control panel artwork design

[dubstylee]

I have got my layout all designed, and am working on the artwork.  It is coming along pretty well, but I feel that there is something missing.



I am not dead set on the background color.  The corners will be rounded for the T-molding, but I am thinking of kind of tapering the bottom in toward the center at a similar angle to the stripes.  I am just looking for suggestions for anything that I could add, maybe a border or something.  Also, will be making a smaller, similar control panel for the player 3/4 controls without a trackball.

Any suggestions are welcome!  Thanks.

[PL1]

Looks like you have Coin and Start buttons for P1 and P2.

Do you want any other admin buttons like Pause or Exit?


Scott

[dubstylee]

Looks like you have Coin and Start buttons for P1 and P2.

Do you want any other admin buttons like Pause or Exit?


Scott

I am planning on putting all the administrative buttons on the side of the control panel to avoid accidentally exiting, etc.  from a game.  I suppose it might be nice to have like a screen shot button, or other buttons easily accessible.  I may add a couple of those types of buttons, but am mostly looking at the artwork right now.  I am going back and forth between either black or red t-molding, but I suppose that will depend on what the rest of the background looks like.  Like I said, don't really plan on keeping the plain green background.

[Slippyblade]

The only admin button I like to have dead center on the CP is a pause button.  Cause, ya know, I'm getting old and have to take a leak sometimes.

[PL1]

Looks like you have Coin and Start buttons for P1 and P2.

Do you want any other admin buttons like Pause or Exit?

I am planning on putting all the administrative buttons on the side of the control panel to avoid accidentally exiting, etc.  from a game.  I suppose it might be nice to have like a screen shot button, or other buttons easily accessible.  I may add a couple of those types of buttons, but am mostly looking at the artwork right now.

I recommend deciding which admin buttons you will want and need on the finished, fully-configured cab before you do the artwork.

Protip: If you have drunk friends, clueless family members, or kids using your cab, you will probably not want a dedicated "Menu" button or shifted function accessible.  (A wireless keyboard tucked behind the coin door is your friend)

Pros and cons of dedicated and shifted admin buttons are discussed here.

Check out this suggested design process.


Scott

[IAmDotorg]

Yup, that's what I did. Pause button only -- and it is shifted to get to admin functions. There's no game risk to anyone hitting pause, you can just resume after all. And it reduces buttons, which is good because I have a lot of buttons on mine. Tasteful lot, but a lot. Too many is not tasteful.

[AzureKnight]

I would consider softening the hue on the logo.  It looks like you took the very vibrant cartoon logo and put it in with grittier/darker/more subdued turtles art.  To my eye that makes the logo "pop" a bit too much.

If you plan on losing the green background color what color would you put in there?  I actually think the green works well.

I love the TMNT theme for the record, big fan of the original comics.

[dubstylee]

I would consider softening the hue on the logo.  It looks like you took the very vibrant cartoon logo and put it in with grittier/darker/more subdued turtles art.  To my eye that makes the logo "pop" a bit too much.

If you plan on losing the green background color what color would you put in there?  I actually think the green works well.

I love the TMNT theme for the record, big fan of the original comics.

I did indeed soften the logo colors.  I thought that the green was too similar to the turtles' colors, and the original artwork I pilfered those turtles from came on a nice looking textured background, so I thought maybe I would try a textured background.  I really like the "dark" look of these turtles, it is reminiscent of the original Eastman and Laird comics.

Here is the updated artwork:


This control panel will be an all-in-one panel so I can take it places, and I am going to make a second 2-player auxiliary panel for player 3/4 with Raphael and Donatello, same style artwork, for playing good old 4-player TMNT arcade, as well as others.

[AzureKnight]

I like the logo much better that way.  The textured background changes the feel a lot, it almost makes me wonder how it would look with a manhole cover or rooftop background.

I can't say which I like better between the grey and the green but I do think if it was mine and I went grey then I would look for a dark green T-molding.

[dubstylee]

I like the logo much better that way.  The textured background changes the feel a lot, it almost makes me wonder how it would look with a manhole cover or rooftop background.

I can't say which I like better between the grey and the green but I do think if it was mine and I went grey then I would look for a dark green T-molding.

I like that idea, I have been tossing around doing something like that around the trackball.  I am going to flush mount the trackball so that the mounting plate doesn't hog 6" of real estate that I can otherwise use for the art any ideas on where to find dark green t-molding?  So far I just have black, I was originally thinking about doing red t-molding with the green background.

[AzureKnight]

I ordered mine from T-molding.com.  You could have them send you some samples.

http://www.t-molding.com/store/home.php?cat=13

[hyiu]

I have a suggestion about the buttons layout.

I assume the main 6 buttons are mainly for fighting game, correct ?

I usually use my 2nd, middle, and ring fingers for the 3 buttons.
from what I see, the placement of the 2nd finger is a little higher and a little slope down to the ring finger...

you might want to do a print out, and try to fit your hands on the control.
I think your right wrist might have to be twisted clockwise a bit to fit this control...
if you play for a while, it might be tiring for your right wrist...

what I ended up doing is sort of rotating your 6 buttons counter-clockwise a little bit.

I find it feels better.

hope it helps !!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Looks good with the revised background.  The problem with the first was that it was too dark when compared to the Ninja turtles.  The grey is lighter and contrasts well.  If you decide to change it to manholes, just make sure the color is lightened.

P.S. - I'm a big fan of Eastman/Laird as well and their style of art.  Technically if you want to be true to the original TMNT, you should alter the masks in Photoshop to ALL be red.  The different colored masks were the "commercialized versions" used to market them better after they rebooted the franchise.



DeLuSioNaL29

[dubstylee]

Looks good with the revised background.  The problem with the first was that it was too dark when compared to the Ninja turtles.  The grey is lighter and contrasts well.  If you decide to change it to manholes, just make sure the color is lightened.

P.S. - I'm a big fan of Eastman/Laird as well and their style of art.  Technically if you want to be true to the original TMNT, you should alter the masks in Photoshop to ALL be red.  The different colored masks were the "commercialized versions" used to market them better after they rebooted the franchise.



DeLuSioNaL29

Yeah, I am aware of everyone being red in the original.  Unfortunately, the main inspiration for my theme is the TMNT arcade game, which has them blue/orange/purple/red.  So I am sticking to the commercialized color scheme, as it also offers a little more variety for the theme   I think probably like 2% of the people who will be playing this with me will know the original colors of the turtles, so I'm not too concerned with staying true to the comics.  It also helps with the new colors, since I am planning my buttons to be blue and orange no this main panel.

I am hoping to pick up some MDF next week some time, so I can get started on the fun part!  I will definitely post some pics when I start making progress!