using a gamepad hack as controls interface..should i do it?

[severdhed]

hey guys, i need some advice.  i am getting ready to put together my 3rd cabinet, and i'm a little torn about what to do for controls.  my current cabinet is using a gutted x-arcade in a homemade panel.   i'm planning on moving those controls, as well as the PC into the new cabinet, which will have a horizontal monitor and a street fighter layout.  this is in a dynamo cabinet that already has the control panel drilled and ready to go. (all except a place for an exit button)

i am going to build a new panel for the old cabinet and install a trackball, spinner, 4way stick and probably 3 buttons.  this will have a vertical monitor and will be just for classic vertical games.  i have a PC that i am planning on using for in this.  it is an old HP pavilion that was given to me. (the guy who had it was a friend from high school, he said he got a virus, so he bought a new pc....LOL)  anyway it is a p4 1.8ghz with 512mb of ram.  i figure i can throw some more ram in there and it should be fine for the classic games.  anyway, on to my dilemma.  my wife's car broke down today (i think the starter went out on it)  and needless to say, that has to take priority over the arcade cabinet.  so i am trying to save money any way i can right now.    i already have the trackball and spinner, and mousehack interfaces for both.  the mice i used both only had 2 buttons.  i would like to have 3 buttons, just to be more compatible with some games, plus i need 2 start buttons, and two inputs for the coin doors.  as well as 4 inputs for the joystick.  i was planning on pickign up an ipac or keywiz, but if i can take $30 of the price of my cabinet, i'm all for doing it another way.  this pc that i am using has an old 15pin gameport on it, and i have a few old pc gamepads lying around that i'll never use for anything since they arent usb.   so i was thinking that i could use one of these for my control interface.  do you guys foresee any problems with this method?  between modding xboxes and various other projects, i feel fairly confident in my soldering skills, so that isn't an issue.  Mame should be able to be controlled entirely via the gamepad and mouse buttons correct?    i know it is going to be alot of work soldering all of the connections to the controller PCB, but once it is done, it should work ok, right?  i figure i'd probably have 3 buttons on the left side, and 3 buttons on the right side, but have them be duplicates of each other.  since there will only be one of each type of control, i'll only have games that are 1 player, or alternating players, so that shouldn't be an issue.

so, do you think this will be an acceptable option for my control interface? or would i be better off waiting another month or so until i can afford a keyboard encoder?  i still have alot of other things i need to buy for the cabinets i'm setting up. (one still needs monitor and marquee glass, one still needs a monitor.  plus i need to buy some wood to build a new panel, and new monitor glass for that one as well.plus a trackball mounting plate, plexi for the panel, and t-molding)  i have a few old buttons lying around that came in the empty cabinets i bought, so i'll probably just use those for now...once i get everythign else up and running, then i can worry about replacing them with new ones. 

[ark_ader]

I am in a very similar situation too.  All my $$$ arcade stuff in the UK is still sitting there.  Money is really tight so I looked at hacking a controller for my xbox project to save money, and I'm having issues galore getting it to work, wishing I just bought the X arcade and be done with it.

My advice is to figure on a budget, give Randy some business and get a $22 KeyWiz (headed) and/or your controls too.  Hacking is fine if you are good at soldering and have limited needs like a dedicated 4 way and two buttons etc.  The Keywiz has inputs galore.

The Keywiz would save you time and money.  Your mouse spinner is a definate way to save cash (dont forget the metal washers if your are doing a hard drive spindle hack) and make your control panel look the business.

My xbox controller has certain limits but your PC doesn't, and you cannot go wrong with the KeyWiz. 


I love the Keywiz, bought two already.  Thanks to Randy for an excellent product.

[Blanka]

I think if you go for a cab, saving on the thing that puts all together is the worst you can do. A MiniPac or a IPac Value Edition are not that bad priced. I pay more for a sheet of glass to cover the monitor or a can of paint than for one of those Pac's. Better find a way of getting the needed money than to trash your happiness-project (show your wife the best squirrel/Pikachu eyes). Maybe you can shop for a good deal on the car-repair and find someone who does that for an Ipac less of money, or just quit smoking (or fill in some other bad habit) if you do that, or let your wife buy less clothes (always a thing that can be saved on). It's HER car . And wifes don't need cars anyway, unless her boss pays it, so sell it. Grocery shopping on a bicycle will vastly improve her bottoms .

[severdhed]

hahaha..nice.  well, since she is pregnant and we also have a 1 year old, i dont' know if the bicycle is going to work for her.   i guess maybe i'll try to save up for a keywiz or something.  i was thinking that for now i would try the gamepad hack since i already have all of the parts, and if it turns out to be crappy, i can always save up for a keywiz later. 

[shardian]

I recently put an Ipac VE in my Narc cabinet. It is easy, effective, and cheap. Can't beat that!

[Blanka]

This is what we do:

But these bikes are damn hip and probably cost more than a simple car in the US .
Although this one seems a USA picture (looking at the helmets and your typical sidewalks ):

[shardian]

Anyone else notice the large evil stuffed animal with glowing eyes in the rear covered carrier? 

[NoOne=NBA=]

hahaha..nice.  well, since she is pregnant and we also have a 1 year old, i dont' know if the bicycle is going to work for her. 

They are currently recommending exercise well into the third trimester.
You'd actually be doing her a favor.
Just don't try to convince HER of that.


If you're moving all the controls from the X-arcade into the new cabinet, you can play that one until you can afford to do the other one properly.

A trackball/joystick CP is a perfect candidate for a Mini-pac.
You're going to need a way to hook up the trackball and spinner anyway.

[Jack Burton]

It won't cost you anything if you already have the stuff around, I'd say go ahead and do it.  Can't hurt anything.

If you're not happy with the result then you can just save up and buy an i-pac later.


I was so eager to play my machine that I soldered up a psx pad plus adapter to my cabinet while I was waiting for my Ipac to arrive in the mail.  Totally worthy it! 

[severdhed]

thanks guys...i think i'm going to give it a try..what do i have to lose but a little time?  if i dont' like it, i can always save up for an encoder...and i will have my other cabinet to play the games on until then.  i did a mouse hack for my trackball, and also for my homemade hard drive spinner...both of which work great..so i only need an interface for the 4way stick and a handfull of buttons. 

as for the exercise thing, that may be true, but my wife has been pretty understanding of the arcade cabinet situation...(after all, she did let me get the 3rd one)  so i'll be doing my best not to piss her off any time soon.

[Ginsu Victim]

I'm glad you made your own spinner. I love mine, but I wouldn't feel the same about it if I'd bought it. (I made mine with an optical mouse)
There's a greater sense of accomplishment having built it and seeing it work so damn perfect.

[severdhed]

yeah, there is something about making something yourself that makes you feel good.  i used a ball mouse for my spinner, but when i helped my friend build his, we used an optical mouse.  both of them work really great.

i got out my gamepad last night and hooked it up, but it doesn't seem to be working.  i installed the drivers, but it just says that it is disconnected.  i'll have to look to see if i can find another one in the attic.

[severdhed]

great news, as it turns out, the starter on my wife's car is fine...it was just a bad battery.  and since it was less than 2 years old, it was still under warranty.  so maybe a keyboard encoder isn't out of reach after all.