[PLUGIN] PlugInUltraStik 1.21

**Quixote Quest** · June 12, 2008

If you go into the GameEx\PLUGINS folder you will see a file called PlugInUltraStik.ini. Open that file in Notepad as that is where you set custom maps.
There is an option in there called Debug=True. Remove the # from the beginning of the line then run GameEx again. This time it will output a file called PlugInUltraStik.log in the GameEx\PLUGINS folder.
It will help me determine if there is a problem. The firmware version could very well be causing the problem, I may need to add some extra logging output to display some extra info about your UltraStik's. You could of course update your firmware to see if that changes anything then downgrade again. For now though I really need you to turn on debug and post your PlugInUltraStik.log file here.

Thanks for the instructions. Will work on it when home tonight. Then I'll return and post. I'm a Mac guy by day, so bear with me. :-) Cheers.

**Quixote Quest** · June 13, 2008

Thanks for the instructions. Will work on it when home tonight. Then I'll return and post. I'm a Mac guy by day, so bear with me. :-) Cheers.

HK, so I made the change to the INI file as you recommended so that it would run the debug. Odd thing is that after running GameEx again a few times the log file is not being generated. I've searched the drive to see if it was saved in a different directory. Can't be found. Anything else I should be doing?

**headkaze** · June 13, 2008

Can you post your PlugInUltraStik.ini file.

**Quixote Quest** · June 13, 2008

Here it is zipped...

trying again...

PlugInUltraStik_ini.zip

**headkaze** · June 13, 2008

Hmm I have no idea why it's not creating the PlugInUltraStik.log file. It should be right below the ini file.

I just literally copied your ini file into my GameEx folder, ran GameEx and it created the PlugInUltraStik.log file in GameEx\PLUGINS folder.

Take a look at your GameEx log file (GameEx\LOG\log.txt)

Check for

11:59:58.2 13/06/2008: Loaded Plugin:"UltraStik" Version 1.1 By Ben Baker
12:00:00.3 13/06/2008: PlugIn: "UltraStik" Initialized OK

Also check the log for any messages that might indicate that the plugin has crashed or that GameEx has disabled the plugin for some reason.

**Stub** · June 13, 2008

Your plugin works well for me. Thanks HK.

You are either not running the plugin, or it is bombing out. In addition to checking the log to see if it errored, are you sure the plugin is active and marked to load.

The reason everything else seems to work is you are probably in analog mode on the sticks, mame is most likely doing its own analog translation, which is not bad.

**Quixote Quest** · June 13, 2008

Your plugin works well for me. Thanks HK.
You are either not running the plugin, or it is bombing out. In addition to checking the log to see if it errored, are you sure the plugin is active and marked to load.
The reason everything else seems to work is you are probably in analog mode on the sticks, mame is most likely doing its own analog translation, which is not bad.

Stub, I actually think you are right. My Stiks do load as analog as the default setting. Was playing a few games with my son last night and could tell that the distinct maps were not loading. The 4-way and 8-way functionality was subtly quirky. SO I do think I was premature to report that the plugin was working for me. I definitely can set the maps the former way and have them function better.

So to make sure the plugin is "active and marked to load" is there anything in the GameEx setup/config wizard I need to have selected that I haven't? The last GameEx version I had was 7.96 and just upgraded to 9.36. I've never used any plugins with it -- or at least none that I intentionally installed. It appeared the plugin for the UltraStiks came installed, active and just part of installing v9.36. Maybe there is something intentional I need to be doing to make sure the plugin is active.

When I'm home I'll start with checking the GameEx/Logs folder to see what is generated in there. Otherwise, will look forward to hearing if there is something I need to be doing to make the Stik plugin active. Perhaps GameEx doesn't even "know" that I want the Stiks plugin to be functioning.

Cheers!

**Tempest** · June 14, 2008

Stub, I actually think you are right. My Stiks do load as analog as the default setting. Was playing a few games with my son last night and could tell that the distinct maps were not loading. The 4-way and 8-way functionality was subtly quirky. SO I do think I was premature to report that the plugin was working for me. I definitely can set the maps the former way and have them function better.
So to make sure the plugin is "active and marked to load" is there anything in the GameEx setup/config wizard I need to have selected that I haven't? The last GameEx version I had was 7.96 and just upgraded to 9.36. I've never used any plugins with it -- or at least none that I intentionally installed. It appeared the plugin for the UltraStiks came installed, active and just part of installing v9.36. Maybe there is something intentional I need to be doing to make sure the plugin is active.
When I'm home I'll start with checking the GameEx/Logs folder to see what is generated in there. Otherwise, will look forward to hearing if there is something I need to be doing to make the Stik plugin active. Perhaps GameEx doesn't even "know" that I want the Stiks plugin to be functioning.
Cheers!

There is a program called "Plugin Manager". You should find it in your Start Menu > Gameex folder. Run that program, and enable HK's plugin, by putting a check in the box next to it. To configure a plugin, click on the name of the plugin (highlight it), and select "configure". There may not be anything to configure in HK's Ultrastick plugin, but it doesn't hurt to check. There may be more than one ultratick plugin, so you probably need to make sure the other ultrastick plugins are disabled.

Also, you need to have the components of the plugin in the folder Gameex > Plugins

Edit: see HK's picture below.... HK - you scared me, when I saw you posted so soon after me, I thought for sure I had it wrong! PHEW!

**headkaze** · June 14, 2008

Do do have the UltraStik plugin enabled in the Plugin Manager? It should be ticked like the attached picture.

EDIT: Looks like Tempest beat me to it

**Quixote Quest** · June 15, 2008

Do do have the UltraStik plugin enabled in the Plugin Manager? It should be ticked like the attached picture.
EDIT: Looks like Tempest beat me to it

Ben, thanks to you and Tempest, well I did get the plugin turned on. Unfortunately it didn't make it work for me. I've attached my log from running a test after I noticed that maps didn't appear to be loading. It says,

6/14/2008 5:56:19 PM: ERROR @ UltraStikMap (PlugIn)

6/14/2008 5:56:19 PM: Length cannot be less than zero.

Another strange thing I notice: First, upon starting GameEx both my Stiks are default analog. Then I noticed the maps aren't working in game. So then, after quitting GameEx, my Stik A is not working at all. I have to manually reload my default analog map via UltraMap for it to be "seen" again. But Stik B is still working as analog upon quitting GameEx. Odd, yes?

PlugInUltraStik_log.zip

**headkaze** · June 15, 2008

The problem here seems to be that GameEx is sending the control data as ";layers=;;joy8way;". To me that looks like there is a problem parsing the control info in GameEx. So now this is really a question for Tom.

public bool Event_GameRun(IntPtr InfoPtr)
{
	Game_Info Info = (Game_Info) Marshal.PtrToStructure(InfoPtr, typeof(Game_Info));

	MessageBox.Show(Info.MameInfo.Control); // In what case would this output ";layers=;;joy8way;"?

	return true;
}

**Tom Speirs** · June 15, 2008

Ben, thanks to you and Tempest, well I did get the plugin turned on. Unfortunately it didn't make it work for me. I've attached my log from running a test after I noticed that maps didn't appear to be loading. It says,
6/14/2008 5:56:19 PM: ERROR @ UltraStikMap (PlugIn)
6/14/2008 5:56:19 PM: Length cannot be less than zero.
Another strange thing I notice: First, upon starting GameEx both my Stiks are default analog. Then I noticed the maps aren't working in game. So then, after quitting GameEx, my Stik A is not working at all. I have to manually reload my default analog map via UltraMap for it to be "seen" again. But Stik B is still working as analog upon quitting GameEx. Odd, yes?

Which version of MAME are using? Could you try updating the game list again? The bad information is stored when thats run. Its obviously having a problem reading the gamelist xml output from MAME. Which I expect is due to the version you are running.

**iano** · June 15, 2008

Which version of MAME are using? Could you try updating the game list again? The bad information is stored when thats run. Its obviously having a problem reading the gamelist xml output from MAME. Which I expect is due to the version you are running.

From user Tafoid over at ArcadeControls.com (may be related to this problem)

"Both MAME 0.125u3 and u4 had problems with the export of XML lists - so Front-Ends that depended on them suffer and by in large did not perform properly or only showed a limited amount of games available.Most of the UI builds (MAMEUI, MAMEFXUI, MAMEPLUS) patched this problem up before their releases - but the standard command-line build (based on only MAMEDEV sources) had that broken XML functionality.

Try 0.125u5 and see if you are still having trouble."

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=81211.0

**headkaze** · June 15, 2008

From user Tafoid over at ArcadeControls.com (may be related to this problem)
"Both MAME 0.125u3 and u4 had problems with the export of XML lists - so Front-Ends that depended on them suffer and by in large did not perform properly or only showed a limited amount of games available.Most of the UI builds (MAMEUI, MAMEFXUI, MAMEPLUS) patched this problem up before their releases - but the standard command-line build (based on only MAMEDEV sources) had that broken XML functionality.
Try 0.125u5 and see if you are still having trouble."
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=81211.0

Nice find iano, so I would say it's either related to this or an old version of Mame that outputs a format GameEx can't parse properly. Thanks for the input guys.

**Quixote Quest** · June 15, 2008

Nice find iano, so I would say it's either related to this or an old version of Mame that outputs a format GameEx can't parse properly. Thanks for the input guys.

I'm on the road at the moment. I know we're running MAME32. I seem to remember it is v.111 from around Dec 06. Is this too old a version? I don't like installing the "u" versions -- though there is probably a new "whole" version advance that has happened since then. Otherwise, when I'm back I will try updating the game list as Tom has suggested.

Thanks for the help, guys.

**Quixote Quest** · June 16, 2008

The problem here seems to be that GameEx is sending the control data as ";layers=;;joy8way;". To me that looks like there is a problem parsing the control info in GameEx. So now this is really a question for Tom.
public bool Event_GameRun(IntPtr InfoPtr)
{
	Game_Info Info = (Game_Info) Marshal.PtrToStructure(InfoPtr, typeof(Game_Info));

	MessageBox.Show(Info.MameInfo.Control); // In what case would this output ";layers=;;joy8way;"?

	return true;
}

Here's the result so far: Tom was right. I did a list update and now the debug report is showing that the plugin is loading maps to the Stiks. Oddly, my son reports that on 4-way games that when he presses upward that there are routine lags or stalls, such that it's still irritating and affecting gameplay. But he says the 2-way and 8-way games he's tested so far seem normal. (I still haven't given QBert a spin. I'm working remotely with him today to test this.)

Also, after quitting GameEx the left (player 1) Stik is still unusable. We have to re-run UltraMap to make it active again. Re-running GameEx does not make it re-activate. Stik 2 sounds to be functioning fine.

So I don't know what's up. Don't know if it is UltraStik firmware. Don't know if it is the MAME version. Or if something else.

But we're making some good progress. Thanks, gentlemen, for the assistance!

**Quixote Quest** · June 17, 2008

Here's the result so far: Tom was right. I did a list update and now the debug report is showing that the plugin is loading maps to the Stiks. Oddly, my son reports that on 4-way games that when he presses upward that there are routine lags or stalls, such that it's still irritating and affecting gameplay. But he says the 2-way and 8-way games he's tested so far seem normal. (I still haven't given QBert a spin. I'm working remotely with him today to test this.)
Also, after quitting GameEx the left (player 1) Stik is still unusable. We have to re-run UltraMap to make it active again. Re-running GameEx does not make it re-activate. Stik 2 sounds to be functioning fine.
So I don't know what's up. Don't know if it is UltraStik firmware. Don't know if it is the MAME version. Or if something else.
But we're making some good progress. Thanks, gentlemen, for the assistance!

Okay, here is a log. From the report it doesn't look like anything is malfunctioning. Yet I've confirmed our Stiks are malfunctioning not just on 4-way map. On 2-player you press left and it will sometimes go right, or just keep going right, or switch the opposite direction when it should be centering. Same deal on 4-way, sometime directions will just switch, or you press one direction and it'll go another. Very wacky. But when examining the plugins map files in Ultramap they are identical to what I have in the Ultramap folder. Yet if I load the maps manually and run MAME directly rather than via the plugin via GameEx, the Stiks are functioning fine.

Any thought on what may be going on? Thanks

PlugInUltraStik_616log.zip

**headkaze** · June 17, 2008

Quixote Quest: Can you try upgrading your firmware just to see if there is any difference?

**Tempest** · June 17, 2008

Quixote Quest: Can you try upgrading your firmware just to see if there is any difference?

I think when I upgraded my firmware, that my Ultrastik stopped working, and I had to uninstall, and then re-install to get it to work. I'm just throwing this in in case you have a problem....

**Quixote Quest** · June 17, 2008

I think when I upgraded my firmware, that my Ultrastik stopped working, and I had to uninstall, and then re-install to get it to work. I'm just throwing this in in case you have a problem....

This happened to me with firmware 2.1 so I'm leery. But Andy sent me firmware 2.3 -- so I think I will try the upgrade, at least on one Stik, and then I'll report.

Tempest, what firmware did you downgrade to? I've been at 1.5 up till now. Or, are you saying you merely had to do the upgrade cycle twice to get it to work? (I haven't tried that. Also, by the way, how do you uninstall firmware? I just replaced 2.1 with 1.7, .6 and .5 till I got the Stiks to recognize again without having to plug and unplug them from the machine's USB each time I started up.)

**Tempest** · June 17, 2008

This happened to me with firmware 2.1 so I'm leery. But Andy sent me firmware 2.3 -- so I think I will try the upgrade, at least on one Stik, and then I'll report.
Tempest, what firmware did you downgrade to? I've been at 1.5 up till now. Or, are you saying you merely that to do the upgrade cycle twice to get it to work? (I haven't tried that.)

I don't have the latest version that allows for shifted buttons...Probably the version right before that. I'm not home, so I can't check right now. When I upgraded the firmware, the Ultrastick wouldn't work, so I went into the device manager, and uninstalled the Ultrastick, then when I unplugged it (USB), and plugged it back in, it re-installed itself. I didn't have any other problems, just didn't want you to upgrade your firmware, and then find that the Ultrastick didn't work at all....

**Quixote Quest** · June 19, 2008

I don't have the latest version that allows for shifted buttons...Probably the version right before that. I'm not home, so I can't check right now. When I upgraded the firmware, the Ultrastik wouldn't work, so I went into the device manager, and uninstalled the Ultrastick, then when I unplugged it (USB), and plugged it back in, it re-installed itself. I didn't have any other problems, just didn't want you to upgrade your firmware, and then find that the Ultrastick didn't work at all....

Last night I "successfully" upgraded firmware (v2.3) and now I have one Stik that is seen and another that isn't. My Stik #1 after updating showed up as unseen. In Device Manager it showed up with a yellow exclamation mark. After selecting, un-installing and rescanning (like it sounds you did too) it is not seen. Neither plugging and unplugging the USB nor rebooting helped. Rather it shows up as a "working" USB device but not an "HID device" as my Stik #2 shows up in the list. Similarly in Ultramap Stik #1 shows up as "not plugged in" while #2 is working great. I haven't seen the yellow exclamation mark in the devices list since that first time. No matter which version of Ultramap I use, either the newest (1.19) or the former I was using (1.15), I get the same results.

Now I wonder what I'm gonna do. I'm sure Andy may have a suggestion. The Stik isn't fried (LED lights are working underneath), and, like I say, it appears to be in the USB devices list (but without an exclamation mark), but I can't get it to be seen and accessible by Ultramap. If you have any suggestions I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

**shaunopp** · June 19, 2008

Last night I "successfully" upgraded firmware (v2.3) and now I have one Stik that is seen and another that isn't. My Stik #1 after updating showed up as unseen. In Device Manager it showed up with a yellow exclamation mark. After selecting, un-installing and rescanning (like it sounds you did too) it is not seen. Neither plugging and unplugging the USB nor rebooting helped. Rather it shows up as a "working" USB device but not an "HID device" as my Stik #2 shows up in the list. Similarly in Ultramap Stik #1 shows up as "not plugged in" while #2 is working great. I haven't seen the yellow exclamation mark in the devices list since that first time. No matter which version of Ultramap I use, either the newest (1.19) or the former I was using (1.15), I get the same results.
Now I wonder what I'm gonna do. I'm sure Andy may have a suggestion. The Stik isn't fried (LED lights are working underneath), and, like I say, it appears to be in the USB devices list (but without an exclamation mark), but I can't get it to be seen and accessible by Ultramap. If you have any suggestions I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

I wonder if you don't have them both programmed as the same joystick number. You have to unplug joy 2, program joy1 as #1, unplug joy1 and program joy2 as #2 then plug them both back in. This was confusing to me when I first got my UltraStiks. Any chance that's the problem?

**headkaze** · June 20, 2008

I wonder if you don't have them both programmed as the same joystick number. You have to unplug joy 2, program joy1 as #1, unplug joy1 and program joy2 as #2 then plug them both back in. This was confusing to me when I first got my UltraStiks. Any chance that's the problem?

Yep, it could very well be an Id problem. Also Quixote Quest can I suggest you download my UltraStikTest program from here and see if you can program your joysticks with that. It's using the same library as my plugin so it should make it easier to test rather than launching GameEx.

**Quixote Quest** · June 20, 2008

Yep, it could very well be an Id problem. Also Quixote Quest can I suggest you download my UltraStikTest program from here and see if you can program your joysticks with that. It's using the same library as my plugin so it should make it easier to test rather than launching GameEx.

Shaunopp: Thanks for the suggestion. I did upgrade my firmware on Stik #1 while Stik #2 was unplugged (and vice versa). #1 never became seen and functional after the "successful" firmware upgrade. Theoretically it should be reset at ID1. Stik #2, naturally, when I updated it, was reset to ID1 but I changed it to ID2. It's been functional ever since the update. Andy suggests that the PID for my Stik #1 is likely corrupted, so it looks like I'll have to mess around with regedit this weekend and see if that resolves things.

HK: When (and if) I get Stik #1 to be seen again I'll run your program as a test before I mess around with Ultramap and GameEx. Thanks for the utility.

Cheers!

[PLUGIN] PlugInUltraStik 1.21

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