Soft Tack buttons with old button layout?

[Sdsviet]

I am looking into doing my first cm3 and I have a question regarding how easy it is to mod in soft tack buttons instead of the long presoldered clicky buttons on the old layout. I prefer the older layout since its closer to the snes button configuration. The new button layout just seems unnatural for me to play on. How hard of a mod is it to swap the long clicky buttons out for the soft tack buttons? Or would it be easier to get the new button layout and wired that layout to shift over to the old button layout? I know you can pretty redo the whole layout and completely modding the top case but I rather have the internals adjust to the case and I only have to drill 2 holes above the A & B buttons in the case. It would be great if a manufacturer out there who makes a gba case with no holes on top and we drill out whatever holes we want.

[Flavor]

Are you wanting to do this with the Boxy Pixel metal shell or with a plastic shell?

I actually feel like I'm not 100% sure what you're asking. You said that you prefer the older layout, but then you said you want the soft buttons. Do you mean that you want the feel of the soft rubber buttons in the layout of the long-clicky buttons? I don't think that can be done. We put a lot of time and effort into that, and it is quite difficult. That's why we decided on the new configuration. You could, in theory, replace the long clicky buttons with rubber shafts (like the START/SELECT buttons have). It is just difficult to get them to work that way. I don't know of anyone who has implemented that.

[Sdsviet]

Are you wanting to do this with the Boxy Pixel metal shell or with a plastic shell?  

I actually feel like I'm not 100% sure what you're asking.  You said that you prefer the older layout, but then you said you want the soft buttons.  Do you mean that you want the feel of the soft rubber buttons in the layout of the long-clicky buttons?  I don't think that can be done.  We put a lot of time and effort into that, and it is quite difficult.  That's why we decided on the new configuration.  You could, in theory, replace the long clicky buttons with rubber shafts (like the START/SELECT buttons have).  It is just difficult to get them to work that way.  I don't know of anyone who has implemented that.

I am looking to getting a plastic shell modded to the long clicky button configuration with the soft buttons. I prefer that orientation since the new button layout is not actually a diamond/cross shape and is slightly slanted counter clockwise. Is it more due to the soft tack buttons just being too big to fit in that orientation? Like the top left button will get in the way of the lcd?

[Flavor]

Right, but it’s more than just the LCD. There isn’t much room in that area of the shell and circuit board.

[Sdsviet]

understood. is there a way to route the new button layout where the extra 2 buttons are above the original two buttons with the same slant but just slightly over to make room? or is there just not enough room at all above the original two buttons to fit 2 more soft tack buttons?

[Flavor]

I don't think there's enough room, but builders (like yourself) never cease to amaze me. I feel like someone could come up with some way to do it. Have you seen the things Hipcat (https://www.youtube.com/user/jivinhipcat/videos) does? He makes it seem like anything is possible!

[Sdsviet]

Oh I’ve been nonstop watching those videos and that’s where my inspiration is coming from. I can pretty much make anything, its the electronics part that I am not very good at. I am just trying to not short any boards out. Haha