Changing keyboard layout in MAME

[BKahuna]

I've decided to hack a keyboard for my future CP, and I've figured out that the default keys won't work very well with this particular keyboard. I tried going into the MAME General settings to change the keys for Player 1 buttons 1-4 to be QWER. The changes show up when I reopen that menu and look at the changes, but the games don't respond to it. They seem to go off of the "This Game" settings. Will I have to go into every game I want to play and change the key layout there, or am I missing something, here? Thanks!
BK

[BKahuna]

OK. This is weird...the layout works properly now for every game except the one I had running when I made the changes.
I guess I can just change that one in the individual game settings.
Sorry to bother you all with this.

[WhereEaglesDare]

got any pics or tips on hacking a keyboard?   since it actually works... 
Like to see and pics you got

[Ginsu Victim]

Are you sure you want to hack a keyboard in this day and age? There's a reason people stopped doing it once better solutions were created.

If your answer is money, then this might not be the time to build. Do it right or you'll spend more money fixing your problems later on.

[BKahuna]

Are you sure you want to hack a keyboard in this day and age?

Yeah, I'm sure. Here's the deal: It's not necessarily about the money, for me, that's just a side benefit.
I'm not making my "be all, end all" CP right now. My short term goal is to set up a simple single player CP to make gaming more enjoyable. I already have the keyboards, and I'm an electronic technician, so I have the ability to do it. I've had no issues using the keyboard except for the fact that the arrow buttons and left control button are pretty worn out!  The keyboards are pretty much trashed for any other purpose. If I can re-purpose them, that's all the better. This is more of an experiment than anything else. I'm new to this hobby, and not sure what I'll end up wanting in the future. My simple single player CP may be all I'll ever need.  If I end up needing more in the future, I'll definitely buy a KeyWiz or Ipac, but doing it this way now won't cost anything extra down the line other than the cost of the interface I choose.

3 months ago I didn't even know this hobby/obsession existed. Thanks to an article from Gamespy, I found my way here and have been soaking up knowledge for the last couple of months. I'm glad to have this resource.

[Blanka]

Come on, hack a 5 dollar gamepad. Way easier. Hacking keyboards stinks.

[severdhed]

if you already had a custom control mapping done for that game, it will override the general mame mappings

[BKahuna]

if you already had a custom control mapping done for that game, it will override the general mame mappings

Ahhh, that might explain it. Thank you.