Guide: How To Build Your Own D-pad (& Centre-push)

[bacteria]

You guys are still using the old stock GP2X menu? That is rubbish, you should be getting "with it" and be using Ryo's new menu it is like 100X better than the crap default

I intend to, I haven't got around to trying it yet, but I will do certainly. It looks good.

 

[bacteria]

My GP2x fits fine inside the official GP2x case - my previous model was "a bit tight", so I couldn't use it before.

 

[Paradox]

is it just me or that d-pad just a flat area ??

 

[OrR]

This is completely awesome... Too bad I'm to lazy to attempt it... How about selling pre-made d-pads that you only have to solder on and with all the cutting and drilling being optional?

 

[bacteria]

is it just me or that d-pad just a flat area ??

Yes, I then did one with the raised bits over the 8 directions - made it considerably more precise to use. The D-pad top can be flat, or not, whatever you find best.

This is completely awesome... Too bad I'm to lazy to attempt it... How about selling pre-made d-pads that you only have to solder on and with all the cutting and drilling being optional?

Thanks for the comments, appreciated. A pre-made external D-pad would need to be comparitively high above the GP2x case, which would be ugly, and people would moan about this; whereas if you make the assembly as per my document, the end result will be quite flat (a far better option). You can also make it original and unique, to your requirements this way. The parts required are free, as you will have them lying about at home.

Go on, give it a go! B)

 

[i_am_a_noob]

I think i can do this!!! But i don't want to paint the front of my case, and i don't want to snip the joystick(the end product of mine will be quite ugly )

 

[bacteria]

I think i can do this!!! But i don't want to paint the front of my case, and i don't want to snip the joystick(the end product of mine will be quite ugly )

You only actually need to paint the D-pad assembly part if you want to, but by painting the front of the GP2x too, the whole thing looks nice and integrated. I needed to do this anyway, as my case had scratches and marks on it, which I could conceal with the paint and polyfiller effectively and easily.

If you don't mind having the D-pad higher, you can make one without snipping the joystick stick; but if you have decided the joystick is not a good controller (which it isn't), there is no reason to want to keep it intact as you won't need it- so you may as well snip it down! A flatter assembly is definately preferable, and looks nicer.

There is no reason your finished product won't look like mine - or better.

 

[Alpha2]

You guys are still using the old stock GP2X menu? That is rubbish, you should be getting "with it" and be using Ryo's new menu it is like 100X better than the crap default

Personally I choose to stick with the stock menu untill I'm perfectly certain one of these mods wont cause a prblem in the future, I think we all remember how having modded skins made certain things go haywire early on.

As for this physical mod, it's impressive though a little on the high difficulty scale. I wouldnt try this in a hundred years with my technical skill level but I can see how others would jump at the chance to get a real dpad.

 

[i_am_a_noob]

the snippity snip is the point of no return, and i don't want an unusable gp2x if i do something stupid. I'm just wondering if this works really well, cause it seems like the smartest design i've ever seen!

Also, i don't have the adhesive foam i hope they sell it at Walmart!)

EDIT: Alpha2, the technical skill needed for this is the stuff of a monkey(from what it looks), if a monkey could do basic soldering

 

[bacteria]

the snippity snip is the point of no return, and i don't want an unusable gp2x if i do something stupid. I'm just wondering if this works really well, cause it seems like the smartest design i've ever seen!

Yes, "snippity snip" is the point of no return, although if you really wanted you could buy a replacement joystick, de-solder the old one and replace it. Fact is that a joystick is not the smartest way to use the GP2x, it doesn't feel right, a D-pad does. Once you use a D-pad you won't want to go back to the old joystick anyway. If you don't like the stock joystick, why keep it functional? snippity snip!! :rolleyes:

Yes, my D-pad design works very well, and is easy to make adjustments to it if you need to.

Also, i don't have the adhesive foam i hope they sell it at Walmart!)

Any craft shop, or DIY chain should sell it - I use Sellotape foam pads. You get the thicker variety (white) and the thinner black ones - use the thinner black ones - they work better. In the UK, shops like B&Q, WH Smith, HobbyCraft, and a multitude of others sell them - easy to get hold of and quite cheap to buy.

EDIT: Alpha2, the technical skill needed for this is the stuff of a monkey(from what it looks), if a monkey could do basic soldering

Absolutely! Can't be easier. My method has to be the easiest possible D-pad mod! As you see from my document, my soldering skills are "the stuff of a monkey"! :lol:

 

[Eso Rimmer]

the concept looks good, but workmanship looks ugly.
I'd prefer to put on something like megadrive directional pad if it would fit on gp2x.

 

[i_am_a_noob]

the concept looks good, but workmanship looks ugly.
I'd prefer to put on something like megadrive directional pad if it would fit on gp2x.

I really couldn't care less about looks, i just wanna have more fun with my device!

 

[bacteria]

The idea below sounds crappy, but here goes:

When playing various games, like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, etc; which were only ever designed to play in 4 directions (you used the arrow keys on your keyboard when playing them on a PC), it can be annoying in the heat of the game when you inadvertingly press the diagonal direction. A solution to this is to cut 4x 3-4mm strip of very thin paper (the thinner the better - too thick and the D-pad won't react to any direction pressed) and place each one between the D-pad (diagonals) and its contacts below, so it acts as a buffer. You can secure each piece by a tiny piece of blu-tack in the corner of the square support.

I know this is crappy, :huh: but it does have the positive effect of disabling the ability of pressing two directions at the same time (diagonals), so the D-pad can then only react in 4 directions; which improves further on the playability of games like Wolfenstein 3D - which I play a lot. Remove the pieces of paper for the D-pad to react as normal again.

A proper D-pad, like Nintendo's for example, are designed for 4 directions only, whilst you can press diagonals, it is not as easy to do so. I know they will make diagonals on the GP2x, but were not designed for this purpose. Commercial D-pads which are 8 way are (I find) incredibly useless to use as tehy have a mind of their own. My mod is different, designed for the GP2x - each of the 8 directions are more or less equal, so it is virtually as easy to press a diagonal as any other direction. It is great for playing games like 1942, Blazing Star, Vektar and any of the other shoot-em-ups and great for everything which only looks for 4 way specifically, but not so ideal for old DOS games which were 4 way only. This paper mod makes my D-pad purely 4 way, when required.

Thought this idea was worth posting.

I really hope one day GPH sees sense and builds a proper D-pad into their GP2x. There are various mods available now, all have advantages and disadvantages (level of skill required, different processes, variations in build, size - a tiny difference in positioning an internal D-pad can make the difference between a D-pad assembly working great and being harder to press certain directions, or sticking, for example; by the same token, making an external one (like mine) will have variations in its handling, depending primarily on the size and thickness of the foam pad used - experimentation is required to "get it right"). If GPH puts in a proper D-pad at point of sale, it has to be the best option.

 

[PSyMastR]

I actually think that a modular joystick would be great in the MKIII or something lol. Pop in the D Pad, pop in the analog stick. Whatever suites the purpose of the app. Hell, pop in a mini trackball (MAME anyone?)

 

[LordFu]

That would be bad-ass!

 

[bacteria]

I actually think that a modular joystick would be great in the MKIII or something lol. Pop in the D Pad, pop in the analog stick. Whatever suites the purpose of the app. Hell, pop in a mini trackball (MAME anyone?)

Yes, except the space available is so small, I seriously doubt it could ever happen. You could make a larger, custom made case to house the GP2x, strip out the motherboard, solder wires to each of the button connections and re-house the screen, install buttons wherever you feel works best, and have a housing for the GameCube joystick and GameCube D-pad, to give options of what you prefer to use at the time.

At some point, I may well try this out - would be a nice project. I know how to do it, but it may not be practical - designing everything to be housed in the right space will be hard to work out. This would be a fun mod, but it may be difficult. I was thinking about making the case out of paper mache (paper and flour/water glue) - strong, light, and makes a good mould (I don't have plastics or moulds at my disposal)....

 

[Feeg]

At some point, I may well try this out - would be a nice project. I know how to do it, but it may not be practical - designing everything to be housed in the right space will be hard to work out. This would be a fun mod, but it may be difficult. I was thinking about making the case out of paper mache (paper and flour/water glue) - strong, light, and makes a good mould (I don't have plastics or moulds at my disposal)....

I for one am anxiously awaiting your paper mache GP2x. h34r: Do eeet.

 

[bacteria]

At some point, I may well try this out - would be a nice project. I know how to do it, but it may not be practical - designing everything to be housed in the right space will be hard to work out. This would be a fun mod, but it may be difficult. I was thinking about making the case out of paper mache (paper and flour/water glue) - strong, light, and makes a good mould (I don't have plastics or moulds at my disposal)....

I for one am anxiously awaiting your paper mache GP2x. h34r: Do eeet.

Will be interesting. It will be hard, not to make a case itself, but to design and make one which feels right, holds everything in place and in the right place. That is where I am likely to become unstuck, and fail. If I manage to make one successfully (good chance I can't), the idea is to make a case about 2cm longer on the left side to take a GameCube joystick (or N64 joystick) and also a GameCube D-pad. The case would be a bit thicker, not just to accomodate the depth of the GameCube joystick, but to fit larger rechargable batteries - there were posts a while back of batteries about 10000nimh, D size. If (and this is a very big if) this were possible, I could make a mould for this project (to manufacture and sell on). If I were to succeed with the project, it would give a GP2x with a long battery life, a proper commercial D-pad and excellent 8 way joystick (Nintendo make great products) - a 4 way D-pad and true (yes true) 8 way joystick which is easy to use and has no dead zones. The A,B,Y,X buttons could be spaced better and the other buttons placed where preferred.

 

[Epicenter]

Interesting idea .. that'd be neat to see, a full GP2X case mod. I can say from working inside the thing, the current case design is an enormous pain in the ass. The board does not like to be removed from/attached to the case, and hates people. It's such a tight fit you don't really need the screws.

 

[PokeParadox]

Yes, I agree... I managed to sever a speaker cable while resoldering my headphone jack... then resoldering the speaker cable I severed another speaker cable...then finally I managed to have everything working ok... phew.