Administrative Buttons

[Xb0x3r]

I plan to have many administrative buttons on my CP.

The ones I plan to use are:

Pause
Escape
Insert Coin
Shutdown Computer
Mouse Buttons

I would like to have a button for a Random Game but how can I interface it with my computer?

Any other suggestions for administrative buttons are welcome

Thanks,

Xb0x3r

[DaveMMR]

I would put that Shutdown Computer button elsewhere (like behind the cabinet).

[Xb0x3r]

Yeah I was planning on hiding it. Any other suggestions?

[Xb0x3r]

As I said above, is it possible to have a button that interfaces with the PC and chooses a random game each button press? I am using GameEx as my front-end, and I do know it has a random game function, is it possible to use a button to interface with that function?

[DaveMMR]

Whatever key enables the "Random Game" you can map to the admin button.  As to the specifics, I do not know.  I don't use GameEx so I don't know exactly how it would work.  I suppose it all depends on the front-end - if you can choose a random game with a keyboard stroke, you can do it with a button as well.

[BORIStheBLADE]

Why do you want a mouse button on the cp?

[Xb0x3r]

Under the trackball. Left and Right click.

[SavannahLion]

Why do you want a mouse button on the cp?

Under the trackball. Left and Right click.

No, what he means is why have mouse buttons installed when you can simply functionally reuse other buttons if you feel that you must have "mouse" buttons? That's part of the beauty of the customizable software and hardware prevalent here.

A lot of first timers (myself included) plan and design CP's with a crapload of buttons for all sorts of functions not realizing that a vast majority of them are either going to be used during configuration or can be doubled up with other buttons. To get an idea of how out of control it can get, set your eyes on the classic Skittles cab.

Thank God I had a small shortcoming in obtaining the necessary buttons, otherwise, that would've been my cab pictured there.

[Jdurg]

Oh good god!  I too was going to go with the massive button overload on my panel until I made mention of it here on these boards.  Instead, I settled on a panel that I enjoy, and with the use of a shift key, has all the buttons I need. 

I have two 8-way Happs Competition Joysticks, 7 buttons for each stick, a 3" Happs Trackball with a left mouse button and a right mouse button directly above it.  There's a 4-way Ms. Pac-Man style joystick that has two buttons to the right, but the center of those two buttons is spaced right above the left trackball button.  In a complete mirror image, the spinner is on the right with two buttons centered over the right trackball button.  There are also the P1 and P2 start buttons. 

I plan on putting a shift key on the right back side of the control panel and use that to access the tab menu, exit, pause, etc. when pressed in conjunction with the other buttons on my panel.  Sure I have a lot of buttons on there (23 by my count), but with the use of that shift button on the side I can have all the buttons I need right there.

[Xb0x3r]

Alright, can someone explain to me about this shift button and can my encoder support it? (Thrustvector Afterburner + Expander) From what I understand is that the shift button is used to access a second set of buttons. So, when held, the buttons you normally use for playing your games, change into your administrative buttons?

[Jdurg]

Yup.  I know that the I-Pacs have the shift button, but I'm not sure about others.

[SavannahLion]

Alright, can someone explain to me about this shift button and can my encoder support it? (Thrustvector Afterburner + Expander) From what I understand is that the shift button is used to access a second set of buttons. So, when held, the buttons you normally use for playing your games, change into your administrative buttons?

That's the gist of it. The encoders offered by Ultimarc and Groovy Game Gear offer hardware based shift functionality to access your administration buttons. Unfortunately, I have no familiarity with the Thrustvector + Expander you've selected.

You can cheat a little bit by losing a button and creating a pseudo-shift function via software, but that's a major hassle in my books.

[Xb0x3r]

Well according to their product information, http://www.thrustvector.com/thrusttech.html#shift

It looks like it supports the shift mode 

[DaveMMR]

My panel has no admin buttons.   Functions like "Exit", "Pause" and "Tab Menu" and handled through the 2nd Player Start action as a shift button in conjunction with Player 2's buttons.   This way, it helps cut down on excessive buttons (especially ones that can be accidentally pressed). 

I also think mouse buttons are gratuitous on a panel.   You can either double up your main buttons or remap controls with most software.