Main > Main Forum

More room for 4 players!!!

<< < (4/7) > >>

IMMark:
If the other layout was done..players 1&3 monitor 1 and 2&4 monitor 2, could the controls be wired so in the 2 joystick games (smash TV), you could use the joystick from player 3 for player 1's second stick, and the same for player 2, using player 4 for second stick?

Also would two Ipac's be better than one Ipac4.

Also any other info on the "hot key" you mentioned to activate the switchover...I am not familiar with them? ???

NoOne=NBA=:

--- Quote from: IMMark on January 15, 2005, 11:10:10 am ---Also would two Ipac's be better than one Ipac4.
--- End quote ---

My thought was that I-pac #1 would then run directly to cab one only.
I-pac #2 would run to the KVM switch, and then get sent to either Cab 1 for 4-P games, or cab 2 for 2-P games.
The KVM switch would send the video for the correct computer at the same time as the control switch is made.



With a single I-pac 4, you'd have to:

1) Figure out a way to send the inputs from it to TWO computers simultaneously to play separate 2-P games on each cab.
NOTE: I'm not even sure that CAN be done.

2) Have a separate encoder in Cab 2 anyway, and switch the inputs from that encoder to the I-pac 4 for 4-P games only via a ground wire cut-off.





--- Quote ---Also any other info on the "hot key" you mentioned to activate the switchover...I am not familiar with them? ???

--- End quote ---

Most (possibly ALL, I'm not sure) KVM switches have a hotkey command on the keyboard that tells them to switch between computers.

The basic operation of them is that you have ONE keyboard, ONE mouse, and ONE monitor, but TWO computers.
When the hotkey command is pressed, it tells the switch to send any data from this point on to THAT computer.
Pressing the combination again tells it to send everything to THIS computer.

If you multi-wired a single switch (ala the Shazaam key type diode setup), so that it performed that key combo, the cab would automatically switch the video and controls from one computer to the other with each press of that button.

oldsage:

--- Quote from: NoOne=NBA= on January 15, 2005, 04:36:30 pm ---
--- Quote from: IMMark on January 15, 2005, 11:10:10 am ---Also would two Ipac's be better than one Ipac4.
--- End quote ---

My thought was that I-pac #1 would then run directly to cab one only.
I-pac #2 would run to the KVM switch, and then get sent to either Cab 1 for 4-P games, or cab 2 for 2-P games.
The KVM switch would send the video for the correct computer at the same time as the control switch is made.



With a single I-pac 4, you'd have to:

1) Figure out a way to send the inputs from it to TWO computers simultaneously to play separate 2-P games on each cab.
NOTE: I'm not even sure that CAN be done.

2) Have a separate encoder in Cab 2 anyway, and switch the inputs from that encoder to the I-pac 4 for 4-P games only via a ground wire cut-off.





--- Quote ---Also any other info on the "hot key" you mentioned to activate the switchover...I am not familiar with them? ???

--- End quote ---

Most (possibly ALL, I'm not sure) KVM switches have a hotkey command on the keyboard that tells them to switch between computers.

The basic operation of them is that you have ONE keyboard, ONE mouse, and ONE monitor, but TWO computers.
When the hotkey command is pressed, it tells the switch to send any data from this point on to THAT computer.
Pressing the combination again tells it to send everything to THIS computer.

If you multi-wired a single switch (ala the Shazaam key type diode setup), so that it performed that key combo, the cab would automatically switch the video and controls from one computer to the other with each press of that button.

--- End quote ---

NOW i finally understand you... I have one of those actually, but it doesn't have a hotkey (AFAIK)...
Though you could (theoretically) hack it and wire it to a momentary contact switch on the side of the cab or something, and even wire up the LEDs on it to show if you're running two or four players...

Now it seems possible, and cool... only problem is, if you push the button accidentally while playing, you screwed the game... Not in a way that can't be fixed by pressing the button again, but that still is a bit of a party wrecker...

"Dude, were losing! Lets push the button and we winnnnnnn!!!!!"

....

Naaaaa... I'm the only one that childish in here...  ;D

Kremmit:

--- Quote from: paigeoliver on January 14, 2005, 02:55:01 pm ---Instead of building one giant cab just build twin 2 player cabs and run them off a single computer as a single 4 player cab.

All you need is an I-Pac 4 and a VGA splitter cable.

--- End quote ---


--- Quote from: NoOne=NBA= on January 14, 2005, 05:22:46 pm ---You should be able to use a KVM switch to hook both computers to the same "keyboard" and monitor, on the second cab.
Then you could set a hot key on the CP that would activate the switchover.
You'd probably be best off with TWO I-pacs though.
One running to cab one only, and the other run to the KVM switch, and then to cab 2.

--- End quote ---

Paige's way sounds easier.  ONE computer w/ an IPAC4 only.  Instead of trying to get 2 computers with 2 encoders to co-operate, just run the input lines for players 3&4 out the back of cab 2 to cab 1, which houses the PC & IPAC4. 

If you wanted to be able to run cab2 separately when not running 4 player games, then I've seen software that lets 2 users each log into WinXP at the same time, and run independant tasks on separate Keyboard/Mouse/Monitors- you could try running that on the PC in Cab1, or you could put a 2nd pc in Cab2, with the KVM switch wired between that PC and the lines running to Cab1.

Sephroth57:
not that im saying this isnt cool, but is it really practical? the amount of times i have 4 people over at once wanting to play my cab is few personally.. but how often do you plan on playing 4 player games? and what 4 player games are that good that wouldnt get old after a while, only thing i can think of thats 4 player really are beatem up kind of games and gauntlet

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

Go to full version