Custom 2 players Control Panel

UDb23 · 7 Apr 2017, 23:02

After many weekend hours dedicated to it (far more than I expected); here's finally the result:

Researched a lot in this forum and other websites to create the plan for it.
Basically size and buttons layout are based on a Neo Geo arcade cabinet.
I preferred using plywood instead of MDF as it is significantly lighter (but more difficult to cut).
Suzo Happ Joysticks, IL concave buttons, cherry microswitches and Ipac-2.

Works really well: it's another world playing arcade games with this instead of a gamepad, or even the Qanba Q1 stick.

Note: initially tried using plexi as top cover but, as feared, had issues (cracks) cutting the button holes. Without professional tools cutting plexi the right way is almost impossible: therefore painted it with final glossy transparent coating.

Inside with bottom cover removed.

FlyingTomahawk · 4 Jul 2017, 22:05

Well done!
Maybe it's just me but I can't see the RPi 3 when looking at the "inside image"

UDb23 · 4 Jul 2017, 22:09

@FlyingTomahawk said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

I can't see the RPi 3 when looking at the "inside image"

In fact it's a just a Control panel; decided to keep Pi externally
Still I kept room inside to eventually place a Pi inside in the future.

jozzy1 · 4 Jul 2017, 23:12

@UDb23 sweet. love the design... will post pics of my cab when I finally tidy the inside up. it's like a rays best of wires...

meleu · 4 Jul 2017, 23:34

@UDb23 what does that little red button do?

jozzy1 · 5 Jul 2017, 02:49

@meleu said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

@UDb23 what does that little red button do?

I'm guessing it makes the panel fold out into a full size cab :D

TheStrayMongrel · 5 Jul 2017, 03:51

@UDb23 said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

it's another world playing arcade games with this instead of a gamepad

Amen to that! Nice job.

UDb23 · 5 Jul 2017, 05:25

@jozzy1 said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

I'm guessing it makes the panel fold out into a full size cab :D

lol !

UDb23 · 7 May 2017, 06:32

@meleu said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

what does that little red button do?

The initial idea was to "Exit game/emulator"; yesterday I found out that using both a gamepad and the control panel (seen as a keyboard) if you want to have a single key EXIT on the keyboard you have to find a compromise with gamepad hotkeys.
I want to keep gamepad hotkeys so at this stage I exit emulator with keyboard by pressing START 1 and COIN1 buttons (got small buttons on the sides for coins btw) on the control panel.
So what is now the best use for the red button for ? Suggestions welcome.
The blue button in the middle is currently used for Pause.

meleu · 5 Jul 2017, 05:45

@UDb23 said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

So what is now the best use for the red button for ? Suggestions welcome.

I would use it to invoke RGUI.

AndersHP · 7 May 2017, 10:14

@UDb23 what about using the red button as the hotkey? That's what I'm planning to do in my build with the front center button.

FlyingTomahawk · 5 Jul 2017, 12:39

@UDb23

I like the idea of "fold out into a full size cab" but we have to stay realistic. Maybe use the button as ON/OFF feature in the future if you ever put a RPi3 inside.

caver01 · 5 Jul 2017, 16:27

@UDb23 Nicely done. Looks like a good, clean, and solid build. This whole works connects to the Pi via one single USB (IPAC to Pi)?

A thought on the red button. . . if you wanted a single function normally accessed via hotkey combo, you could keep hotkeys enabled and wire the button to two terminals so that pressing it is like pressing two buttons at once--the hotkey and something else.

UDb23 · 5 Jul 2017, 16:48

@caver01 Thanks!
Yes Ipac-2 directly into usb of Pi3.
Good point: connecting two terminals could do the job.

UDb23 · 5 Jul 2017, 16:50

@meleu Mapping it to TAB could be interesting to customize "per game settings.
Still have to do extensive testing with various games to see if any button remapping is required.

UDb23 · 5 Jul 2017, 16:51

@FlyingTomahawk said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

button as ON/OFF feature

Yes, that could be another use, thanks.

lilbud · 5 Jul 2017, 19:15

@UDb23 said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

So what is now the best use for the red button for

Destroying the world

MattyL42 · 6 Jul 2017, 10:01

@UDb23 Nice idea buddy, can I ask do you get the switches with the joysticks/buttons and does everything come with connectors fitted so it's easy to connect up?

UDb23 · 6 Jul 2017, 10:23

@lilbud said in Custom 2 players Control Panel:

Destroying the world

Ok, world may not be perfect but that solution would be a little exaggerated ;-)

pjft · 6 Jul 2017, 12:30

Wow. This looks super, and it got me thinking about whether I should actually just build one of these rather than a full-sized cabinet.

How comfortable is it playing with it on your lap, and with two players how do you do it? Do you place it on a table? Do you sit very close to the other person in order to have that work and be stable?

And how are you connecting it to the Pi 3? A long USB cable?

Congrats and thanks for sharing!