when you need it instead of buying an extra 8-way?  I can see having a dedicated 4-way, but the 8-way I don't get.

Your spinner is going to be really far away from your player 1 control buttons, could make it awkward to play some of those games I think.

It looks like you have a good start, but things seem really close together and compact, is space an issue with your CP?

rampy

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2003, 08:15:18 am »
do you play bowling games? or golf games with the tball?
And I assume the middle 8way is for 4way, why not just get a 4way stick?

If you do play golf or bowling games and like an exagerated swing (more palm slapping than thumbs or easy rolling) you are likely to get a knuckle full of 4 or 8 way stick if you place it at 12 o'clock from the trackball...

Maybe it'll be less of an issue with a smaller trackball... but only a mock up and a few brave golden tee swings willl tell you for sure... *shrug*

rampy

thelevin8r

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2003, 10:10:53 am »
My cab is 23 inches wide, and I am trying to keep the CP the same width as the original, but just bump it out to accommodate everything. I used this one as a basic model, it looks like his cab is similar to mine (mine is a Tito Jamma). the current design is 13 inches deep, the orriginal is 9 so it is only 4 in deeper, I could make it deeper I think. http://www.doughansen.net/arcade/controls.htm

Here

gnateye

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2003, 01:45:30 pm »
its all opinions and p[ersonal tastes, but i say less is more, dont clutter that poor panel with unneeded sticks and stuff.

just my .02$, save that 3rd joy and use it for something else.

SirPoonga

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2003, 02:06:41 pm »
I have not played golden tee yet either but I would like to work it into the cab!

Hehe, just cause I said golf games (as in more than golden tee).  That setup sucks for golf and bowling games which make up alot of the trackball games.  Your hand is going to get sore hitting the joystick...

thelevin8r

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2003, 02:16:32 pm »
Hehe, just cause I said golf games (as in more than golden tee).  That setup sucks for golf and bowling games which make up alot of the trackball games.  Your hand is going to get sore hitting the joystick...

So it would be better for me to make the CP deeper, and give more space between it and the stuff above it? I will rework me design again, then ask for more punnishment  ;D

What about putting fire (P1B1) next to the trackball too?

TheLevin8R

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2003, 02:35:23 pm »
Unfortunately, you really need to make it wider, deeper isn't going to help.

The trouble is, you are going to have to make a wider CP if you want to play just about any variation imaginable.  Unless of course you are 1up and can make an amazing rotating CP.

As for another fire button next to the trackball, I don't think you need it, the P1 fire button will still be close enough that it won't be a big deal.

SirPoonga

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2003, 04:32:29 pm »
No, you don;t want anything in front or behind the trackball.  Think about a bowling games, you are going to be pushing forward quickly alot.

Look at my cab, I can tell you one thing I did wrong is that shelf.  I stub my fingers on the shelf every once and awhile playing bowling or golf games.

BASSOFeeSH

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2003, 12:27:03 pm »
No player start buttons?

Jakobud

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2003, 02:23:06 pm »
What about Coin/credit buttons?

thelevin8r

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2003, 05:19:55 pm »
What about Coin/credit buttons?

No pause\credit\start buttons needed, that's why the Jpack is so awsome! I just press player 1 strart and button 1 for credits, P1 start and down on the joystick for pause, etc. And since the Jpack completely ties into the Jamma harnes, even the coin mechs register a quarter! Ultimarc and Oscar have both made my cab way better then I could ever hope!

My cab is a Taito Jamma cab that I bought complete and working for $100. I think I was really lucky finding it. When I found it in a coin op place in Seattle, it had just been unloaded from a truck. It was super dirty and had a piece of masking tape on it that said "OK". I asked the guy if he would take $100 for it (I had been reading this and other forums and knew that even not working the cab was worth that just in parts since it was all there) and he said "sure"! I didn't even ask if I could plug it in for fear of him changing his mind if it worked. When I got it home  and pluged it in, WOO HOO! Man was I happy! Since then I have done a lot of work to it and it is looking really good (to me) and very authentic, except for not having the Taito side art. It was damaged way to bad to save, so now it's all black. This is one of the reasons that I want to keep my CP small is I don't want a huge CP detracting from it's classic look. This is also why I choose to use the arcade monitor too.

Magnet_Eye

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2003, 07:43:18 am »
i think it looks pretty good, considering the 23" width restriction. I am designing my layout similar to that (dhansens) but i have 23 3/4" to work with.

could you possibly share your layout file?  ;)

-M



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thelevin8r

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #15 on: March 27, 2003, 11:58:05 am »
could you possibly share your layout file?  ;)
-M

Thanks!
I updated the link where posted my last design with a new design. Basically all I did was move the Oscar Joystick plate 90 deg, then put the spinner below it and lowered the trackball. I also changed the alignment of the 2 row buttons.

http://home.attbi.com/~levindavie/Arcade_Controls_layout.jpg

I will email the actual Visio files to anyone that asks. I was also thinking that since I added the Oscar Controls stuff and the 2.25 inch happ trackball plate, maybe it could be added to the temp in the download section? I will see who to ask.

TheLevin8R

IceCold

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #16 on: March 27, 2003, 02:54:55 pm »
what program are you guys using to lay this out(so i can lay it out specifically in inches and stuff, so I can get the right size).  I'm going to need to start designing my control panel, and don't want to just kind of guess when I'm drilling and stuff.

Do you guys print out your layout, then like tape it on your control panel, then do the drilling and cutting?  that's what I'd like to do, so I get the buttons right where I want them.

And, this has probably already been went over a million times, but does anybody have the layout for street fighter, or maybe mortal kombat?  How much space should be in between the buttons?

Sorry for asking all the repetitive questions, I'm just excited to finally be starting a MAME cabinet!  :)

rampy

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #17 on: March 27, 2003, 03:20:51 pm »
what program are you guys using to lay this out(so i can lay it out specifically in inches and stuff, so I can get the right size).  I'm going to need to start designing my control panel, and don't want to just kind of guess when I'm drilling and stuff.

Do you guys print out your layout, then like tape it on your control panel, then do the drilling and cutting?  that's what I'd like to do, so I get the buttons right where I want them.

And, this has probably already been went over a million times, but does anybody have the layout for street fighter, or maybe mortal kombat?  How much space should be in between the buttons?

Sorry for asking all the repetitive questions, I'm just excited to finally be starting a MAME cabinet!  :)

I used (and the orig poster) used Visio (microsoft owns them now)... there are stencils in the byoac download section that you can use so you don't hvae to recreate the joystick/buttons etc...

Printing out full size cp template and marking center of holes worked great for me...

rampy

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2003, 03:30:35 pm »
what program are you guys using to lay this out(so i can lay it out specifically in inches and stuff, so I can get the right size).  I'm going to need to start designing my control panel, and don't want to just kind of guess when I'm drilling and stuff.

Do you guys print out your layout, then like tape it on your control panel, then do the drilling and cutting?  that's what I'd like to do, so I get the buttons right where I want them.

And, this has probably already been went over a million times, but does anybody have the layout for street fighter, or maybe mortal kombat?  How much space should be in between the buttons?

Sorry for asking all the repetitive questions, I'm just excited to finally be starting a MAME cabinet!  :)

I used (and the orig poster) used Visio (microsoft owns them now)... there are stencils in the byoac download section that you can use so you don't hvae to recreate the joystick/buttons etc...

Printing out full size cp template and marking center of holes worked great for me...

rampy
Okay, thank you!  How much does Visio cost? or is it freeware(probably not, but it'd be cool).

IceCold

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2003, 05:45:20 pm »
Are there any freeware or shareware programs that can do what visio does(or at least what I need it to do, layout my control panel)?  I can't see myself spending $200 on Visio, just to layout my cp  :-\

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2003, 07:08:53 pm »
You don't HAVE to use Visio.  It's just that Visio is designed specifically for projects like this (schematics).  I have access to Visio at work, but ended up using Paint Shop Pro instead since i have it at work AND at home.  It worked almost as well and would be easy to make an overlay using the same image and just adding a layer or three.

IceCold

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #21 on: April 04, 2003, 07:17:06 pm »
You don't HAVE to use Visio.  It's just that Visio is designed specifically for projects like this (schematics).  I have access to Visio at work, but ended up using Paint Shop Pro instead since i have it at work AND at home.  It worked almost as well and would be easy to make an overlay using the same image and just adding a layer or three.

I really want to use the stencils I downloaded though  :( , any way somebody could convert the .vsd to something like .jpg or .bmp for me?

Is it fairly easy to do the dimensions right in pain shop pro?

Cue-Ball

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #22 on: April 05, 2003, 01:35:56 am »
Anyone with access to Visio should be able to convert those for you.  I'd do it, but i'm not at work now.  If you don't have someting working by Monday, PM me and i'll help you out with the conversions.

Doing layouts in PSP is not as good/easy as Visio, but it's very doable.  You can turn on a grid in PSP and set it to whatever spacing you want (1", .5", .25", whatever).  You can have graphics "snap" to the grid to keep them straight if you'd like.  There are tons of possibilities.  If you have access to Visio, use it.  If not, pretend you're MacGuyver and make do with what you've got. :)

PS> There are LOADS of Visio compatible programs available for download on the web.  Download.com shows several shareware or trial versions of programs that will read/write Visio format.  Try one or two out and see if they'll work for you.

IceCold

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #23 on: April 05, 2003, 09:52:36 am »
Anyone with access to Visio should be able to convert those for you.  I'd do it, but i'm not at work now.  If you don't have someting working by Monday, PM me and i'll help you out with the conversions.

Doing layouts in PSP is not as good/easy as Visio, but it's very doable.  You can turn on a grid in PSP and set it to whatever spacing you want (1", .5", .25", whatever).  You can have graphics "snap" to the grid to keep them straight if you'd like.  There are tons of possibilities.  If you have access to Visio, use it.  If not, pretend you're MacGuyver and make do with what you've got. :)

PS> There are LOADS of Visio compatible programs available for download on the web.  Download.com shows several shareware or trial versions of programs that will read/write Visio format.  Try one or two out and see if they'll work for you.

I was looking for a freeware or shareware program that will do somewhat what visio does, but most of the ones I looked at will only read visio files, not allow you to change them  :( .  I'll look again.

Thank you for all your help!

CustomArcade

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Re:Please critique my CP
« Reply #24 on: April 05, 2003, 10:30:56 am »
Too Big and Cluttered, Trust me LESS IS MORE! Really adds to the gaming feel. I have found while my cp seems intuiative to me and most of the geekiods on here a non-MAME can get quite confused.

Just my 2 cents
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