[PLUGIN] LCD/LED Plugin 1.92

[442much]

Most of the attract modes are currently focused on RGB LED's, but I am hoping to make a special random attract mode for single LED's (similar to lwa's but generated with code).

I figured out some of what was going on in my system, it was PowerMAME. I had it configured for all the LED lighting off, but when you re-load it, it likes to re-enable the LED settings for you. So, my attract mode stuff was actually PowerMAME running. Anyway, I'm now just running MAME32 and I'm back to no attract working at all.

[headkaze]

Does the "Test Attract" button work for you? Are you waiting for the GameEx attract mode to start? The default waiting time in GameEx is 4 minutes and then the attract mode starts.

[loadman]

I found some documentation on the .lwa files at the GGG website by downloading the Resident control, animation and keyboard LED emulation software. The software is marked as beta, and there isn't a lot of info on how to setup the files. I'll have to study it for a bit and see what I can figure out.

Yeah.... That software was never finished

The only thing you can do with that is create animations for Sinngle Led-Wiz

You can't

* Edit It

* Play it

* Load any files

[442much]

Does the "Test Attract" button work for you? Are you waiting for the GameEx attract mode to start? The default waiting time in GameEx is 4 minutes and then the attract mode starts.

It does and it doesn't work. Sometimes when I hit it, the attract mode starts, other times it doesn't. Also, If I select only one attract mode, then hit the test button does it show me just that mode? I'd like to see what exactly each attract mode does. Looks like It will be hard to test the .lwa files until the GGG software is updated.

I have restarted my machine and sometimes the attract mode works in GameEx and other times it doesn't. Also selecting games from the list does light up their buttons, but when I launch the game the buttons are not lit.

[headkaze]

It does and it doesn't work. Sometimes when I hit it, the attract mode starts, other times it doesn't. Also, If I select only one attract mode, then hit the test button does it show me just that mode? I'd like to see what exactly each attract mode does. Looks like It will be hard to test the .lwa files until the GGG software is updated.

I have restarted my machine and sometimes the attract mode works in GameEx and other times it doesn't. Also selecting games from the list does light up their buttons, but when I launch the game the buttons are not lit.

Like I said most of the attract modes are made for RGB LED's, you mentioned you have SINGLE LED's. So the only attract mode really suited for that at the moment is LWA attract mode. The rest are all color effects that don't look very good on SINGLE LED's. I will be working on a random code type attract mode just for Single LED's so stay tuned for that. The "Test Attract" is made to randomly play only from the attract modes you have selected in the config. So it works like you expect, but like I said since you have Single LED's stay with LWA's and wait for a decent LWA animation creator.

I would expect that the attract mode appears to not work when it's playing RGB suited attract modes and it looks like it's not working. So only enable lwa attract mode for now.

If you want the buttons to stay lit when you launch a game try unticking "LED's Off When Game Is Run". Let me know if that works for you then.

I should be receiving the rest of my LEDWiz gear in the next few days, I already have one LEDWiz device (thanks to loadman), so I'm just waiting on my buttons and second LEDWiz. Then I can really give the plugin a full test and will be tweaking it alot more and adding more features.

[headkaze]

Version 1.70 BETA Released

Today I received my LEDWiz and buttons from GroovyGameGear! A big thanks again to RandyT and loadman. I will be documenting my CP makeover very soon.

To celebrate I've added 30 lwa animation files made with special software I've written just for SINGLE LED users. I will probably be adding a new attract mode based on these animations so they work as expected for RGB users. They will probably look strange on RGB led's because they don't take into account 3 outputs for each button. But I will fix that in the future, this is a special release just for SINGLE LED users who may feel a bit left out on the attract mode side.

[Quixote Quest]

Version 1.70 BETA Released

Today I received my LEDWiz and buttons from GroovyGameGear! A big thanks again to RandyT and loadman. I will be documenting my CP makeover very soon.

To celebrate I've added 30 lwa animation files made with special software I've written just for SINGLE LED users. I will probably be adding a new attract mode based on these animations so they work as expected for RGB users. They will probably look strange on RGB led's because they don't take into account 3 outputs for each button. But I will fix that in the future, this is a special release just for SINGLE LED users who may feel a bit left out on the attract mode side.

I look forward to reading up on your changeover. I've still been sitting on the fence waiting to do the same project. Maybe you'll inspire me to get with it.

Thanks for all your work for the community.

[442much]

Version 1.70 BETA Released

. . .

To celebrate I've added 30 lwa animation files made with special software I've written just for SINGLE LED users.

Thanks! Looks like everything is working for me now. My only question is the animations play very fast when I test them out from the plugin manager. When they run in MAME, they are very slow.

Here are my ideas for future enhancements:

1) Ability to have certain inputs always on (I mentioned that before)

2) Ability to select inputs to light up while running GameEx. For example, I always want my trackball lit.

3) Ability to turn on selected inputs when launch something other than MAME. This could be a generic setting for all Apps, or you could go to some file based system or something similar that would allow you to control what was set on/off.

Keep up the good work.

-Dan

[headkaze]

Thanks for the feedback 442much I'll have a look at adding some of those features down the track.

I have got my CP re-done with RGB LED's! It's fantastic, and I finally got to check out my plugin. Now I know what I've been missing out on. I'll be posting pictures with a full webpage on how I went. Now I can test everything properly, which prompted me to make a few updates to the plugin.

Version 1.80 Released

- No longer in BETA (yay!)

- Fixed Test Attract button

- Fixed Speak button actions

- Added some extra buttons for custom assignments

[442much]

Version 1.80 Released

- No longer in BETA (yay!)

- Fixed Test Attract button

- Fixed Speak button actions

- Added some extra buttons for custom assignments

Hey. The CP makeover looks great. I downloaded the latest version, but mine still says 1.6 beta. I checked and I do have files with todays date. Also, couldn't find any extra buttons for custom assignemnts.

-Dan

[headkaze]

You must be downloading a cached version, try again later.

It is definately 1.80 now (I just tried downloaded it), so you should keep downloading until you see that version number in the Plugin Manager.

[headkaze]

Version 1.86 Released

- Lots of little fixes to the LEDWiz code now that I can test things on my own cab

- Now it shows your default buttons lit all the time

- Speak button actions only runs when you view the internal CP viewer. I thought it was a bit annoying to show up every time you select a game even if you can skip it with a button press.

- Added "Always Stay Lit" option for LED's

- MameInterop fix

- ColorsIni colour mapping should work properly now

- Flashing buttons on LEDWiz or output to LCD "PAUSED" message when Mame is paused (Only available in Mame 0112u2 and above)

[loadman]

Version 1.86 Released

- Lots of little fixes to the LEDWiz code now that I can test things on my own cab

- Now it shows your default buttons lit all the time

- Speak button actions only runs when you view the internal CP viewer. I thought it was a bit annoying to show up every time you select a game even if you can skip it with a button press.

- Added "Always Stay Lit" option for LED's

- MameInterop fix

- ColorsIni colour mapping should work properly now

- Flashing buttons on LEDWiz or output to LCD "PAUSED" message when Mame is paused (Only available in Mame 0112u2 and above)

Very nice indeed...

Very nice

[headkaze]

Thanks loadman

Version 1.87 Released

- Fixed sluggish performance in attract mode

[Nologic]

Dang some impressively quick updates.

Heh need to buy you more gear more often.

[loadman]

Thanks loadman

Version 1.87 Released

- Fixed sluggish performance in attract mode

If only I had your skills

[kfisher]

How to use this to light appropriate buttons during gameplay. Maybe I completely misunderstood the application, or maybe I'm looking in the wrong place for a related config file, but, here's what I want to do:

Let's take 1943 as an example. There's a shoot button, and a bomb button. I'd like the shoot button to be lit up blue, and bomb to be lit up red. I have an LEDWiz for Player 1, and a 2nd LEDWiz for P2.

Where would these game-specific settings be set? I'm using RGB LEDs too. So, I'm not familiar with the assignment.

I thought I had read/seen a csv line that assigned LEDWiz connector to intensity value passthrough?

Please advise!?!?

Thanks for all the great work!

Kevin

[headkaze]

How to use this to light appropriate buttons during gameplay. Maybe I completely misunderstood the application, or maybe I'm looking in the wrong place for a related config file, but, here's what I want to do:

Let's take 1943 as an example. There's a shoot button, and a bomb button. I'd like the shoot button to be lit up blue, and bomb to be lit up red. I have an LEDWiz for Player 1, and a 2nd LEDWiz for P2.

Where would these game-specific settings be set? I'm using RGB LEDs too. So, I'm not familiar with the assignment.

I thought I had read/seen a csv line that assigned LEDWiz connector to intensity value passthrough?

Please advise!?!?

Thanks for all the great work!

Kevin

If you have colors.ini support enabled in the plugin configuration it should light up the 1942 buttons like you say. Have you setup all your LED's correctly in the Plugin Manager?

[kfisher]

If you have colors.ini support enabled in the plugin configuration it should light up the 1942 buttons like you say. Have you setup all your LED's correctly in the Plugin Manager?

I'll be honest, I'm not sure whether or not the LEDs are set appropriately. Since I only have 7 clear buttons per player, I set it up as follows:

1,2,3 R,G,B P1 1st button

...

10,11,12 R,G,B P1 4th button

17,18,19 R,G,B P1 5th button

...

26,27,28 R,G,B P1 7th button.

When configuring a button, does setting a LEDWiz port/pin to RGB, automatically take the next two? For instance, LEDWiz P1Button2: 4 ®. So, 5 and 6 are G,B.

I was so excited that anything lit up (demo LWAs showing activity across all buttons), that I didn't really look into the proper config. I had all colors across all buttons functioning the first time, whcih I was concerned about considering the thin nature of the wire.

Where does colors.ini get its info? This is based off of the cab color buttons in the real dedicated cabs? I wasn't even sure where colors.ini was saved, so I hadn't even had a chance to search for the file.

Also, I unchecked the option to turn off the LEDs during gameplay.

Thanks you for confirming that my goal is achievable, just that I have to change the settings.

This is a nice bit of work that really changed the aesthetic of my cab and I appreciate the effort that you put into it.

[headkaze]

When you set a button to RGB you have to set all the outputs for it manually using the number up/down controls. It should light up the button your changing in realtime so you know which LED your messing with. If you have two LEDWiz devices, you also have to set the LEDWiz ID to the right one.

If you take a look at the attached pic, it shows my Player1 Button 1 is an RGB LED using inputs 7, 8 and 9 for RGB respectively. It has Blue set to level 49 meaning the LED will be blue by default.

You don't have to worry yourself with colors.ini (although it's located in the same folder as the plugin), because all the colors have been pain stakenly added by me from actual photo's of the real CP's.

[kfisher]

OK, I now have a "new" issue in controlling my cab LEDs. I have a Super Neo 29 Type 2, with a 7 button format.

The first row of buttons is Neo-Geo style, buttons 1-4. The second row of buttons is lined up with buttons 5-7. Thus, it's like a SFII and Neo Geo combined.

As a result, my SFII layout is:

ON ON ON ON

ON ON OFF

I thought that by setting Button 4 to black in the colors.ini, I'd be able to offset the colors.

Orig sfa3 :

[sfa3]

P1_COIN=White

P1_START=White

P1_BUTTON1=Blue

P1_BUTTON2=Yellow

P1_BUTTON3=Red

P1_BUTTON4=Blue

P1_BUTTON5=Yellow

P1_BUTTON6=Red

P1_JOYSTICK=Blue

P2_COIN=White

P2_START=White

P2_BUTTON1=Blue

P2_BUTTON2=Yellow

P2_BUTTON3=Red

P2_BUTTON4=Blue

P2_BUTTON5=Yellow

P2_BUTTON6=Red

P2_JOYSTICK=Blue

----------------------

Proposed edit:

P1_BUTTON1=Blue

P1_BUTTON2=Yellow

P1_BUTTON3=Red

P1_BUTTON4=Black

P1_BUTTON5=Blue

P1_BUTTON6=Yellow

P1_BUTTON7=Red

This doesn't seem to work, and the LEDWiz is confused as a result. Can you tell me how/if this offset is possible to introduce to the colors.ini?

I believe I tried to omit the errant button (BUTTON4), and just declare for Button5-Button7, which didn't seem to work. Is the definition of Black, not valid? When trying the LEDWiz plugin, to try the color assignments, they work in GameEx, but not when showing the color profiles on the LEDs. Orange, for instance, may show blank unlit buttons, or all LEDs on.

I'll try to get some photos once the digital camera is charged up...

Thanks again!

Kevin

[headkaze]

No that wont work because it knows there is only 6 buttons to light up, so it lights buttons 1 to 6 even if you add an extra button 7 it won't light that up.

I have my buttons set for NeoGeo on the bottom row, so I need to remap my keys for that.

The problem is the plugin does not currently take into account different button mappings for games. BUT I am working on it. There will be an "Advanced Mode" where you assign keys to LED's instead of control names. Then I will read in all your custom buttons mappings for default.cfg and <rom>.cfg and then map the LED's accordingly. I want this feature also, because I want my NeoGeo buttons to light up right as well, so it will get done. A large chunk of test code necessary to do this is already written, so I just got to get some time to merge it into the plugin code.

[442much]

Thanks loadman

Version 1.87 Released

- Fixed sluggish performance in attract mode

Wow! Looks like everything is working great and it does pretty much everything I want it to do now. Very impressive.

-Dan

[DJ Infinity]

Hey I would like to say thank you for the plugin. It's easy enough for a dummy like me to understand Very easy to setup and run. I have tried Atomic FE & couldn't figure out how to use it for my RGB lights. The sequences used in the screensaver mode are very nice! How do you get the screensaver to go on & stay on? mine keeps exiting every 2 mins or so. I have redone 2 out of 3 of my mamecab's with led-wiz's and rgb lights. When my panel comes in from slikstik it'll have all buttons rgb and even the trackball.

[headkaze]

LCD Plugin 1.90 Released

- Added custom key mapping support (Mame cfg files) so it should light up buttons correctly.

- Added variable speeds to lwa's for some variation

This is a bit experimental at the moment, so report back any problems here. You have to assign keys to the buttons you want to allow custom mappings for. If you don't use custom mappings you can ignore these settings and use the plugin as before.