Challenging the Concept of Arcade Sticks

[Epiren]

Rather than make new threads - or clog up my other threads - with photos of my other works, I'm just going to post them all here. (I'll have everything moved here sometime later in the day).

Table of Contents:

i) Body Pillow Arcade Stick - ver 1.0 (Noel)
i.a) Body Pillow Arcade Stick - ver 2.X
i.b) Body Pillow Arcade Stick - Warhammer
ii) Skelebox
iii) St. Stickolas
iv) Black Bow (Wired)
v) Le Petit Contrôleur Vertical (The Platinum)
vi) OS:BC
vii) Gauntlet Hitbox
viii) Black and Red
ix) Shield (Hitbox) (Currently Being Painted)


Edit: I'm alive. Doubt I'll post much on this forum, but I like keeping images and ideas in one place.

[Epiren]

(if this ends up in OP, then so help me)

Body Pillow Stick
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Tools / Materials:

Controller PCB (1)
Controller Buttons (11)
Joystick (1)
22-24 AWG Wire
Wood
Hinges (2)
Screws (... a lot)
Nuts & Washers
Harness / Wire-ties

Table Saw
Screwdriver (Phillips & Flat)
Power Drill
Round File
Sandpaper (Coarse - Fine)
Pencil
Masking/Duct/Electrical Tape

Instructions:
*To come at a later time

Ver 1.0 Images

Noel Body Pillow & Cover - Banned at GO, June 19, 2014


First Draft of Top Panel - Separated


First Draft of Top Panel - Adjoined


First Draft of Stick - Body


Body Pillow - Stick Slot


First Draft of Hinge Attachments - Inside


My cat.


Buttons are inserted


Initial Wiring


NOW PUT THE STICK INTO THE PILLOW


And Finished!


At Scene


How to firmly grip the stick, gently tap her buttons

[Five_X]

I'm pretty sure you are the pagan god of arcade sticks.

[Mattias]

I'd worship you. You know, if I ever used a stick instead of my DualShock 4...

[Epiren]

Body Pillow Arcade Stick ver 2.6
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Changelist:

* Longer top panel - to ensure that the stuffing does not cover the top buttons + plus easier to lift
* Slimmer design - seriously, there was no point - now that I think about it - in giving space to put the cover in.... maybe
* 4 beams instead of 2
* 2 beams will support the back
* Need more support for right hand
* HINGE OUTSIDE - should give wider range of rotation
* Need to fix Start+Select+Home arrangement/location
* HitBox rather than Joystick? ..... nah
* Bolts and washers on the side - to better attach the pillow's fabric, so that it ain't a gaping hole, in which the stuffing can fall through
* Need to devise new way to attach the flap to cover
* NO GAPING HOLE ON THE BOTTOM - I have to remove stuffing which gets trapped inside every. freaking. TIME!
* Rather than proper holes, it may possibly be better to make a + slit in the cover for the buttons

Ver 2.6 Images

Parts are cut out and have their edges sanded


Current Stick - Body. Notice the protruding rounded edges.


Current Stick - Top. Pre-cut


Holes are cut and filed away


My Greatest Decision Yet. Putting the hinges outside


Look at that angle of rotation!


Locking tabs


Current Stick - Assembled.

Current but Unused Cover

[Rafflesiac]

The cat was the most crucial part of the construction process, I assume?

[Epiren]

The cat was the most crucial part of the construction process, I assume?

Actually, she was the part that (excessively) extended construction time. And more than once, tried to hide in my pillows' cavities.

Warhammer
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It was a pain to lug around. But it certainly got me noticed, me slinging it across my back or shoulders as I circled the room. (In truth I had put my 3ds in there, and was using the extended reach/height to get more Street Pass... pedestrians?)

Spoiler:

Displaying my Hammer


The Stand/Handle


Placement of the bolts

[I3uster]

You are great.

[Nihilm]

This is just kind of awesome, good work and keep posting your work.

[Epiren]

Thanks for your kind words. Now - on to the more recent (and more fun) stuff!

Skelebox - The Stick for Dead Games
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Materials:
- Prop Skeleton
- Buttons
-> Seimitsu, 24mm, QTY - 11
-> Seimitsu, 30mm, QTY - 01
- PCB (PS360+)
- Wires
- File, Round/Circular
- Soldering Iron



I had originally used a drill and knife to cut out the holes - but then I realized that Plastic melts. Midway through, I switched to a soldering iron that I would've disposed of otherwise. Prior to that, a hole would've taken about 5 - 10 minutes to cut to spec; with an iron, it took about 1. If I were to do this again, I would pick up a Heated Knife (apparently from X-acto?)

Tried not to cut deeply into the sternum, so the buttons ended up funky. If there was something to change, I would definitely, absolutely, without a doubt put the 'Up' button in its former position. It's the blue button. You'll see. The damned thing kept popping out of its makeshift holder, and it would often not fully compress (and not send the signal).

Also, I tore his arm off by accident. Note to self - try not to do that again.

Photos

Attack Button Holes


Left, Down, Right Direction Button Holes (from bottom to top hole)


Up Direction Button Hole - Never Again. Mark my words.


Attack+Start+Select Buttons are Installed - ignore the disorganized 'guts'


Directional Buttons are Installed. You can't see me, but I'm glaring at that blue button :[


"Oh hey buddy, mind lending me a hand?"

[Kirby]

o.o

So do you, like, hug the skeleton to use it?

[Mattias]

It does seem a tad unwieldy, but that does seem to be your general MO, going by all the others. Personally I'd just do one out of the skull, but thats just me not wanting to carry around a skelton all the time.

[Epiren]

Just a skull huh... I'll think about that later. The unwieldiness will be patched if I do this again next year.

Saint Stickolas - You win, and you'll get nothing from me :| (Current Seasonal Stick)
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[Current Design - St. Stickolas ver 3.1 here]
*due to a lack of camera, I don't have a picture of my most current yet. That will come later.


St. Stickolas ver 2.0

Spoiler:

St. Stickolas 2.0 Base


Where the buttons are gonna be


Le Stick Placement


Cut a Hole in the Back - for putting in the buttons and wires and stuff


X Marks the Spots


Buttons! In!


Don't Worry, I'm a Professional*

*Didn't capture it, but the head is ceramic. I had to bash it with a pick, rather than a drill.


Oddly enough, the pick broke it pretty well.


Start Button


Don't worry, I'm a Profess-- Aw screw drill it


Have to. Widen your. Hole. To get. My. Stick. In. Urrgh <3


And done!

I'll post ver 1.1 and 3.1 later tonight.

[Mattias]

Nice. Although if you're going to make the eyes into buttons, I'd suggest either doing both for symmetry, or attach a chain to the one glowing button to make it look like a monocle. And then it becomes classy Santa. Or eddyak Santa if you add a moustache too...

[Nihilm]

Isn't it awkward to be playing with Santa's stick?

Joking aside that's pretty awesome, you should start making custom arcade stick mods as commisions or something(Actually now that I think about it, those are probably a thing already).

[Epiren]

Nice. Although if you're going to make the eyes into buttons, I'd suggest either doing both for symmetry, or attach a chain to the one glowing button to make it look like a monocle. And then it becomes classy Santa. Or eddyak Santa if you add a moustache too...

I thought about doing both eyes - until I found out it was ceramic. I managed to bash in his right eye fairly well, but couldn't guarantee not shattering his head with a second blow. (There were all these cracks on the inside.)

And a monocle. Huh, wish I though of that before dismembering him.

[Epiren]

I can't seem to find the picture of my Balrog pillow.

Well, here are two photos from NEC 15 over the weekend:

The Golden:


St. Stickolas:

[Mattias]

Why is the second guy so wierded out, when the first looked like Santa jackin it to what I assume is SF4?

[Epiren]

I'd like to believe that he's part cat and was too distracted by the puff-ball on my hat

[Epiren]

The Platinum
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Rather than continuing on to my next stick, I thought to take a breather - by making another casual/orthodox (to an extant) arcade stick.

It's... well, meh? I don't like this one too much, so I'm gonna fiddle with the design and remake it. Using 3/4" MDF for the base and 1/4" MDF for the top, here's the prototype for "The Platinum"

Spoiler:

(Ignore the... extra stuff I have lying around.)

Initial Design - ver 0.00.00

The theme behind this stick was: Reversible. I like to play in a vertical fashion (as noted by the jolly man above), but there have been times when a friend needs to borrow a stick - but they don't want to play on mine. Thus, I designed a way for my stick to switch between the "Traditional Layout" (or common layout) and my "Obviously Better Layout That Emphasizes Stick Handling".

Other than that, is anyone here remotely familiar with gyroscopes and Arduino?