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Opinions needed...."hybrid" cp
snekse:
I like the idea. It all really boils down to which games you like to play. I personally play a lot of fighters and Golden Tee, but I'm also a huge fan of Star Wars, 720 and a couple of others that have odd controls. I'd say if 80% of the games you play can be done on 2 CPs, there's no need to make those modular.
I guess my question is, if you are making a rotating CP, why not just make them all modular? Not that you *have* to change them out, but you have the option if you want it. What are you gaining by making only one of them modular?
Keep in mind I'm just playing devils adovocate here.
Doc-:
It is an intriguing idea. I think it does have some advantages over either a "rotating only" or "modular only" design.
Some plusses:
+ It might be easier to rotate for a few "truly" unique setups
+ You could combine the concepts by having a "few" swappable panels on one or more of the rotating panels to provide flexibility
+ You could preserve artwork on at least two of the "non-modular" panels
Some minuses:
- Complexity - rotating is pretty complex, and you are adding some additional complexity with the modular parts. This will take quite a bit of time/money to complete. It also might not be quite as robust as a system with fewer parts.
- Cost - clearly you are buying more parts than you would with a straight modular panel -- a single modular panel might give you the same game flexibility at much less cost
Overall, I would say that the ability to preserve artwork is the biggest plus of making it rotating, since you can achieve all of the game flexibility with a straight modular panel.
The biggest minus (from my perspective) is the time/complexity. From the descriptions I have read the rotating panels are not simple to produce, and I know that a modular panel does take quite a bit more time than a static panel.
If you have enough time and money on your hands, however, why not build it and let us know how it turns out? After all that's the kind of experimentation that leads to new innvoations.
I know when I went to convert my modular panel system based on a wacky design I had in my head, I was scared to death that I would sink a ton of time building it only to find that id did not work properly.
However, the opposite was true when I finished - I have no idea how I survived without the modular panel and I'm still amazed at the flexibility. I picked up a 360 degree driving wheel and shifter off ebay the other day and I'm now crafting some panels to mount it on the modular cabinet. Its great to add pieces as I find them.
Give it a shot! Go rotating AND modular?
Doc-
Patent Doc:
Doc's right about the added complexity of the modular panel on a rotating set-up. I'm in the process of doing this as well. Fortunately, 1UP has already paved the way for this. Check out his website www.1uparcade.com and look at how he is mounting the Star Wars yoke and T2 guns. This method allows for a consistent cp overlay that you merely cover up at times.
That being said check out Do'cs cp. I think its Doc's machine that has the wooden modular cp attached via dowels with T10 cables for connections (Doc...that's you right? I know this is an oversimplification). Anyway, I'm trying to combine the best of all worlds in mine and it sound like you are too. You don't have to make the entire CP modular. For example, I'm thinking about making three removable sections with nonremovable space in between. So in this world lets say you have a flight yoke and want the throttle on the left fine you remove two panels. If you want to mount a steering wheel with a shifter then the right two (unless of course you're in the UK then still the left two. The unused panel could switch between the left and right side. The advantage of this method is that you can have consistent artwork, but then you have to design your art work to be modular as well. Not too difficult just tedious.
Of course you could be like me and plan this thing forever. My wife just laughs at me because she doesn't think I'll ever start.
If you go modular on CP 3 do look at Doc's method of connection. Clearly the most elegant.
Kremmit:
If you're willing to buy the duplicate controllers for a dedicated fighter panel and a few others, then why not, but... Why rotate? A rotating panel is a considerable extra effort- instead, why not just do a couple dedicated, full-width "modules" for you fighter & other common layouts. These would snap in in place of the smaller modules you use for the less common setups, giving you that clean, 1 piece control panel look for your most common setups, without the extra design/carpentry hassles you get when you rotate.
Or not. It's your baby! ;)
Tahnok:
That sounds awesome! I say, as said above, if you are willing to buy the duplicate parts then go for it! Keep us posted on how it goes.
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