Number of fire buttons and trackball placement

[gazz292]

Planning the CP for my cab, it's a golden tee royal/'99 cab, CP size is 25 inches wide by 15 deep (65cm x 40cm)

i'd like to keep the trackball, which is a 3 incher i believe, it certianly takes up a lot of space under the panel,

whilts i do play the golden tee game now... as that's what my cab  is, i'm not sure i'll play it much once i've mamed the cab, is it only really the golf type games that need the trackball to be placed as far from the monitor glass as possible? as idealy the trackball being at the top of the panel next to the glass would give me more room for my joysticks, which i plan to use the most.

the joysticks will be ultimarc mag sticks, that's been decided a long time ago (unless there's another top adjustable 8/4 way stick available in the uk)

the buttons, type will be happ horizontal microswitched jobbies, but how many, the cab is being build for me and my GF, we both prefer to hold the stick in our right hands and operate the buttons with the left fingers, opposite to normal arcade layouts, but it's our cab and we'll be using it the most, visitors will either have to get used to it or not use it

we  dont like the street fighter type games, so i'm wondering if i can get away with 4 fire buttons? most games i have played only need 2, occasionaly 3, games we like are bomb jack, donkey kong, rainbow islands, arkanoids (spinner will be added for those games)

the buttons will be spaced weirdly too of course, 3 buttons that line up with the first to 3rd finger, and the 4th button where the thumb will naturaly rest, that's my idea anyway, i have arthritis so the less moving of my joints the better, and of course the buttons will be spaced to out specific hand sizes,

Not sure if to put a couple of buttons near the trackball and spinner??? or would it be easier to use the buttons near the joysticks, not even sure where to put the spinner atm, still at the very begining design stage,

one final Q, design software for the cp, i'm playing with 'mameroom designs cpd' atm, but it's a bit basic, can't re-size the panel to my dimensions.dont really want to mess about with photo type proggies, any other specific ones about where i can just drag and drop arcade controls?