X-Arcade trackball not working correctly in GameEx

[setfree7]

I recently recieved the X-Arcade Tankstick with the trackball. The unit is great. However, the trackball is working very strangely within GameEx.

Mame32 is set to use mouse as input, the in-game settings are set correctly to use mouse. The trackball moves the cursor in Windows, Media Center and GameEx.

I spents hours trying to get the trackball Mame games to work with the trackball. Finally they started working (I don't know what, if anything, I did to make it work). Then I unplugged the X-Arcade unit. After re-plugging it in, the trackball games stopped working again (the movement is controlled by the joystick).

I am baffelled. Why did they trackball games finally start working. And why did they stop when I reconnected the unit???

I don't know if this is an X-Arace, GameEx, or Mame issue! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Once other note: When the times when the trackball is not working correctly, Windows Media Player keeps launching. I assume this is some kind of hot-key combo, but I don't know where, or why it seems to be related to the trackball. Any ideas?

Many, many thanks!

[GotMame]

i had this same issue and it was caused by having a usb gamepad plugged in when I started the computer. It was forcing my trackball to be mouse 3 instead of mouse 1 when the gamepad was plugged in. You might want to see if this is the same issue you have.

In any mame game that uses a trackball hit tab and change the analog input for your trackball. You can just hit enter and move the trackball and it will show you what mouse input it thinks it is.

Good luck.

[setfree7]

i had this same issue and it was caused by having a usb gamepad plugged in when I started the computer. It was forcing my trackball to be mouse 3 instead of mouse 1 when the gamepad was plugged in. You might want to see if this is the same issue you have.

Thanks for the reply. The only other USB devices I have are a Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard. I wonder if starting the computer with the mouse on is causing the problem(?). I will experiement when I get a chance and post the results back here. If that is the case (mouse causing conflict) it won't be very convienient to have to restart the Media Center with the mouse off if I want to use the trackball.

Thanks!

[rberger3]

Thanks for the reply. The only other USB devices I have are a Bluetooth Mouse and Keyboard. I wonder if starting the computer with the mouse on is causing the problem(?). I will experiement when I get a chance and post the results back here. If that is the case (mouse causing conflict) it won't be very convienient to have to restart the Media Center with the mouse off if I want to use the trackball.

Thanks!

What did you figure out? I am thinking about buying the tankstick as well and was wondering if you fixed your problem?

[bkenobi]

My guess would also be the mouse switching identities in windows. I have a pair of guns that are connected as mice. When I was initially getting them set up, they kept switching between mouse 2 and 3. I finally figured out something to keep them from switching (I don't remember what it was now) and things have worked fine since.

My suggestion would be to enter the configuration in mame (hit tab) and go to the general controls section. If you go to the mouse/trackball controls, check to see what mouse it wants to use. Then, reprogram it with the trackball and see if it switched to something else. That's how I figured it out a while back...

[gryhnd]

I don't have an answer for you, but I experienced something similar with just a regular hard wired mouse (pre-tankstick) when I switched among the themes. Some themes worked with the mouse and others did not. Then some that didn't suddenly started to work later. I never figured out why.

I too rec'd my tankstick last week. Wow...so cool.

I'm running everything off USB, including a wireless keyboard with built in mouse...and the tankstick trackball continues to work fine.

Lots of USB stuff actually:

Tankstick's 2 cables

Wireless key/mouse

Griffin Powermate

Slot loading CD/DVD ROM (uses 2 USB cables for power and comm).

I intend to install the slot loader into the area above the tankstick/below the monitor in my MAME cabinet so that the kids can easily load their DVD based games without needing access to the PC itself. I like the slot loader because there's no tray for them to snap off.

I'm torn about using the powermate as my spinner. It rests on the tankstick's platform. I like being able to move it around anywhere I need to based on the game I am playing, but it doesn't have the free spin of a true arcade spinner.