Opinions please plus poll: Two rows of three buttons: raised middle buttons?

[Diewrecked]

Hi guys,

What's the general final consensus on this please? Would I be better off keeping my two rows of three buttons in a straight line, or raising the middle buttons a cm or so? I've seen a squillion different control panels on this site (the overwhelming majority absolutely wicked may I add!!  ), and I can absolutely understand the reasoning behind it (ie, your middle finger is longer than your first and index fingers), but does it really just boil down to personal preference or is there a "standard" now?

I've added a poll to this thread to make it easier to see.

Many thanks in advance all.

[drventure]

Just my 2c, make the layout slightly curve a bit (raise the middle a cm or so).

But I think you're right. It mostly boils down to personally preference. You might try mocking up a layout in cardboard just to see what feels comfy for you.

I personally like the 7 button layout with the 7'th button mounted to the left and down a bit (it's a pretty common layout on CP's here).
But again, it'd mostly personal pref (and what games you intend on playing!)

[web.geek]

+1 for mock-up
I offset my buttons horizontally, but kept them straight horizontally in my first cab like this:

 O O O
O O O

My 2nd CP, I was thinking of curving the rows

[Franco B]

Plenty of good reading [here]

I curved my buttons for my 1st cab but not to a 'standard'. From now on all my future CPs will be based of those layouts

It deepens what you want really. The Jap layouts IMO are the most ergonomic and attractive to boot. I hate the standard 'US'  straight 3x2 layout (capcom) which many seem to follow in one way or another. Once again thats just personal preference.

At the end of the day try a few layouts and feel what is right for you.

Happy testing 

[Diewrecked]

+1 for mock-up
I offset my buttons horizontally, but kept them straight horizontally in my first cab like this:

 O O O
O O O

My 2nd CP, I was thinking of curving the rows

Hey Webgeek,

Can I ask why you did that please? The raised middle button I can understand due to the ergonomics but why the horizontal offset? I have seen other CP's that do that but never considered why.

Many thanks!

[Diewrecked]

Plenty of good reading [here]
[snip]

Excellent link Franco - many thanks for an excellent link. I'll enjoy reading that 

[DaveMMR]

The results of the poll don't match the comments thus far (as of this post, it is 4 to 0 for "straight").   

I say, if you have to ask you should make a quick mock up.  And if you don't have to ask, you should still make a mock up.

Personally, I went for 6-buttons straight for simplicity's sake.  I can see why people would want to curve them, but the buttons are not so small that their layout need match the curve of your fingertips (especially since my fingertips more or less "line up" with the way my palm rests in an arch on the panel).  A lot of the ergonomic layouts seem to imply that you would lie your hand flat on the panel to hit the buttons, which is not the case, for me at least (hint: look at your fingers as you type on your keyboard).

However, I did find that using the top row for my main buttons as opposed to the button row was way more comfortable. Again, the natural arching of the palm does not interfere with the bottom row (accidentally kicking when you want to punch was not a problem on SFII cabs).

But don't mistake my take on the issue as strong opposition towards curving.  At the end of the day, either way is fine as long as it's comfortable, accessible and easy to layout uniformly for both players.  Actually, I do discourage the "upward angle curving" a bit (since it encourages sticking your elbow out into Player 2's ribs) unless you have a wide enough panel.  Otherwise it's all good.

But don't listen to me.  Test, test, test.   

[u_rebelscum]

Like others said, this is a very personal opinion, so whatever you do, do what's best for you; don't lemming which ever side gets more votes without testing, mock up, and more testing.

Me, I've gone straight on my 6 button CP (actually a 7 button SF/neogeo layout), and don't think I'll go curved if I make another.  If I wanted a curve to match my natural bent fingers layout, the curve would be so small it would look like I was inept in drilling in a straight line and missed by a millimeter.  I don't want to slant the buttons either.  (My other CPs, with only two and three buttons, are slanted and curved, respectively, though.)

I like the straight for a few reasons besides the "bad workmanship" look of my fingers curve.  Straight is easier to make.   I've found, based on my friend's bought CPs, my friends have different "curves" they like, and complain if the curve is "wrong" (even if "perfect" for someone else), but all can use straight without whining happily.   Finding the buttons without looking at the CP is much easier for me if straight (for my friends, the "perfect" curve is also easy to find buttons, but not with the "wrong" curve).  The "easy to find" is both for 6 button games as well as most other games in mame, including most two and three button games, and toobin (a 5 button game).  IOW, the straight layout is most flexible and fits most games; even if not "perfect" for all of them, it's closer to "perfect" for more games than my friends' CPs.  And straight matches the look and feel of the arcade cabs I played when I was a teenager.

FWIW, I have a few CP tops rather than Frankinpaneling: The above 2 joy 7 button CP, a 2 rotary joy 2B, a 2 TB 2B, a 1 TB 3B, and a 1 4-way 1 flightstick 1 spinner 2B CP. The two button CPs have slanted buttons (you can't have a curve with two points) at about 15 degrees from horizontal (each differs a little), and the three work fine: I do play 2 button games best with mostly straight fingers, unlike three and six button games.  I'm not very happy with my three button curve (too much IMO, but friends don't think it's enough).

The one thing I think I'd change on my 7 button CP is to move the buttons farther up the CP.  Right now the buttons are equal distance above and below the joystick; I'd move it a little higher so my left joystick ahoulder/arm isn't closer to the screen as much (same with my first 2 button CP).

Again, that's just my opinion, and I know others here feel differently.  As others said, mock it up, test what's best for you, and have fun! 

[Jack Burton]

Neither.

Go with the arched layout found on SF2 machines in Japan. 

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout/sega1_m.png

disregard the buttons on the far right.

[severdhed]

i used a straight layout on all of my panels so far, but on my mock up panel, i just used an arched layout and it feels pretty good.  i plan on using it in my next panel.  mine is similar to this,(i dropped the 2 buttons on teh right because i only need 6) although i didn't use their measurements:



the second column of buttons is 1/2" higher than the first column, the third column is 1/4" higher than the second.  i used a compass and a ruler to make my own template...the compass allows you to keep the rows evenly spaces even though the height is different.