Opinion on my control panel design

[Todd H]

I'm in the design stage of my cabinet and I've come up with my control panel layout. Any opinions on things that need to be changed? I've attached a picture. The only thing that may be weird is the button right beside the spinner on top. It's for playing Tron. I spin the spinner with my thumb and index finger and hit the button with my ring finger. The color layout is temporary, BTW.

[leapinlew]

Mean style:
Bad placement of 4 way joystick, too many buttons, too many button colors.

Nicer style:
You may want to consider moving the 4 way so people don't hit it while playing golden tee, better yet - substitute your sticks for U360 joysticks. I would probably reduce the overall amount of buttons, you really don't need that many admin buttons and you can use player 1 buttons as mouse buttons. You may want to make your buttons match colors to give it a nice conformed look.

[DeLuSioNal29]

That's not a 4-way, it's a spinner.

[Todd H]

That's not a 4-way, it's a spinner.

Yep, it's a spinner. I'm planning to use U360's so no 4-way.

The colors are just temporary. It's just a mock up of placement. I haven't decided on a color scheme yet.

The buttons on the top from left to right are quit (escape), player 1 coin, player one start, 3 fire buttons for the spinner, player 2 coin, and player 2 start.

[DeLuSioNal29]

Have you considered getting a top fire joystick for tron instead?

[Ginsu Victim]

I see that yellow button up by the spinner and I wonder if you've allowed room for the wood on back, or are you not making a box? Little too close to the edge.

[leapinlew]

fine. The SPINNER is in the way of the trackball.

[Todd H]

Have you considered getting a top fire joystick for tron instead?

I thought about it but didn't want to put another stick somewhere on the panel. I think having a button close to the spinner may work, but won't know until I try.

Ginsu, there should be enough room as the picture doesn't show the full size of the panel. I used Mameroom's control panel designer and the clearance on everything is ok.

[Todd H]

fine. The SPINNER is in the way of the trackball.

Any suggestions on a better placement?

[Ginsu Victim]

I think it's fine where it is, however I'm interested in seeing where Lew thinks it should go.

[javeryh]

I think it's fine where it is, however I'm interested in seeing where Lew thinks it should go.

If I had to guess I'd say "on it's own dedicated cabinet"   

[Todd H]

I think it's fine where it is, however I'm interested in seeing where Lew thinks it should go.

If I had to guess I'd say "on it's own dedicated cabinet"   

I wish! The wife has approved one, and only one, arcade cabinet. She's the boss.

[ratzz]

I think it's fine where it is, however I'm interested in seeing where Lew thinks it should go.

If I had to guess I'd say "on it's own dedicated cabinet"   

I wish! The wife has approved one, and only one, arcade cabinet. She's the boss.

Thats the real problem.

If our "wifes" were more understanding, they'd let us have at least three cabs to cover all options. But mine ... NO! ... why can't I play all the games with one joystick and one button!! TSSHH!! As IF!!

[Todd H]

Thats the real problem.

If our "wifes" were more understanding, they'd let us have at least three cabs to cover all options. But mine ... NO! ... why can't I play all the games with one joystick and one button!! TSSHH!! As IF!!

Mine told me that I could build one but it MUST play NES Tetris and SNES Tetris Attack.

If I had my way I'd build one vertical 4-way cab, one spinner cab, one trackball cab, one fighting cab, one racing cab, etc...time to go play the lottery.

[Todd H]

Ok, made some adjustments.

I just realized that in Tempest, the spinner is on the right and fire buttons are on the left. So I moved the spinner but still kept a button beside it for Tron. If it doesn't work then I just have a useless button up top so I'm not worried.

[leapinlew]

I think it's fine where it is, however I'm interested in seeing where Lew thinks it should go.

If I had to guess I'd say "on it's own dedicated cabinet"   

Damn right...

Here's mine:


I couldn't find a good placement on any of my arcades - so it found it's way onto a bartop cabinet. Doesn't take up much room.

[shmokes]

Spinners are a pain in the ass.  I have three panels: fighting (with a dedicated 4-way stick), racing, and "other" (for lack of a better word).  My "other" panel, has is two-player, two sticks per player.  One of the sticks is top-fire per player is top-fire, the other rotates Ikari-Warriors-style.  There's really no room on the "other" panel for spinners (I would want two for games like Super Off Road).  There's plenty of room on the fighter panel, but it hardly makes sense to put the spinners on the panel that doesn't have the top-fire sticks.  Dillema.

[pinballwizard79]

If you are only allowed one arcade according to the wife then may I suggest you build a huge showcase with a 37" lcd & a massive control panel with everything imaginable.....then build a driving attachment for it with swapable wheels.....remember the light guns.....pinball buttons...4 ways, 8 ways, 2 spinners, top fire, flight yolk, trackball & tons of buttons....then incorporate a kegerator......then a brewery.....and a vending machine......toss in some THX certified speakers with a powerful sub & load every simpsons episode on it 

Thats still just one arcade & you both should be really happy with that.

Seriously though, the 2nd revision of your CP looks good man.

[shmokes]

You know . . . if Tron is your thing, Why not throw a couple top-fire joysticks on the panel?  That way you could ditch the button next to the spinner, plus you could get two-player Smash TV (and other games like Geometry Wars) going on.

[Todd H]

You know . . . if Tron is your thing, Why not throw a couple top-fire joysticks on the panel?  That way you could ditch the button next to the spinner, plus you could get two-player Smash TV (and other games like Geometry Wars) going on.

Well, I've been thinking about it and I am close to at least adding one top fire joystick to the panel. I really love Tron and can't imagine not being able to play this game comfortably on my machine.

[Visitor Q]

I am more or less getting the exact same CP as you with 2 360s for player 1 and 2 but have still decided to include a dedicated 4 way. I have spoke with a lot of people on this and most agree that a true 4 way is best in terms of feel rather than a 360 even though a 360 will perform ok. I have the room, so I am going to add it.

[Ginsu Victim]

I have spoke with a lot of people on this and most agree that a true 4 way is best in terms of feel rather than a 360 even though a 360 will perform ok.

Well, better than just OK.

[Visitor Q]

I have spoke with a lot of people on this and most agree that a true 4 way is best in terms of feel rather than a 360 even though a 360 will perform ok.

Well, better than just OK.

Understood but there ain't nothing like the real thing baby!  hahaha Plus I want to add a ball top to that stick and bat tops to player 1 and 2. Its a good change all around for me (I think).

[shmokes]

Or . . . you could add two ball-top U360s and play 2-player Smash TV.  And you'd still have a ball-top that performed well in 4-way games.

[Visitor Q]

Or . . . you could add two ball-top U360s and play 2-player Smash TV.  And you'd still have a ball-top that performed well in 4-way games.

That is way too many sticks. We are talking 4 sticks on a two player setup!

[Todd H]

I think I'm going to add a Happs Trigger Joystick with the Tron restrictor that Encryptor makes. That would give me my perfect control panel.

[shmokes]

That is way too many sticks. We are talking 4 sticks on a two player setup!

Ah . . . now that just hurts my feelings . . . 

[web.geek]

My "other" panel, has is two-player, two sticks per player.  One of the sticks is top-fire per player is top-fire, the other rotates Ikari-Warriors-style.

That is the configuration I am using for my 2 player panel. How did you wire those up. Does player 1 use the 1P and 3P joysticks and player 2 use the 2P and 4P? I am looking at the WizRX-ST encoder for the rotary sticks, but I don't know how to wire up the 2nd joysticks for each player? There is only room for two sticks on that encoder. Which would you recommend for this setup? Do I need more than 1 encoder? Thanks!

[DeLuSioNal29]

I think that the placement of the spinner depends if you are a right handed or left handed player.  For games like Golden Tee, if you are right handed, it helps to put the spinner on the right, because you hand naturally arcs to the left when you spin it up.  If you are left handed, the spinner should be on the left for the same reason, as you hand naturally arcs to the right.

As for Web.geek's question.  I wired player one and two's left joysticks normally, then I doubled up on player 3 and 4 for the right joysticks on player one and two.  So when playing a 2 player game like Smash TV, it works great.  Also when playing a 4 player game like Gauntlet, Player 1 and 2 only use the left joysticks.  Players 3 and 4 use the normal 3 and 4 joys as well.  (If players 1 and 2 touch the joys on the right, they also move players 3 and 4, but the players normally never touch the right joys in 4 player games.)

It works great for me.  Below is a pic of my panel design before I built it.

~ D

[DeLuSioNal29]

One last important detail that I forgot to mention earlier.  The Mameroom panel designer defaults the spinner to the "standard" spinner hole which is slightly bigger than the normal button holes.  This is fine if you are getting any other spinner, but if you are getting the TT2 from www.groovygamegear.com, you will need to design the layout with a standard button hole in place of the normal spinner, since this is what the TT2 fits in.

Just thought I'd mention it.

~ D

[Todd H]

One last important detail that I forgot to mention earlier.  The Mameroom panel designer defaults the spinner to the "standard" spinner hole which is slightly bigger than the normal button holes.  This is fine if you are getting any other spinner, but if you are getting the TT2 from www.groovygamegear.com, you will need to design the layout with a standard button hole in place of the normal spinner, since this is what the TT2 fits in.

Just thought I'd mention it.

~ D

Thanks for that info. I was planning on getting the TT2. I've made the adjustment and my panel is done. Thanks.