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Converter Compatibility Thread

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Read the FAQ before posting! :bluu:

There is not a converter for using a TE on a system other than the one it was designed for.

There is no USB to anything older. No USB to PS2, Dreamcast, etc. You must mod your stick with a MC Cthulhu or a second PCB.

If you want a stick that works on both Xbox 360 and PS3 (And PS2, Dreamcast, etc.) get a PS2 stick like a HRAP or Namco. You can then use converters to adapt it to various systems.

You can not plug a random USB controller or converter into either the Xbox 360 or PS2. The Xbox 360 only works with Xbox controllers due to its security scheme. The PS2 was never designed to accept it.

The PS3 can use HID compliant (driverless) USB controllers for PS3 and PS1 games (not PS2). This makes the USB Saturn pads worth getting. Beware of bootlegs.

The PS1 Dual Shock has the best compatibility with converters. If you are building a custom stick then these are the way to go. The original, non-analog controllers have problems with most converters and are not recommended if you can avoid them.

Most custom PS1/PS2 sticks were made with Sony PCBs. When submitting a compatilibility report open your stick and see what kind of pad is inside. The Dual Shock pads have analog sticks. The original Digital pads do not.

There are three versions of the SFAC stick. Unscrew the bottom of the case to check the PCB before purchasing an adapter. Check next to the system cable for the voltage. It will read either 3.5V 7.5V or 8V. This number is indicated in the listing below whenever possible.

Please test your converter if it can be connected to a PC:

If you purchase a converter that's USB (PS2 to PS3, etc.) and want to test it for lag (on Windows) then download this application developed by SRK member Colac. It's straightforward to use once you get the hang of it.
To accurately test your adapter/converter, you need to:

1) Turn off vertical sync in your graphics card settings.

2) Using a key on your keyboard to run through the program once and record down the input lag time from your keyboard.

3) Plug your gamepad and stick through the adapter that you want to test into your PC. Then, use programs like (xpadder) to map a button on your gamepad or stick to the SAME key that you tested in step one. Run the program and record down the input lag again.

4) Subtract the two results you got from previous steps. If the difference is less than 2 ms (i.e., stick input lag - keyboard input lag <= 2ms), then your adapter can be considered as lag free.

PS2 to PS3/USB

Note: Sony is at it again with 3.5. The Real and HAIS are reportedly done for.

The 2.7 firmware update rendered the Sumoto and TAC adapters unusable with the PS3. This was corrected with 2.8. I'm hesitant to recommend them in light of this but they are working again.

The majority of these converters should also work on a PC without drivers (InPin, Pelican). If you only care about PC compatibility then the Super Joy Box 3 Pro was highly recommended. It does not work on the PS3.

*Recommended* InPin: This is the best option that's readily available. It's sold by exclusively by SRK member laugh. Visit his eTokki shop to order one.
Compatible with: Sony PS2, PS1 DS, MAS, HRAP Series, Namco PS1, SFAC 3.5
Incompatible with: SFAC 8V?, certain PS1 Digitals

*Recommended* Pelican: People claim that these are the only adapter to feature code from Sony. They have excellent compatibility with the exception of PS1 digital PCBs. They're by far the most expensive ($50+) but can occasionally be found used at GameStop for a few dollars.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, HRAP 2, SFAC 3.5, Namco PS1, Saulabi
Incompatible with: PS1 Digital, SFAC 7.5V

HVG2: These are reportedly a good converter if your stick has a analog capabilities; like a custom with a PS1 DS. It will not work with a digital PCB like most consumer sticks have (HRAP).
Compatible With: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, Hori Fighting Stick, SFAC 3.5V, 7.5V
Incompatible with: PS1 Digital, Namco PS1, HRAP Series, Tekken 5, Pelican PS2, SFAC Pad
Reviews: Riotblade

DragonPlus: There were conflicting reports on this adapter. Most of its owners reported it as lagless. Press Up+Select for Home.
Compatible with: HRAP 2/SA, Namco PS1
Incompatible with: PS1 Digital, Tekken 5 stick

Cablesforpc: This is the one to get for owners of the SFAC stick with an 8V PCB. It allows two PS2 controllers to be connected.
Compatible with: PS1 DS, SFAC 3.5V, 8V, HRAP 1
Incompatible with: SFAC 7.5V
Reviews: Annihilationscape

Sumoto: These were reported as the best adapter for Sony digital PCBs (original pads without analog sticks). A few users have claimed they're lagless, and I haven't seen a negative review on them yet.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, PS1 Digital, Tekken 5, Pelican Universal, Pelican PS2, Ascii PS1, SFAC Pad
Incompatible with:

TAC: These were reported to work well with SFAC and HRAP series. MarkMan and others reported that it has issues so I would avoid it in favor of something else. Hold Analog for Home.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, SFAC 3.5V, HRAP 1, HRAP 2/SA
Incompatible with: PS1 Digital

Real (Incompatible with 3.5): These were once all the rage but are now discontinued. They notably do not work with PS2 DS controllers.
Compatible with: PS1 DS, HRAP 2/SA, Namco PS1, SFAC, SFAC Pad
Incompatible with: PS2 DS

Hais (Incompatible with 3.5): These reportedly work well and include a PS2 memory card reader. They have taken Sumoto's place as a solid/budget converter. Press Analog or Up+Select for XMB. Hold Up+Select for Home.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, PS1 Digital, SFAC, SFAC pad, Saturn PS2 pad, Namco PS1, Tekken 5
Incompatible with: SFAC 8V, Pelican Universal
Reviews: Canto

PS2/3 to Xbox 360

*Recommended* Controller Converter Pro by Blaze (?): This is an unmarked converter that is similar in appearance to the Blaze PS2-360. It notably does not require a 360 controller for passthrough. It reportedly works well with a HRAP3 and features similar compatibility to the Blaze.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS3 DS3, HRAP3, HRAP2, Namco T5, SFAC Pad
Incompatible with: MadCatz TE and SE, Pelican Universal

PS2 to Xbox 360

*Recommended* PS&PS2 to 360 converter (Xtokki360) by Tinybee: These converters, originally sold through Focalprice, are the best available option for PS2 to 360. They do not require an Xbox 360 controller for passthrough like the others listed below. They are also the only converter to feature a headset jack. They are sold by SRK member laugh. He is the recommended supplier because of Focalprice's questionable shipping. Analog or Select + L3 for Guide.
Compatible with: PS1 Digital, PS1 DS, PS2 DS, HRAP Series, Namco, Tekken 5, MC Cthulhu, Mayflash PS2/PS3, Tekken 4, Fighting Stick PS, ASCII Stick 3
Incompatible with:
Reviews: kaioshade, DrgnAK

The following converters require a wired 360 controller to bypass Microsoft's security scheme. A wireless controller with a Play & Charge cable will not work. Read Ikagi-chan's post for more information. The Blaze and Xtokki360 above feature a Microsoft security chip to bypass this requirement.

*Recommended* Xconverter 360 by Joytron: These were the best option until the introduction of the Xtokki360. They are now discontinued. Previously sold by SRK member laugh who brought us the InPin. Analog = Guide.
Compatible with: PS1 Digital, PS1 DS, PS2 DS, HRAP Series, Tekken 5, MAS, Namco, SFAC 3.5, SFAC Controller
Incompatible with:
Reviews: laugh, Ikagi-chan, Gamecop

*Recommended* BlazePro: These Hong Kong converters can be had for $10 on eBay. They are basically superseded by the PS3 to 360 converter listed above.
Compatible with: PS1 Digital, PS1 DS, PS2 DS, HRAP Series, Namco, SFAC 3.5, SFAC Controller, Saturn PS2 pad, Blaze Twin Shock
Incompatible with:
Reviews: Source thread

Max Shooter by Mayflash: These work great except for an issue with simultaneous key presses. Pressing corresponding buttons, for example: Right+Circle will cause the converter to freeze until another button is pressed.
Compatible with: PS1 Digital, PS1 DS, PS2 DS, HRAP 1, SFAC 3.5V, SFAC Pad, Saturn PS2 pad, Namco PS1
Incompatible with: HRAP 2, SFAC 8V

XFPS by XCM: There are a few revisions of this adapter but I can't recommend it at all. It reportedly lags and/or drops input even with a real Sony PS1 or PS2 controller. The OP repeatedly trashes them earlier on in the thread. There are 10 negative posts for every positive I could find. Read this, this, this, this, this, and this before deciding to spend your money on one of these.
Compatible with: Sony PS2, PS1 DS
Incompatible with: Namco PS1, HRAP 2

Xbox 360 to PS3

Cross Battle Adapter by XCM: MarkMan confirmed that this drops inputs similar to the XFPS. People with 360 sticks should look into adding a Cthulhu PCB (Photos) for PS3 compatibility.
Compatible with:
Incompatible with:

PS2 to DC

*Recommended* Total Control Plus: These are usually recommended since they're readily available. Toggle the switches on it to change the triggers.
Compatible with: Sony DS 2, HRAP, HRAP 2, SFAC, Tekken 5
Incompatible with: Some MAS sticks

*Recommended* Dream Connection 2 by Innovation (original URL, sold out): These as reportedly the best converters but are expensive and hard to come by. The SFAC Pad isn't recommended because it treats L1 and R1 (the HP/HK buttons) as the same button.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, PS1 Digital, SFAC 3.5V, SFAC Pad, HRAP 2/SA, Tekken 5, Pelican PS2
Incompatible with: SFAC 8V

PS2 to GameCube/Wii

*Recommended* Cube JoyBox Pro by Mayflash: These are the most commonly recommended converters for GC. They work with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom on Wii.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, PS1 Digital, HRAP 1, HRAP 2/SA, MAS, Namco PS1, Tekken 5, SFAC 3.5V, SFAC Controller
Incompatible with:

Magic Path II by EMS: These apparently work equally as well as the Cube JoyBox. They're also reported to work fine with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, HRAP
Incompatible with:

Game Elements (eBay): This is the converter I've happily used for years. It works great on the GameCube/Wii as well as the Xbox. ArcadeStickMonk used it as well.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, SFAC 3.5V, HRAP 2 SA, MAS
Incompatible with: PS1 Digital (works on Xbox) SFAC 8V, Tekken 5 (Works on Xbox), SFAC Controller

PS2 to Xbox

*Recommended* Xbox Magic Box: These are lag free and the Saturn port is awesome. It went completely nuts when I plugged in my PS1 DS stick.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 Digital, HRAP, HRAP 2 SA
Incompatible with: PS1 DS, SFAC Pad, SFAC 8V

*Recommended* Game Elements: These work very well. See the GameCube section above.
Compatible with: PS2 DS, PS1 DS, PS1 Digital, SFAC 3.5V, SFAC Pad, HRAP 2 SA, MAS, Tekken 5
Incompatible with: SFAC 8V, Directional issues w/3rd Strike

X-Connection by Innovation: I would think the Innovation name would guarantee this one a winner, but it reportedly doesn't work with certain games or the HRAP 2.
Compatible with:
Incompatible with: HRAP 2

PS2 to Saturn, SNES, etc.

A company called ToToTEK makes a wide variety of PS2 to classic system adapters. There's one for 3DO, Neo-Geo, Famicom (NES), FC2003 (?), Saturn, GameCube, SNES, PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16), and Genesis (Mega Drive). They reportedly work well from everything I've read.

Saturn to Xbox

*Recommended* Xbox Magic Box: This works great with an official Sega pad. There isn't a Select button for Insert Coin but some Xbox emulators like FB Alpha allow it to be remapped. Only problem is that they're hard to find.
Compatible with: Model 2 (Japanese style) Sega Saturn Pad
Incompatible with: Nights Analog Pad

Saturn to PS2

*Recommended* Keio Console Converters: These are a godsend for people wanting to use their Saturn pads on other systems. They can be chained to other converters for use on the Xbox 360, PS3, etc.
Compatible with: Model 2 (Japanese style) Sega Saturn Pad, HSS-0130
Incompatible with:

Xbox to USB (Not PS3)

The original Xbox uses a USB connector with a funky male end. Female Xbox to male USB adapters can be had on eBay for a few dollars. No conversion is necessary. This reportedly works fine for the SFAC stick.

Xbox 360 to USB (Not PS3)

Xbox 360 sticks/controllers work fine on Windows using Microsoft's drivers. They're available for both 32-bit and 64-bit.

Street Fighter 3 on Dreamcast won't load

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Hi all, I just got SF3 3rd strike on Dreamcast off ebay, the japanese version. It won't load using the Utopia boot disc. It always freezes at 56% loading. Does anyone know how to get this game working? On the flip side I also bought Capcom vs. SNK2 and that loads just fine. The disc appears to be in perfect condition. Someone please halp!

Balltop Loose (Madcatz WWE Brawlers)

BenQ zowie RL2460 settings

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So I went to Frys and bought the zowie monitor and I love it so far. But I was wondering if someone had some specific settings for SFV?

It's currently set to default fighting mode. I did turn the brightness up to 50 from 40.

Anyways just wondering if there some options within the customized settings to get the best out of the monitor.
Thanks

Microswitches recommendation for hayabusa please!

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Hello all!
I am considering replacing the microswitches on my hayabusa joystick. I am having trouble with my inputs and thought I would give some replacements a try. I have heard cherry switches are decent and so are omron but I wanted your input please!

Help me make my dream stick.

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First let me say I've been out of the game for quite a while. I think I will just mod a Hori real arcade pro 3 I have unless you guys really think I should use something else. This is what I would like

1. Ability to work on as many systems as reasonable especially PS4,PC, and SNES
2. RGB control for 8 buttons
3. RGB control for joystick if possible
4. Optical sensor for joystick

What parts should I order and from where?
What additional buttons if any should I have?

I'm pretty decent at soldering so I'm not really worried about wiring. Any tips/suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks!

How do you guys make an arcade stick case?

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I've got my plans and parts all ready to be ordered, but there's one problem...how will I make a case? I really don't wanna have to buy a DIY case because of the high price but I wanted to know how you guys make your arcade stick cases. Give some pics and tuts if you can, thanks.

Need help with Q1 button mapping on PC

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Hi guys, a few weeks ago I went to my friend’s house to play some SF V, we had lots of problems to make the game recognize our sticks (Mine is a Q1 360/PC and his a Madcatz TE). After tweaks he made is work somehow. But since that day mine Q1 mapping is all fucked up (A = L1, R1= Start, B=R3, this is just some examples). I can’t get it to back to normal and I have to use 360ce to be able to use my Q1. Do you guys know what should I do?

I only play on PC.
A friend of mine brought it for my when he was in the USA, I live in South America, so sending it back would be a pain in the ass.

Will a Sanwa GT-Y Octagonal Restrictor Gate gate fit on a Mayflash PS3 fightstick?

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Hi, so I got my first fight stick a year ago, and shelved it for the pad a while ago, but I'm back to using a stick now, and I want to replace my square gate

Sykd3Zj.jpg

With a Sanwa GT-Y Octagonal Restrictor Gate (Or any kind of Octagonal gate that'll fit).

Will this fit in the gate area in the image?

HRAP3 + Brook UFB Issues

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I just installed a universal board into my bros hrap 3. I kept the turbo panel active so I can use the home , R3 and L3 buttons
The stick works but I'm having an issue.
It works on all the PS menus but when I play sfv I can select my character but the screen that pops up so I can choose costume and color doesn't seem to detect my stick. It won't move at all. If I use another controller to get past that the stick will work fine in game until I change characters.

Also on xboxone it works, but I noticed on tekken tag 2 if you go to controller setting it's showing RS as active for movement. I have to set it off but even then if I try map a button it will just activate RS as movement and won't even recognize that I'm pressing a different button. I didn't wire up RS. Does anybody know what it might be?

Got madcatz TE stick, seems to have very minor defects. Hate to be nitpicky. Yours?

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Hi all! This is my 1st post. I recently ordered a Mavel vs. Capcom Madcatz TE Fightstick from Capcom.com's online store. Sold out everywhere. I like an idiot ordered a xarcade at first and hated it, so I got my MvC stick. Stick works perfect! Art is awesome. When I opened it there was hair stuck to it. I mean really stuck but got it off with my nail. It was in like 4 or 5 places. It has a hairline scratch on the left side. U know where the cord storage panel is? On the left of it looking from the back side is a bunch of hairline scratchs as well as some conteurs of the molding can be seen as if ddn't mold completly right. I know Im being picky, for a $170 dollars I expect quality and it to feel new out of the box. That said, I do love the stick, Ive already ordered a femmine fetale stick off fleabay as well. Is this common? I am a hardcore videogame collector with over a 1000 videogames including many fighting games, most are in near mint opened condition. My first fightstick was the xarcade ordered less than a month ago. Mostly playing tatsunoko vs. capcom with my madcatz te stick as I own a really powerful computer capable of emulating it and I own both the japanese and american versions of the game as well as a hacked wii. I played the hell out of Marvel vs. Capcom in the arcade and MvC2 on Dreamcast and even bought it on Xbox live though I still have the DC version.

Guide for adding an Xbox One Pad to a PS4 T.E. 2+?

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Hey everyone,

My friend has a PS4 T.E. 2+ and wants me to add an Xbox One padhack to it. Doing some initial searching, I haven't been able to track down a guide. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Also, yes. I'm well aware that having him buy a Brooks Universal would save me a lot of time and headache. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Hori v4 kai with pc support? Super confused.

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So I have a friend who has a v4 kai with a pc switch. But I've also seen the same stick without the switch. We're there two different versions of the same stick? Does the older one not have xinput functionality? Any way to add xinput to the older version without software?

Get Super Turbo II Working on a Raspberry Pi 3 Recalbox

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Hi, I recently build a Recalbox and have many MAME games working. Except I can't get Super Street Fighter II Turbo to work. Has anyone been able to get this to work? Any advice? I'm pretty new to the MAME game.

Best way to fix my stick? Bad inputs.

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Recently my stick started having a problem where holding down back sometimes causes him to walk backward. It's like the switches are failing or something. Should I replace the entire stick piece or just the replace the switches?

Thanks for any help.

PS4 to arcade cabinet - speaker connections

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With the PS4 not having analog audio outputs anymore, how are you guys connecting your arcade cabinet's speakers to it? I'm pretty sure a lot of custom cab and even Kraylix owners have thought about their audio situation, and not probably relied on the TV's speakers.

On my setup, I've used computer speakers with my PS3 (AV out, stereo RCA to 3.5mm), but moving to the PS4, I've used an Optical to Analog converter box that had a headphone out port so the computer speakers can work without any more adapters. I'm currently having problems with my converter so I'm trying to see what the other options out there are available, aside of course from plugging my computer speakers on the Dualshock4. I know people have used Class T amps to power car speakers but I don't know if those have optical inputs. My TV unfortunately doesn't have a headphone jack so that throws out a potentially easy solution.

TL;DR - if you hooked your PS4 on your custom cab, what speakers do you have and how did you do it?

Playstation Now, and fighting games.

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So I'm putting this here because I want to talk about the technical aspects of PS Now.

Having tried it myself I think it's a really good option for trying out games, and was surprised that even fighting games hold up really well on it.
There's no noticed input lag on my connection, and I can even play PS games on the PC now.

The only thing I don't like is I can't use my Mayflash Stick, or my Hori fight Commander (in 3, 4, or xbox mode).
I'd LOVE if PSNow supported HID as at least a secondary option once a PS4 controller is connected.

But what do you guys think of it? What are it's ups and downs in your eyes?

How many arcade Stick's do you Own? and do you use every single one you own?

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I understand some people buy arcade sticks for various reasons, me personally I own 2 sticks Right now and I use a fair share of both of them. I am considering getting a third one but I'm a little drawn back due the the actual use ill get out of it. but what about you guys/girls out their.

[SOLVED] My Madcatz Fight Stick TE Pro jumping forward doesn't work.

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Seems like I am able to jump straight upwards and then I have to really yank it completely to the right for it to work. Anyone ever encounter this problem? Any ideas? Do I have to sell it on ebay (broken for parts) and buy a new one? I have never opened my unit up before. Also, what are the tiny switches at the top? What do they do? thx

Making Your Stick Pretty: A Custom Stick Art Guide/Tutorial

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Since alot of people have been asking, I've decided to go ahead and create a guide/tutorial on creating custom stick art. Now before I start, let me state exactly just what I will be presenting here. What we have here is a simple tutorial for getting started on creating decent looking custom art for your stick. What is wont do however is teach you how to be as good as some of the better artists on this board, at least not immediately, just like with fighting games, being that good is a matter of practice and experience. It assumes that the reader has at least some basic Knowledge of Photoshop or any similar image editing software.

For this guide, I'll be using Photoshop CS3 (since that's what I use) and the templates for the original MadCatz Tournament Edition and Hori Real Arcade Pro 2SA/3 (since at the moment these seem to be the most common). However, aside from some Photoshop related bits (and some idiosyncrasies of the templates) what's written here should be pretty applicable to any other program and stick.

Stacking Them Up - A Short Introduction to Layers

Before we start on working with the stick art, we should first discuss layers as the templates are in Photoshop .PSD format which utilizes layers. What are layers? Well imagine the art as consisting of a large collection of cutouts tacked on top of each other. This makes working with the image much more organized than if it were just stuck together like in Paintbrush.

In Photoshop, the layers are handled by the layers pane on the bottom right.

4261329493_27b49a8000_o.jpg

In this pane, you can select individual layers as well as move them up or down by dragging them among other things. To turn off layers, simply click on the eye icon to its left. Take note that pasting an image in Photoshop will place that image in a new layer.

Controlled Space - Working With the Stick Layout

Before we start working on the art itself, it's very important to first consider the layout of the stick which you will be applying the art to. More often than not, most newbies will simply look at a piece of art and simply put it on a stick without considering how it will interact with the buttons/stick. Even if you use clear buttons, the buttons will have an effect on the art.

Now consider the MadCatz T.E. FightStick, now take the layout and imagine the stick and buttons as having square "hitboxes."
4261179497_bf94faf78b.jpg

While the shape and the curvature of the stick and buttons does allow for flexibility, the area highlighted in blue is pretty much the space that the stick and buttons control (the same can be said for screws and control panels). These spaces must be taken into consideration (not avoided mind you) when creating custom stick art. While this usually means not putting any large art in these areas, you can also place art that in a way compliments or is complimented by the button/stick layout (e.g. a character that is positioned in a way that they flow with the button layout, etc.).

A Window Into Another World: Working with a Single Image

The simplest form of custom stick art is where you take an image and then paste it onto the template/stick. It's deceptively simple but also very easy to screw up since there's not alot of leeway to move the art around. For me, working with custom art like this is like creating a window in the stick itself - great care must be taken so that the buttons and stick do not block the best parts of the view from the window.

The most common mistake when doing stick art this way is choosing a source image that simply isn't large enough to be printed properly on a stick. Stick art (and the templates used for them) is usually printed at 300dpi which for a TE or HRAP ends up at around 4000 or so pixels wide - most art on the internet is simply not big enough.

The compromise then would be to find art that needs only a minimal amount of resizing to properly fit into the template. This however leads to another common mistake - resizing the image in a way that distorts it. In Photoshop, this usually happens because the creator used the Transform tool (CTRL + T) and then simply stretched the image to fit the template without consideration for the proportions. It's best really to keep the original proportions of the image, either by making it so that Transform keeps the proportions (hold SHIFT while dragging) or by resizing the original image (since most editing software allows you to constrain the proportions while resizing this way. In Photoshop, the latter can be done by pressing ALT + CTRL + I, this also allows you the benefit of choosing how the image will be Resampled, for enlarging Bicubic Smoother is usually the best.

4261983642_501b151a9d.jpg

At this point I'd also like to point out that it's best to resize the image slightly larger than the template to allow for some adjustment. It's best to make sure that the important bits of the image are not covered up by the buttons and stick. For this, I usually follow the rule that any eyes/faces of characters should be clearly seen. If it's a scene, be sure that the most important bits aren't covered up. If the positioning of an image means that you can't avoid having the buttons cover something up, then make sure that even if it gets partially covered up, it's pretty easy to see what's going on.

Putting Cammy On Your Stick: Working With Isolated Character Art

The other common type of stick art wel see is that where art of a character is put on a separate background (oftentimes completely new). Before we get into the nitty gritty of actually choosing and isolating a piece of character art however, we should first re-look into the space available in the template. That is, instead of just looking at what space is blocked by the buttons and stick, instead, consider the spaces where we can put the art.

4261267511_feb5502397.jpg

As you can see here, it's the free spaces in the T.E. template that are now divided/sectioned off and colour coded. For the HRAP template, the same spaces also apply, with the Start and Select/Back buttons taken into consideration.

4261267553_59b710250b.jpg

The blue area in the bottom left is usually where large character art is placed as it is the largest bit of well proportioned free space on a stick. The red boxes are usually best reserved for logos and/or gamertags as well as some supplementary art or design work to help liven up the stick. The green area is interesting in that given the right conditions, you can fit a character in there, it's only a matter of figuring out how.

Now that that's been covered, let's move on to selecting and isolating character art. As always, it's best to use art that's already large to begin with so that only a minimal amount of resizing is necessary. If the image is too small, then it'll end up looking very pixelated or blurry. For Street Fighter IV, one of the best sites to use is the Kawaii Art Zone which has high res copies of the official character art.

Next to size, it's usually best to find art that has a plain background and/or minimal background items that interfere with the main character art. This is because the easiest way to isolate art is to use Photoshop's Magic Wand tool (or any similar too in any other editor) that can select any single color (plus a limited threshold of colours close to it) for easy isolation.

After that, it's also important to select art that does not have the character cropped off, especially to the right and/or top since doing so will result in having an awkward looking cut off character on the stick (bottom and left are easier to hide for obvious reasons).

Now for the actual isolating of the art. As mentioned above, the easiest way is to use Photoshop's Magic Wand tool or similar. The Magic Wand can be selected by clicking on it's icon (which looks like a magic wand) from the Tools pane on the left in Photoshop.

4262222176_b6e3c9f964_o.jpg

After selecting the Magic Wand, simply click on the plain background to select it, then press Delete to clear it out. Be sure however to check if the character is completely isolated aometimes, there is a bit of colour left outside of the characters outline.

You can fix this by undoing (CTRL + Z, or CTRL + ALT + Z to undo in steps) then adjusting Tolerance of the Magic Wand (in the menu bar on top). You can keep redoing this until you get something you are happy with. Repeat for any other bits of background which you might have missed (not adjacent/connected to the part you removed, usually between legs and arms). You can also do the same to any logos you want to place. Once the character art and/or logos are isolated, copy and paste them into the template and then position them as you like.

The next step is creating a background. To do so, first select layer labeled "Background" from the template (or create a new layer under the art by pressing SHIRT + CTRL + N then dragging it below the layers for the art). Now for the background, there are many options available. The simplest would be to take a large full image, usually with the character in question or at the very least art that relates to the game that the character is from and then, use that as the background - following the same guidelines for single image art that I previously talked about.

In doing any background however, it is best to make sure that the background compliments the character. Usually, this means selecting a background whose colours do not clash too much with the colours of the character art. It's also best to make sure that the background selected does not overpower the character art in such a way that the character art just about disappears due to the background.

Too make things a bit easier, I've uploaded a few backgrounds based on sticks I've previously done that you can use.

For a more minimalistic approach, you can also use a simple gradient background. To do this, simply choose the colours you want to use. On the bottom of the Tools pane to the right in Photoshop, click on the foreground and background colours and select the colours you want using the Colour Picker.

4262155542_a61d1be661.jpg

Then select the Gradient Tool (click and hold on the Paintbucket icon to bring up the sub-menu then select the Gradient Tool).

4261411373_696cb1ac49_o.png

To create the gradient, simply click and hold on where you want the foreground colour then drag to where you want the background colour. This should produce your gradient background.

Final Round - Applying Finishing Touches

Now that you've got your art on the stick, it's time to step back a bit and look at the art as a whole. Take your time fine tuning the art, making adjustments where necessary. This step is what can truly make or break great stick art. Don't be afraid to make a change if you think it'll for the better. You might even find that disregarding some of the things I've mentioned will actually make it a better piece - this is art after all and there is no simply one-two-three step system that will produce great art it's all up to you and what you think works best.

Preparing to Print

Now that you're artwork is done, you'll have to prepare it for printing. You do this by simply turning off all the non-artwork/template layers. This is done so that you don't get any white lines when cutting since the templates aren't always 100% exact and people are bound to make some small mistakes when cutting.

To do this, simply, click on the eye icon beside all the layers that you need to turn off. You'll know that they're turned off when the eye is gone and you can no longer see the contents of the layer in the artwork.

Now go and have your art printed and then get it on your stick (for the T.E. you can follow this tutorial).

Also, before I end, I'd like to give my thanks to some folks:
-The people at Hori and MadCatz for their sticks (including MarkMan).
-The regulars and artists at the Official TE art thread who have inspired me (chunbelievable, GXE, MIVLives, manman, kte03, Ranma444, protomanSTi, SilentRage03 and whoever else I missed) as well as Shin-RoTeNdO for starting that thread in the first place and likkuid for his mockup template.
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