[PLUGIN] LCD/LED Plugin 2.86

[headkaze]

Version 2.32 Released

- This is an important update as it fixes the bug in the event system.

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.

There is no real advantage apart from being able to define special mappings for parent ROMs. If you just configue your controls in Mame that is fine, it should still work okay.

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.

Oh yeah I did change that didn't I. I will take a look at fixing this for the next version

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.

Can you report back if your still having this problem with the latest version?

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.

That value isn't really used for anything. It's the Global Pulse speed for the LEDWiz but I never use it. Last plugin it was used as the speed for flashing the buttons for Speak N Flash but now it's not used.

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!

Well the thing is the profile for Mame isn't really used because all the color mappings are done for you. If you mean you wan't the buttons lit up using the Mame/Default profile when browsing through a list? But it lights up the buttons for each game. The Default config should only be used if there is no lighting for the specific game. I probably need to take another look at it though.

Thanks for all the feedback guys

[iano]

Cheers.

[alexdog69]

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

here are those files. happens in 2.32

PluginLCD_INI_and_LOG.zip

[alexdog69]

hmmm. should the check boxes in the events tab be saving? for example, i cant seem to turn off samples and enable speech ... not sure if the sub options are saving either ....

is there a certain order i should be manipulating the UI?

i hit

events->dropdown:sample->uncheck->save

->dropdown:speech->type something->check box->save

->dropdown:sample

and things are back the way they were. and doing test on the speech UI plays the sample instead.

[Circo]

I am so excited about this, I have been super busy lately and have not been on the boards. I see this and it is the ONE thing I have been waiting for since I switched from Mala to GameEX. Power up my cab to install and try it out and POOF, computer is fried. Argghhh, after much testing it looks like the MOBO is gone, sucks, hopefully I will be able to fix it by christmas.

Anyway thanks for the Update on the plugin, much appreciated.

[headkaze]

Version 2.33 Released

- Fixed string[] bug (alexdog69)

- Fixed check boxes not working in Events tab (alexdog69)

Circo: Bad news mate Hope you get your PC running again before XMas!

[alexdog69]

ok,

string[] bug is fixed.

event tab still seems bugged. some options save that did not before. but still exhibits same behavior otherwise.

god i love this plug in

the first version was "just fine" ... but this one adds a whole new dimension ... and being able to set up the profile based stuff ... MMmmmmmm so great ... esp when u r running stuff like SNES, N64 and Dreamcast where you have lots of buttons you can hit... and u need to color code them to not have people asking you constantly what is what....

i feel sorry for anyone else who tries to get 9 million different emulators, a couple LEDwiz (not to mention U360's or 49ways) working seamlessly without the help of GameEx and this plug in

[popcorrin]

Awesome plugin! I have a question though. When I leave a game list, the buttons lit for the last game I had displayed, stay lit. Is there a setting to change this? Even after it returns from attract mode those buttons are still lit. I can go back to the start page and into the jukebox and they stay lit.

Thanks

[popcorrin]

Another question. The RGB led for my trackball occupies port 31 and 32 on ledwiz #1 and port 32 on ledwiz #2. Is there anyway to show this in the plugin?

[headkaze]

Version 1.34 Released

event tab still seems bugged. some options save that did not before. but still exhibits same behavior otherwise.

Okay should be fixed now lol

Awesome plugin! I have a question though. When I leave a game list, the buttons lit for the last game I had displayed, stay lit. Is there a setting to change this? Even after it returns from attract mode those buttons are still lit. I can go back to the start page and into the jukebox and they stay lit.

Can you please try this new version.

Another question. The RGB led for my trackball occupies port 31 and 32 on ledwiz #1 and port 32 on ledwiz #2. Is there anyway to show this in the plugin?

Use P1_TRACKBALL and P2_TRACKBALL set them to Single and put to Id 1, Port 31 and Id 2 Port 32 respectively. Set them both to the same keycode. That should do it.

[mrdehate]

Hey headkaze, this looks like an awesome plugin...unfortunately, I can't get it to do much of anything. I'm trying to use the LCD portion of it with my Crystalfontz 634 20x4 display. After verifying that the connection settings are correct, when I hit the "enabled" checkbox the LCD just flashes once or twice and then shuts off. If I hit the "test" button, nothing happens, but if I disable and enable the "enabled" checkbox, I get the same flashing LCD screen. I downloaded the 1.34 today and the 1.31 last week or so and it's giving me that issue with either version.

Thanks, I can't wait to get this working!

[iano]

Hi HK. I'm having trouble with the LED Input section. I've set the keycodes for the different buttons on my cp (mame default) but i can't seem to set colors for my rgb leds (i want to set the buttons a particular color while in gameex, have the plugin show you what buttons to use in mame/emulators then off during game play / also use luminaudio during jukebox). What happens is when i try to adjust rbg values for a button it just cycles thru the other buttons. I must be doing something silly. How does the plugin know what ports on my ledwiz any particular rgb led is connected to ?

Thanks again,

ian.

[headkaze]

Hey headkaze, this looks like an awesome plugin...unfortunately, I can't get it to do much of anything. I'm trying to use the LCD portion of it with my Crystalfontz 634 20x4 display. After verifying that the connection settings are correct, when I hit the "enabled" checkbox the LCD just flashes once or twice and then shuts off. If I hit the "test" button, nothing happens, but if I disable and enable the "enabled" checkbox, I get the same flashing LCD screen. I downloaded the 1.34 today and the 1.31 last week or so and it's giving me that issue with either version.

Thanks, I can't wait to get this working!

Can you make sure you don't have any other LCD device enabled in the plugin. Also post your PluginLCD.ini file from PLUGINS\PluginLCD.

It does make it difficult for me to test when I don't own any LCD or LED signs, and this version of the plugin has changed to use the .NET 2.0 Com Port namespace instead of the Com Port stuff I had written previously. The way I have been testing this is to use a program called Port Mon to see if the plugin is outputting the correct data.

Here is the old PluginLCD, so if you can backup the current one, then overwrite it with this one then check if it works. At least then we will be able to tell if it's the new Com Port stuff I'm using that is causing the problem or not.

Old_PlugInLCD.zip

[headkaze]

Hi HK. I'm having trouble with the LED Input section. I've set the keycodes for the different buttons on my cp (mame default) but i can't seem to set colors for my rgb leds (i want to set the buttons a particular color while in gameex, have the plugin show you what buttons to use in mame/emulators then off during game play / also use luminaudio during jukebox). What happens is when i try to adjust rbg values for a button it just cycles thru the other buttons. I must be doing something silly. How does the plugin know what ports on my ledwiz any particular rgb led is connected to ?

Thanks again,

ian.

I know it's hard without any sort of instructions, so what I'll do is post some screenshots of how I set up my RGB LED's in the Plugin.

1. First you setup the LED Input Maps, you will need to select LEDWiz for each control and assign each Red, Green and Blue output on the LEDWiz hardware. Then you need to assign your keycodes.

2. Here I show my player 2 controls and as you can see I have two LEDWiz, the second one (Id 2) is used on player 2.

3. Finally you need to setup a profile for GameEx->Default. This is what your panel should look like in it's default state.

[mrdehate]

Can you make sure you don't have any other LCD device enabled in the plugin. Also post your PluginLCD.ini file from PLUGINS\PluginLCD.

It does make it difficult for me to test when I don't own any LCD or LED signs, and this version of the plugin has changed to use the .NET 2.0 Com Port namespace instead of the Com Port stuff I had written previously. The way I have been testing this is to use a program called Port Mon to see if the plugin is outputting the correct data.

Here is the old PluginLCD, so if you can backup the current one, then overwrite it with this one then check if it works. At least then we will be able to tell if it's the new Com Port stuff I'm using that is causing the problem or not.

Okay, I put in the old PluginLCD as you indicated, and it seems to work with no problems - as soon as I hit the "test" button, the LCD lights up and stuff is written on it. I definitely can see it being a pain when you can't really test your code with an actual device! It seems like there should be some kind of software-based LCD emulation/simulation out there or something, no? Anyway I've attached my PluginLCD.ini file. Let me know if I can do anything else to help!

PluginLCD.ini.txt

[headkaze]

Okay, I put in the old PluginLCD as you indicated, and it seems to work with no problems - as soon as I hit the "test" button, the LCD lights up and stuff is written on it. I definitely can see it being a pain when you can't really test your code with an actual device! It seems like there should be some kind of software-based LCD emulation/simulation out there or something, no? Anyway I've attached my PluginLCD.ini file. Let me know if I can do anything else to help!

There were a few minor bugs that I believe are fixed now. Can you try 2.35. If it still doesn't work can you PM and I'll see if we can get in contact via e-mail as it may take a few trys before it's working again. If worse comes to worse I will just have to go back to my original CommIO code.

[iano]

Thanks. The screenshots make it clear what to do.

[popcorrin]

Version 1.34 Released

Can you please try this new version.

I tried the new version and it's doing the same thing. When leaving a game list, the buttons lit for the last game I had displayed, stay lit.

[headkaze]

I tried the new version and it's doing the same thing. When leaving a game list, the buttons lit for the last game I had displayed, stay lit.

Could you post your PlugInLCD.log and PlugInLCD.ini. Also the Events and Profiles folders could help, if you could put them into a zip and post it here.

BTW Do you have flat menu's enabled in GameEx?

[popcorrin]

Could you post your PlugInLCD.log and PlugInLCD.ini. Also the Events and Profiles folders could help, if you could put them into a zip and post it here.

BTW Do you have flat menu's enabled in GameEx?

I'm not using cpwizard, and I don't have flat menus enabled in GameEx?

[headkaze]

I'm not using cpwizard, and I don't have flat menus enabled in GameEx?

That was a typo, I meant PlugInLCD, I'm working on two projects at the same time and getting confused lol. So can you post those things I asked for? I corrected the typos.

[popcorrin]

That was a typo, I meant PlugInLCD, I'm working on two projects at the same time and getting confused lol. So can you post those things I asked for? I corrected the typos.

I thought maybe that's what happened.

I zipped up my plugin lcd folder and attached it.

PluginLCD.zip

[headkaze]

I thought maybe that's what happened.

I zipped up my plugin lcd folder and attached it.

You don't have a default profile for GameEx setup. Go to profiles tab GameEx->Default and set up the way you wan't your controls to light.

[headkaze]

2.36 Released

- For some reason Microsoft's built in Serial Port namespace was causing issues so I've reverted back to my original API Serial Port code.

[alexdog69]

bug reports :

- on my last test 'random game' did not seem to be invoking the button lighting

- selecting different MSAPI voices does not seem to work in the GUI

-- editing INI file seems to work

also, question :

how do i get my trackball to light up for trackball games ?

its set at p1_trackball and has the trackball_1_* and mousecode_1_* input codes assigned

i can make it light up for profiles etc no problem but it doesnt seem to be 'picking up' any instructions from the mame control colors data handler