ATTN: 1UP .. Question!

[monkeysmuggler]

Howdy,

I've been planning on building a cabinet for a while, and your rotating controls idea has really stuck with me. I think I'm going to try and implement something similar, but I'm trying to get a few things worked out. How are you stopping it flush and holding it in place rotated around? Is it still sturdy enough for some hard play that way?

Thanks man.

[1UP]

Hang in there.  I'm still finishing the thing!  I'm taking lots of photos for my site, and I'll put them up as soon as I'm done (should be this week.)

Well, guess I'll show you what I've got so far.  I sketched out a dozen ways to do this, and even built a working 3D CG model, before hitting on the right solution, so maybe you could benefit from my R&D.  Basically, I'm using a unique approach.  On the prototype panels, I used a hitch pin on either side to hold everything in place.  This is basically what Xiaou2 did with his rotating panels.  I knew I didn't want to have Frankenstein bolts sticking out of my final cab, and ideally, I wanted the panels to self-locate when they were rotated into place.  Finally, looking around Home Depot, I found the answer:

Roller latches!

I decided I would put 3 of these on each side, so with 6 roller latches, it should hold everything pretty well.  All I needed was a way for them to lock in with the sides of the cabinet.  Back to Home Depot several times, I never could come up with a simple solution (my favorite kind!)  It was finally on the night before begining final construction that my eyes caught something I must have passed a dozen times:

It's a 5" diameter wall protector, you know for keeping doorknobs from bashing the walls.  It was the perfect size to act as a track for my roller latches, and it was plastic, so I didn't have to wear out my tools on a metal plate.  I drilled a 2" hole in the center thru which a PVC pipe protrudes, forming the axle for the CP.  There are three 5/8" holes drilled equal distances from center, and 120^o apart, into which the rollers can lock.  The plate also keeps the rollers from getting stuck in the 3/4" slot routered into the inside-right of the cab, thru which the wiring from my CP passes to the PC in the back.

Another PVC piece is inserted thru a 1 ³/₄" hole in the CP end plates, and fits somewhat tightly into the PVC axle.  I will be adding a screw or something to keep it secure, as it tends to work its way out as I turn the CP around.  I will also be adding a screw in the outside of the end plate, that will hit another screw or metal plate on the inside of the cab, so that the CP can't be turned around more than 240^o.  So you can rotate from panel 1, to 2, to 3, but no further, so the wiring won't tangle or twist.

And there's the whole thing together, with the CP sans artwork and lexan.  The black "splash" panel above the white CP provides clearance for the joysticks to rotate under the monitor.  I can put anything up to a full Tron joystick on the CP without anything scraping.  It also provides space to put instructions if I find that my guests need it.  The CP is connected to the splash, which is hinged to the rotating CP frame with a piano hinge.  Plastic child latches click into the holes on the CP end caps, so I can hinge the CP up for some quick tinkering with the controls.

Also, when I'm done, I will be bolting a metal plate across the top front edge of the front access door.  Right now, the door keeps the CP from rotating downwards during play.  There is a little bit of slack in the roller locking system, so the CP would wiggle upward a bit during rough play.  With the addition of the metal plate, the CP will also be kept from rotating upward when the front door is closed.  So the roller latches allow the CP to automatically click loosely into place, but the front door provides a second, more stable method of locking everything down.  It also allows me to control access to the rotary feature of my cab, by simply removing the key!  This is good for parties, since my guests don't know how to work the rotation, and tend to play only on the main CP anyway.

And here's how the finished panels will look:

Heheheh!  My baby!    (And, NO, it does not rotate 360^o like that!

Hope this helps with your project!  Watch my site for the final report and a detailed writeup!  

[monkeysmuggler]

Awesome. I didn't expect nearly such a detailed response.

I'm going to begin work on a prototype for my cabinet next weekend. The basic design I'm using is kind of similar to your cabinet.. I took the idea from LuSiD's page (and a few other people who've used modified versions of those cabinet plans), and then have cut the hang over off of the CP (because it wouldn't have the ability to rotate in its entirity with that).

I'll probably pester you alot in the next few weeks, heh. I'm going to make a sad attempt at trying to reproduce your custom spinner too, but that's a ways away from now. First I've got to get some measurements down and put together a bootleg version, heh.

[1UP]

Awesome. I didn't expect nearly such a detailed response.

I'm going to begin work on a prototype for my cabinet next weekend. The basic design I'm using is kind of similar to your cabinet.. I took the idea from LuSiD's page (and a few other people who've used modified versions of those cabinet plans), and then have cut the hang over off of the CP (because it wouldn't have the ability to rotate in its entirity with that).

I'll probably pester you alot in the next few weeks, heh. I'm going to make a sad attempt at trying to reproduce your custom spinner too, but that's a ways away from now. First I've got to get some measurements down and put together a bootleg version, heh.

No prob.  I had just finished messing with the CP when I read your post.  I promise, when I update my site, you won't NEED any more questions...

BTW, I'm thinking of doing an improved Tron spinner using my new Oscar Pro!  

[monkeysmuggler]

OK, now I've got a couple of other simple things you've thought of all ready.

First, how are you able to (without too much effort) install and remove the CP? From what I can tell, you've got a PVC pipe through the entire CP setup and that connects to larger PVC in the same area where you have the door knob stopper. It's held in by tension by being the exact length of the inside of the cabinet. But if it was a single solid piece, you'd have to stretch the sides of the cabinet or take the thing apart to remove it.. and neither of those is a very good option. What I was thinking is to make the PVC through the CP smaller than what is needed to fill the holes in the door knob stopper and shorter than the overall length, and then on either side have large pieces that fit into the door knob stopper that are bolted into the smaller piece of PVC. That way, they make up for the extra length and fit correctly, and are easily removed to pull the CP out of the cabinet if necessary.

My other question is have you devised a simple way to get into the CP piece? Assuming it's 3 seperate panels all mounted on a wooden triangle, there isn't really any room to work with it as is. Are you just removing the panels all together, or have you devised a system where they can easily be worked with? I can't seem to think of a solution that is effective that doesn't reduce the stability of the whole thing. At this point, I'm assuming dismantling the thing is the best option, but I wanted to make sure you hadn't thought of something.

Oh, and one last thing.. in your prototype pictures you have a seperate board with the 1/2 start buttons above the rest of the CP that you mentioned might be hinged to allow it all to slide under. In your model, and the pictures of the design it seems you cut this out. Have you decided to put seperate buttons on each panel?

I was considering this anyway for the sake of being anal about looks. A panel that's only intended for a single player has no need for a second player start or coin insert button.

[monkeysmuggler]

Great. I'll be waiting on the site update.

[1UP]

OK, now I've got a couple of other simple things you've thought of all ready.

First, how are you able to (without too much effort) install and remove the CP? From what I can tell, you've got a PVC pipe through the entire CP setup and that connects to larger PVC in the same area where you have the door knob stopper...

You misunderstood.  When I cut out the sides of my cab, I drilled a 2" hole thru each side panel.  Then I laminated the sides with the yellow Formica, which covers the holes from the outside.  When I had the cabinet together, I glued a piece of 2" PVC into the holes in the 2 side panels, using a strong polyurethane glue.  These PVC tubes are just long enough to protrude about 1/8" from the wood, and they are flush with the door stoppers once they are mounted.

Now, the 2 triangular end caps of the CP frame are drilled with 1 3/4" holes.  I put the CP frame into the cab, latch the rollers into the locating holes in the door stoppers, and then insert a removable 1" long piece of 1 3/4" PVC thru the hole in each end.  This PVC goes into the larger (2") PVC in the cabinet side, and therefore holds the CP frame to the cab walls.  This can be removed at any time if needed, but once the CP is in place, it's going to stay there!

My other question is have you devised a simple way to get into the CP piece? Assuming it's 3 seperate panels all mounted on a wooden triangle, there isn't really any room to work with it as is. Are you just removing the panels all together, or have you devised a system where they can easily be worked with?

Yes, I have thought of this already (I've been designing this for a full year!)  Panels #1 and #2 both are hinged to the frame with piano hinges ( I already explained this above...)  Here's a pic of how that works:

See?  The CPs are connected to the back plates, and the backplates are hinged to the CP frame.  (They open farther than that too.)  Panel #3 is fixed, to give strength to the whole setup, but you can access the back of it by opening one of the other panels.  Each panel is also supported by a metal arm like the ones inside of briefcases, to prop it open for easy access to the CP guts.  Oh, and the panels are held closed by child-proof latches, which can be accessed by rotating the whole CP assembly upward a couple inches, then pushing the latches thru the holes in each "arm" of the CP ends (that's what the extra holes are for...)

Oh, and one last thing.. in your prototype pictures you have a seperate board with the 1/2 start buttons above the rest of the CP that you mentioned might be hinged to allow it all to slide under. In your model, and the pictures of the design it seems you cut this out. Have you decided to put seperate buttons on each panel?

Yes, I am putting separate start buttons on each panel.  On the prototype, for some reason it seemed like a good idea to use the same player start buttons for every panel, so I came up with this solution.  While finishing the prototype panels, I finally realized I was only adding complexity to the design, so I scratched it.  Originally, the flip-up player button panel was going to be a door on my final cab, so I could get enough clearance for the joysticks to get under the monitor when rotating.  But it turned out (as I discovered on the prototype) that the door had to be almost as large as the panel itself!  I later came up with the clever idea to have the backplate on the panels, which would rotate WITH the panels, giving the proper clearance and making the switchover much easier!  I'm really glad I built that into the prototype though, so I could see firsthand just how awkward and complex that part of the design was before I started my cab!    Live and learn...

Anyway, the answers to all these questions and more will be explained, illustrated, and animated on my site in good time...

[Xiaou2]

 Looking good 1up.    Cool to see someone as crazy as me out there...  ^_-

 Just a note... I had changed my design years ago, and instead of bolts (wich either had too much play, or were too tight)  I rebuilt the thing to use a homemade disc brake system.  

 I just charged some batteries, and if my camera still works, Ill try to get some new shots off later.






 http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com/xiaou2s.html
 http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com/hangon.html
 http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com/shifter.html
 http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com/turbo.html
 http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com/dot.html

[mw]

You people are NUTS Wish I had more time, while I'm at it more money too.

[1UP]

Some more pics, with my first completed panel!  

Just a little wiring, and I'm ready to play Pac-Man and Street Fighter II!  My cab is about 95% complete, but those last finishing touches (like lexan and artwork) seem to be coming excruciatingly slow, in part because I'm looking for work right now...

Artwork has been a major consideration on this project.  I wanted everything to have a real arcade feel.  I've attempted to label buttons for common games (like Asteroids and Defender) in as close to the original positions as possible, while maintaining a generic Street Fighter layout.

And here's the CP open for wiring.  The support arms weren't able to function properly in the tight confines of the rotating CP, so I'm going to have to devise something else, or just prop it open with my shoulder or forehead as I've been doing...    Note the white childproof latches toward the front of the panel.  These latch securely into the small holes in the CP end plates.  They can only be pushed by rotating the entire panel assembly upward a few inches, which means when I add the metal security plate to the front door (as described above) only I will be able to open them!  Muahahaha!

[Minwah]

Damn, 1UP!  That looks unbelivable!  Bet you can't wait to start playing  

[Xiaou2]

Kinda wish mine looked as cool... but hey... ya cant have everythig : )    Well, maybe if I rebuild again?!

Anyway... I FINALLY updated.  Lots of new pics of the new enhancements

http://www.xiaou2.homestead.com


Click on 'Arcade' for the new stuff
More comming later.

[ErikRuud]

1Up,

Go to your local hardware store.  Buy two (or four) "side bolts", they should have several styles.  Mount the slide bolts to the back side of the hinged back plates. You will have to decide the best position for them.

Now you can flip up the panel, and slide the bolts outward to hold the panel open.  The ends of the bolts could rest on the edge of your side panels, but that might mar the T-moulding.  It would be better to have the ends of the bolts fit into holes on the inside of your side panels.

I did something like this to lock the keyboard drawer on computer desk in the open posistion so that it does slide closed if my daughter leans on it.

Erik Ruud.

[hyiu]

Hi 1UP :

AMAZING JOB !!!!!        

it looks exactly like your plan !!! and in real life, even prettier !!!! DEFINITELY the MOST AMAZING cab I have EVER SEEN !!!!!.....

I wish I have your wood working skills.....

Good work !!!..... NICE CAB !!!!

     

[1UP]

Damn, 1UP!  That looks unbelivable!  Bet you can't wait to start playing  

No kidding!  I've been working on this for almost 2 weeks since my Mame party!  We played using my proto CP.  Everyone had fun, but it was a little wobbly, and definitely not pretty.  It's finally coming together!   (tears of joy...)  I guess I'll know I'm done when all the scratches on my hands heal...

1Up,

Go to your local hardware store.  Buy two (or four) "side bolts", they should have several styles...

Actually, I'm thinking of doing something like the cheap metal rod that props up your car hood.  If I can just get everything mounted, I shouldn't really need to be under the "hood" all that often anyway...

Hi 1UP :

AMAZING JOB !!!!!        

it looks exactly like your plan !!! and in real life, even prettier !!!! DEFINITELY the MOST AMAZING cab I have EVER SEEN !!!!!.....

I wish I have your wood working skills.....

Good work !!!..... NICE CAB !!!!

     

You mean my wood slashing and bashing skills...    There have been so many mishaps on this cab, you wouldn't believe!  I scratched up the original black melamine so bad, it's almost entirely buried underneath expensive laminate now.  I knocked off the corner of one of my side panels before laminating, and smashed another corner after laminating, leading me to round off some corners that weren't supposed to be rounded...    I've cut myself so many times, I'm surprised the cab's not RED by now!  (Who knew broken Formica and iron-on edging was so sharp...   )  And there's harly a smooth edge to be found on my t-molding.  (Uh, aging...for authenticity...yeah, that's the ticket...)

But all in all, I'm pretty satisfied.  Thanks for all the compliments.  It's really nice to have it all finished (almost) and it looks real purdy when I fire it up and the marquee is all glowy and stuff...  Every pizza slice is a banquet!  Every token's a parade!  I love the cab!  

[ErikRuud]

1Up,

The more I look at this, the more I like it.

Can you give me the dimensions of the "Back Plate", the control panel, and the "Front Plate".  Basically the three parts that are visible during game play.  I can figure out the rest from there.

Thanks,

Erik Ruud

[Lilwolf]

I have to say... I am hands down impressed

I had a feeling that rotating cp's would never look good... even if they are functional...

but WOW!

[rampy]

Just to chime in...

That is the nicest cab i've seen... I'm amazed at your attention to detail, and creative engineering approach to the multiple control panel 'problem'...

Mucho Kudos!

Enjoy.. you deserve to after all that hard work...

rampy

[1UP]

  Thanks everyone!  My ego is inflating at an exponential rate...  

1Up,

The more I look at this, the more I like it.

Can you give me the dimensions of the "Back Plate", the control panel, and the "Front Plate".  Basically the three parts that are visible during game play.  I can figure out the rest from there.

Thanks,

Erik Ruud

Here ya go.



Note: all 3 sides can be done with the same size panels, but on my CP, the second control panel is at a different angle (12^o instead of 15^o) to allow my trigger sticks to pass underneath the monitor.  This means the backplate ends up being 5 3/4" rather than 4 7/8", and the CP is 11 1/2" rather than 11 7/8".  The front plate is the same size on this panel as all the others.  Actually, I ended up using the same size CP on all of them (all are 11 3/4" shelving, 5/8" thick) and  did not bevel them flush with the front and back plates as shown in the illustration.  It was just easier that way...  

BTW, if everyone can hold off on the technical questions, all will be revealed when I update my site!  And it'll be a lot easier to document my cab when it's actually finished...Hint hint...  

[SirPoonga]

Now I don't feel special:(  I was going to go with a pacman theme.  But not ona  yellow cabinet:)
I need a job so I can have money first.  i'v egot some full sideart ready to go.  Making the YapCab faux stained glass marquee.  Making the graphics for the shelf and cp.  
And there is YapFE:)
hmm, you gonna want me to finish that so you have a pacman themed FE:)

[botez]

1UP

Again, great cab design.  I'm glad I haven't had time to put mine together lately, because your rotating idea is intriguing me to change my plans.

Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible, for those of us who want to have every possible control panel type possible, if the cp's in your design could easily be swapped?

Troy

[1UP]

Hey SP, your avatar is all over my cab!  

1UP

Again, great cab design.  I'm glad I haven't had time to put mine together lately, because your rotating idea is intriguing me to change my plans.

Anyways, I was wondering if it was possible, for those of us who want to have every possible control panel type possible, if the cp's in your design could easily be swapped?

Troy

I don't see any reason why not.  You should easily be able to use a latch-on design on each side rather than hinges.  But it kind of defeats the purpose...    I carefully chose a range of controls that would allow me to play the greatest range of games as accurately as possible, without taking an entire closet to store them all.  I don't think there's a single game I can't play without swapping controls.  The one exception is gun games.  I do need to swap out my yoke for my T2 guns in order to play gun games, and the panels can't be rotated with the guns in place, they need to be re-mounted every time...  

For example, Xiaou2's cab has a kick-ass selection of controls, but are they really all absolutely necessary?  The Star Wars yoke is necessary because it's completely unique in function -- there's not another type of controller that allows you to play Star Wars or Stun Runner with the aiming precision you need.  It may not be a genuine steering wheel, or a motorcycle handlebars, but it can still play those types of games quite well, with maybe the addition of a couple buttons or a shift lever.  It fills the roles of a yoke, analog steering wheel, handlebars (twist the handles for acceleration), and analog flight stick.  With the Dual Strike's mouse emulation mode and user definable "spin zones", it can even substitute for optical controls, like a 360^o steering wheel!  BTW, the #3 control panel can accept modules with any kind of USB control I might need in the future (possibly a Sinistik! ) so I can just keep those few specialized controls in the base of my cab, while keeping the more commonly used controls hooked up full-time, ready to go in seconds!

[Brax]

Hey 1UP,

Have you thought about doing a blacklight on your Tron panel? Your backpanel would have enough room for one. I think that would look amazing.

Might as well fuel his fire!  

If you do it I want credit for making a crazy design even crazier though! hehe

[1UP]

Hey 1UP,

Have you thought about doing a blacklight on your Tron panel? Your backpanel would have enough room for one. I think that would look amazing.

Might as well fuel his fire!  

If you do it I want credit for making a crazy design even crazier though! hehe

I've thought about it...  The one problem may be all the vibration and shock that it might be subject to when rotating the panels...  Also, now that it's mounted, it would be very difficult to do any further cutting on the panel.  I'd have to mount it on the surface in some kind of housing, and that might not look right and could interfere with the controls.  

But I think I've gone one better (you know, like "ONE-UP..."   )  I'm using two translucent blue sticks as my Tron sticks, and I'll be putting in some of that neon glow wire they make for tricking-out cars!  So the sticks won't just LOOK like they're glowing, they WILL BE glowing, internally!    Also, I'm using a backlit translucent blue trackball, and 3 Happs red illuminated pushbuttons for Missile Command!  Plus, I applied a Photoshop glow to the DOT style CP artwork!  So there'll be plenty of light going on...  

[1UP]

Something like this!  

[1UP]

CG versus reality.  Not too much different, eh?

[rampy]

Dumb question... why the Easy Stick for the 4 way?  surprised you didn't got with a traditional leaf 4 way there with a red ball top...

Note I'm not saying that I don't like it... I'm just wondering what the design decision going into using that stick was (maybe it feels better... etc etc...)

just curious...

rampy

[1UP]

Dumb question... why the Easy Stick for the 4 way?  surprised you didn't got with a traditional leaf 4 way there with a red ball top...

Note I'm not saying that I don't like it... I'm just wondering what the design decision going into using that stick was (maybe it feels better... etc etc...)

just curious...

rampy

4 reasons.  1) Even though I have a Happ Ms. Pac replacement ball stick, which has a more authentic look, I've found them to be uncomfortable to use in my "old age"...    2) This stick has a switch plate that rotates 45^o, so I can use it for Q*bert and Zaxxon!  3) It matches the look of the other 2 bat sticks, but the color still sets it off as a Pac-Man stick.  4) It was a helluva lot easier to mount than the Ms. Pac (and other ball tops with short shafts) which had to be routered down into the panel.

[rampy]

see, I knew there was a very good  and well thought out reason =P


thanks for answering...  and sharing all the neat details about your cab.

rampy

[1UP]

Here's a pic of the security bar in place:



With the front door locked, the panels stay rock-solid!  Almost done...  The Tron panel will be finished tomorrow!!  

[SirPoonga]

CG versus reality.  Not too much different, eh?

hmm, I think youneed ot convert that to w3d and make it your generic 3darcade cabinet:)


Hey, if you want high res pacman graphics, though may be a little late, you should pm me.  I'm a pacman nut, I have what you need:)

you are definately going to want my FE once I get done with it:)
http://free.hostdepartment.com/SirPoonga/yapfe.html
In case you forgot the address:)

With the front door locked, the panels stay rock-solid!  Almost done...  The Tron panel will be finished tomorrow!!  

ahhh, the door keeps it from rotating forward, the plate from rotating backwards, I was windeirng how you were going to do that.

[1UP]

hmm, I think youneed ot convert that to w3d and make it your generic 3darcade cabinet:)

Mind reader!  

 Hey, if you want high res pacman graphics, though may be a little late, you should pm me.  I'm a pacman nut, I have what you need:)

Yeah, actually I still don't have the full side art...  Just the ghost & pac characters separately.  Got the bezel, CPO, and marquee at good rez...

you are definately going to want my FE once I get done with it:)
http://free.hostdepartment.com/SirPoonga/yapfe.html
In case you forgot the address:)

Will give it a look.  Right now, I'm totally in love with Emulaxian for the 3d Arcade.  Maybe I could borrow your Pac-Man skin?

ahhh, the door keeps it from rotating forward, the plate from rotating backwards, I was windeirng how you were going to do that.

Yup, just open the door, flip the panels, and lock it up!

[gajaman]

Man, that cab is too smooth.... Nice work.

Couple of very quick questions,

Is the control panel lexan then artwork then MDF? If so how did you finish the leading edge so it doesn't look like a sandwich? I can't imagine how T moulding would fit.

[1UP]

Man, that cab is too smooth.... Nice work.

Couple of very quick questions,

Is the control panel lexan then artwork then MDF? If so how did you finish the leading edge so it doesn't look like a sandwich? I can't imagine how T moulding would fit.

Look at the pic above, where I have the CP open.  I think you can see that the t-molding is actually overlapping the artwork and lexan.  I slotted the panel (actually just some 5/8" particle board shelving) so the slot is off-center.  Once the 1/8" lexan is in place, The total thickness is about 3/4".  The lip of the t-molding holds the lexan from sliding down, making the edge clean and easier to put in the screws and finishing washers to hold the lexan permanently.  It also made it easier to line up the artwork and lexan for cutting the holes for sticks and buttons!

[Brax]

On your Tron panel...... Are those raider pro joysticks?

They're a nice alternative to Tron sticks, but why two trigger sticks?

That panel will work nice for dual joystick games, but why do they need to be trigger sticks?

[1UP]

On your Tron panel...... Are those raider pro joysticks?

They're a nice alternative to Tron sticks, but why two trigger sticks?

That panel will work nice for dual joystick games, but why do they need to be trigger sticks?

Battlezone.  

[Xiaou2]

Why two trigger joys?  

Assault & Assault Plus
     The best tank games ever made!!!!!!

^_^


 There are others, but thats the best reason I can think of now : )

 Sounds like you havnt tried these.  Its got
Scaling (gray launch pads), Rotation and bombing (when launched in the air), Forward Guns,  the tanks Rolls over (both sticks in the same direction (left or right), fires aimable nuke bombs (hold both sticks outward- release at desired trajectory).


 

[Chris]

Man, that cab is too smooth.... Nice work.

Couple of very quick questions,

Is the control panel lexan then artwork then MDF? If so how did you finish the leading edge so it doesn't look like a sandwich? I can't imagine how T moulding would fit.

Look at the pic above, where I have the CP open.  I think you can see that the t-molding is actually overlapping the artwork and lexan.  I slotted the panel (actually just some 5/8" particle board shelving) so the slot is off-center.  Once the 1/8" lexan is in place, The total thickness is about 3/4".  The lip of the t-molding holds the lexan from sliding down, making the edge clean and easier to put in the screws and finishing washers to hold the lexan permanently.  It also made it easier to line up the artwork and lexan for cutting the holes for sticks and buttons!

I had done the same with my cabinet... it works quite well!  You can see the "sandwich" on mine on the very corner of the panel:

[Chris]

Oh, by the way, 1UP... my wife, who barely tolerates my MAME cabinet and has no interest in arcade games AT ALL, thinks your rotating control panel is "totally cool"!  That's probably the highest praise you can get!

I notice a SW Yoke on the computer rendering.  Is that a real yoke?  Do you have any clearance problems with it?

I love your design so much that I'm actually considering selling my cab so I can start over and build one with your panel design...  I don't think mine can be retrofitted with it, and I'm dying to find a way to get a yoke and a 4-way stick connected to it....

--Chris

[SirPoonga]

I notice a SW Yoke on the computer rendering.  Is that a real yoke?  Do you have any clearance problems with it?

Obviously it works:)  you can't rotate the panel 360 degrees continuously, you are going to get wires tangled eventually.  I believe 1UP plans on having it rotate one way until the yoke comes up, then rotate the other way, so the yoke just need to clear the front door.