Questions about control panel buttons

[Dragonman73]

Hey Everyone,

I did a search and went to reply in an older topic but was encouraged to create a new thread so here goes:

I have a 4 player "Run N Gun" cabinet that I am converting to a home arcade machine. Here is what I have

-27" Sanyo CRT Televison

- mother board with a 3.2 ghz celeron D processor with 2 gigs of ram, an older 32mb Jaxton PCI video card with composite out

- XP running a Hyperspin FE (maybe)

-Lastly a 3tronics PS/2  Keyboard emulator with 48 inputs (so I have a lot of connections available)


Here's my questions......I'm using two 8-way controllers, a single 4-way controllers, and a 2-1/4 PS/2 mouse in my CP. I'm trying to set up what buttons I need for admin functions, start, and free play.

Question 1 - Can I use the coin release on the coin doors to become insert coin (free play) buttons for MAME? I've seen custom "free play" labels for the coin doors and can't remember where now?

Question 2 - Realistically how many buttons would I need for each player? I have 8 buttons assigned to each joystick automatically on the keyboard emulator but that may be too many I think.

Question 3 - Admin buttons? If I assign free play to the coin door, that leaves Player 1 and two Buttons 2, and maybe an on/off, Pause and Exit. Anything else I might need? I don't want to have to do some funky button combination or ctrl functions to access certain keys...with 48 inputs I can do as many as I need. But I don't want to clutter the control panel either.

Thanks everyone, gather parts right now so this is somewhat overwhelming

[javeryh]

1.  Yes.  Mayne people have done this.  You can install a microswitch behind the coin return button and assign it to insert coin.

2.  This depends on what kinds of games you are planning to play.  6 is probably the most I'd ever go with but I can see the merit in adding a 7th if you love Neo Geo fighters.

3.  I only ever use P1 Start, P2 Start, Exit, Coin (on the coin door) and Pause.  This is also something you just need to decide depending on your needs.

[Donkbaca]

1) yup real simple. Glue a microswitch so that pushing the coin reject button activates it
2) I go seven buttons because I like the 4 in a row for neo geo." and having a run button for umk3. I can't think of a game with 8 buttons, if there is one it's not worth it to me to clutter up my panel for it
3) exit is all you really need, maybe pause too. Any other admin stuff you should do with a keyboard before it's all set up

[Dragonman73]

Found this CP layout, it looks like the size of my current 4 player control panel...I like the way this looks.

[javeryh]

That looks ridiculously complex and uninviting, IMO.  Are there ever going to be friends using your cabinet?  If so, you will get no less than a billion questions from everyone EVERY  TIME they come over to play.  Are there ever going to be kids using your cabinet?  If so I would not have any buttons on the CP that can change settings.   If you are looking for a time tested 2P MAME set-up just use the project MAME layout or Knievel's layout or something to that effect.  No need to reinvent the wheel...

[Donkbaca]

+1 to Javeryh

My fondest arcade memories were those of playing arcade games with friends.  Most of the games I played were 8 way games and most of the times it was with friends, so my ideal cabinet is one with 8 ways that I can play with friends.

I am a minimalist.  My CP has 7 buttons per player arranged like this
 xxx
xxxx

That way I have the street fighter layout, and the neo-geo layout.  The extra buton is also where the Run button would be for Mortal Kombat 3
 
Then I have P1 and P2 start and Exit and Select.  Select is to pick games, and I don't really need it.

I went LED to lights so that only the buttons used for that game light up.

I think the gut reaction is I want to play everything! But really, a good CP is about compromise.  Unless you want to constantly have to explain to people over and over what to do, I think you should make it intuitive, easy to use and more or less idiot proof.  The coolness of being able to play every single game is quickly overcome by the intimidation and frustration of an overly complex CP to the outside observer.

I don't have a dedicated 4 way because its not worth it to me have the extra buttons and stuff, and yeah it would probably make pacman more fun, but if I wanted to play a bunch of 4 way games, I would just make a 4 way classics cab.  I have never seen a CP with a dedicated 4 way that I thought looked right.  The way is always in a sub-optimal out of the way place for gaming.  But Hey, I am not telling what to do.  If that is what you want, go for it, just think about if you really need it and would use it.

I don't have a trackball on my cab.  I bought a trackball, but before I installed it I went through MAME and played the trackball games and thought to myself if it was really worth it to install the trackball for maybe 1 or 2 games that I would play, my answer was no, so I ditched it. 


As for admin buttons, whatever you do, don't have game options and game setup as buttons.  You only need to set games up once and you should do that with a keyboard.  If you put a button on your control panel, people will press it.  You don't want some drunk friend or a kid hitting one of those set-up buttons and have them screw around with everything.  I would limit admin buttons only to things you would use on a regular basis: exit, maybe start, maybe pause

[Dragonman73]

I went LED to lights so that only the buttons used for that game light up.

You can do that? Like make two buttons light up for older games and more for the newer or fighting games? That's pretty neat

[Donkbaca]

yup, you can.

I have found my mame build changed a LOT from initial idea to planning to construction.  I wasn't originally going to go LED, but then I read about how you can just have the buttons you use light up, and figured that would be a sweet thing to do.  Remember, I am building this cab mostly as a 2 player cab, and want it to be as user friendly/idiot proof as possible. 

[Malenko]

wouldnt happen to have the run and gun PCB would ya?

[Dragonman73]

wouldnt happen to have the run and gun PCB would ya?

No, sorry  - I bought the cabinet minus monitor, marquee, and any electronics inside from an arcade shop.