4P Control Panel Plans for Your Approval. and guidance.

[Scumgriever]

Hey all,

Just finished the plans for my control panel and was hoping for a little input.

I’m having a little trouble with the trackball placement. Ideally, I’d like a 3 inch happ ball but I’m worried that there just isn’t enough room, perhaps not even for the smaller 2 and a bit sized one. The big one leaves 101 mm (4 inches) between the top of the ball while the small one leaves 127 mm (5 inches)

Will this be enough room??

It’s especially problematic because of the design of my cab, as you can see in the pic it has a short vertical panel for the credit buttons and coin slot which I am worried will be a finger breaker. I don’t play much of the golf games so don’t expect to be absolutely smashing it but I do like the odd game of Simpsons bowling and in general want to have the option to play trackball games (Marble Madness especially). Also I was thinking of having some PC games that need a mouse. Not first person shooters so much but other things, Worms for example.

Of course any comments on the other parts of the control panel would be much appreciated and taken on board as well. I am umming and erring about how far apart the Player 1 and Player 2 controls should be. At the moment there is 140mm (5.51 inches) between the centre of the rightmost P1 button and the centre of the P2 joystick. And 314mm (12.36 inches) between the P1 & P2 joys.  I don’t want to be knocking elbows during Street Fighter tournaments but I also don’t want to be too cramped or have to come in at too weird an angle during 4 player Vendetta or Ninja Turtles.

I’m still trying to think of a design for the overlay and a theme for the machine overall. It’s a big hulking 4 player green thing so of course initial thoughts were of Ninja Turtles but it’s going to be running a few thousand games thru mame plus NES, SNES, Master System ,MegaDrive/Genesis and Playstation(maybe) emulators so I don’t want to tie it so closely to one game. Maybe still going to stick with the mutant part though. Any ideas would be a huge help.

[Scumgriever]

Just thought I'd add a jpeg for easy viewing. In each pic the small trackball is on the top, the big on the bottom... obviously.

The top jpeg is full scale, the bottom one is at 30% to see it all at once easily.

[destructor]

Which hand you use to play on trackball? Left or right?

[Scumgriever]

Which hand you use to play on trackball? Left or right?

Right.

[destructor]

Hmm... then can be problem with confortable play on trackball, because P2 joystick will block your hand.

[RetroACTIVE]

Scumgriever,

As long as you are sure you won't be playing Golden Tee or Bowling type games...your trackball should be OK where it is... its a bit close to the sticks.

On your last layout, I would be inclined to move the trackball off center so that it lies centered between p1 and p2 sticks

[Scumgriever]

Thats a good point, hadn't even thought about the P2 joy getting in the way.

hmmm...

I have been toying with the idea of putting the t-ball in a box which is removable and would also raise the ball above the height of the joysticks and the vertical wall.

Is this maybe a bad idea. I don't know if i've ever seen somthing of the like and figure that muct be for a reason. maybe broken fingers on the side of the box....

Hmmm the ball isn't absolutely necessary I guess.

[postalp123]

Hey Scum (mean that in a good way) couldn't help but notice your dillemma...

This is a CP I did a while back not unlike what you have here (I got a bit too carried away at 53" wide  ):


BTW good idea on angling the 3P & 4P layouts for maximizing space.

As to the Trackball situation, I think (If it's possible) if you can widen the gap between the 1P & 2P layouts and place the trackball there should give you both the elbow room you need between the 1P & 2P and also allowing some room for those Trackball games that need some runway (Bowling, Golden Tee, etc...) although doing this might call for your to widen the CP a few inches.

All in all it's good that your thinking this through so thoroughly, but again, for a 4-Player layout with a Trackball, the width at this moment seems insufficient.

Good Luck!

[Scumgriever]

Hey Scum (mean that in a good way)

No probs, lots of people call me that. No offence taken whatsoever.

All in all it's good that your thinking this through so thoroughly, but again, for a 4-Player layout with a Trackball, the width at this moment seems insufficient.
Good Luck!

Yeah, I'm beginning to think you're right.

I'm starting to go off the idea of a trackball, 4 players is MUCH more important to me.

I've been thinking about replacing it with a 4-way stick. I've never tried playing 4-way games with an 8-way joystick but I've heard it can be a bit of a nightmare.

Also it seems to make a nice V shape, sitting at the vertex using the start buttons as the sides.

I like being nice ans symmetrical but am a little worried about using buttons with the 4-way where it is. I'd use the P2 buttons as i'm right handed but left handed friends could use P1. Do you think that the button being so far below will be uncomfortable?

BTW good idea on angling the 3P & 4P layouts for maximizing space.

Thanks, it was partly for space and partly to change the angle of the outside players arms to stop them getting in the way, but also from loving to use Raphael on the Ninja Turtles game but hating having the joystick almost directly below the bottons

[arzoo]

Scumgriever,
I would suggest making a mock-up out of cardboard or something. Then get four people and see if everyone can fit. You may want to angle the outside joysticks to allow those players a bit more room by standing to the side.

[ArcadEd]

Just a quick note.  I'm not sure how you are planning on building the actualy box unit that the CP will sit on, but make sure you have enough room on all sides of the Control Panel to allow for the wood underneath.  Specifically the sides, front and back.

I just noticed one of your sticks was all the against the edge, so I thought I would bring it up.

Good luck.

[postalp123]

Just a quick note.  I'm not sure how you are planning on building the actualy box unit that the CP will sit on, but make sure you have enough room on all sides of the Control Panel to allow for the wood underneath.  Specifically the sides, front and back.

I just noticed one of your sticks was all the against the edge, so I thought I would bring it up.

ArcadEd brings up a valid point, I myself did not think of pre-fitting the edges and ended up having to route a channel into one of the inner-walls of the CP. Especially take into account if your using horizontal microswitch designed buttons (And the joystick for that matter) the footprint underneath will be wider, consider also the quick connects of the wires as well that will extend out from the aforementioned switches.

I like being nice and symmetrical but am a little worried about using buttons with the 4-way where it is. I'd use the P2 buttons as i'm right handed but left handed friends could use P1. Do you think that the button being so far below will be uncomfortable?

That all depends on "A) How many lefties do you know?", "B) What do they do when they play at the arcades?" and "C) What do YOU really want out of the machine?"

Another option is maybe to find a smaller trackball with a smaller footprint,  a HAPPS 2-1/4" TB only needs 4-1/2" as opposed to the 3" TB which needs almost 6" underneath:
http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/565600xx.htm

Either way you do equip this CP out, do it for your reasons and enjoyment just as much as your friends.

Good Luck!

[Scumgriever]

Scumgriever,
I would suggest making a mock-up out of cardboard or something.

Yeah, don't worry this will definately happen. I'm still waiting on my buttons from OzStick, apparently there has been some kind of hold up with their supply of IPAC4s.

You may want to angle the outside joysticks to allow those players a bit more room by standing to the side.

I was thinkink about this. Does anyone know how it feels to play on a joystick that isn't at 90 degrees to the sceen? say if I angled each of the outer joys to bring P3&4s arms in at a more space saving angle.
The Turtles cabinet from my past (that I posted before) by memory had the joys lined up with the screen as opposed to the buttons. That part of the setup seemed to work well.

Just a quick note.  I'm not sure how you are planning on building the actualy box unit that the CP will sit on, but make sure you have enough room on all sides of the Control Panel to allow for the wood underneath.  Specifically the sides, front and back.

I just noticed one of your sticks was all the against the edge, so I thought I would bring it up.

I am using a metal surface for the CP and installing it in the cabinet pictured in the first post. it has a nice neat lip that'll hold it securely even without screws, I'll screw it down anyway though. I'm going to have to cut away some of the supports that are there but the metal i have is pretty rigid and I will add a couple of supports of my own to be sure.

Your point about the joystick is a good one. I'd figured that I'd be able to cut a chunk of the side of the cabinet away to make it fit but hadn't considered the switches and connectors coming from them. How far do they stick out? as you can see I dont have alot of room.

I'm kinda stuck with the dimentions there otherwise I'll have to cut up the cab which I REALLY dont want to do.

That all depends on "A) How many lefties do you know?", "B) What do they do when they play at the arcades?" and "C) What do YOU really want out of the machine?"

A) not enought to spend more than a couple of seconds designing my CP with them in mind.
B) lose to me. At least this will give them an excuse
C) To avoid saying "I wish I had have done ... the first time round).

I'm pretty set on a short little 4-way in place of the t-ball now.