Construction Begins

[ErikRuud]

I have finally begun assembling my control panel last weekend.

I bought my controls from Happs, and an I-PAC over a year ago.

I have been doing the woodwork on the CP a little at a time over the last year.  I have finally got to the point where I could start putting in the buttons and controls.

Here is a rendering of my CP layout.  

It is not to scale. I will be using this image with GameLauncher's screenshot function to show instructions for each game.

This is an older version of the instruction image, just to give you the general idea.




I will be running O2Em, Retrocade, and MAME.  I am using batch files to load different I-Pac configurations for each emulator.  The same batch file also reloads a configuration file for GameLauncher after a game is exited.

Erik Ruud
http://erikruud.freeservers.com

[ErikRuud]

I updated the screenshot image, so that it uses the new look.

[fraggtastic]

couple observations
Are you left handed?
I hope you don't play any 6 button games.
I would consider seperate buttons for coin1 and coin2 instead of shifting.
I have found sometimes when I have to shift to get a coin 2 going player one is banging the buttons still playing while player 2 hits the shift button to get an extra credit and the player1 controls go into shift mode for a second.

[ErikRuud]

I'm not left handed, but I am more comfortable with the stick in my right hand.  It goes back to the Odyssey2 and Atari joysticks where the fire button was on the left.

No six button games for me.  My arcade days were from 1977 to 1984 and I never got into fighting games. I do have room for six buttons if I ever feel the need.

It doesn't show in the rendering, but the CP is split.  The back row of buttons is attached to the CP Box, and the player controls are on a seperate piece so that I can swap out different set of controls.

As far as the coin buttons go, I have programmed the shifted player controls to be the same as the unshifted.

[ErikRuud]

The joysticks and all the remaining buttons have been installed.

[darkmanx]

pretty nice. i must admit i cant stand having buttons to the left of the joystick, and im left handed. its like a console control with the d-pad on the right. but hey to each his own, and if it works for you thats cool. only other thing i can say is if you get crazy with the trackball you might end up hitting a button near it. anyway, gl with the unveiling.

[jdsabin1]

Erik,

A slot car race? Sweet! What scale? That's another hobby (read: time waster). Here's my setup:

http://www.clansls.com/slots/

-Jeff

[ErikRuud]

Jeff,

We race HO scale.  Aurora Thunderjets, if that means anything to you. This will be the third race that I have held.  I did pick up a 1/32 scale Carrera set.  I have also been helping my wifes cousin get his old Strombecker 1/32 suff running.  I have been out to Davenport for racing a couple of times.

My track site is at: Maelstrom Motor Speedway

The racing series site is: Northern Illinois Thunderjet Racing Organization

[ErikRuud]

DarkManx,

The rendering is not to scale, there is a lot more space between the controls.  The buttons above the trakball are acually the mouse buttons.

[Shane]

wow thats real nice, i wonder if its possible to rig the extra buttons on with a j pac as well.
right handed joystick hehe, today i was building a new control panel and accidently made 1 left and 1 right its a nice panel and all but i dunno anyone who plays with their right hand  

[gnateye]

i am plannin on doin something similar to your startupscreen control page, cause i cant figure out anyway to it the same as way as you on my mac, im going to use a cad layour of my control panel and highlight the neede buttons and info and then save them into the cabinet pics folder is there any other way to do this ona mac?

i want to be able to see quickly what buttons each game uses as i am plannin 6 button each stick and not all the games use all 6 obviously.

any ideas?

[ErikRuud]

I'm not familiar with MacMame or any of the front ends acailable for the Mac.  But if the FE can display screenshots of the games, you should be anle to replace them with you instruction images.  That is exactly what I am doing on my PC

[ErikRuud]

I have added photos of the actual control panel, and I also added two more picture to the Illuminated pushbutton page.

http://erikruud.freeservers.com/arcade/