Admin Esc Button - Where do you put yours?

[urbecrisch]

Just curious where everyone puts their Esc admin button on their CP?  Of course if you don't use admin buttons no need to answer

I'm in the process of moving some admin buttons around on my CP cause I have them hidden now on the back of my CP.  When I have people over to play the CAB, I'm sick of everyone asking where certain buttons are so I want to put the Esc button somewhere on the top of the CP.

Is there a program out there that I can use to hit the Esc. button twice to leave a game?  I'm worried some idiot (drunk) will hit it on a mistake when he/she is trying to hit the PAUSE or VIEW CONTROLS button.

I was thinking of having the Esc. button in Red to stand out but I really want to keep the same color buttons in my CP theme.

What do you guys do?

[Xb0x3r]

I've found a good spot to put it is right in line with the Joystick(s), this way people must think about going around the joystick to reach the Exit button 

Also you could have it shifted! Which would also cause people to think about exiting the game.

Just my two cents.

Xb0x3r

[urbecrisch]

I'm avoiding the SHIFT key cause then people will really be confused.  I'm still thinking about using a program that makes you have to either hold down the button or hit the ESC button twice to exit.

Anyone know what program I could use for this that is CAB friendly?

[Xb0x3r]

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, you could actually have 2 Exit buttons and force it so that both must be pressed to actually exit the game. You can do this pretty easily. I've attached a pretty simple diagram.

[TheShanMan]

That's what I do. I put one exit button in the upper left and upper right corners of the cp, and both must be pressed simultaneously to exit. I put 2 pause buttons just inside of the exit buttons, and either pause button can be pressed to pause. I didn't originate this idea, but I definitely like it.

[urbecrisch]

Good suggestion X.  May have to do that.  Not sure I want to add another button but that just might work.  I'll have to ponder this.  I'm using Mala so here are some directions I will have printed up to put underneath my bezel.  Not sure which one I'm going to use.  I'll have to make some changes once I figure out this ESC button issue.

Oops!  Sorry for the double PICS.

[urbecrisch]

Shan, what other Admin buttons do you use besides ESC and P?

[TheShanMan]

That's all. Anything else can be shifted (I assume you're familiar with encoder shifting).

[urbecrisch]

Yeah, I currently use a KeywizMax but I want to avoid shifting to make my CAB more drunk friend friendly   I'm planning on using ESC, P, & VIEW CONTROLS (like in my pic).  Everything else I can use with SHIFT since I will be the only one who needs to mess around with settings, TAB, Etc.

[rlehm]

I never use pause, so i use my (P) button. I have two buttons labeled (P) and I use those to exit a game.

[Ginsu Victim]

I have an unlabeled Pause button next to Player 1 START. I have EXIT set as Player 1 START plus PAUSE.

[Stormrider]

The 6th of the action buttons + start button. I use combinations for these fuctions. For instance: 5th button + start = reset, second button + start = menu, etc.

[MBaran]

This brings up a question I've been wondering for SHIFT'd buttons.

Escape is player one and player 2 on a Mini-Pac so could you wire a new button that when you pressed it, it just connected p1/p2

This way you don't waste any inputs on your encoder?

[Ginsu Victim]

I don't see how you consider it "wasting inputs"...

[Doctor Ugs]

Actually now that I'm thinking about it, you could actually have 2 Exit buttons and force it so that both must be pressed to actually exit the game. You can do this pretty easily. I've attached a pretty simple diagram.

THx, another problem solved on my end.

[javeryh]

Exit (esc) is on the far left separate form the other buttons so there will be less of a chance that someone accidentally presses it.  The other 3 admin buttons are P1 start, P2 start and pause. 

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

My cabinet didn't have the usual '1P' and '2P' buttons - it uses a set of four square illuminated pushbuttons that are actually completely above the playfield (the cabinet I remodelled was designed to accept a Ninja Turtles CP as an option).

Since I only have 2 players, I converted the remaining two buttons to 'Shift/Shazzam' and 'Exit'. Since I use Maximus Arcade as my frontend, I can put a timer on the 'Exit' button so you have to have it depressed for two seconds in order to actually exit the game.

[MBaran]

I meant "wasting" because my Mini-Pac has inputs for up to 8 player buttons. I figure instead of using a p1-7 or p1-8 input for escape, if i could make a switch that closed both p1 and p2 and did the escape with just one button, rather than use p1-7 and re-map my keys in MAME.

[Ginsu Victim]

Why not just remap the shifted keys?

[CrazyKongFan]

I have a couple of small radio shack pushbuttons in the top left corner, one ESC and one TAB. I have a 3rd one betwenn the two players for P. I don't have shifting available, as I used a hacked keyboard. They're all pretty much out of the way and shouldn't accidentally get pushed.

[Moose13]

I use Maximus Arcade. You can program 2+ buttons for functions.
I have 1Player(coin) + 2Player(coin) as exit to fronent,
1Player+pause for Exit to Windows
and 2Player+pause to exit and turn off machine.

[MazzMn]

 Pause - Escape - Coin - PI - PII

I put the pause on the end instead of escape as it I want it to be easy to hit pause in the heat of battle. I did use another color for admin buttons too but kind of regret it looks wise.

[urbecrisch]

Once again for my CAB, I would like to have buttons for the 3 ADMIN controls.  The SHIFT key is only for me to use when I need to do some work with the DIP Switches, setup, etc.

Thinking of this kind of setup:

PAUSE    VIEW CONTROLS (for CP WIZ)                               EXIT

I'll keep the EXIT button further away so nobody accidentally pushes it.

Is there a program out there for the keyboard that I can program to hold the EXIT button down?

[DrFrag]

I'm putting a row of 8-10 admin buttons just below the screen.  Not full size pushbuttons, but small discreet square ones.  I know some people dislike that because it's not authentically arcade, but it's what I've opted for.  They can be independently disabled via switches in the lockable keyboard tray, and will light up with LEDs to show which ones are enabled.  There will also be a switch to disable all LEDs in case that gets annoying. 

My thinking is that if I play at home I'd like to have access to Tab and Esc and Save and things like that without having the keyboard tray open.  But if there's a small party, I'll disable Tab and other functions I don't want people messing with.  And if I take it to a LAN, I'll disable even more including Pause.

Is there a program out there for the keyboard that I can program to hold the EXIT button down?

Yes, I'm sure I've read of such a thing in these forums.

[severdhed]

i have two esc buttons, they are the yellow ones in the pic.  i am going to be rebuilding my panel here shortly, and i am thinking of removing both of those and making one esc button in the back, at the center.




on a side note, how do you have a button mapped to show the controls? does this work while the game is running, or only from the front end?

[TelcoLou]

I noticed that not many folks have their admin buttons on the bottom, left side (where pinball buttons usually go). I think it's the optimal solution; out of the way and accessible at the same time.

[boodroe]

I use a combination of buttons that are already on the control panel for the admin escape to provide less clutter on the panel. To escape from a game on mine the player must press, 1st player, 2nd player, and coin at the same time to esc.

[urbecrisch]

I use a combination of buttons that are already on the control panel for the admin escape to provide less clutter on the panel. To escape from a game on mine the player must press, 1st player, 2nd player, and coin at the same time to esc.

Boodroe, what program or FE do you use that you can program the sequence?

[urbecrisch]

on a side note, how do you have a button mapped to show the controls? does this work while the game is running, or only from the front end?

Severdhed, I'm using CPWIZ to view controls while the game is running.  The cool thing about the program is:

-You can map out a specific button to "view" CP
-The game will pause, then unpause when you hit the "view" button
-The CP view can hide the buttons that are not in use and will label what each button is for.  ie. PUNCH, KICK, SHOOT, BLOCK, etc.
-The CP Panel is totally customizable (sp?) and can be used for console games too

Really a cool program and Headkaze is always willing to answer questions.  I'm sure it has more features but I'm getting what I want out of it

Here's the link to CPWIZ
http://members.iinet.net.au/~freeaxs/cpwizard/

And to a thread for CPWIZ support:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=74091.0;all
 

[severdhed]

thanks for the info about cpwiz.  i'll have to play around with it.  It sounds like an awesome program

[Jdurg]

On my CP, I have three admin buttons.  One will be a Pause button, another will be a cheats on/off button, and the third will be a reset button.  The positioning of the buttons makes it impossible for them to be hit by accident.  If you do hit them by accident, then you are too drunk to be playing anyway since you'd be very likely to vomit shortly.   

The three admin buttons are on the top center of the CP.  Reset will be the far left, cheat the middle, and pause the right.  To escape, I'll use the shift button plus pause, and for various other admin items I'll use the service button on the panel behind my coin door.

I think this will work out well.  I actually have quite a few more buttons on my CP than I need, but the symmetry of the panel design looks good to me so I'm keeping them.

[Ginsu Victim]

another will be a cheats on/off button

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Jdurg]

Hehe.  I like cheating and it's my cabinet so I do what I want with it.   

[JKJudgeX]

I have a panel similar to ZAKMAN up there (looks good, btw!)... it's not square, but has a "backside" to the panel.

I'll be putting my escape button on the back left side of it.  I *think* it will be impossible to accidentally press it, since you'd have to reach back behind the panel to press it. 

Thinking about putting pause in the opposite location on the right.

[Ginsu Victim]

Hehe.  I like cheating and it's my cabinet so I do what I want with it.  

I understand both points and agree.

Still.....

BOOOOOO!!!

[rescue161]

When you say ESC, do you mean escaping the game back to the frontend, or escaping the frontend back to Windows?

To escape the game back to the frontend, I press my P1 & P2 buttons simultaniously.

To pause, I press the "Jump" and P2 simultaniously.

To exit the frontend and get back to Windows, I press a hidden button.  It's on a piece of angled aluminum behind the coin door, just like my Pac-Man machine is.  I have two buttons there.  One to exit the frontend and one to power up/down the computer.

[boodroe]

I use mame32. When you change the button mapping for the "esc" function it will ask you to press the new button you want to use. Press the combination of buttons you want to use at the same time, therefore to escape the game you are required to press those same buttons at the same time.

I use a combination of buttons that are already on the control panel for the admin escape to provide less clutter on the panel. To escape from a game on mine the player must press, 1st player, 2nd player, and coin at the same time to esc.

Boodroe, what program or FE do you use that you can program the sequence?

[urbecrisch]

I use mame32. When you change the button mapping for the "esc" function it will ask you to press the new button you want to use. Press the combination of buttons you want to use at the same time, therefore to escape the game you are required to press those same buttons at the same time.

What version of Mame are you using?  I have v.106 and can't seem to find the option to change the Esc mapping.  Or do you mean you're changing the sequence in the FE?

[boodroe]

I am pretty sure all mame32 versions will do this. Be sure not to confuse mame32 with mame. Mame32 is a common windows friendly version of mame. I cant remember what version I have, my machine is currently at my brother's.

[lanman31337]

I don't have separate "admin" buttons per say.  P1 + P2 is escape for me, plus i have the following:

P1+up = tab
P1+down = pause
P1+left = escape
P1+right = enter

P1 + button1 = f1
P1 + button2 = f2
P1 + button3 = f3

[dgame]

I want an exit button, but don't want it to be a regular arcade button that can be easily pressed by accident.

I am going to use a momentary three Position switch with automatic return to center and two NO (normally open) contacts.

The switch lever is a knob type so it must be turned to activate, thus avoiding accidental exits.

It will be placed at the center of the panel between the P1 and P2 buttons.

The controls will be turn left for ESC - release to center for neutral - turn right for Pause

I didn't really want a pause button, but some of you recommend it so I thought to try it.
I could see someone cranking the knob to the right to Pause and then cranking it left to UN-Pause, but that would be EXIT instead. 

I think I will just make both directions ESC, so the switch will be a dedicated exit button. There is no pause in arcades. 

The switch looks like this:





I have ordered them. Will see how they look/work when they get here.

[CrazyKongFan]

The only thing I'd be afraid of having ESC and Pause on the same switch like that is hitting ESC by accident when you meant to hit Pause I have my Pause button between player 1 and 2, and my ESC button on the top left of the CP, out of the way.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I have one admin button, and that is a red one between the P1 and P2 starts.
My Ipac is set to do Shift on press, and Pause on release.

If you need to pause, you hit the red button in the middle, and walk away.
Nobody's ever gotten drunk enough at my place to mess that one up.

To Exit, you hit Shift + P1B3.
I've never had anyone accidentally hit Exit because you naturally reach for the Pause button with your button hand.

[dgame]

Got the momentary three Position switch thing and don't like it for this application.
I did a mock up and it looks cool in general, it is  not an arcade part so it doesn't look right on there.

I will go with the single red arcade button in the center between P1 and P2 start buttons:

P1 Start ---- Red button ---- P2 Start

P1 start = Start Game
P1 start + Red button = Quit Game

And if I find the need:
Red button = Pause Game

[Sick Leave]

You can use AutoHotKey to do a lot with your buttons as well.  I've used a script to ensure that someone holds the Escape button for three seconds before it exits.  I don't have the script with me here, but I think it was something like this

Code: [Select]

Esc::
   KeyWait, Esc, T3
   if ErrorLevel
      SendInput {Esc}
return

You could probably write a script to make it wait for another key press to issue the Escape key, too.