Making a Controller

[87x]

Yea.. you read it.. im making my own special controller for SM.. modled after the Pop N Music controller.. I have concept ideas. but i have already basically choosen my favorite.. just want to know what everyone else thinks would be the best design... The box will be made out of wood.. then covered over with Aluminum siding.. or Tin.. just some type of sheet metal to make it like nice.. and the buttons were initially going to be actual pop n music buttons.. but those are hard to find.. so im going with bike reflectors.. just because they look sweet and they would look even better at night.. plus they are mutli colored and are cheap... wel anyway... hit me back with what yall are thinking..

EDIT * Sorry everyone.. this is for my hands.. about the size of a key board Length and Width.. and is tilted slightly forward for better hand comfort..

[lightdarkness]

wait somewhat confused
is this for your hands or your feet
cause if its for your feet, number 3, but hands, 2
EDIT: Then deffinalty number 2

[Cenright]

I never have used my feet, but for my hands I use design 4. The left and the right arrow are touching, with the up and down arrows split by left and right ones.

It would probably work for feet though, all close together means having faster moves for the fast songs right?

[Privateer]

Bike reflectors? That's like, way too big.

[87x]

Bike reflectors? That's like, way too big.

The size of a bike reflector is roughly 3 inches in diameter... which is actually the perfect size for what i am needing.. Remeber.. this is going to be about the same size as a keyboard...

[Privateer]

Are you playing with your fingers? You say hands but 3 inches is very big to play with fingers.

[dancingmaniac3]

it would be very hard if they are seperated, each reflector at 3 inches in Diameter...cuz u would have to move ur whole arm left and right just to hit each key on number 1, unless u play with two hands. it would be very hard. and i still think bike reflectors are a bit too big. or if u use your fists or something, then it would be different. but i dunno. i still think number 3 is cool, but number 2 is like a regular keyboard, number 1 is too basic.

[87x]

hmm.. Ok.. i will try to describe this agian..
The controller is as big as a keyboard... buttons 3 inches in diameter... depending on the setup the buttons will be spaced 3/4 inch to a 1/2 apart... I will be playin two handed.. slapping the buttons as if i were playing Pop N Music at the arcade... I am trying to make it hard.. because playing with my fingers has gotten too easy and i need a new challenge... so based on this.. what do yall think?

[scorpio1690]

I'd think that hitting them like Pop N Music would be easier, but that's my point of view cause I've been playing the drums for 6 years. But I like the first one if any.

[Cenright]

If you play it like that, then it seems 3 would be the best. You just make them into an arc. That way you can rest your wirsts and rotate at the wrist from the inner ones to hit the outer ones, the curvature is good.

[Tasuke]

But, what if you just kind-of spread out and turned to the outside the buttons from Cenright's design
so you mbasically keep the basic design of a DDR pad but there not close together so that you have a chance of hitting the wrong one lioke say: hitting the UP instead of the RIGHT(I do that sometimes when playing FFR)
but the problem with design 2, 4 and my idea is that since the average keyboard is only about 6-7 inches long the UP and DOWN buttons would have to be pretty close together (unless you make the buttons smaller) Then, I think the problem with having the UP and DOWN buttons next to each other is that, you might confuse them if you were only lookin' at the screen...

O-K I'll shut-up now

[Cenright]

Sorry Tasuke, you lost me. "Make the buttons further apart on #4" was all I got out of that.

[jewpinthethird]

I think number one is the best because it resembles Pop n Music the best and it is something new besides the conventional step pad set-up. It also lines up with the actually arrows on the screen.

And if you have room, add two more buttons to the sides so you can play other Bemani simulaters like BM98 or Rhythm-It (on 5 key mode) and Band Jam.

[87x]

Alright, I spent some time on this in PHOTOPLUS (the much sweeter alternative to PhotoShop) and have come up with the following image to help you understnad what I am trying to do. Hope you like it...

[lightdarkness]

ok
now that is sweet
i want one, MOMMY MOMMY, I WANT DAT ONE!!!!