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4 Player CP layout

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WwonderLlama:
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My links in this thread are largely broken, and I haven't tracked down the source
files again.  My MAME gallery is now at:
  http://www.llamamuds.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=33&g2_page=2
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Hey all,

  Well, I've read through the Project Arcade book and sifted through more BYOAC-related sites than I can count.  So I'm getting ready to start my first cab, and I thought I'd see what kind of opinions the group might have about the layout I chose. I'm using the Gimp to design my plans and I'm pretty new to it, so please be kind. :)

The nice pic that shows the artwork well:
4cp-radial-black.jpg

The pic that shows the enclosure of the cp box:
4cp-radial-box.jpg

A few facts:
[*]The cp measures 38"x18 1/8".  I'm likely to trim the top panel down to 36"x17" or so, but leave the internal dimensions the same.
[*]I'm mounting pinball flipper buttons on the left and right side, provided the CP doesn't end up being too wide.
[*]I'm not overly attached to the positioning of the P1 and P2 controls.  
[*]I'll have a coin door for P1 and P2, but P3 and P4 are iffy. (depends on the coin door I buy)  I plan to mount P3 and P4 pushbuttons on the underside of the CP if my coin door has less than 4 slots.
[*]I'm thinking I'll use an I-PAC4, so not all of the admin buttons will be required.  What other functionality would be useful in their place?
[*]P1-P4 have 8-way joysticks, the extra (above P1) is a 4-way.
[*]I'm thinking of installing a translucent green or blue trackball (backlit).  Which do you think would look better?
[/list]
All opinions are welcome (but may not be heeded if they're too far out of my pricerange or vision).

Thanks!
Phill W

P.S.  I used the templates out of the Project Arcade book.  Everything in the above-linked pictures should be to scale. Great book, by the way!  I'm sure the BYOAC tokens I ordered will be just as high-quality.  8)

Doug:
I'm doing something very similar but instead of using coins I'm going to have insert coin buttons (just to save money.  I can always add a coin door later).  I also put the spinner on the left and the four way on the right, that was just a matter of personal  preference though. I'll probably also add some buttons next to either the four way, the spinner, or both.  I'm also considering giving players 1 and 2 a seven button layout.

I'm curious, what joysticks do you plan to use?

WwonderLlama:
I had the spinner and 4-way reversed like you're thinking, but I figured I'd have less interference from the P1 and P2 joysticks with the current configuration. I also had the 7-button layout on P1 and P2, but after looking at the games that would use that extra button, I decided to get rid of it since I wouldn't likely be playing them much.

I'm using Happs Compettition joysticks for P1-P4.  I haven't decided on the 4-way controller yet.  If the Compettition sticks work well enough on 4-way games, I may just leave the actual 4-way out.

WwonderLlama:
Oh, I guess I should update the links.

The links are now in a gallery at:
http://www.llamamuds.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=33&g2_page=2

DougHillman:
My $.02:

P3 & P4 will be standing there with their most sensative areas jamming right into the sharp edge of your front angles.

I'd probably try to find a way to pull the box in and change those angles so the sharp corners aren't right there.  

Check out what I'm talking about with the one I just built.  'bout halfway down the page are some pics.  

You wouldn't need to go as radical and rounded as I did.  Just shortening the sides up a handful of inches so that the corner is higher up the side would fix it up.  Don't shorten too much though, or you run into the same problem for P1 & P2.


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