Special Administrative Buttons for GameEx Cabinet

[Koop]

For those of you who built an actual arcade cabinet to house their GameEx machine, I was wondering what special "administrative" buttons you included on your control panel (or elsewhere on the cabinet). These are all the buttons that are NOT used during gameplay.

Buttons I'm definitely using:

• Insert Coin 1-4
  
• Start Game 1-4
  
• Exit (quit game)
  
• L/R Flippers
  
• volume control for speakers (not really a button)
  
• I'll also have a wireless keyboard that I can grab while doing heavy duty administering
  

Buttons that I've thought about and are considering:

• Back (for GameEx menus)
  
• Pause
  
• 3 Mouse buttons
  
• Some sort of button that brings up the emulator menu to access save states (haven't researched if it's possible to standardize all the emulators this way)
  

Some of this depends on what you designed your cabinet to play. I'm not set in stone yet, but my cabinet will primarily be designed for MAME first and foremost. I also want to be able to play Atari 2600 and NES games which I think will be simple considering their simple controllers. Others like SNES and Genesis should be doable, but not a priority. N64 should be playable because I plan to build a 2 player cabinet with 2 USB ports to plug in 2 Xbox 360 controllers, so I can use those controllers for the N64 games.

So, any recommendations? I thought about posting this in the BYOAC Forum, but I wanted to get the opinion of someone who is using GameEx.

Real quick, this is what I plan to have on my control panel:

• 2 joysticks (4/8 way switchable)
  
• 6 buttons for each player (should I have 7 or 8? I can't think of a game that uses that many)
  
• Trackball
  
• 2 spinners (I'm assuming these can double as steering wheels)
  
• 2 USB ports to add 2 Xbox 360 controllers for the 3rd and 4th players
  

I appreciate the advice.

[Draco1962]

Your setup will be similar to mine so far as the systems to be emulated (add Daphne, Future Pinball, the Game Boy/Virtual Boy and Game Gear handhelds). I have the X-Arcade Tankstick (Thanks, Santa!) and it has 2 joysticks,8 buttons per player, track ball (will add 2 spinners in the future), Player 1 & 2 Buttons, along with two "flipper" buttons on each side.

A more detailed list can be found here under the GameEx Support section. This also covers default Keyboard, Media Center Remote, GamePad, and Hot Rod / X-Aracde / SlikStik / JPAC / IPAC configurations. Hope this is of help!

[Koop]

Thanks, I didn't know about that link to the control listing. That will be helpful. I will be using an IPAC2.

I've heard of the X-Arcade, but I'm going to be building my own control panel. I will also be adding Future Pinball and Visual Pinball, just forgot to mention those before.

Can you name a game that uses 7 or 8 player buttons? If there is one it must be a fighting game, but I don't know of one so I'm not planning on building those buttons.

[simbamame]

To be honest i cant think off any games where 7 or 8 buttons would be used except for Defender, i use buttons for this as i find it easier than a joystick, so for me it : up,down, thrust,fire,reverse, smart bomb and hyperspace. but also in saying that when not in MaMe the buttons also double as navigation for GameEx for example my right flipper button is fwd in GameEx and volume up in jukebox.

[Draco1962]

I have not played many of the later fighting games, but would imagine that there are some that make use of more due to special combo moves. Most CPs that I have seen tend to be in the 6-8 button per player range (not inclusive of any flipper buttons for use with pinball games or player # buttons).

[Stu1983]

I would recommend as many buttons as possible. My first control panel had 6 buttons for each player + money in and start buttons but I was constantly wishing I had added extras.

I eventually decided to make a new panel, this time using Andy's awesome UltraStiks http://www.ultimarc.com/ultrastik_info.html these are just fantastic when used along with Ben's plugin for GameEx as it switches between 2 way, 4 way and analog depending on the game.Using these sticks also makes N64 gaming on my cab without extra joypads perfect.

I find the extra player buttons most useful for other systems like Playstation, Dreamcast, N64 and Saturn. I actually have 9 player buttons on my new panel, 2 rows of 4 and an extra at thumb level.

* * * *

* * * *

*

Along with the 9 player buttons for each stick I have

2 flippers

2 for forwards and backwards

2 player start buttons

2 select buttons

2 money in buttons that are connected to a working coin mech

4 buttons on the underside that are hidden, I had these spare so though I would add them in, they have came in handy though

1 is set as money in to override the coin mech

I have one set to Alt+F4 and another set to Ctrl+Alt+Delete, neitherare essential but was handy during my many nights testing and setting things up

the final starts GameEx

So that's 30 in total

Does seem like a lot but after regretting not having enough on my first attempt I thought I would make sure and get it right 2nd time

Stu

[Draco1962]

Would you mind sharing a pic or two of your CP, Stu?

[Koop]

I have actually already bought some parts when I was doing a trial run of a control panel. I bought the Mag-Stik Plus from Ultimarc (4/8 way switchable from the top) and an IPAC2. Since the IPAC2 supports up to 8 buttons, you're right, I might as well build them. I'm sure they could come in handy and it's not like they would really be in the way. I suppose if I realized that I made a big mistake I could buy different parts, but I plan to use these because I already put the thought into what I wanted before buying them.

Yes, Stu, please share a pic of your CP. What are the foward/backward buttons for? Are they for emulation fast forwarding/rewinding?

Does nobody use a Pause button? Does anyone utilize save states on their cabinet? Save states is easy with a full keyboard, but has anyone succeeded in an easy implementation on a CP without getting too cluttered?

[Stu1983]

Here are some pics, I still haven't got around to adding any artwork, it's been on the to do list for a while now I've added a few shots at the end showing the buttons lit up for N64 and for NES showing how they light up differently depending on the game/system.

The back and forward buttons are the red and green buttons on the front, in GameEx they select and cancel, in a game the red exits and the green pauses though not all systems support this.

It's sounds like you're going down a similar route as me, I started with 2 mag sticks and the ipac then changed to the ultra stiks, the ultra stick supports 8 buttons each and then I use the ipac for the rest f my butons. LEDWiz controls the colours along with Ben's excellent plugin for GameEx.

Stu

[Koop]

ahh man, no trackball and spinners? That looks sweet though with the automatic color changes per system. For me that would be an upgrade a long way down the road.

So I'm guessing your forward and back buttons are just the equivalent of Enter and Backspace in GameEx.

The Ultrasticks look pretty cool, especially with the analog features, but I like the on-the-fly switching between 4 and 8 way that the Mag-Stik Plus has.

[simbamame]

Ah bro thats sweet, love the colour changes on the buttons per system, how is the switching / controlling done ?

[Stu1983]

ahh man, no trackball and spinners?.... forward and back buttons are just the equivalent of Enter and Backspace... but I like the on-the-fly switching between 4 and 8 way that the Mag-Stik Plus has.

Yeah I keep meaning to add spinners but have never gotten around to it.

I have back set to Escape and forward as Enter

You should really look at the UltraStiks. Ben's UltraStik plugin takes care of the switching for you using the Mame dat files. He automatically loads the 2 way, 4 way, diagonal profiles or whichever is required and when you close GameEx he switches the sticks to the mouse profile to get you around windows

how is the switching / controlling done ?

The LED's are connected to an LEDWiz and Ben has a 'LCD/LED Plugin' that comes bundled with GameEx which lets you set up the colours for each system or for each game if you want. He uses some of the mame data files to auto set the Mame game lights automatically, so if a game only uses 2 buttons then only those 2 light up.

Stu

[ehuonder]

I have a setup similar to Stu, with the arching 2 rows of buttons, but only a total of 8-buttons per player plus coin and start. My configuration is two arching rows of three with two more for the thumb.

* * *

* * *

* *

Although players 3 & 4 only have four buttons

* * *

*

I also have left and right flipper buttons, 2 mouse buttons that work with my trackball as a mouse, a special button located front and center specifically for hyperspace (I'm still a die-hard asteroids fan), and 4 admin buttons center-top of my panel. For the admin buttons, one is assigned to 'p' for pausing, one is assigned to Esc, and the other two are assigned to my two IPAC shift keys. Although, I have to admit that I rarely ever use the shift functions on the panel. If I need these keys, I pull my keyboard out of the cabinet.

My tastes are pretty much old school, so the more modern fighter games that use all of the buttons are not really used. My original intend was to support them, as well as all of my Playstation one games. Really, my cabinet was built for Asteroids, Tron, Tempest, and 4-player Gauntlet... and it does those very well! The rest is just ready for expansion.

Link to pictures (WOPR)

[Koop]

A few questions, if I plan to use an Xbox 360 controller for players 3-4 do I need to include a 3-4 player Insert Coin and Start buttons? I imagine that I could use the Start and Back/Select button on the controllers for those functions. Am I correct?

Also does anyone here use the Opti-PAC?

http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac1.html

I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly, the Opti-PAC can support 2 trackballs and 4 spinners all at once? I just want 1 trackball and 2 spinners so I'm definitely okay, right? Could I use the extra inputs for anything else?

Thanks.

[Draco1962]

A few questions, if I plan to use an Xbox 360 controller for players 3-4 do I need to include a 3-4 player Insert Coin and Start buttons? I imagine that I could use the Start and Back/Select button on the controllers for those functions. Am I correct?

You are correct - keep in mind that it will be a separate keyboard combo that will need to be assigned to those controllers.

Also does anyone here use the Opti-PAC?

http://www.ultimarc.com/optipac1.html

I just want to make sure I'm reading this correctly, the Opti-PAC can support 2 trackballs and 4 spinners all at once? I just want 1 trackball and 2 spinners so I'm definitely okay, right? Could I use the extra inputs for anything else?

Since trackballs and spinners are interpreted as mice, you would likely be restricted to those types of devices.

[Koop]

Since trackballs and spinners are interpreted as mice, you would likely be restricted to those types of devices.

Yeah I'm only going to use those types of devices, I was mostly concerned with the number of devices the Opti-PAC supports being connected to it at the same time. Although, I wouldn't be using the spinners and the trackball at the same time, just the 2 spinners at the same time.

[Draco1962]

Since you have room for 4, you can use the trackball and 2 spinners with 1 to spare.

[ehuonder]

The Opti-Pac can handle AT MOST 2 trackball and 4 spinners... If you are using 1 trackball and 2 spinners, you actually have 1 trackball and 2 spinners remaining! But, each trackball (2-axis) is shared with 2 spinners (each 1-axis), so if you're using both at the same time, your movements are additive...

Since you're only using 1 trackball and 2 spinners, you could wire it up so that they do not interfere with each other...

[Koop]

Thanks ehuonder. Their website tries to make this clear, but the language they use could really be interpreted two different ways. Just wanted to make sure though!

Does anyone play Atari 2600 games on a cabinet? Some games simply start with the push of the fire button, but some games require you to hit the reset key. Is the only way to do this to add another button on the control panel? Has anyone found a good work around?

[ehuonder]

I have Atari 2600 set up on my cabinet, but I haven't played it in a while. I don't remember this issue. Do you have some specific games that I could go test? Also, what emulator are you using? I currently have Mess setup to run it (I know it's not the best...) and it allows me to remap keys for reset to one of my existing control panel buttons while emulating that system. If my memory serves me correct, Stella is the more popular Atari 2600 emulator. I would guess that it will let you remap a key for reset (someone else can chime in if I'm wrong)... and I'm guessing that you have plenty of buttons already for this since the 2600 only has a joystick and 1 button.

[Koop]

There are a couple. Air-Sea Battle is one of them. I use Stella. I compared it to Mess and z26 and I like Stella a lot better. Yeah, I can probably remap the reset keys to other unused keys, but I didn't like the idea of one of the action buttons being the reset key because then it might get hit accidently, but I may just have to live with that. I could also use the Start or Insert Coin buttons which would probably be a better idea.

[ehuonder]

I can understand not wanting to map the reset to an action key... I guess this leads back to your original question about administrative keys... If you do not want it mapped on an action key, administrative keys would be a good choice. My cabinet has 4 admin keys that are centrally located on the panel that are used for Escape, pause, and IPAC shift keys (2 IPACs). I use the shift key for functions that I don't do often or during game play. This may be a good place for yours??? Shift + P1 Start => Atari Reset? Just an idea. I'm sure you've had plenty of ideas yourself. Pick what you like! (you can always re-wire or add more buttons... or build another cabinet! )

[Koop]

Alright, I'll think about it. Right now I'm thinking I could use the coin in and start buttons for P1 since those aren't used in Atari. Just thought I'd ask around to see what others were doing. Thanks.