stigzler

Good share - many thanks - i remember my current emulator being a bit hit and miss.

Scenario: You want a button on your keyboard/controller/ipac etc to act as a shift key when used in combo with another button, produces a third button. For example, holding down "#" and pressing f produces "Alt+Ent." My scenario: Have 8 'function' buttons on my cab which map to various keys via a keyboard hack - e.g. "]" + "h" + ";" Wanted to be able to press the 2P button (mapped to 2 on minipac) to act as shift to send different keys to emulators. For instance want to send "p" from holding down "2" and pressing ";" (for pause). The problem: 1) I don't know the technicalities, but many emulators use different methods of 'getting' keys in their menus. Lots will register the first key you press. For example, in example above, when it says "press key now" you'll hold down the 2 to press the ";" but 2 will register as first key pressed (this applies to the advanced emulator config remap in GameEx) 2) Because of key repeat, you might end up with repeated "p"s being sent resulting in successive pause,unpause,pause etc... 3) In Auto Hot Key - one method will work with one emulator and another with another (something to to with Direct send + sendkeys method or something) - therefore, one size won't fit all. These Scripts: a) When first press down key that will be shift - doesn't send the key (e.g. pressing 2 doesn't send 2 on key down) If you release key without selecting another, you get "2". You can also disable this. c) You can set it so that the shifted sent key (e.g. "p" in the example above) does not repeat - vital if have function buttons. d) can also set the buttons that you use with the 'shift' key to also not repeat when pressed on their own (again, for function buttons this can be useful) e) You can set the shift key to either work like a shift key (that is you can shift several keys one after the other without letting go of the shift key) or you can require that the shift key is released before accepting another function. Solution: 1) Download AutoHotkey 2) Copy the two scripts below, paste into notepad (I'd recc "Notepad++"). Save them as "Method A" and "Method B" in your GameEx directory under created folder "AHKs and scripts" or something like that. Method A: Method B: 3) Get controls working outside of GameEx first. For now, just click on the MethodA.ahk. You'll see an icon in your tray at bottom right. Change the keys therein to match your own (just try one or two to start - a 'shifted' and 'unshifted' function). Test in notepad fisrt to ensure some key mapping. Then test in your emulator. If Method A works, goto (5) 4) If you can't get Method A working... try Method B!! Same drill - setup couple of trial keys - try in emulator etc.. Once working... 5) Save your working script. Right click on the AHK file and select "Compile Script" - it'll produce an .exe - save this somewhere, but keep the AHK in case you need to edit in the future. 6) Set up GameEx to start the AHK script on emulator launch and to kill it on emulator close. To do so: 7) Create the following .bat file (cut, paste to notepad, save with .bat extension), which will kill any specified running process in task manager: 8) Go into Plugin manager and the QuickLaunch plugin. 9) Select your Emulator and then "Add" 10) Make up a name in "Process name" 11) Select your AHK exe in process exe 12) No arguments (!) 13) Select "Launch Before" then Save. (this will launch your AHK script when Emulator loads) 14) In same Emulator, create another to kill the process, but this time: - Select the bat file you just created as the exe (you can change the viewed file types in the file select menu) - In the Arguments section put the name of your AHK exe surrounded by quotes. E.g.: "Nintendo64_remap.exe." 15) Select "Launch After" You should get something like this (my filenames obviously different) And that's it! I'll update below emulators I've tested this on, the relevant Method and anything noteworthy. Hope this saves someone a bit of time, coz it was a bit of a trial sorting this! Emulators and configs: DesMume (Nintendo DS) - Method B Cannot configure Alt+Enter in menu - do via remap of a hotkey to Alt+Enter. Demul (0.5.8.2) (Dreamcast+Atomiswave+Naomi) - Method B required manual mappings (can't config in menu or .ini - do in AHK script) Pause key - Pause F6 - Aspect Ratio F5 - Rotation F9 (??) - read somewhere that this is screenshot but can't get this working at all! Can't find hotkey guide for this anywhere VisualBoy Advance (Gameboy Advance) - Method A ProSystem (Atari 7800) - Method A Manual remaps: Ctrl+R - Reset ("^r" in AHK) Ctrl+L - Load CTRL+P - Pause Virtual Jaguar (Atari Jaguar) - Method A OK.. bored of this bit now... drop a reply if you need any more of these! Strictly an on demand service.

Would be very interested, headkaze. Not gonna be revisiting this for another month or so, but could come in handy when i do. Only got so far with my db - was using MS Access + got structures in place for controllers, buttons, functions, labels, games, emulators and got a few functions tied up and working together (buttons>controllers>functions and game>emulator>controller etc). But then tbh, got a bit lost in mapping specific games>emulators>controllers>controls>labels! Are there any good db design people on here? Don't think mine was beyond use, but got complicated, having to update/create several tables at once, including link tables.

Brill Adultery - looking forward to the next release. Loving the control panel aspect. This coupled with CPMaker really do help the cab. Thanks for considering suggestions. On the second - that's no big deal, really, as I'm just using an AHK script to map a button to Shift+Space. Great to hear the transparency on the CP Panels is gonna be user customisable. Great job.

That sounds brilliant, Headkaze - I'll wait until the new, revised version. Will it have emulator support? The fab thing about CPWizard is the allowing of per game labels for each button. I'm sure you guys are on it, but I was working on a database to organize button labels for emulators/consoles/games which would produce the ini file for CPWizard for each emulator. only got so far before other aspects of my cab project took over. Dunno if that would be of any use to anyone ? Thanks for the reply.

Twas my first stop, Adultery! It really might be looking like it was that one ROM! Very strange. :/

OK - this one in WEIRD!!! Button on cab sends "4" via keyboard hack. In the middle of setting up key mappings with AHK, GE (advanced emu config) and the individual emulators. Come across a really weird thing. When first start the machine - "4" button works as it should - often have mapped to "Select" on emus. However, at some point, it takes on a function of its own - closing down emulators (all including mame). Weird thing is - it's not functioning as escape (my global home key) as doesn't go to home in GE menu. Also, when open notepad and testing through WinPac testkeys - comes back as 4. Looked through my AHK scripts - 4 isn't mapped anywhere. :/ Any ideas? [uPDATE] : Doubly Bonkers : A specific game image (Starfox USA, rev 2) on a specific emulator (ZSNES) starts this! :s

This software is both brilliant and infuriating at the same time (sorry, Headkaze!) It's got so much potential, but often a case of 1 step forward, 3 steps back. Had reached some progress last night displaying the correct layout for an emulator and cycling between 2 screens, but now this morning, consistently getting the error: ************** Exception Text ************** System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at CPWizard.frmLayout.CPForm_FormClosing(Object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.OnFormClosing(FormClosingEventArgs e) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WmClose(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Form.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m) at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam) - double dutch to me, that Having trawled - I can't find anyone who has got this working successfully with emulators - maybe it's not possible? Twas worth a try though.

OK.. I'm getting close. Basically not bothered about the full menu function in cpwiz, all i'm wanting is cyclable images on my second monitor. So used the following setup and it's working a treat apart from one thing. It's great because can custom design 'pages' via "xxxxx (0)" "xxxxx (1)" etc + also define custom keys to cycle the images on my second monitor! Very exciting! Basically, I cut out the sub function all together. New Settings: BUT.... Mame minimises when cpwiz is shown, either via the "show key" or pause (will prob end up using show key and not pause in the end) Is there any way to stop mame minimising when initially show CPWiz? When re-maximise mame - no issues + cpwiz runs nicely on second monitor! Also, I see in the Emulator profiles section there's a "minimise" and Maximise option - does this mean you can control whether the emu windows are minimised or max'd?? Feeling a little more hopeful that can get this working + I gotta say - the composite images look great on the second monitor! Thanks for a great app!

Revisiting CPWizard now as setting up my control configs in MAME and Emulators. REALLY wanna get this beast working, but it's an unruly, unpredictable animal that once tamed is gonna be cracking! Hoping to setup controls database for emulator key mapping too at some point this year. Basic issue at the moment. Have two graphics cards in machine+two separate corresponding monitors. CANNOT get the sub display working! My settings: Main CPWiz module appears on 1st Monitor (running mame) fine (although it does start itself up on game selection screen with auto show disabled). However - no trace anywhere of the sub screen! What I've tried: - Running CPWiz as admin and also in various compatibility modes. - Changing a setting in MAme ini dx3d or something to 8 - other tweaks/experiments that can't remember now! Weird thing is second display is listed as "2" - but showing "5" on cp wizard. In log file, 2nd GPU appears to be seen. Does this actually work with two graphics cards? I really do wanna get the hang of CPWiz because it has a lot of potential for emu games too. However - there appears to be limited documentation avail and searches haven't really provided any answers (could be my searching!) Hope someone can help.

Happy new one, and thanks to peeps for their support in my first year of GameEx. Looking forward to the new creation!

Great. Another great plugin Adultery - after an evening of emulator conroller setups - this one is proving a godsend! Keep up the good fight!

Spot on. Cheers chap. As a matter of interest though, is there any way to see what it's doing at command line level - like a debug mode? You MUST be able to do something with those GameEx variables, but be good to see what's getting passed to what via what means.

A choice between Supercharged Bells and Whistles or minimalistic bliss would be great! *coughs* 3D models and tags */coughs*

Don't know the program, but if you want it running concurrent to GameEx/Emulators, try this by guess who...: http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/13171-plugin-quicklaunch/ Welcome to GE

Thanks adultery.i put that in there as another methpd to try. Think it still wasnt work without space. How exactly does what you put in the fileds translate to cmd line? I know what the cmd line should look like, but dont know what cmd line this plugin produces. Many thanks again!

Probably overlooking something really obvious, but having a few probs using this with sending args to a batch file: Kill_task.bat: (tried different permutations of removing "s in the bat; sending them without "s or including/excluding them in Arguments in Quicklaunch. None seem to work - always seem to get this error: Followed by: Weird thing is - it does actually kill the process! Was wanting to watch the console to see what this plugin was doing/sending, but couldn't find a way to do this. Would appreciate any help.

Cool. So we all gotta lay off the dev team to let them concentrate on the next gen front end. Need anyone to provide the beer and smokes? *coughs* extended 3d modelling and tags */coughs*

Is it like fight club?

Dammit! That didn't work. For some reason, the emu I tested this in still registers the RShift Button on initial keypress. So messed about some more. Tried- "KeyWait, RShift" - still registers in emu on key down "RShift::return RShift up::Send RShift" Still 'sees' R Shift + others (using "UP" command etc) Is there any way for AHK to stop any application seeing Right Shift unless one of the following occur?: - It is released without another key being pressed (i.e. send Rshift only when released) - this is my 2P button - It is used with another key to make a hotkey (that is sends a hotkey from combo (e.g. * form RShift and [) but doesn't send the RShift after the hotkey btw R Shift is mapped via WinIPac/minipac getting very befuddled by all this. Test emu is Stella, but also does in WinIPac test mode. CHeers

Whoa - Stealth updating....

Never mind. Solved it via other means: used this- AutoHotKey http://www.autohotkey.com/ And example of the script- Then converted to an exe. Then launched exe at GameEx startup and closed it at shutdown with two bat files and the launch before/after settings in the Tweaks page.

Whoa! Drenched in 80s. Need a shower.

I was never any good at NOT asking questions.

Yes, I wish to evolve. I need to loose this tail. And these flippers.