FPS frankenpanel neccessity

[katoytoy]

Yes I AM fishing for opinions, but please keep flaming instructive.
I'm building the "hidden gaming closet" and I want FULL access to every button and joystick on the PS3 sixaxis.  I think this idea may work as long as I can get the trackball sized and adjusted correctly for aiming with the right palm while reaching two buttons with every finger on the right hand.  The four buttons may need to be revised into a empty raised square panel to simulate the dpad.  The panel will be wired via a PS2 controlled adapted by two commercial PS2 (controller jack) to USB dongles that simulate a PS3 controller.  The PS3 controllers have Joystick drivers under linux that will work with mame.  Most of my work has been done for me, but planning is paramount!

[web.geek]

Do you have a trackball in mind? The only ones with which I am familiar (Happ, ICE-T, U-trac) have housings that would interfere with your close button placement. With the Happs I have used, you need about 4 inches from the center of the trackball to the center of the nearest button.

[Necro]

...I don't get it...why are you doing this?  Any PS3 game is going to play better on the actual PS3 controllers and they take up next to no space...and is that buttons around the joystick?

Overall, everything is just too close together.

[pinballwizard79]

I agree with Necro

I play arcade games on my arcade with classic controls, next gens are played via wireless controllers while sitting on my couch in from of an HDTV

[ahofle]

Yeah FPS setups have been brought up here many times in the past.  The short of it is that you will never be able to get buttons that close to each other, much less right up to a trackball and joysticks like in your concept sketch.  The housing of the joystick/trackball under the CP is way bigger than in your photo.  Buttons will also be too big and have to be spaced too far apart to be effective in FPS games causing comfort issues, etc. 
What are those 6 gigantic circles in the middle?

Although I do agree that gamepads suck for playing FPS games. 

[Blanka]

Or buy a Quasimoto controller. They are made for console use. They have 4 analog joysticks for example.

[Visitor Q]

I think even knowing the PS3 controller, it would be hard to remember what all those buttons do.

[katoytoy]

That Quasimoto reference is pure gold! 
I went over to check them out and they are making the version I wanted to make but am spousally restrained from doing.  I'm thinking of ditching the trackball for analog joystick for technical ease and the fact that nobody seems to be doing that.  If it was really as good as I thought it was why isn't anybody else doing it?  HL2 = no  Quasimoto = no 
My drawing (and concept) are pretty rough right now, but I don't think close button/analog stick placement is actually desirable; too much finger movement for speed. I want to move each finger about an inch to hit both buttons if possible.  Is it?