Critique my CP layout

[said7]

http://www.said7.com/controls.swf

I made a button layout in flash. The only thing im thinking to change is lowering the trackball.

The glowing buttons are LED. And the middle four buttons are admin stuff the glowing button being a shift button.

What you guys think?

[AlanS17]

Well if you're mounting in wood you're gonna need a lot of room around that trackball for the mounting plate, anyways. You won't be able to get it too close to some of the buttons. What are the dimensions on your CP?

P.S. I like it.

[said7]

Thanks!

The dimensions are 29x14. But im not restricted to a certian size based on the style of my cab. Do you think a bigger CP would work better?

As far as trackball goes I dont plan on using a mounting plate. But i want enough room to play golden tee.

[SNAAAKE]

Pretty clean..I like .
Adding artwork?
Would be great..just wondering .

[said7]

Being that i am a flash designer i do feel that some artwork will be appropriate  

I actually have something very cool planned. A techno interface anime explosion  

Won't really get into it till i finish my cab base.

[armad1ll0]

I say leave it clean w/out artwork.
Artwork doesn't always make things better. Someof them look really cheesy with artwork everywhere. Artwork also makes you CP more specific to maybe just a couple of games. Clean black would be really nice.

The rule of design is to make "form meet function"

My main concern is that the two bottom most buttons can be hit by someone's elbow action when you are in 2P fighting action. That's not too cool. they should be higher somewhere. Or the trackball games can just use the buttons off of the P1.

[AlanS17]

The rule of design is to make "form meet function"

My main concern is that the two bottom most buttons can be hit by someone's elbow action when you are in 2P fighting action. That's not too cool. they should be higher somewhere. Or the trackball games can just use the buttons off of the P1.

Well I doubt anybody would hit those 2 buttons. They're kinda far out of the way. Even still, they may look better over the trackball. Plus you've got the room for a 3rd mouse button and it's likely that whatever encoder you're using permits one so you might as well toss it in there. Just beause you don't use the 3rd button in Windows doesn't mean you won't find a use for it in MAME one day and it wouldn't take up any additional space.

Another reason to put the trackball buttons over the trackball is this: one day you may decide to add a spinner and you may want to use those same buttons with the spinner. And as I see it, there's only one good place to put the spinner - above the trackball. I know you want to play Golden Tee, but spinners have a low profile and shouldn't get in the way.

[jakejake28]

missile command...
put a third button for the tb. it is definitly worth the $1.59 of the pushbutton.

[said7]

I was afraid to put the buttons above the trackball because I was afraid to mash em when i did the mega golden tee slam. Has that been a promblem for anyone?

[AlanS17]

When I play Golden Tee I usually sweep up as I hit the ball. Kind of like swooping in for the kill. My hand tends to splat against the screen, but I've never ever hit the control panel in front of the ball. Plus buttons are pretty low profile.

[CthulhuLuke]

I have personally noticed that its much easier on my hand to just use the player 1 top 3 buttons for missile command, and I just use one fo the player 1 buttons for Centipede, Millipede, etc.  And for a trackball, you're not going to be doing the mouse clicks with one hand, unless you have REALLY long fingers.
  -Luke

[said7]

Which layout do you think is better?

The one posted firts or this one....
http://www.said7.com/controls2.swf

I lowered the trackball and put the mouse buttons on top.

[tmasman]

Personally, I like the second one better...
It gives you a little more room to rest your hand next to the trackball and it gives you a little more room to throw your hand across the TB too.

I'm getting ready to build my first cabinet (all from scratch...) and my plans for the control panel look very similar to yours. (the function buttons will be laid out differently, but it's the same basic layout).