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Rotating Control Panel question...

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dema:
Over the past few weeks I've been asking a ton of questions regarding how to interface a PC and an Xbox into the same control panel, and I've found so many of you to be extremely patient, helpful, and insightful. While I was doodling my layout on a piece of paper just now I realized that I was going to try making a cabinet with a rotating control panel and I because of that I didn't need to beat myself over the head trying to integrate everything into one type of panel. Instead I could make a "fighter panel" for MAME games; a panel with the trackball, spinner, and a 4-way controller; and I could devote the last panel to an XBox layout, in which case I wouldn't even need to wire things together through a db cable at all. I could just wire the Mini-Pacs to the MAME-devoted controls, and the XBox hacked controller PCBs to the XBox control panel, since it can only use the standard controls. Rather than needing a switch box and a video switch I could just go with a video switch and then rotate the panel to the appropriate system, again without needing to swap things out, really.

Then I got to wondering why those who have built rotating control panels in upright cabs have only built three-paneled controls and not more. I have forgotten all about geometry in the 12 years since taking it, so maybe I'm clueless by asking, but what's stopping people from doing a square or pentagon shaped panel, especially if you remove the "backsplash" which could hamper the rotation? Has anyone done the math on this to determine if a square or a pentagon is possible? I'd like to get one or two more panels so my current plan for a second panel wouldn't be as cluttered. I know it would require a larger panel circumference and a bigger rotational circle, but it wouldn't be too hard to do, would it?

Thanks for any help.

I'm probably overthinking things.

patrickl:
Several people tried Cp's with more surfaces than 3. I know of at least UncleT and xiaou2. The end-result doesn't really look like a classic cab anymore though.

There was  a thread a while back about a 4 sided CP in a defender style cab. Dunno what became of it.

:edit: found it (or at least one) It's 1hookedspacecadet's rotoquad (or read the thread)

dema:
Yeah, a lot of the multi-paneled cabinets do lose the look of an authentic cabinet, and I'm definitely interested in keeping that general upright cabinet look. And while I think that the Rotoquad is extremely creative and I admire his willingness to give such a design a try, I'd like to keep it a little simpler. I want to make sure that the process of changing panels isn't more complicated than just swapping one cable out and another in.

patrickl:
I'm going for swappable panels myself. I guess I could stash 5 or 6 panels in the bottom part of the cabinet. At least that will allow me to have more authentic(ish) panels then with a 3 sided rotating CP (I guess 3 is the max for a regular looking cab).

I have to say Doc's modular panels look pretty cool too. It's probably the most versatile option available, but I *must* have artwork.

dema:

--- Quote from: patrickl on April 26, 2004, 06:36:58 pm --- It's probably the most versatile option available, but I *must* have artwork.

--- End quote ---

Artwork is a must for me as well.

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