I've even made silicone molds to pour in (colored) epoxy resin for the 4 face buttons.
I debated on having either 4 fbs, or 6. I decided on 4. But (almost) all buttons will use the smaller (clicky) micro-switches. I'm wanting them (the 4) to lie flat instead of coming straight down. I'll need a small lever...
For the D-Pad - I'm wanting to make it based on an idea I've had from years back -- I even had the design sent off to a 3-D printing company. When I got it back it was too tight... And the amount of movement would only be appropriate for the soft/silicone contacts in traditional game-pads. I'll need something slightly larger.
It will have 2 analog sticks. I prefer the PS style of 2 sticks in the center as opposed to the XBox design.
The only thing I can't have is analog control of the L & R triggers.
I don't care that much about force-feedback.
I'm going to be housing/building it with plastic sheets I've bought from Amazon. So that'll involve some cutting, (hot) gluing (or maybe some super-gluing), and maybe bringing out the ol' heat-gun to bend/form some of the plastic.
I still have a ways to go on it - but it's going to be rather simple... Probably - mostly flat like the ol' Saturn 6-button - truly the BEST™ for fighting games!
Why? I got tired of gamepads wearing out. Either a silicone contact breaks and a button won't work, or a trigger being too sensitive or just not working correctly.
Seriously! Somebody should corner the market on providing replacement silicone contacts for gamepads. I have at least 5 other controllers where something (maybe just one thing) isn't right with them. So in a bin they go.
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Edit: If I did/do go with 6 face buttons - that would of course mean I'd lose 2 top or trigger buttons. I'd make the Z button = L1, and C button = R1.
But given that I'd have wires I could simply switch around - the pad would essentially be (pretty much) modular.
Again. As much as I love the 6-button layout - the 4 might be more practical. But no telling what I might end up doing.
It would depend on how much room I can have for the small levers to activate the microswitches that are lying flat (instead of being up & down). I do this due to the wire connections. If I had them going down that would make the pad way too thick. Since I'm laying them on their side - I can have ~.5 inch thickness.
It will have to be thicker in places such as for the analog sticks... Maybe even the L & R triggers.
I'll have the next 2 days off. Maybe I can cram on this thing and get ever so closer to making it a reality!
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Re: Best PC Gamepad?
