What is the point of lighting your controls?

[Franco B]

Ginsu, I asked about showing joystick directions early in my project thread and I was told that Mala (and I assume other FEs that use LED Blinky) can light directions for 2 and 4 way. IIRC you cant normally show 8 way but I seem to remember speaking to arzoo or someone about making it a possibility.

Any idea arzoo if you are reading?

The major factor that put me off doing my new machine with lighting is that I prefer function over finish, and finding your perfect button/switch combo usually means they are not easily modified to accept lights.

Im not sure what buttons you use but you can pretty much light any button. I know some people dont like the 'ready to go' buttons (Ultralux, Novagems etc) but you can easily light the Happ style buttons as well as some of the Seimitsu buttons. Sure it takes a little more effort but then you get form and function.

What button/switch combo are you having trouble with?

[Ginsu Victim]

Oh, I know how to light it software-wise, I meant I'd like to see how you have the lights themselves rigged up.

[OTTOgd]

I'm sold, methinks; bent98 did a nice job lighting his panel in this post. Scroll down for videos!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=77634.0

[OTTOgd]

Unfortunately, I'm still in the planning my 1st cab/drooling-over-other-projects stage and have nothing to offer experience-wise but I've 'favorited' a couple more inspiring posts:

Abom did a nifty job lighting things up in this Bit-tech post - with wiring pics:
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=99144

Ern's Mame Arcade Machine - this is over-the-top lighting:

[arzoo]

Ginsu, I asked about showing joystick directions early in my project thread and I was told that Mala (and I assume other FEs that use LED Blinky) can light directions for 2 and 4 way. IIRC you cant normally show 8 way but I seem to remember speaking to arzoo or someone about making it a possibility.

Any idea arzoo if you are reading?

I'm not exactly sure what the question is, but LEDBlinky can light LEDs to indicate the joystick directions based on the game. You could do it one of two ways - have a bunch of LEDs labeled 2-way, 4-way, 8-way, etc. OR put a ring of LEDs around the programmable joystick(s) and have only the correct directions light up - that would be so cool!

[Ginsu Victim]

OR put a ring of LEDs around the programmable joystick(s) and have only the correct directions light up - that would be so cool!

Which is how I was looking at doing it.

[shmokes]

I like the idea of lighting only the buttons that are used for a given game.  From a utility perspective, that is awesome.  But I kind of hate the look.  Even when done reasonably well, I think they look gaudy and Christmas-treeish, especially the attract-modes people create.  More like repulse-mode, IMO (except the light circling Franco's stick which is admittedly cool looking).  I don't think it's a matter of being tied down to classic style vs. modern.  I'm only 30 years old and my control panels are brushed aluminum and so is my t-molding.  Not very vintage.  I think I hesitate to light my control panel for the same reason I think New York and San Francisco are far more beautiful than Las Vegas.  Sometimes less is more.

[Franco B]

I'm not exactly sure what the question is, but LEDBlinky can light LEDs to indicate the joystick directions based on the game. You could do it one of two ways - have a bunch of LEDs labeled 2-way, 4-way, 8-way, etc. OR put a ring of LEDs around the programmable joystick(s) and have only the correct directions light up - that would be so cool!

Excellent

Which is how I was looking at doing it.

Which is what im doing

I also drilled the holes for the Plexiglas tubes (5mm or so length) to be backlit by LEDs. I was expecting the plexiglass rod to be somewhere close to 5mm in diameter but it turns out in fact that it is 5.25mm which is a pain in the ass as the diameter of the LEDs s 4.9mm and so there is no real viable option in between. I ended up drilling the holes 5.2mm and the plexiglass tapped in nicely but obviously the LEDs were baggy. I wanted both to be a nice tight fit (without glue etc) so I have come up with a better idea.

I am going to insert 10mm plexi rod into the CP but have a hole to push fit the LEDs from the other side of the CP, this cross section will give you an idea:



I am going to have vinyl overlay over the top of the CP. I am going to get arrows printed on the overlay and then I will cut them out of the vinyl, revealing the plexi beneath:



(Imagine the dotted line is the hidden plexi circumference and the arrrow is the cut out section)

It should then look something like this once arrayed round the joystick:

I ended up drilling the through hole 4.9mm and I used a 10mm slot drill and circle interpolating the hole to suit the 10.25mm polycarb inserts.

[Ginsu Victim]

Thanks. Basically what I was thinking.

[Loafmeister]

CPwizard

Seconding this. I have mine set to show an image of the active controls on my panel during pause.

I've been meaning to give it a try, is it easy to setup? Thanks for the "push" guys .

[Ummon]

Answer .....

Easy - its so that when you wake up at 4 in the morning and want to play a game in your underpants, you dont need to turn on a light.  

Grown-up guys actually, like, wear underwear to bed?

[RandyT]

I have to agree with you there, the electric ice buttons don't feel as nice as the original buttons I was using in my CP and when I tap some of them I can hear the spring vibrate. While the attract modes look great and lighting the buttons with the real colors is cool, it's a shame the buttons don't feel as good.

I've mentioned this in the past, but I guess the word isn't propagating too well.  The EI buttons are actually made of a more durable material than a standard pushbutton.  The external feel of the button is identical to standard pushbuttons (exact same shape), but the difference is in the interaction of the spring.  The EI buttons use a harder material that is a little more resonant than the nylon that is normally used.    That means that the spring vibration is a bit more audible.

If this bothers you, there is a very simple fix.  You need only to take the springs out of the buttons and stretch them enough to add about 1/8" to their uncompressed lengths.  This will ensure that the contact between the button and the spring is stronger at all times and should reduce any spring vibration pretty much to nil.

RandyT

[javeryh]

Answer .....

Easy - its so that when you wake up at 4 in the morning and want to play a game in your underpants, you dont need to turn on a light.  

Grown-up guys actually, like, wear underwear to bed?

I'm with you on this.  It's commando at my house.  I can't even sleep otherwise.

[Ummon]

Answer .....

Easy - its so that when you wake up at 4 in the morning and want to play a game in your underpants, you dont need to turn on a light.  

Grown-up guys actually, like, wear underwear to bed?

I'm with you on this.  It's commando at my house.  I can't even sleep otherwise.

Heh. I've been waiting for the 'I have kids' or something argument.