Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Jabba on October 28, 2004, 01:38:38 am

Title: Control Panel Number 2
Post by: Jabba on October 28, 2004, 01:38:38 am

I just received my Spinner from Oscar. Can't wait. Must build an interface. Attached picture is my first "throwaway" prototype "control panel" after a few hours of work...

Warning: Not pretty. Just Functional. To be accounted for into a final design...I wanted somewhere to hold the tb and spinner while I tested the wiring to the Opti-Pac.

Much to my surpsie, this panel was "butt ugly" but amazingly completely functional with a few buttons... I was able to play and relive long lost favourites such as...

   Missile Command
   Tempest
   Marble Madness
   Star Wars
   Arkanoid
   Revenge of DOH
   Centipede
   Millipede
   Championship Sprint
   Pole Position
   A Mini-Put game I used to play with a Trackball (84-85?)

Also, Bonus!!! Can now fully operate Windows with trackball and Left/Right Mouse Clicks. What a Treat!!! What was I doing with the "mouse hidden under the control panel trick!!!"???

I've been looking at www.localarcade.com and getting ideas for a new new control panel. This time, soemthing with some pizazz. I spotted a Major Havoc CPO recently uploaded by tbombaci. Very Nice!!! Could be the start of a new CPO?

Over the next little while, I will document the process I go through to get to my "perfect" control panel...Please stay tuned for further developments...

Edit: Made some minor typos edits..

Garry -

Edit: Changed title as I didn't want people to think that this was my real control pane.

Title: Re:My New Control Panel...
Post by: Jabba on October 28, 2004, 02:01:48 am

Here is a pic of the guts...

My big puzzle was how to connect the Oscar Spinner wiring harness. After looking at http://www.oscarcontrols.com/images/spinner-connector.jpg
I finally figured it all out...
 

Title: Re:My New Control Panel...
Post by: paigeoliver on October 28, 2004, 04:47:40 am

I would completely and totally ditch those two buttons under the trackball. You should be able to tell from testing that you can't REALLY get buttons close enough to a 3" trackball to use the trackball and buttons with the same hand, at least not gameably. And if it isn't gameable then it doesn't need to be on the panel.

When I built a panel like this I simply put the spinner on far right, the trackball in the center and the three (mouse) buttons on the left. Worked like a charm.

Title: Re:My New Control Panel...
Post by: Jabba on October 28, 2004, 02:49:54 pm

Quote from: paigeoliver on October 28, 2004, 04:47:40 am

When I built a panel like this I simply put the spinner on far right, the trackball in the center and the three (mouse) buttons on the left. Worked like a charm.

Thanks for the feedback paigeoliver. Do you have a website or a picture of your control panel with the TB/Spinner? I am trying to gather as much info as I can before I start the real build.

Thanks

Title: Re:A hacked together "Test" Control Panel
Post by: Apollo on October 28, 2004, 06:29:53 pm

My Trackball/spinner panel has 3 buttons in a triangle on the left and the right and in the middle is the spinner on the right and the trackball on the left works like a charm, you can just see it in this thread.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=22004

Title: Re:A hacked together "Test" Control Panel
Post by: Minwah on October 29, 2004, 11:35:08 am

See my analog panel here:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=20708;start=msg169495#msg169495

I guess I have my trackball or buttons in the wrong place for some...I wanted to keep buttons on the right of all controls.  Possibly I should have swapped the position of the buttons & spinner, so buttons are on the right for use with the joystick, and on the left of the trackball & spinner.

That said it plays fine for me, I will probably leave it as it is.

Title: Control Panel Number 2
Post by: Jabba on October 29, 2004, 05:23:10 pm

Appollo and Minwah,

Thanks for the links Very impressive work. Its giving me food for thought. My new control panel is going to accomodate TB, Spinner, Joys1/2 (maybe a pacman), and 4-6 pushbuttons (possibly leaf) for each player.

My cabinet was based off Lusid's design (wishing now I would have chosen defender...but oh well)

I previously bolted on a separate Control Panel that I've since disaaembled. I want something new, that integrates better with the Cabinet Here is a picture of the old setup (before I disaasembled it...

Title: Re:A hacked together "Test" Control Panel
Post by: Jabba on October 29, 2004, 05:27:37 pm

I was never really happy with this one. It is not integrated with the cabinet. It is sharp with the Acrylic on the top and I generally want the lines to flow withough any breaks. Something more like defender.

I like the defender theme and loved how erikthecat (Cofin Mame) did his control panel.

http://www.splatthatcat.com/arcade/

Here are a couple of mock ups in Paint (low tech). Looking for comments and feedback.

Thanks in advance.

Title: Re:A hacked together "Test" Control Panel
Post by: Jabba on October 29, 2004, 05:28:30 pm

Or maybe this.

Which do you guys prefer?

Title: Re:Control Panel Number 2
Post by: Santoro on October 29, 2004, 11:36:59 pm

I like number 2.  My first cab had a CP that was wider than the cab.  I quickly learned that a cab looks much more retro and authentic when  the CP is integral with the cab.

Title: Re:Control Panel Number 2
Post by: Jabba on November 04, 2004, 07:43:56 pm

Thanks Santoro for your comment.

Spent a few hours in the shop, here is a rough cutout of the new CP. CP measures 26 x 18. A little bigger than I anticipated. Comments, suggestions? This fits ontop of the Lusid design.

Right now, the CP is laying on top of the sides. I am going to cut it down to 25" to fit between the sides.

Thanks for you input!