Posted by AUX on 30, 2000 at 11:57 AM:
In Reply to: Futuristic control panel concept? posted by Druin on 28, 2000 at 6:11 PM:
I was trying to come up with a similar modular control panel solution - but I wasn't thinking about switch circuits because I have no experience with them.
What I was thinking was to have the separate control modules fit into a rectangular bay, rather than several adjacent squares. In the bay would be all the necessary connectors - inline plugs with enough play in the cables to let them reach each side of the bay rather than using immobile ports at the bottom. That would let you arrange the modules however you wanted without the need for the circuit you were thinking about.
It would look messier inside compared to your idea using circuits.
I'd like to have 4 joystick plugs, 4 button plugs and a set of dual-mice plugs that would allow for 4 spinners (for Warlords and maybe those top-down driving games) or 2 trackballs (don't even know if that's possible). Hopefully I could get the button plugs to work with different button modules, so that they could support both 6 buttons SF2 style, or 4 buttons, NeoGeo style, or whatever suits the game.
But I also didn't know of a way to keep the control modules in place during gameplay - especially with an open rectangular bay-type of setup. With separate squares, at least that would hold the modules laterally. Maybe the top and bottom edges could have some kind of swinging lockable bracket? But I'm afriad that would interfere with gameplay.
Also, I wondered how big I'd have to make it to allow at least 4-player Gauntlet.
: I keep trying to figure out how to come up with an acceptable control panel idea and None of the options seem appealing, mostly because there is something Fixed about them.