Posted by bill connolly on 22, 2000 at 8:42 AM:
In Reply to: Controller layout image... suggestions please.... posted by Sy on 21, 2000 at 5:36 PM:
Looks like a great job!
If possible build a mockup on cardboard and mount the controls to it and play for a while. Twice I haven't done this, too impatient, and both times I have realized that I would have preferred my layout differently.
Roll the trackball as if you are playing your favorite trackball game and make sure the right joystick won't get in your way.
Might consider spacing out your mame control buttons, at least your pause so you can hit it without really looking down for it.
If your mouse buttons are only for mouse use and not arcade use, they could be smaller buttons and/or they could be moved out of the way of the trackball, say between the player 1 start and mame buttons. Just a thought, I haven't done this myself yet.
Since you have the mame controls on the panel I would assume that you will not have your keyboard hooked up to the cabinet. Although I have only had my cabinet up and running for 2 weeks, I use my keyboard all the time making config tweaks, loading files, etc. I have decided to go ahead and leave it connected all the time, it stores in a compartment nicely under my control panel. I do have an escape and pause on the panel though as these are necessary for game play while tab enter tilde are not as I configure the games once and am done. At least I hope so!
In front of each player the control panel is slanted. That looks sharp! I don't spend much time in game rooms anymore, I'm 34, I do think a lot of the 90s machines did this. My only question/comment is… are machines designed this way so that the players can stand and face the monitor at an angle instead of head on? If so should the player configuration (joystick and buttons) be slanted also?
Can't wait to see your project.
Best of luck
Bill
: I'm almost ready to start drillin holes for my controller... I got all the parts from happ already and I'm just layin it out right now. the following image is what got so far. If I counted right I should be able to fit all the controls here on 1 i-pac controller(with a little key remapping in mame). I'm considering the offset buttons(blue) as shown so that It will say a pretty true street fighter layout but will also set up nicely as a neogeo cntroller using the top 3 blue buttons and the 1 lower left button. Let me know what you think... comments... suggestions... flames... bring it on... thanks!!!
: ~Sy