How much control panel space needed for a trackball?

[cmoses]

What are the general guidelines for free space around a trackball?  I see most of them mounted in the center with a good amount of clearance.  What typically is a good amount of space 3", more, less.  I am think for games where they are used vigoursly, Marble Madness, Atari Football, maybe Golden Tee or a bowling game, etc.

[mrjah]

I divide this question into two types of players: Golden Tee Fans and Not Golden Tee Fans.


Not Golden Tee Fans: No tighter than Jeff's Supercade, found here:

   http://cosmicjive.net/arcade/super/control_panel.shtml

   Looks like maybe a few inches of halo -- the trackball assembly plus a modest clearance under the panel.


Golden Tee Fans: One uninterrupted acre acceptable, two preferred.  The machine itself is a good starting point:

   http://www.thecoindropshere.com/Images/arcade/goldenteeclassic/golden%20tee%20classic%20aweb.jpg

   Looks like almost a foot of halo there, before you hit another control.


I'm not much of a Golden Tee fan.  I couldn't care less about the game, so my machine looks more like the former than the latter.

[Avrus]

I highly recommend doing a cardboard lay out first and playing with it.

It's the only way I was able to get 3 trackballs usable.

[cmoses]

Do you have a project page?  I would enjoy seeing your 3 trackball control panel.

Clayton

[mrjah]

I'll second that recommendation for the cardboard mockup.

It will seem like a needless distraction, until you make your first design change based on playing with it.  Then it will suddenly be invaluable.

I use cardboard to demo all kinds of things around the house, before building them.  Proving that there was NO way a particular couch could take a particular hallway corner saved me and some friends an hour or so of frustration.