Off Topic Control Panel Question about linking buttons...

[Visitor Q]

Player 1 will have a 7 button layout; I will also have a spinner with 2 buttons and a track ball with 3.

My question is, should I link button 1 player 1 to button 1 on the spinner and button 2 player 1 to button 2 on the spinner?

I would also link button 1 player 1 to button 1 on the trackball etc...

The reason behind this would be that I would not have to configure as many games in mame to use certain controls with games that are setup to use certain controls. The downside to this as I see is less customizable options and what I mean by that is this. If I would decide to play PSX, a game that used all 8 buttons I would not be able to link to a close button if it was already hard linked to another.

To give you an idea of what my control panel layout will look like, I have attached a picture.

Thanks.

ps. Yes you may see this on another forum you visit, I am trying to gather as many opinions as possible on this subject.

[The Loafer]

I think you answered your own question. The moment you said you're considering PSX, then you don't have a choice, keep those buttons as separate. Easy eh? :)

[Visitor Q]

I think you answered your own question. The moment you said you're considering PSX, then you don't have a choice, keep those buttons as separate. Easy eh? :)

You would think it was an easy choice but if you saw the replies I was getting on BYOAC, you would think different.

[Dazz]

Even though I have an I-Pac4 I have several of my buttons linked... My spinner/4 way buttons are all linked back to p1 button 1 and button 2. I then have Pinball flippers mapped to left to p1 button 3 and 4, right mapped to p2 button 3 and 4. Center tilt button is linked with my p1 button 5. I think that is about all that I have linked. But my deal is that I wanted to program my I-Pac4 without using ANY special windows function keys... F1 - 12, ALT, CTRL, Home, Ins, PGup, PGdn, End, Del. I do have ESC (Exit) and TAB (pause) mapped to hidden buttons on the back side of my control panel.

[Visitor Q]

I see what you are saying but there are plenty of keys on the keyboard to cover all this without linking buttons.

[Dazz]

I also don't use number keys (except for 1, 2, 3, 4) & number pad keys. That leaves you with roughly 45 keys to work with.

Not to mention, I have a 4 player control panel...

[The Loafer]

I saw the replies, it's still an easy choice. You want to do PSX emulation on your cab then you need 8 buttons; simple math. an 8 button layout IMHO looks stupid so the closest thing for your cab to look like a classic cab is the 7 button neogeo/SF layout; which means you still need another separate button. If you want to stick with the classic SF 6 button layout then you will need 2 more buttons.

At the end of the day it's your cab, your choice. You could choose to not do PSX emulation which means linking then makes more sense (or at least limit yourself to those games that only use 6/7 buttons which for arcade type games you'll see there are many).

One option prevents you from playing PSX as you wish, the other allows it, but you have more trouble in setting up your games. I'd choose "more trouble" but allows to play the games.

[EVEGames]

VQ,
This is one where you gotta think outside the box my friend. You do NOT want to play PSX games with your arcade control panel. You want to play PSX games with a PSX controller the way God intended it :proud:. You want to mount an inconspicuous little USB hub just beneath the control panel (or get fancy and mount the actual PSX controller port down there), and use a PSX-to-USB adapter PLUS JoytoKey software for your Playstation solution. The adapters are $12 on ebay (they're the blue "Boom" adapters, and they also function as N64-to-USB adapters - here's one (http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-adapter-for-PS2-controller-Playstation-1-2-to-PC_W0QQitemZ310084413472QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item31 0084413472&_trkparms=72%3A1417%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)). As I eluded to before, you could disassemble the plastic casing and mount the actual PSX ports to the front of your cab. Then you get Joytokey (http://www.electracode.com/4/joy2key/JoyToKey%20English%20Version.htm) and set the mapping according to the mapping in your PSX emulator. Then you can have Joytokey start up automatically from your Startup folder. I've used this method for years, if it sounds interesting I can give you more detail.

[Visitor Q]

I also don't use number keys (except for 1, 2, 3, 4) & number pad keys. That leaves you with roughly 45 keys to work with.

Not to mention, I have a 4 player control panel...

Well 45 keys should be plenty for me, I am only going with a 2 player setup. Max I will need 40 and it is doubtful I will even need that many, I figured 36 without linking anything.

[Visitor Q]

I saw the replies, it's still an easy choice. You want to do PSX emulation on your cab then you need 8 buttons; simple math. an 8 button layout IMHO looks stupid so the closest thing for your cab to look like a classic cab is the 7 button neogeo/SF layout; which means you still need another separate button. If you want to stick with the classic SF 6 button layout then you will need 2 more buttons.

At the end of the day it's your cab, your choice. You could choose to not do PSX emulation which means linking then makes more sense (or at least limit yourself to those games that only use 6/7 buttons which for arcade type games you'll see there are many).

One option prevents you from playing PSX as you wish, the other allows it, but you have more trouble in setting up your games. I'd choose "more trouble" but allows to play the games.

Curious but what would you really consider being more trouble, just initial setup in mame or something?

ps. Good points and it is mainly how I see things.

[Visitor Q]

VQ,
This is one where you gotta think outside the box my friend. You do NOT want to play PSX games with your arcade control panel. You want to play PSX games with a PSX controller the way God intended it :proud:. You want to mount an inconspicuous little USB hub just beneath the control panel (or get fancy and mount the actual PSX controller port down there), and use a PSX-to-USB adapter PLUS JoytoKey software for your Playstation solution. The adapters are $12 on ebay (they're the blue "Boom" adapters, and they also function as N64-to-USB adapters - here's one (http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-adapter-for-PS2-controller-Playstation-1-2-to-PC_W0QQitemZ310084413472QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item31 0084413472&_trkparms=72%3A1417%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C 240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14)). As I eluded to before, you could disassemble the plastic casing and mount the actual PSX ports to the front of your cab. Then you get Joytokey (http://www.electracode.com/4/joy2key/JoyToKey%20English%20Version.htm) and set the mapping according to the mapping in your PSX emulator. Then you can have Joytokey start up automatically from your Startup folder. I've used this method for years, if it sounds interesting I can give you more detail.

I know and I completely understand this but one never knows so why take a chance is how I look at it. I have already thought about this but to me linking buttons, well let me put it this way. You #uck with, what your stuck with. Why not have as many opinions as possible for whatever reason, its not like it changes the layout really in anyway.

BTW here is the default linked buttons to above CP pictured.


Player one joystick and the 4-way joystick are linked together, does not apply if using U360s (duh).
Player1 button 1 and 2 are linked to the two buttons to the left of the spinner.
Player1 button 3,4,5 are linked to the three buttons to the right of the 4-way.
Player1 button 6 and 7 are linked to the left side pinball buttons.
Player2 button 1 is linked to the front pinball plunger button.
Player2 button 2 and 3 is linked to the right side pinball buttons.
Buttons to the left of the trackball are the mouse buttons.

[The Loafer]

Curious but what would you really consider being more trouble, just initial setup in mame or something?

ps. Good points and it is mainly how I see things.

It's a subjective thing. I personally don't care about those extra 2 buttons and PSX emulation. Although nice for some of the PSX shooters, it just isn't a big enough deal to want to dedicate 1 or 2 more extra buttons. But from what you state you seem to want it so if I really wanted the full PSX controller, then yeah, I'd probably consider dealing with the extra hassle of configuration.

But that's if I'm you, not if I'm me :).

[Dazz]

Honestly, for consoles... I use original controllers from the console hooked up via USB ports that I have under my control panel. I currently have NES, SNES, N64 and PSX. I am looking for an adapter for Sega Genesis/Master System. Also, a wireless Xbox 360 controller and the wireless adapter are great for almost all systems including PSX.

[BadBoyBill]

Honestly, for consoles... I use original controllers from the console hooked up via USB ports that I have under my control panel. I currently have NES, SNES, N64 and PSX. I am looking for an adapter for Sega Genesis/Master System. Also, a wireless Xbox 360 controller and the wireless adapter are great for almost all systems including PSX.

This is also the route that I'm going, I have everything listed above plus I have the sega genesis and mastersystem ones also. I also have neo geo sticks in usb, but wont use those. I just bought the xbox 360 wireless one like 2 days ago and now have it working in HyperSpin.

[Visitor Q]

Honestly, for consoles... I use original controllers from the console hooked up via USB ports that I have under my control panel. I currently have NES, SNES, N64 and PSX. I am looking for an adapter for Sega Genesis/Master System. Also, a wireless Xbox 360 controller and the wireless adapter are great for almost all systems including PSX.

Understood but we are starting to trail off a little here. I guess the real question is, are there any draw backs to having the buttons linked or not having them linked.

Here is how I see it.

Linked = Less work to configure
Not Link = More Control over the Control Panel

Can we add anything to those points?

BTW... Not sure if you guys know about this, I'm sure some of you do but each U360 can support 8 button presses as well but only as a joystick. Soooo... Do I use them or stick with IPac to control them.

[EVEGames]

VQ,
My bad. Back to your original question, Playstation completely aside, I see nothing but disadvantages to linking buttons together. You can always link or unlink two buttons programatically via your encoder, but once you physically link 2 buttons, you're imposing limits on yourself that will be very tedious to remove down the line.


Here is how I see it.

Linked = Less work to configure
Not Link = More Control over the Control Panel


But VQ, you're already doing a ton of work to get this control panel done right, look at the big picture. You'll never regret putting in the extra effort to wire and configure each button separately and give yourself maximum flexibility. What you might regret, however, somewhere down the line, is the self-imposed limitation of two buttons hard-wired together.
That's just my 2 cents.

About the 360s, if you can get away with using just those as your encoders, and cutting the IPac completely out of the picture, I'd say that's a pretty nice solution. But I have no personal knowledge of 360s or how they perform as encoders.

[Visitor Q]

I really appreciate everyone's feedback.

I think I am just going to go with the IPAC4; it gives be optimal programmability of my CP.