Mame Cabinet Tips?

[xpoisonfreex]

I got an Xmen vs Street Fighter Cabinet last week. I Gutted most of it, and have the following hardware Installed:

AMD Athlon64 3000+

1GB DDR 3200Mhz RAM

250GB SATA HDD

Nvidia Geforce6200 LE 64/128MB

Windows XP Pro SP3

GameEX (Latest) Registered

I was wondering who else has used GameEX for MAME Cabinets? What methods/Controller schemes are you using for navigating the GameEX Interface? (For example to Exit back to GameEX from a ROM) When I originally donated I was using it on my HTPC, and I had it implemented well on there for a while. (I was using XBOX360 Wireless controllers)

The Joystick Layout now is a regular 6 button/1stick x2 configuration found with most Street Fighter Cabinets, plus 1p and 2P buttons.

I have 2 other Yellow Buttons to Insert Coins for 1P/2P

Any tips on what has worked well for you, The space on the joystick-area is limited so I wanted to avoid installing more buttons.

EDIT: This just came to mind, Perhaps map ESCAPE to a button combination that requires input from both 1p/2p sides in order to exit the loaded ROM?

[lingpanda]

http://www.ultimarc.com/ Problem solved.

[xpoisonfreex]

http://www.ultimarc.com/ Problem solved.

I Have an i-Pac I to control the joysticks.

But That still doesn't address my concern for control options.

Should I just Install a button maybe up on the top of the cab to Exit the current game? I was just looking for ideas what other users have done. In my MAME research online nobody really goes over how they navigate their systems (generally they just recommend a front end), mostly I assume because many mention installing a keyboard tray which they most likely use for navigation?

and a keyboard, is what I am trying to avoid.

[chriss]

i use a combination of two buttons to exit out of a game (eg player 1 + coin 1). somebody in this forum wrote me a quick ahk script (auto hot key) to map any button you like to exit a game.

this solution is sometimes confusing for new people trying out the cab, a dedicated button sounds like a good idea but it's not necessary

I also have a keyboard setup but only for maintenence...

[bkenobi]

I was wondering who else has used GameEX for MAME Cabinets?

Are you really asking this question, or is this a joke? You are asking on the GameEx forums where the primary usage of GameEx is as a MAME front end...

There are so many ways to set up a cabinet, it's basically endless options. If you don't want to add more buttons to the CP, you have a few options.

1) pressing a combination of buttons performs a special task (p1start + p1 coin + p1up + p1left quits)

2) add a hiden button somewhere - I hid 2 extra buttons under the CP on my 2 button racing cabinet that didn't require drilling new holes. I currently have it set up so that pressing both exits mame, but that may change at some point.

3) write a script that uses a series of button presses (think SF combo) - left right left right b a b a select start...

4) anything else that makes you happy!

[lingpanda]

I Have an i-Pac I to control the joysticks.

But That still doesn't address my concern for control options.

Should I just Install a button maybe up on the top of the cab to Exit the current game? I was just looking for ideas what other users have done. In my MAME research online nobody really goes over how they navigate their systems (generally they just recommend a front end), mostly I assume because many mention installing a keyboard tray which they most likely use for navigation?

and a keyboard, is what I am trying to avoid.

The I-Pac is pre-configured to use player 1&2 start button to esc from any game. It's called its shift function. You just press both buttons together.

[Brian Hoffman]

In MAME goto input settings and look for other controls..

Look for UI CANCEL.. Press enter and then press your keycombo.

Now that KEYCOMBO will exit mame and bring you back to gameex.

[shaunopp]

I had this question when I first built my cab and ended up installing extra buttons for GameEx navigation and things like pausing.

On my cab I have a button for Home, Select, Back and Exit in the center (4 white on pic) and then a Player Start, Coin and Pause (White, Yellow, Red in pic) button by each player.

This setup has worked fine for me (note that I only use my cab for games and not as an HTPC) but if I had to do it again I wouldn't have a special Home, Select or Back button. The reason are: A.) I never use the Home function in GameEx. B.)The Player 1/2 Joystick Buttons 1 and 2 work better as a select and back button, also the Player 1/2 Joystick Button 3 is a perfect modifier key for Alpha paging in GameEx. This way you have all of the controls at the players fingertips in GameEx. The pause and exit buttons make sense to have separate and away from the player controls because you don't want to accidentally hit them while playing.

That's my ¢2. Sample pics of my layout below.

[xpoisonfreex]

Perfect, I had No idea. You sir deserve a cookie.

Thanks for the other tips as well some really good ideas (Pause button especially)

Q for Shaunopp: How did you wire your inputs? Did you hack a keyboard or use an interface controller board like an iPac? I want to do something similar to yours but am worried that I will be limited by my iPac board. Maybe you can give me a clue on how I could set this up? Here is a shoddy image of what I want to do (for visual reference)

The I-Pac is pre-configured to use player 1&2 start button to esc from any game. It's called its shift function. You just press both buttons together.

[Tempest]

As lingpanda said, the I-pac normally uses the "player 1 start button" as a shift key.

Not to hi-jack your thread but:

They claim it can be re-programmed to any other key, but I haven't figured out how, can any body help me with that?

Back on topic:

So in your configuration, you would want to use the Player 1 start as the "shift" key, combined with other keys to perform functions.

so instead of:

1a + 1b = select

2a + 2b = Back

3a + 3b = Paging

you may want (as an example):

Player 1 start + 1a = select

Player 1 start + 2a = back

Player 1 start + 3a = paging

You coul also add:

Player 1 start + 1b = select

Player 1 start + 2b = back

Player 1 start + 3b = paging

If you wanted to do it from either set of controls.

Then, print a little instruction card with the combinations on it, and anyone will be able to use it...

BTW: If this post deserves a cookie, I like oatmeal raisin.

[xpoisonfreex]

You are my hero. Thanks so much. I guess that's what is meant by "Shift" function, thanks for specifying that the 1P input.

As lingpanda said, the I-pac normally uses the "player 1 start button" as a shift key.

Not to hi-jack your thread but:

They claim it can be re-programmed to any other key, but I haven't figured out how, can any body help me with that?

Back on topic:

So in your configuration, you would want to use the Player 1 start as the "shift" key, combined with other keys to perform functions.

so instead of:

1a + 1b = select

2a + 2b = Back

3a + 3b = Paging

you may want (as an example):

Player 1 start + 1a = select

Player 1 start + 2a = back

Player 1 start + 3a = paging

You coul also add:

Player 1 start + 1b = select

Player 1 start + 2b = back

Player 1 start + 3b = paging

If you wanted to do it from either set of controls.

Then, print a little instruction card with the combinations on it, and anyone will be able to use it...

BTW: If this post deserves a cookie, I like oatmeal raisin.

[lingpanda]

Perfect, I had No idea. You sir deserve a cookie.

Thanks for the other tips as well some really good ideas (Pause button especially)

Q for Shaunopp: How did you wire your inputs? Did you hack a keyboard or use an interface controller board like an iPac? I want to do something similar to yours but am worried that I will be limited by my iPac board. Maybe you can give me a clue on how I could set this up? Here is a shoddy image of what I want to do (for visual reference)

Np!

[bkenobi]

I don't want to throw a wrench in your plans, but I see a problem with your layout.

You want to use a combination of button presses to quit a game rather than adding a dedicated button to the control panel, which makes perfect sense. You have decided on P1 start + P1 start. That's not a good choice. Think about it...you are playing Gauntlet with a buddy and, shocker, you've died again. You go to hit start but at the same time, your buddy has the same problem, so he hits start. Guess what? That game you've been playing for 90 minutes is gone! You hit P1 start to get back to the action at the same time your buddy hit P2 start so you just quit the game.

I like combos, but that's not a good one. I suggest using pause in there as well. Maybe try P1 start + P2 start + Pause. That would be all 3 buttons across the top of your CP. I can't think of a reason you would try to start both players and pause all at the same time (short of being a klutz and just hitting at the CP).

Fortunately, this is more of a setup problem than a hardware problem. If it were me, I might add a dedicated quit button (oh right, I did ). The two pictures are of my CP and the original Area51 CP that I was trying to match conceptually.

[emphatic]

Nice SNK sticks bkenobi. Play Heavy Barrel a lot?

Emph

[shaunopp]

Q for Shaunopp: How did you wire your inputs? Did you hack a keyboard or use an interface controller board like an iPac? I want to do something similar to yours but am worried that I will be limited by my iPac board. Maybe you can give me a clue on how I could set this up? Here is a shoddy image of what I want to do (for visual reference)

I used a single Mini-Pac, I think it'd be foolish to 'hack a keyboard' rather than using a keyboard encoder, the Mini-PAC is ~$40.

The reason I was able to get away with just one Mini-PAC is because I use Ultimarc's U360 Joysticks. This joystick along with the buttons can be wired to act as a Game Controller rather than going through the keyboard encoder and using inputs. Through the Mini-PAC I'm only using 12 inputs: 3 buttons per player (Start, Coin, Pause), the main 4 nav buttons (Home, Start, Back, Exit) and the 2 coin slots. The joysticks, trackball and spinner are all USB devices.

[bkenobi]

Thanks! I got them primarily for Ikari, but just lately I've started playing Heavy Barrel. I actually like it a bit better truthfully.

If you aren't planning on going with trackballs, spinners, 360° steering wheels, or any other analog device, I would suggest the GPWiz or KeyWiz as well. They sell 'econo' versions that are ~$25 USD or a bit more for more options. There's nothing wrong with the Ultimarc products, but I've had great luck with RandyT's stuff personally.

Actually, if you are thinking you might want other things like LED's, trackball and/or spinner, etc. down the road, you might consider the U-HID. It's got a lot more inputs than you are currently looking to need, but it's a pretty damn cool product at a decent price (for what it delivers). No experience though...just going off of specs.