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Opinions on Control Panel Layout
RetroBorg:
--- Quote from: unclet on July 26, 2007, 08:48:23 am ---I would not have 7 buttons for each joystick on an 18" control panel. Get rid of the 7th button and conserve space.
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I don't think the seventh button will take up any width due to it being located under the joysticks mounting plate. I mainly want this button for reverse in Defender but obviously it can be used in some fighting games as well.
--- Quote from: unclet on July 26, 2007, 08:48:23 am ---If you do not plan on playing a lot of trackball games, then offsetting the trackball might make sense and might not, depending on what you want to achieve. Your control panel layout has the trackball moved to the right side. This is fine for a right-handed player since the actual player can still be centered in front of the monitor and can move the trackball with the right hand no problem (in my opinion). However, if a left-handed player wanted to use the trackball, it might be a bit tough since they would need to stand to the left of "the cabinet" to make using the trackball feel comfortable. So, I guess it just matters what you are trying to achieve with this control panel (ie: who you are trying to please basically).
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I hadn't thought of the left handed thing and I guess what you are saying is right. My brother in-law is left handed and I can hear him whining now, I guess he'll have to get used to it. I'll make it up to him and buy him a left handed screw driver for his birthday. ;D
--- Quote from: unclet on July 26, 2007, 08:48:23 am ---Did you measure everything to make sure all those controls you want can be mounted that close to each other? Some controls like the trackball, spinner and rotary thing seem to take up a lot of mounting room underneath the control panel. Some of your buttons seem like they would need more space. You need to make sure you have enough space to twist on the nut to the button as well.
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I used CP Sketcher to make that mockup and recommend it to anyone making a mockup, it seemed to fit alright on that, I obviously would make a cardboard mockup before I started cutting any wood.
CP Sketcher link: http://www.creditbutton.net.tc/
--- Quote from: unclet on July 26, 2007, 08:48:23 am ---Seeing as your spinner, rotary knob and trackball are all lined up with each other from left to right ..... you could make this piece a modular piece of your cab. Imagine the spinner, rotary and trackball are all mounted on one rectangle piece of MDF board. You could then lift this rectangle out and rotate it 180 degrees (so from left to right you would have the trackball, rotary and spinner) and then place it back into the control panel space. This would allow left-handed players the ability to use the trackball as well.
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I think that would create a few problems as switches and axis get reversed, I don't really want to remap games every time a lefty plays, but it could make it on two bits of wood and swap their positions I guess.
--- Quote from: unclet on July 26, 2007, 08:48:23 am ---Of course, you could simply mount the trackball in the middle and hopefully the player2 joystick will not get in the way when playing .......
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I played around with CP Sketcher all day today and just couldn't make the trackball work in the middle, unfortunately player 2 seems way too close, and the underside of trackballs are so large too.
Thanks for your input unclet.
RetroBorg:
Okay I've made up a mock panel, here's the results.
This picture shows the joysticks are no closer together than a Gottlieb showcase 4 player control panel:
This picture has the mock up panel sitting roughly where the actual panel would:
I was a bit worried about the trackball position before but for a right handed person it's great, lefties would struggle but I'm sure they are used to living in a right handed world.
tba:
--- Quote from: RetroBorg on July 27, 2007, 05:02:18 am ---I was a bit worried about the trackball position before but for a right handed person it's great, lefties would struggle but I'm sure they are used to living in a right handed world.
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well if you are comfortable with it then i would say OK, but i know that for me personally, i didn't want anyone walking away form my cab saying that the experience sucked, as left handed people are liable to do with that layout. especially with the new controllers, like the Keywiz QD and other USB solutions, that make it so easy to do multiple control panels, and swap them out on the fly.
paigeoliver:
Most left handed players are used to arcade controls designed for right handed people, and are not going to have a lot of problems with it. Some real trackball games actually used a trackball that was offset to the right.
However with a panel that narrow, I would have only done a single player layout but I would have included a second joystick for robotron, etc. The rare times you have a second player you can plug in a gamepad (use the gamepad yourself and let the guests enjoy the good controls).
Also, it appears you are making the panel much deeper than stock, this might not be the best idea on a lowboy, since reaching for rear controls is a lot harder while sitting.
RetroBorg:
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on July 27, 2007, 05:49:24 am ---Most left handed players are used to arcade controls designed for right handed people, and are not going to have a lot of problems with it. Some real trackball games actually used a trackball that was offset to the right.
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That's good to hear, I don't want my brother in law having any lame excuses when I kick his butt. ;D
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on July 27, 2007, 05:49:24 am ---However with a panel that narrow, I would have only done a single player layout but I would have included a second joystick for robotron, etc. The rare times you have a second player you can plug in a gamepad (use the gamepad yourself and let the guests enjoy the good controls).
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If I was only making it for myself I definitely would have done like you suggested but all our friends kids love coming over to my house to play the games and they really like to play the two player simultaneous type games like The Simpsons, Double Dragon, TMNT, Metal Slug, Do Donapachi etc. so it has to be a two player panel. The panel still works out fine for me as I can use player two's buttons for Defender and it's joystick for Robotron, Karate, Crazy Climber etc.
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on July 27, 2007, 05:49:24 am ---Also, it appears you are making the panel much deeper than stock, this might not be the best idea on a lowboy, since reaching for rear controls is a lot harder while sitting.
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Yeah the panel is way deeper than stock for this model lowboy, it's original panel would of been 3 and half inches, this one will be twelve inches deep, which is the same as my Gottlieb showcase control panel.
I don't think you guys in the US had lowboys and if you did perhaps they were probably different to the one's we had here in Oz as ours weren't really designed to be played sitting, the control panel height is the same as a normal cabaret cabinet, having said that this proposed control panel will have about 8 and half inches of overhang from the cabinet which means you should be able to get a good part of your lap underneath the control panel on the right size stool which will allow greater reach on the control panel.
In fact just tested it out and it was real comfy, all controls reached easily.