Software to design the control panel?

[dmel75]

I've got control panel button templates, spinner, trackball templates but I was wondering what you all are using to pull these things in and design your panel mockups in? I know some people are using advanced packages like Autocad, etc. I just need something simple I can pull these templates into, arrange them out and then print it on a plotter.

[solowCX]

A lot of people just use Microsoft Visio, which works well for control panel layouts and may be a part of the Office suite you may or may not have.

[Dropkick_Wally]

I used Microsoft Visio to design my panel.  I liked it because the printouts served as excellent drilling templates.  It does suffer from that issue with office programs not printing in the correct orientation.  Excel used to piss me off like that.  There's also some links somewhere on this site to templates specifically for Visio.

[TOK]

A ruler, a piece of cardboard and a pencil. 

[emb]

I use visio as well. Also, you may want to check out the downloads section on the arcade controls website.There are stencils/templates (for the buttons, joysticks, etc) which you can import into visio.

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_downloads.shtml
(scroll to the bottom of the page):

[Encryptor]

A lot of people use Google Sketchup. Mameroom.com also had a CP designer program. I have it installed but I just looked for 20 minutes and can't find the executable. Maybe someone else has it if you're interested.

Encryptor

[Ginsu Victim]

I found it in under 30 seconds
http://www.mameroom.com/files/mameroomcpd.zip

[Encryptor]

How did you find it? Already have a link for it? You can't search their site and there is not a download section and the software section lists nothing.

Encryptor

[TelcoLou]

Here's the first google hit using "mameroon control panel designer" as the search criteria:

http://www.retroblast.com/Misc/MAMEroom-Control-Panel-Design-Service.php

... it's a review, and it has a link to the software at the bottom of the page

[Ginsu Victim]

How did you find it? Already have a link for it? You can't search their site and there is not a download section and the software section lists nothing.

Encryptor

I just went to their site and navigated to the custom control panel section. Found it there.

[Encryptor]

How did you find it? Already have a link for it? You can't search their site and there is not a download section and the software section lists nothing.

Encryptor

I just went to their site and navigated to the custom control panel section. Found it there.

The one I downloaded from their site with the link TelcoLou posted is over twice the size of the link you posted.

Encryptor

[Xb0x3r]

I used AutoCAD 2008 for my design mostly because I later had to import it into MasterCam 9 to draw out the path for the CNC Router. It looks great by the way  I am currently in the process of sanding everything down. I can give you my plans if you like. You can completely modify them to do what ever you want. The shape it pretty standard except it is curved at the bottom. It is 34" x 18" (at the middle of the curve)

Xb0x3r

[Jdurg]

I just used a ruler and pencil and drew out my design right on the plywood CP face.  The unfortunate thing with this is that you have to go back and carefully re-measure EVERYTHING when designing your artwork.  (I'm in the long, slow process of doing that right now).  By designing everything on a computer and printing out a template, you'll have your exact measurements for the artwork later on.

[Ginsu Victim]

I simply used a template I found here, edited it slightly, printed it off twice (for two players), cut it out, measured, and placed it on cardboard. Once I was happy with the mockup, I measured the distance from the sides and bottom to the template, then marked them on the wood. I placed the template on the wood and marked the drill points.
For my start/admin buttons, made sure to just measure them all the same distance from the top and between each other. (I did an inch and half both ways)