[RESOLVED] Out of the ordinary button config ??

[u-man]

hello guys,

i have some questions for a out of the ordinary button config.

for better understanding, here is my control panel layout:

the black box will be a second monitor, a high resolution tft.

now my questions:

as a single player, i would like to use the 1 player stick and the second player buttons. this is configurable in MAME, so far so good, but what is if i want to play with someone?

is there a way, that MAME reads a config file when i press single player and reads a second config file, when i press 2 players?

[AlphaUMi]

Uhm... as far as I know, no... At least no with a "default" MAME setup. Although I don't use it, I've heard a lot of wonderful things about Xpadder ( http://xpadder.com/ ). But if you want my opinion, it would be very difficult to change profile while you are gaming, i.e. changing profile "on the fly" while MAME is running...

[nullPointer]

+1 on Xpadder. I don’t think MAME has any native support for this sort of functionality, and as such I don’t think it would be practical to manage within MAME. (Note that I didn’t say impossible, but I think the experience would be tedious and frustrating at best)

Xpadder will allow you to assign keys (like your P1 and P2 buttons) which will switch controller profiles on the fly, for any number of players. I think that would be your best bet.

One catch to this method is that you’ll need to compile MAME to accept DirectInput, otherwise it won’t work (MAME only accepts Raw Input by default). It looks like you’re well on your way as far as compiling goes, but it will add a small additional step to your build.

This thread will point you in the right direction if you choose to pursue this solution

I'd recommend taking a look at that whole thread, but cutting to the chase this is what you'll need to do prior to compiling:

Take a look in src\osd\windows\input.c and change

// For testing purposes: force DirectInput
#define FORCE_DIRECTINPUT	0

to

// For testing purposes: force DirectInput
#define FORCE_DIRECTINPUT	1

That should do it.

[u-man]

xpadder sounds very interesting:

- configure up to 8 sets of controls per profile

- set any controller button to switch between sets one-way, two-way or while held

- autoopen a profile when the game is detected

seems that it can be done, i will write a e-mail to him.

so according to you, its at least possible to create a config for a single player and play like i mentioned before and if i want a 2-player setup i need to load and use a second config-file PRIOR starting a game. am i correct?

thank you all for the tips

EDIT:

@nullPointer, AlphaUMi: very nice, for pointing me in the right direction.

i think i have a simple solution:it would take a script which executes prior starting a game, asking for a single or second player setup which you confirm by pressing the according buttons and then loads the according config-file. doesnt sound like impossible to do, but maybe i am wrong.

[AlphaUMi]

Xpadder will allow you to assign keys (like your P1 and P2 buttons) which will switch controller profiles on the fly, for any number of players. I think that would be your best bet.

I missed this information. Thank you nullPointer.

so according to you, its at least possible to create a config for a single player and play like i mentioned before and if i want a 2-player setup i need to load and use a second config-file PRIOR starting a game. am i correct?

thanks for the tip

If I understood nullPointer's words correctly, he's saying that you can change profiles as you want, not only PRIOR launching a game, but directly while in game, without closing and restarting GameEx or MAME, so that you can switch between 1 player and 2 player button configuration simply with the press of a button. Xpadder seems to be a wonderful piece of software (I say "seems" only because I didn't tried it, but no doubt it is).

This would be your ideal solution...

[nullPointer]

so according to you, its at least possible to create a config for a single player and play like i mentioned before and if i want a 2-player setup i need to load and use a second config-file PRIOR starting a game. am i correct?

That is correct. I’d highly recommend using Adultery’s Xpadder plugin if you’re just starting out with Xpadder. It’s going to take the guesswork out of configuring the Xpadder command line for launching multiple configs simultaneously.

Xpadder is flexible enough that there could be several different ways of achieving your goal, but I think this is what I would try

• Make two controller profiles, Player 1 and Player 2
  
• Within each profile, there will be 2 separate ‘sets’ (This is the Xpadder terminology, but basically it’s an alternate config for a single control layout).
  
• Player 1 Set 1: Configure the 1 Player controls. Set a 1-Way trigger on the 2P button to switch to the 2 Player set.
  
• Player 1 Set 2: Configure the 2 Player controls (for Player 1). Set a 1-Way trigger on the 1P button to switch to the 1 Player set.
  
• Player 2 Set 1: Empty config, Set a 1-Way trigger on the 2P button to switch to the 2 Player config (This will be the exact same trigger as the Player 1 control, so that button press will affect both Xpadder configs. I’ve never tried it since I don’t have a CP, but I imagine that it should work)
  
• Player 2 Set 2: Configure the 2 Player controls (for Player 2). Set a 1-Way trigger on the 1P button to switch to the 1 Player set (which in this example is empty).
  

I think that would work, but I’ve never tried to have single button press affect multiple configs (since I don’t have a CP). I don’t see why it wouldn’t work though. All the same it might be a question for the Xpadder forums (or one of our Xpadder users that also utilizes a multi-player control panel).

[u-man]

nice, nice, nice,

do i have any disadvantages other than compiling with the mentioned code, like delayed movements and button switches?

is xpadder as fast as "normal" gameplay?

thank you so much guys

[nullPointer]

Actually as reread I my advice above I realize that I’m making the whole process more complicated than necessary. I was thinking of the control panel as ‘multiple single controllers’ which is of course not the case (I’m stuck in my own approach). Let’s revise that advice shall we?

• Make one single Xapdder config. This single config will house all the controls for both Player 1 and Player 2. It will have two internal Sets.
  
• Set 1: Contains controls for Player 1 and only Player 1. Set a 1-Way trigger on the 2P button to switch to the full 2 Player set.
  
• Set 2: Contains all controls for both Player 1 and Player 2. Set a 1-Way trigger on the 1P button to switch back to the 1 Player set.
  

There that would be waaay better. Sheesh, don’t know what I was thinking before. (Note to self: Must stop sniffing glue before noon ).

Edit:

do i have any disadvantages other than compiling with the mentioned code, like delayed movements and button switches?

is xpadder as fast as "normal" gameplay?

I've never noticed any sort of latency when using Xpadder. I suppose there may be a small amount, but if so I would think it's no more than a couple of milliseconds (if that).

[Draco1962]

Set 1 is a subset containing part of set Player 1 and set Player 2 controls (the intersection of both sets)

Set 2 is a superset containing set Player 1 and set Player 2 controls (the union of both sets)

Damnit man! I am remembering Set Theory! And they say you will never use this kind of stuff once you get out of high school!

[u-man]

ok, i tested Xpadder, looks good so far. everything worked as intended. thank you so much guys.

here is my latest layout for the CP:

and here is a picture of my very soon own cab:

170cm x 70 x 86 a Magnum Universal-Cab, i like that Style and Build the most of all.

I choosed the 6-button layout, as i think, there is absolutelly no need for more. Less is better and it looks nicer.

The 7" TFT has a 800x480 Display and is sharp enough for CP-Wizard

i think it will be a nice CP at all. a real eye-catcher.

Edited August 31, 2012 by Draco1962
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