- Category
- What's New?
- FightSticks/Pads
- Joysticks
- Pushbuttons
- Spare Parts & Tools
- Hardware & PCB
- Electrical
- Customize
- Merchandise
- Sales & Clearance
- Brand
THE TEKKEN 8 EFFECT: EXTENDED FULFILLMENT SCHEDULE [ INFO ]
Explanation of order backlog and steps to resolve.
Below is important information to know before placing a custom order with us:
Control panel artwork represents one of the most convenient means to personalize your fightstick, giving it a new look almost immediately.
Artwork prints are developed using a top-of-the-line commercial printer, offering vivid, professional-quality artwork replication. The printer is capable of resolution of 1200dpi (dots per inch), and 8 color ink system (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, K(Black) + Light Cyan, Light Magenta and White) reproduces artwork over a wide color range.
Artwork is printed on 10 mil cardstock sheet. It carries 95% brightness and tensile strength of 100 pounds per inch.
Each print is laser cut to your specifications, as presented by available options. You will receive the print with insert cutouts designed to fit your chosen brand. Gently press downward to remove the cutouts.
Virtua Stick High Grade Panel Template (2 Mb .zip) |
Please note that the VSHG model pictured here is heavily modified, and portions of the internal appearance will not match the original model. The VSHG will accomodate a Sanwa JLF, but you must remove the P1 mounting plate. Most 30mm snapbuttons and screwbuttons are compatible, however some models, such as the Seimitsu PS-14-G may not fit due to its slightly larger size. Additionally, the metal plate underneath the printed panel will cause snapbuttons to fit very tightly, making it incredibly difficult to remove without a specialized tool such as the Buttercade Snap Out Tool for Pushbuttons. We highly recommend this tool if you intend to install snapbuttons in the VSHG. The top four option buttons (PS/Home, Select, L2, R2) can be swapped with Sanwa SDM-18 pushbuttons. The top right Start button is 24mm. | |
Access to the VSHG's original pushbuttons are limited by the fightstick's inner housing, and the top panel must be lifted to reach them. To access the top panel, you must first remove the bottom panel using a small Phillips head screwdriver. |
The VSHG model pictured here is heavily modified, and portions of the internal appearance will not match the original model.With the bottom panel removed, proceed to remove the six nuts that connect to the top panel bolts. It is highly recommended that you use a 7mm Socket Driver Hex Nut Key Wrench to remove these nuts. You will need this tool to reattach the nuts when reinstalling the panel. Please note that the center metal panel does not give you access to the buttons. Behind that panel is more plastic; the buttons are behind that plastic, but you cannot reach them as there is no opening. |
After removing the six nuts that connect to the top panel bolts, you can now lift the top panel from the Fightstick body, and detach wiring from original buttons and joystick. You will also remove the balltop. It is here that you can decide to unglue the original panel graphic using a hot air gun or hair dryer, or keep the original artwork panel on. Note that the VSHG was not designed for plexi and paper artwork, so there is a small 1.25mm lip at the edges of the plexi panel that will sit above the metal panel. This lip is a bit higher should you decide not to remove the original panel graphic. |
In this example, we removed the original artwork from the metal panel. To do this, a hair dryer applied heat to loosen the glue underneath the graphic. WD-40 was also applied along with a metal razor blade scraper. Your custom artwork and plexi are then applied atop the panel. Again, this model was not at all designed for plexi and paper artwork, so the recessed are between the housing and metal panel is quite shallow. Take care to position your artwork and plexi in this area before installing your buttons onto the panel. |
After positioning the artwork and plexi, you can now install the pushbuttons. It is important to connect the buttons and joystick wiring; the buttons will help to keep the artwork and plexi in place when re-attaching the bolts and nuts, and the wiring will again become inaccessible once the panel is attached with the bolts. As mentioned prior, the top four option buttons (PS/Home, Select, L2, R2) can be swapped with Sanwa SDM-18 pushbuttons. The top right Start button is 24mm. To re-attach the bolts to the top panel, you can prop the Fightstick on its side or upside down. |
Proceed to tighten each bolt - one by one - to the panel by first inserting the bolt, then the nut on the opposite side of the Fightstick housing. You need to hold the bolt in place with your finger as you screw-tighten the nut on the opposite side. This is why a 7mm Socket Driver Hex Nut Key Wrench is highly recommended. The space to screw the nut is quite narrow, and most fingers cannot access the nut properly to screw to the bolt. The socket driver will help in removing the panel should you wish to swap artwork in the future. Unfortunately tools like the Buttercade Top Loader for Hori Real Arcade Pro are not compatible with the VSHG because the available space the top right corner, top center and bottom center cannot accomodate any top loader. Another suggestion to create a rudimentary top loader solution is hot glue the nuts to the inside plastic housing. |
Options |
Often, you will have several options to personalize your control panel, such as button layout, removal of control panel or screws in some models, button label etching, and text etching. Layout ConfigurationEach Fightstick has its own characteristics, with some sharing similar elements, such as the popular Vewlix button layout. We will specify what options are available for each Fightstick. Below are the most common button layout configurations: 8 Button Vewlix
First 6 Buttons
Last 6 Buttons
7 Button Vewlix
Cut Button InsertsPushbutton manufacturers such as Sanwa, Seimitsu, Crown and GamerFinger have each produced specific models with a clear or translucent plastic cap and flat plunger. These are often used to display a graphical insert, allowing you to enhance the button's appearance. That said, each button manufacturer has designed the artwork cap with a different diameter than their competitors. For example, GamerFinger's artwork cap has a diameter that is slightly larger than Seimitsu or Sanwa. An insert cut for a Sanwa artwork cap will fit loosely when inserted into the GamerFinger artwork cap. This is an undesirable result that can produce a white or colored ring around the insert. Now, you can choose the button insert cut to match the pushbutton you intend to use. This allows the insert to fit snugly within the cap. Brands and Model with Artwork Caps
Please note that if you later intend to purchase a different button, you may need to get new button inserts or new artwork. If you are uncertain which button you may choose, Sanwa is chosen by default. 24 vs 30mmWhen processing orders, a frequent mistake we found among new players is choosing the wrong size for action buttons, such as punch and kick. Within the fighting game genre, Japanese arcade buttons commonly consist of two diameter sizes: 24 millimeter and 30 milllimeter (mm). In most configurations, 30mm represents your action button. These are front facing, appearing most prominent on your Fightstick control panel. Option button, such as "Start", "Select", or more recently "Option", "Touch", or "Share" are usually 24mm. UPDATE: Owners of Neo Geo AES Joysticks will need 24mm pushbuttons instead of 30mm (Thanks SRK's DEZALB) Below is a visual representation of a common Fightstick control panel. Throughout this article, we will mark 24mm in green, and 30mm in Orange. Checking the Proper SizeAnother way that players can misinterpret the pushbutton size is by measuring the pushbutton plunger. Have a look at the diagram at right. The plunger - the part that you press down to represent an input - is 25mm or a bit smaller in most 30mm pushbuttons. Often this leads to the conclusion that one needs a 24mm button and not 30mm. Similarly measuring the button rim can lead to confusion, as it is intentionally larger than the button hole it is placed in. You don't want to use these measurements. Instead, review the button housing diameter, or the hole the button will be placed in. You can do this with a caliper - a digital caliper is often quite helpful for this and other arcade-related projects. Control Panel ConfigurationMost Fightsticks from MadCatz, Hori, Qanba, and similar will use these two sizes. How the buttons are used will depend on the model joystick that you own. Over time, we'll provide example configurations for specific popular Fightstick models and arcade cabinets using the color key for 24mm (green) and 30mm (orange). We'll also expand the key for future models if another size is introduced, and we offer for sale.
|
Image Edit |
If you would like to use a free, online Photoshop-like app to check out whether your artwork will work with a layout we offer, I highly recommend Photopea This amazing app works with our PSD templates and is a great way to preview your artwork or create new art files. It also exports to PSD, which is the format we recommend for submitting artwork. |
Support |
New to FA Plexworks?Click the "Options" tab for a detailed explanation of each customization option available to you. Using a mobile device? Click here to scroll to the descriptions. Artwork templatesWe offer a photoshop template for each custom artwork or custom plexi etch. Click the "Description" tab (or scroll up if on mobile device) to display the template and download. You can also click here to access our repository and download artwork and etch templates (in Photoshop PSD format) for your desired model and others. Important: Using templates outside of the ones we provide may produce unwanted output. We are not responsible for output generated from unsupported templates. More information here. Warranty and Support for FA Plexworks Custom OrderCustom orders cannot be returned for refund, or exchanged for another custom order. Orders damaged upon arrival are subject to special terms within our return policy. Please see our FA Plexworks FAQ for more information about our Plexworks return policy and related Q&A. If you have not used our Plexworks custom services before, we recommend that you visit our support section for updated information, helpful tips, and resources to get the best output. Some useful sections to review before making your purchase (will open in new browser window or tab):
|