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GaryMcT's 2-player generic control panel layout
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protokatie:

--- Quote from: Lilwolf on July 21, 2009, 05:51:16 am ---Sorry for going in late for the thread... but...

1) admin buttons near the start buttons will cause problems

2) Sure on the curvature of the buttons?  I think people should do it if the local arcades when you where growing up had them on the SF games... Otherwise have them straight across.

3) move that 4th bottom on the bottom to the right side.  I had it like that once and hated it...  but I guess you probably had someone say the opposite :)

4) I have my admin buttons as my side pinball buttons.  Works great (but I do have kids kick my off my game when they are watching, when they get bored... but my kids are grown up a bit now and not a problem)

5) You don't need an enter key... just use your first button...

6) an insert speedup button is used more then pause

7) make a mock up.  Go get an extra board either cheap or scrap or whatever that you put the buttons on before making it look nice.  Wire it up and play for a week+.  I've recreated in my 2 player 8way control panel maybe 10 times and thats one of the simpler control panels (but the most common used).  Don't expect it to be perfect on your first run...  Quick disconnects make it so you can rewire in 1/2 hour once you get yours 'production ready'

good luck

--- End quote ---


Just doing a point by point here:

#1: Yeah, admin buttons shouldn't be anywhere near buttons used during gameplay. On my mockup they are in the upper left, but there may not be enough space on this CP design for that placement.

#2: The button curve seems fine to me, I think it has to do with how someone places their hands on the CP, for me the curve works in my favor.

#3: Have to disagree on this one as well, but only because I am an avid NeoGeo fan and the bottom row of buttons + the way I put my hands down make it so the button "needs" to be on the left.

#4: Good option, have thought about it myself. Might work well for this guy's cramped CP.

..

#6: Pause is a really good option, but seeing as how it could easily be changed in MAME to a speedup button, it is not much an issue (unless he gets a silkscreen on his CP that says Pause, which would make it much harder to realistically change)


#7: Yep, blowing a little money/time on testing will save you a lot of headache in the end, but a programmer already knows this, right? :D
Bender:
If switch them though so the admins are on top and the player start buttons are on the bottom
I don't think the admin buttons near the start buttons will be a problem
first off there are drastically different sizes and second those admin buttons (if your using the ones I used) are harder to press than regular arcade pushbuttons
GaryMcT:
Like Bender says, these buttons are so hard to press that there is no way that I'll hit them by accident.  I'm not entirely convince that I like these buttons, but they may be just fine.

Bender, I will move the start buttons below the admin buttons.

I've rotated the thumb button lower than the last drawing.  I may move it a bit farther away than it is from its nearest neighbor for comfort reasons.

I'm happy with the curved layout.  This is about ergonomics for me, not about emulating what it used to be like.  I use a split keyboard and a standing desk now, and I certainly didn't use those 20 years ago. :)

I'll finalize the function (and of course number) of admin buttons before doing a control panel overlay.  I get the feeling that speedup could be a shifted button for me to use where no one else needs to really ever use it.  The admin buttons for me are exactly what I want other folks to see to be able to get around when they use the machine without me having to help them.

Putting the admin buttons on the side isn't an option for the cabinet that this is going in (which I'm not going to modify).

I may still keep an enter key to keep the right-hand UI for getting around in the menus in one place.  Also, button layout on different panels are going to be different, and I want to standardize on what's in the middle with the start and admin buttons.

I'm like to move from paper straight to thin plywood tonight so that we can get some playing in.  I won't bother with any routing and will just topmount everything, so it sould be really fast (once I put my drill press together! :) )
GaryMcT:
So I have two Ultrastik 360s to put on this control panel.  I also have an ipac4 wired with the most important 24 connections on a DB25.  I'm contemplating wiring all full-sized buttons (7 per player + start) to the U360's and the admin buttons to the ipac4.  Does the shift function only works within one of the interfaces?  I'm assuming so.  If that's the case, I'd leave player 1 start as the shift button and use player buttons for shifted functionality.

Any other recommendations?
Bender:
If your going to use an IPAC anyway, unless there is a shortage of connectors, I'd use it for all the inputs, it keeps everything simple and I'n think the 360 buttons are be seen as gamepad buttons instead of keyboard presses and that can be an issue sometimes
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