MAME Control Panel -- Advise by "Saint" to post

[GGKoul]

Hello All:

After spending many night's reviewing various MAME cabinets on the net.  Mainly:
- Jeff's ULTIMATE MAME Arcade Machine
- LuSiD's Arcade Flashback
- Doughcade
- ULTIMATE ARCADE II
- Brian Coney's BEAM Machine

I have decided to create 4 player all-in-one control anel for my MAME machine.  As I love to play the classic 4 plyr games!!

That's why I'm posting this messagel.  As you have
extensive experience creating MAME machines...
Because I'm wondering if my crazy plan is possible?  If so what interface card, in your opinion, would be the best to use.  (2 I-Pac with 1 Otipac / Hagstrom KE72 w/Trk Ball)  --- I have recieved word from Andy, a 56 key IPAC will be out soon.  So I would probably need only one IPAC ---

As what I plan to mount on my 46" x 18.5" panel is the following items:
- (4) 8 Way Joysticks (2 w/ 6 buttons & 2 w/4 buttons)
- (1) 4 Way Joystick w/2 buttons
- (1) Trackball
- (1 or 2) Ocsar Spinners
- (2) buttons above the spinner to act as mouse buttons.
- (4) Player buttons along the top
- (4) Coin buttons under each player (Like Brian's BEAM Machine)
- Include the various function buttons - ESC, Pause, F1, F2, tab...

FYI: I have created cardboard template of the various items I plan to have on my panel.  And after many hours planning, I seem to have gotten a good layout for
all these items.  So it can fit on one panel...

But I again have to ask, Is this possible??  Granted I understand this is a monster task for one's first project... But I'm up for the impossible.

So I have to ask, What interface would work better and be the easiest to work with?  Hapstrom KE72 w/trackball or 2 IPAC & 1 Optipac?

From reviewing the many web sites... both will do the job.

But it appears that the IPAC is an easier interface to work with and the Optipac can handle 2 trackballs & spinners. Maybe it's because they have better close up pictures on the web site, so it's easier to understand where everything fits.  (Note: For the IPAC: I would install the 4 way in a 8 way stick.  As I wouldn't be using a 4 & 8 way at the same time. Therefore it
would free up some keys)

As I can't seem to understand how to install the various items on a KE72 nor can I find this type of setup.  So you input into this matter will greatly be appreciated.  As you guys are the experts and I hope you can shed some light on my monstrous task and get me started on my way.

Thanks for your Assistance!!
- Gus

[GGKoul]

Just want too add...

I understand that if I where to use the KE72, purchasing a "IOX36 Breakout Board" (i would need two of them) will assist hooking up the control panel.  But again, that's at an additional cost.

Thanks again!
-Gus

[Agent Davis]

I can't comment on the KE72 but if andy is coming out with a 56 key IPAC I'd go with that combined with an optipac.

Note:

You'll never use your 4-way along with any of your 8 ways so just wire it up to the same inputs as player 1.  That way when you do the global options 4 player games will already be configured.  Otherwise you'll have to change the inputs to every 4 player game.  Plus it saves you 4 inputs if you need em.

Also, I assume you meant 2 buttons above trackball (NOT spinner) for mouse buttons.

Also, forget about adding all those admin buttons and create a shift button.  Then all your buttons double as something else like admin functions.

AD

[Lilwolf]

Sorry Davis... bad recomendation on the 4-way...

why?

Well, I had something similar for a bit... and whenever I would play Street Fighter with friends, and I was wompin' good they would start moving the other joystick to mess up my combinations!

(if you do do it, you might want to add a switch to only allow the ground on one joystick if you have unscrupalus friends who believe that anything goes!)

[Billabong]

Well, I had something similar for a bit... and whenever I would play Street Fighter with friends, and I was wompin' good they would start moving the other joystick to mess up my combinations!

(if you do do it, you might want to add a switch to only allow the ground on one joystick if you have unscrupalus friends who believe that anything goes!)

Lilwolf, sounds like it's time for new friends!!
just kidding...

Later,
Billabong

[darkmanx]

if anything goes, you could always put a quiet little switch hidden under the control panel to cut off the ground to his controls. it would really be a shame if you bumped it during play  

[jginiso]

I understand that 1 trackball and 2 spinners can be accomidated by 1 optipac since the spinners would only use X and Y axis respectively. Would 1 optipac in conjunction with the Druin interface card support 2 rotary (ikari style) joysticks and a trackball?

Thanks for any input.
James

[Frobozz]

Would 1 optipac in conjunction with the Druin interface card support 2 rotary (ikari style) joysticks and a trackball?

If I understand Druin's interface correctly, here's the scoop.  

You don't need Druin's interface if you have optical Happ's rotary joysticks.  They can hook up to an Opti-Pac just like a spinner.

You DO need Druin's interface if you have a 12-position Happ's rotary joystick or an original "stubby yellow" stick.  Druin's interface turns the signals into a "rotate left" and "rotate right" button press.  These would hook into the I-PAC, NOT the Opti-Pac, as 4 new buttons.

Thus, with Druin's card, 2 12-position sticks, and a trackball, you need 12 ports on the I-PAC (6 for each stick) and one full X-Y axis on the Opti-Pac.  

With 2 optical rotary sticks and a trackball, you need 8 ports on the I-PAC (4 for each stick), Both full X-Y axis on the Opti-Pac (one full one for the trackball, the other split for the 2 sticks).  I don't know if you can change the X/Y axis on the sticks though, and only some builds  of MAME can handle this through software!

[Todd Munro]

I have almost exactly the layout you described, but a different setup than you proposed. I have 4 Players, 2-3 button/2-6 button each with a start and credit button, one trackball (Betson PS/2), and 1 spinner (Oscar), each sharring 2 buttons (r + l mouse buttons). I also have a 4-entry coin door. Its all interfaced to 2 IPACs. Its worked great and the layout has not failed me yet. The diagnol controls for the 3 and 4 players also double as great Q-bert controls. I'll try and attach a pic, but I don't know if it'll work. Good Luck!

Hello All:

After spending many night's reviewing various MAME cabinets on the net.

[GGKoul]

Thanks for you reponse Todd:

I just have a couple of questions about your panel.

-  What is the overall diamentions of your panel?

-  When playing with 4 players, do you have a problem with space?

-  Are 3 buttons for "plyr 3 & 4" enough?  As I was planning on using 4 buttons for them.

-  Do you have a 4 way joystick?

-  With your trackball being so close to the monitor.  Do you have a problem of hitting your hands on the monitor?

-  So your 4 ply coin buttons are actually the coin slots?

-  Where and how did you create your control panel?  I mean, what program did you use to join the various pictures and where (how) did you get the panel printed.

Thanks!!
- GGKoul

[tubuku01]

hey, like i said in my other post:
go to www.mameroom.com , that web site should answer your questions, my friend.

my cab is also 4 player, and i intend to use the new ipac (instead of daisychaining two of the older versions). i'm not quite there, yet (almost).