Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?

dsstrainer · 13 Dec 2016, 16:07

@backstander said in Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?:

Now I think the layout @Zigurana posted would be what I would expect when playing on a new Arcade cabinet I've never played on before and probably the most natural for me. The B and A buttons being used the most so they are the closest to you. Especially if most of yours games only used 2-4 buttons.

Agreed about B and A being the most used and in that order because of NES. But I found the other buttons get in the way when you have B and A as the top-left most buttons. So to play SMB you have to basically crane your hand over the second row of buttons. With my layout, your palm can rest on the panel while playing long Contra sessions. But I'm not married to it. The L and R might be best in something like @obsidianspider first entry with L and R being on the end. Plus it still keeps a more standard MAME format. But also the SNES arcade stick could work with NEO GEO games for ABCD. So many options.

@lilbud layout is just not right with A being before B IMO.

backstander · 13 Dec 2016, 16:39

@dsstrainer

@lilbud layout is just not right with A being before B IMO.

I bet if these retro controllers would've been invented in the USA, the A button would be before the B but we're all accustomed to B then A. Now days Microsoft is trying to fix this with they're Xbox controllers having A then B and X then Y. On my RetroPie I have my Xbox 360 controller setup so that the A button is set to B, B set to A, Y set to X and X set to Y so I can get that SNES feel.

ZogZogAkita · 13 Jan 2017, 12:52

Here is what I've done on my bartop :

Complete layout :

Hotkey functions

dsstrainer · 13 Jan 2017, 19:36

Aren't the lower buttons in the way of playing?

ZogZogAkita · 14 Jan 2017, 16:51

No, lower buttons are actually in front of bartop:

dsstrainer · 16 Jan 2017, 15:25

Ah ok.. nice.

Here's my latest panel I just sold. Tried a different offset for the buttons but don't like it. It turned out better on yours but mine feels a bit cramped. Customer didn't mind tho :)

I used
L R X
Y B A

rolrod66 · 21 Feb 2017, 04:54

@dsstrainer
I'm new to retropie .. I really like your button layout, can you share your button configuration file with me?

dsstrainer · 21 Feb 2017, 19:45

@rolrod66 I found that one here
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

I only used 6 buttons tho

rolrod66 · 22 Feb 2017, 02:34

@dsstrainer
Can you send me your retro arch config file for your buttons so I have something to work from. I would really appreciate it thanks!

lazarlazarov · 24 Feb 2017, 06:17

Do you reconfigure the keys in mame after the setup? I tried to, but it maps directly to the joystick, instead of retroarch.

rolrod66 · 27 Feb 2017, 14:53

Would some one send me their all/retorarch.cfg file that is setup for 2 players. So, I have a idea how to setup up mine. THANK YOU!

AndersHP · 19 Apr 2017, 18:40

I'm in the process of a bartop build, and I'm adding side buttons as well, primarily to have these as pinball buttons.

But what do you assign these for if not X,Y,A,B or L and R (my layout pr. player is 6 buttons)?

And is there a cool functionality to have for side buttons in Emulation station, e.g. letter browsing or something like that?

backstander · 19 Apr 2017, 19:01

@AndersHP

I'm adding side buttons as well, primarily to have these as pinball buttons.

I like that idea!

But what do you assign these for if not X,Y,A,B or L and R (my layout pr. player is 6 buttons)?

You could use L2 and R2 (aka trigger buttons) or L3 and R3 (push in sticks buttons)

And is there a cool functionality to have for side buttons in Emulation station, e.g. letter browsing or something like that?

On my controller if you use either the L2 and R2 trigger buttons or the L and R shoulder buttons (can't remember which) you can move down or up a page. That might be a good use for those side buttons.

pjft · 20 Apr 2017, 06:17

@backstander @AndersHP I love the idea of setting up side buttons for pinball games! Is it possible to get those to have the same function as existing buttons (I.e. having two buttons assigned to r2, for instance)?

I imagine that theoretically it would be, we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin? But as I haven't done any such setup yet, I'd love to get your thoughts for when I do set up my bartop.

Thanks!

backstander · 20 Apr 2017, 13:54

@pjft

I imagine that theoretically it would be, we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin?

I've never tried it either but I think it would be possible. I thought I read once of someone doing something like that on their bartop.

caver01 · 20 Apr 2017, 16:27

@pjft said in Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?:

we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin?

Yes. This is pretty common in the long history of BYOAC (build your own arcade cabinet). You can simply "double wire" the buttons so they operate in parallel with another button you already have. Ideally, you have enough inputs to map them separately (IPAC, etc. with a bunch of input screw terminals), but with GPIO you may be tapped out. I have seen plenty of examples of sharing input wires; the best example of this is the old "Franken-panel" where someone will wire up an additional joystick using the same inputs as existing Player 1 stick. In other words, Player 1 might normally use an 8-way joystick, but the builder installs an additional 4-way with a restrictor plate to improve the experience with classic games like PacMan, Donkey Kong, etc.

AndersHP · 27 Apr 2017, 05:50

@caver01 Ah I can see the point in this.
I haven't thought of making the buttons do the same as the trigger buttons, maybe I should just do that.

I have spare slots on my iPac, so I think as a start I will try and see what L2 and R2 would do. I guess if in the end I want them to have the same trigger functions as buttons I already have, I could also hardcode the inputs in the config/all/retroarch.cfg to map to the same button as another.

svendborg · 14 Oct 2017, 20:43

@dsstrainer Hi there - I have built a control panel, wicth could resemple yours - just with the coinbuttons on the side, to funtion as flippers in a pin-ball game. I built it with the Ultimarc Minipac Keyboard Encoder - which is the same as the ipac.

...anyways. Could you post me a working Retroarch.cfg with the layout you just pictured? That would be really helpfull :-)

Ennio · 18 Mar 2018, 12:56

@dsstrainer I love your layout and am trying to do something just like in a full size arcade cabinet. I plan on using the coin return buttons at the Coin credit buttons to keep that look. I plan on purchasing the zero delay boards but noticed you also are using the xarcade keyboard encoder. Do I need both to do this setup. And like the last guy posted would you be willing to share your config file?

Thanks,
E

neb · 4 May 2019, 20:52

@dsstrainer , I know that this is an old post but maybe still alive. I love the layout of your buttons and am new to Retro Pie and trying to decide how to setup buttons. I built out a quick panel to test the configuration with your layout. I'm having trouble configuring my buttons though when I run Emulation Station's controller setup. Since there is not a Select / Start combo do you have some hidden buttons for this? Do you then connect buttons such as your "Save State" button to the "select" and "right shoulder" buttons so that pressing it actually sends both keys to the controller?

This is my first build, any help would be great!
Thanks!
Ben