[PLUGIN] LCD/LED Plugin 2.86

[headkaze]

there is a blinkin startbutton when you insert a coin (e.g. in asteroids and many other games).

and is there a possibility for "ingame-event-buttons" (e.g. tiger heli "bomb-button" blinks when pressing it)?

is there any way to activate this (with your plugin)? it would be perfect!

thanks,

Chris

I'm not exactly sure if you want it to work with keyboard LED's such as CAPS LOCK/SCROLL LOCK etc. or LED's from LEDWiz / PACDrive. If it's the former then the answer at the moment is no, but in the case of the latter then the answer is yes. Check out the Events tab then select Mame. You can assign controls to ledx, digitx or lampx Mame outputs. So in other words if you put a coin in DigDug it will flash the control assigned to led0. If you put another coin in it will flash the control assigned to led1.

Other outputs like digit allow you to output to an LCD screen, things like speed or scores from games that support it.

Attached is a screenshot of the Mame Event editor.

HooPZ: Yup, this plugin was re-written pretty much from scratch and this time I tried to put in all the features people asked for from V1. Hopefully I have most things covered now

[HooPZ]

Under the Profile Editor, if I select MAME, is there a way that I can only see my favorites? Ideally, I would like to see just those to make it easier for any custom configs that I have setup.

With 10+ Golden Tee games, its difficult to find the right one that I play consistently. Puzzle Bobble is another example. It'd be easier if I could select it from my favorites list as opposed to printing it all out and making sure I found the right one.

No biggie if thats not possible though. I really like this!

[headkaze]

Under the Profile Editor, if I select MAME, is there a way that I can only see my favorites? Ideally, I would like to see just those to make it easier for any custom configs that I have setup.

With 10+ Golden Tee games, its difficult to find the right one that I play consistently. Puzzle Bobble is another example. It'd be easier if I could select it from my favorites list as opposed to printing it all out and making sure I found the right one.

No biggie if thats not possible though. I really like this!

Nice idea Yeah I will definately look into adding that.

[alexdog69]

is it possible to set the 'audio' attract mode as default during game play when no controls.ini/xml entry is found for a rom ?

and i just wanted to say, headkaze, you rock. thanks so much for this plugin, it brings many people much joy in their gamecab experiences .

the new version is very nice. the new UI for configuring which outputs correspond to which LEDs/controls is much easier. and the profile stuff is just great. and im sure that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of all the improvements, both externally and internally, that you've done to this thing. i have to play with it a bit more.

[headkaze]

Version 2.2 Released.

Now includes favorites profile list. The bad news is to implement this I had to change the way it stored custom profiles for MAME. So I apologise you will have to re-do any profiles you've made thus far for MAME. Either that or you can edit Profiles\MAME.ini and change the game names to be the ROM names.

alexdog69: I think 'audio' attract mode during game play should be quite an easy option to add. I'll look into it. Thanks for the kind words

[Stu1983]

I've an idea for you, it's not important at all but I thought I'd through it out there anyway

What about a way of viewing a list of games that don't currently have a profile, either from the colors.ini or custom made and a button to run the selected game, that way it it could be easily used to help fill in games with no data

This could be elaberated so that if you set the correct colours for a game you could upload it to a central server somewhere for everyone else to grab and use... though I'm sure this way more than you would be intending your pluggin to do

Stu

[HooPZ]

I've an idea for you, it's not important at all but I thought I'd through it out there anyway

What about a way of viewing a list of games that don't currently have a profile, either from the colors.ini or custom made and a button to run the selected game, that way it it could be easily used to help fill in games with no data

This could be elaberated so that if you set the correct colours for a game you could upload it to a central server somewhere for everyone else to grab and use... though I'm sure this way more than you would be intending your pluggin to do

Stu

I had actually thought the same thing but wasn't sure if it was possible or how difficult it would be to implement.

[headkaze]

I've an idea for you, it's not important at all but I thought I'd through it out there anyway

What about a way of viewing a list of games that don't currently have a profile, either from the colors.ini or custom made and a button to run the selected game, that way it it could be easily used to help fill in games with no data

This could be elaberated so that if you set the correct colours for a game you could upload it to a central server somewhere for everyone else to grab and use... though I'm sure this way more than you would be intending your pluggin to do

Stu

If your interested in keeping the colors.ini project alive I'll attach the program I wrote to create entries into the file. You will need to get the latest collection of control panel images and place them in the cpanel folder (I use Mr Do's collection from here). Then it's really a matter of going through each game and filling in the missing ones. I destroyed a mouse (and a hand) creating the current one but I'm sure adding in the missing ones will take less time than it took me

ColorsIni.zip

[Stu1983]

Cool I'll look into it

Stu

[headkaze]

Please guys don't PM questions about the plugin when everyone can benefit from the answer here. So I will put the question here so others can hopefully benefit.

Hi!

Sorry, but i dont understand how to do anything with your Plug In?

I have Game Ex in my Cab and use a PacDrive...

How to start?

I have copied the files into the GE PlugIn folder (and overwrote some dlls!!! ? )

Now i have startet the PlugIn Manager and try to configure the plug in, but really dont even know what to do???

Its not straight forward for me

Overwriting some dll's is fine, they are just from the old version.

1. Select Start->Programs->GameEx->Plugin Manager

2. Make sure there is a tick next to LCD/LED Plugin

3. Hilight it by clicking on it then click Configure

4. Go to the LED Input Map page

5. Now you need to match all your PACDrive inputs with how you have wired them up for your CP

- P1_COIN for example is set to PACDrive device, Id means the Id of your PACDrive if you have one PACDrive leave it as 1, if you have two you will need to identify Id 1 or 2 depending on where you wire them. Type is Single, ignore Red, Green and Blue they are only used for LEDWiz. Set your input codes. My P1_COIN for example is mapped to KEYCODE_5 in Mame. P1_START is mapped to KEYCODE_1 etc.

Continue that on for each input under Single. Single just means the port number on the PACDrive. So you need to cover 1 to 16 outputs on your PACDrive and match them with the buttons on your CP. While you do this you should see the LED's light up in realtime.

This screenshot might help

[headkaze]

Something else to look forward to is Arzoo's LEDBlinky Animation Editor which creates LWAX files my plugin can play back.

Here is a screenshot. It's still WIP but it should be available soon

[442much]

Wow. Looks like there are a lot of features here. I've just loaded it up. Is there a way I can import my old LCD.ini or do I have to remap everything?

[loadman]

Welcome back to the WACA. Super Effort that

(Aussie Joke)

[headkaze]

Wow. Looks like there are a lot of features here. I've just loaded it up. Is there a way I can import my old LCD.ini or do I have to remap everything?

No you have to remap everything. It only takes a few minutes - yes I had to do it too

[442much]

No you have to remap everything. It only takes a few minutes - yes I had to do it too

No problem. I was just looking for the lazy mans way out.

Anyway, My P1 & P2 Coin and Start buttons are always off in MAME. I did notice they were checked on the default setting, but if I pick a specific game, they are not checked and the state is False. How do I get them back?

Also, I'm not quite sure what the State checkbox is all about. Could you explain that?

Thanks for the great plugin.

-Dan

[headkaze]

No problem. I was just looking for the lazy mans way out.

Anyway, My P1 & P2 Coin and Start buttons are always off in MAME. I did notice they were checked on the default setting, but if I pick a specific game, they are not checked and the state is False. How do I get them back?

Also, I'm not quite sure what the State checkbox is all about. Could you explain that?

Thanks for the great plugin.

-Dan

The state checkbox means whether the led's associated with the control are lit or not. What you need to do to light your P1 & P2 Coin and Start buttons in under your GameEx default profile set them to "Always Active", that way they will always be lit.

[headkaze]

PluginLCD 2.3 Released

- Added new colors.ini

- Fixed mapping bug when using custom ctrlr files (no one even noticed!)

A little bit more info about what this bug fixes. When you use a ctrlr file (you probably should), for a SlikStik, Hot Rod, X-Arcade, IPAC, whatever it has all the default buttons configured for your device in a file stored in the ctrlr folder (Eg. hotrod.cfg, hotrodse.cfg, slikstik.cfg, xarcade.cfg, IPAC2.cfg - most of which are available on the Net). These are really handy files to have because you can also store key mappings for single games, source files or parent ROMs as well as your device's default key mappings. For example you can have keys defined for "neogeo" so if you have 7 buttons for each player layout on your CP and you would like your bottom row of buttons to be mapped for NeoGeo, you can place a single entry in your ctrlr file instead of making one for each game.

Attached is an image of my CP and the key mappings (default for MiniPac). The second picture shows a players buttons 1 to 7. For normal games this layout is fine, but for NeoGeo games they have four buttons all in a row. So what you want is the bottom row of buttons (7, 4, 5 and 6) to be mapped to buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) respectively.

This update will take these custom mappings into account and still light your buttons correctly for games. Hence the "advanced control mapping" system of this plugin.

[iano]

PluginLCD 2.3 Released

- Added new colors.ini

- Fixed mapping bug when using custom ctrlr files (no one even noticed!)

A little bit more info about what this bug fixes. When you use a ctrlr file (you probably should), for a SlikStik, Hot Rod, X-Arcade, IPAC, whatever it has all the default buttons configured for your device in a file stored in the ctrlr folder (Eg. hotrod.cfg, hotrodse.cfg, slikstik.cfg, xarcade.cfg, IPAC2.cfg - most of which are available on the Net). These are really handy files to have because you can also store key mappings for single games, source files or parent ROMs as well as your device's default key mappings. For example you can have keys defined for "neogeo" so if you have 7 buttons for each player layout on your CP and you would like your bottom row of buttons to be mapped for NeoGeo, you can place a single entry in your ctrlr file instead of making one for each game.

Attached is an image of my CP and the key mappings (default for MiniPac). The second picture shows a players buttons 1 to 7. For normal games this layout is fine, but for NeoGeo games they have four buttons all in a row. So what you want is the bottom row of buttons (7, 4, 5 and 6) to be mapped to buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) respectively.

This update will take these custom mappings into account and still light your buttons correctly for games. Hence the "advanced control mapping" system of this plugin.

Hi HK. Can't seem to find a link to download (v2.3) in this topic. Could you post one please ?

[headkaze]

Sorry guys, I've managed to introduce a new bug I'm working on a fix as we speak. Should be up soon

EDIT: Okay 2.31 is up. Please report any problems here.

[alexdog69]

the input mappings selections seems to have some bad data in it(?). i get "String[] Array" for my last 6 choices and I can't seem to find the trackball entry (maybe its one of those).

also i am having problems getting my settings in the "Events" tab to save... they seem to always reset back to the same values. i.e. i cant turn off the sample and turn on speech for entering gameex... it always turns the sample back on...

also how do you get the pause handler to speak the button labels as show in the cp viewer in gameex? they are always read back as 'player 1, button 1, player 1, button 2" instead of attack, jump, kick, punch, etc.

[alexdog69]

but i have to say, this plugin totally kicks ass. cheers to you.

i'm in heaven it's so nice having all the controls for the various console emulators color coded so they arent so cryptic ...

not to mention mame with the [latest] colors.ini emulating the ORIGINAL control panels....

[headkaze]

the input mappings selections seems to have some bad data in it(?). i get "String[] Array" for my last 6 choices and I can't seem to find the trackball entry (maybe its one of those).

also i am having problems getting my settings in the "Events" tab to save... they seem to always reset back to the same values. i.e. i cant turn off the sample and turn on speech for entering gameex... it always turns the sample back on...

also how do you get the pause handler to speak the button labels as show in the cp viewer in gameex? they are always read back as 'player 1, button 1, player 1, button 2" instead of attack, jump, kick, punch, etc.

Can you please post a screenshot to show me this "String[] Array" thing? Also please post your PluginLCD.ini and PluginLCD.log.

[iano]

PluginLCD 2.3 Released

- Added new colors.ini

- Fixed mapping bug when using custom ctrlr files (no one even noticed!)

A little bit more info about what this bug fixes. When you use a ctrlr file (you probably should), for a SlikStik, Hot Rod, X-Arcade, IPAC, whatever it has all the default buttons configured for your device in a file stored in the ctrlr folder (Eg. hotrod.cfg, hotrodse.cfg, slikstik.cfg, xarcade.cfg, IPAC2.cfg - most of which are available on the Net). These are really handy files to have because you can also store key mappings for single games, source files or parent ROMs as well as your device's default key mappings. For example you can have keys defined for "neogeo" so if you have 7 buttons for each player layout on your CP and you would like your bottom row of buttons to be mapped for NeoGeo, you can place a single entry in your ctrlr file instead of making one for each game.

Attached is an image of my CP and the key mappings (default for MiniPac). The second picture shows a players buttons 1 to 7. For normal games this layout is fine, but for NeoGeo games they have four buttons all in a row. So what you want is the bottom row of buttons (7, 4, 5 and 6) to be mapped to buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) respectively.

This update will take these custom mappings into account and still light your buttons correctly for games. Hence the "advanced control mapping" system of this plugin.

Hi HK. I don't know how to word this correctly but reading the above post you think that these .cfg files are a good idea (i'm ignorant - sorry !). I just pressed 'tab' in mame and assigned my buttons to mame default which is ipac2/minipac default. I'm using vanilla mame 0.109 and i'm wondering if it's any benefit to me to use the ipac2.cfg you posted (especially with regard to the LCDPlugIn).

Thanks,

ian.

[442much]

The state checkbox means whether the led's associated with the control are lit or not. What you need to do to light your P1 & P2 Coin and Start buttons in under your GameEx default profile set them to "Always Active", that way they will always be lit.

V 2.31

I did set the buttons to always be active which is ok. However, with the old plugin when I loaded a game like punch-out it would only light the P1 buttons (as there were no p2 controls). Not a big deal, but perhaps you could look at it.

Also, when I select a game in GameEX it always lights the proper buttons. When I launch the game sometimes, all of the buttons are disabled (other times they stay lit) when the games actually starts up. Unfortunately, they are usually all turned off.

I did notice that when I select pulse speed and exit the plugin and return it is always set back to 1. Question. Is 1 fast or is 7. I'm not sure how to test that.

One last question. I'm not sure I understand the profile editor. I figured I would select GameEx and select what I wanted the default settings. Next, I would select MAME (and pick default) and change it. However, If I change the settings and press save and select a game, go back to MAME with default, my settings are back to the GameEx settings. What I want to do is have a different set of defaults for GameEx and MAME. Can you explain.

Thanks again!

-Dan

[headkaze]

There are definately some bugs in the Plugin as I've noticed some myself. There is a problem with the event system which I'll be solving for the next version. I just need a break from it for a while, but keep posting your bug reports here.