a joystick for a flight game that runs on laser disk for which I don't remember the name by now. And if Xybots requires two joystick instead of two sticks that one more.The laser disk flight game is probably Firefox. It used an analog yoke similar to the one for Star Wars.
1) There are many brands of buttons and sticks, what do you recommend and why?A lot of this is personal preference and can change based on the game you are playing.
2) There are two, four and eight way joysticks. if I add games that in original cabinet have two or four way joysticks do I need those or is eight way precise enough?You can use a 4-way or 8-way as a 2-way stick, no problem.
3) I have an idea of how to attach the modules but are there examples from those who have actually done this?Paul's Modular Control Panel - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,68892.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,68892.0.html)
4) First I thought that I cover the TV with a frame that leaves the 4:3 are exposed but now I'm thinking that if it's possible I want to show the game in middle and instructions and controls schematic on sides, do you have ideas of how to do this. A launcher that can show a picture around the game and that pictre has the info?Some people have turned a widescreen TV vertical and used MAME's ability to display bezel and marquee using layout (.LAY) files.
6) I want to launch Mame so that it shows only games that can be played with current controls, how do you recommend I do that? Separate Mame installations of which I will start the one matching the controls?You should be able to do this using menus in the front end program of your choice. i.e. menus for "360 degree driving games", "Trackball games", "Flight yoke games", etc.
Not sure if you'll be the first to succeed at "One Cab to Play Them All"TM, but you're certainly not the first to try. ;)
- With more games come more compromises on controls.
The laser disk flight game is probably Firefox. It used an analog yoke similar to the one for Star Wars.
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Joysticks#Analog_Joysticks (http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Joysticks#Analog_Joysticks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDa2b9UVFOE
Xybots used an Atari "Twist-to-Turn" joystick, but you can run it using a normal 8-way stick if you remap the buttons like this:
1 2 3
Joy
4 5 6
1 - Turn left
2 - Fire
3 - Turn right
4 - Super-zapper/Start
Using an 8-way instead of a 4-way can cause problems with the game logic in games like DK or Pac Man.
Doc's Modular MAME - https://beersmith.com/mame/ (https://beersmith.com/mame/)
You should be able to do this using menus in the front end program of your choice. i.e. menus for "360 degree driving games", "Trackball games", "Flight yoke games", etc.
They are direct linksi because I'm blind and couldn't find instruction on how to upload them here to picture thread and link from there.
G'day whines, I'm posting a 'How to post images in your project' so that your images will look perfect every time. Direct posting images in any thread is easy yes, but the more pro way to do it is in the instructions. They will load faster and saint won't have to invest in even more Terabytes of storage too soon. :) The 10 steps may look involved but once you get used to it it's really quick. I open two tabs in my browser to make it even quicker.
Steps to post pictures in your project thread:
1. Store your original images in a folder on your pc C:\users\user\pictures\MyProject\cab_01.jpg
2. Resize your images in MSPaint to around 1000 x 562 px
3. Save the resized image into a folder in your MyProject folder e.g. C:\users\user\pictures\MyProject\low_res\cab_01.jpg
4. Open the thread for storing images on the forum http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,164992.40.html
5. Start a new post by clicking the Reply button, you will need to type something in the post for it to work, even just a character will do.
6. Click ‘Attachments and other options’ at the bottom of the post and browse to the folder on your PC with your re-sized images in it. You can add up to eight attachments in one post.
7. When you have added all the images you want click the Post button.
8. In your new post, right click any image and choose ‘Copy image link’
9. Go to your project thread on the forum and in your latest post, click the ‘Insert Image’ icon just above the text window.
10. Paste the link you copied in the middle of the code to look like this:(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=164992.0;attach=387878;image)
You could add sizing edits as Gilrock suggests but just re-sizing and saving in MSPaint will remove any weird formatting in the image and fix distortion issues.
What do you think of the GRS Yoke? I like it.
Did you adjust the thickness of your lines for vector games?
The laser disk flight game is probably Firefox. It used an analog yoke similar to the one for Star Wars.
http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Joysticks#Analog_Joysticks (http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/Joysticks#Analog_Joysticks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDa2b9UVFOE
After little research I think it may have been M.A.C.H. 3, my memory claims that there was a plane visible all the time but since I only saw it from side I don't know/remember if there was a fighter/bomber choice at the beginning (as little testing revealed).OK. M.A.C.H. 3 used a 2-thumb-button 8-way triggerstick. (looks like a Happ Heavy Duty 8-Way (http://www.arcadeemulator.net/cgi-bin/shop/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F8067782&rnd=4129381&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=HeavyDuty8-WayTriggerJoyst&cat=Joysticks&catstr=HOME:Joysticks) with different thumb buttons)
I've played an Galaga-style arcade game in late 80's (or very early 90s) that I've tried to find. At this point I'm starting to think that my memories of it get mixed up with some computer game since I'm remembering that you could move on whole screen instead of just bottom like in Galaga games and there seems to no arcade games like that.Sounds like Gaplus. (a.k.a. Galaga 3)
OK. M.A.C.H. 3 used a 2-thumb-button 8-way triggerstick. (looks like a Happ Heavy Duty 8-Way (http://www.arcadeemulator.net/cgi-bin/shop/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F8067782&rnd=4129381&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=HeavyDuty8-WayTriggerJoyst&cat=Joysticks&catstr=HOME:Joysticks) with different thumb buttons)
Dead space in middle was about half a turn so that needs quite bit of tuning but I'm sure that will fill my 270 wheel needs.Sounds like you need to adjust deadzone and maybe saturation.
For 270° wheels, set the joystick deadzone to .05 in the mame.ini file;
the default .3 means that you have to turn the wheel fairly far before it does anything.
Joystick saturation narrows the operating range of your wheel, i.e. you only have to
turn it halfway before MAME sees it as being turned all the way. Set it to 1.
Badmouth's sticky "Emulator/Driving Cab info thread - Beginners start here!" thread in the Driving & Racing sub-forum is your friend.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,105961.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,105961.0.html)
Scott
I think that all in one piece would be too big to store and handle so main controller will be a four player set in two pieces.This part makes lots of sense.
1 and 4 player controllers are on one piece and 2 and 3 player controls in other.This part, I'm not so sure about. :-\
Were you thinking about an arrangement like this or something else? P4 P1 P2 P3
Many 4P MAME setups are arranged like this: P3 P1 P2 P4
Do you have any pics of your design?
That is going to be really unnecessarily heavy.
No input wanted.