Automatic Download to IPac/JPac

[Toonces]

Would it be possible to add automatic download of IPac/JPac codes based on the emulator being used? That way, instead of trying to wrangle Zinc and other emulators to conform to the mame keyboard layout I could program my JPac for the emulator and associate it with a particular emulator and when I launch a game that uses that emulator the controls would be correctly programmed. Then on exit it would revert back to the default set (mame or maybe even a custom set). I think mamewah does this by using the WinIpac program.

Thanks!

Toonces

[Tom Speirs]

Hi,

I'll look into this when I have a chance.

[Toonces]

I was just looking into this using the WinIpac util (not the newer WinIpac IPD). The newer app has it's own launcher to accomplish this but is a $12 upgrade if you have an ipac/jpac prior to 1/2004. The WinIpac will work on older and newer versions and supports downloading of code to the ipac but in order to make it an "On the fly" reprogramming that would revert to the default mame settings it would require a batch file to be created that would reload the default settings on exit.

The easiest way to accomplish this seems to be for GameEx to become the launcher for the winipac software so it doesn't have to have a batch file. I hope this makes sense :-)

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Toonces

[Toonces]

Hi Tom,

I was poking around last night and noticed that to launch a game, GameEx creates a batch file. The easiest and most generic way I could see to add support for downloading codes on the fly to ipac/jpac would be to include a configuration item for command to be run before running the game and command to be run on exit. That way, all that would need to be done is add the command for the WinIpac to both field and load the appropriate WinIpac config and it would load the correct keyset up. Of course that would only make the support extend to the emulator and not down to the game but that would be a huge help. The only reason I could think of extending support down to the game level would be for ZiNC which I beleive uses different mapping for System 11 than the other games? I could be wrong since I am very unfamiliar to Zinc having just recently installed it since GameEx supports it (Something I am glad I did too!).

Just a thought.

Toonces.

[Toonces]

Sorry, forgot to add the example. Assuming the WinIpac utility is installed in c:\program files\winipac.

@ECHO OFF

C:

C:\"Program Files\WINIPAC\winipac.exe" ZINC.IPC

CD "C:\zinc"

zinc.exe 62 --roms-directory="C:\mame\roms" --renderer=.\renderer.znc

C:\"Program Files\WINIPAC\winipac.exe" MAME.IPC

Of course, the winipac utility could be copied from the default install location to the GameEx folder and then put the IPD files under the DATA folder if you wanted to integrate it a little tighter to keep people from having to know the entire commandline.

Thanks Again!

Toonces

[Tom Speirs]

Hi Tom,

  I was poking around last night and noticed that to launch a game, GameEx creates a batch file. The easiest and most generic way I could see to add support for downloading codes on the fly to ipac/jpac would be to include a configuration item for command to be run before running the game and command to be run on exit. That way, all that would need to be done is add the command for the WinIpac to both field and load the appropriate WinIpac config and it would load the correct keyset up. Of course that would only make the support extend to the emulator and not down to the game but that would be a huge help. The only reason I could think of extending support down to the game level would be for ZiNC which I beleive uses different mapping for System 11 than the other games? I could be wrong since I am very unfamiliar to Zinc having just recently installed it since GameEx supports it (Something I am glad I did too!).

Just  a thought.

Toonces.

Thanks, deffinitly a good thought, keep em coming.