Solved:Need advice with GPwiz49

[UncleMame]

Just wired my CP (have a GPwiz49) and had two issues I came across:

I was under the apparently false notion that the GPwiz could do a shift function with combined keys(such as player1 button + pause button could be mapped as a restore button.  It looks as though this does not appear to be the case.  I'm bummed, because I strived to avoid a franken panel and have a nice clean board with just three additional buttons on each side of the top (p1/p2 button start and pause button for each player) I intended to map a shift on the p1/p2 button to exit, a shift on the start to restore and a shift on the pause to save).  Any ideas ?

Secondly I was trying to find the most recent software for the wiz49 - I saw an old post from 2005 with the link.  Is this the newest release ?

Thanks

[nick3092]

I am not aware of any shift function on the GP-Wiz40.

Also, there is no software for it.  The only extra software is to program the Roto-X feature if you have a rotary joystick.  Otherwise you just plug it in and windows sees it as a gamepad.

[RandyT]

Just wired my CP (have a GPwiz49) and had two issues I came across:

I was under the apparently false notion that the GPwiz could do a shift function with combined keys(such as player1 button + pause button could be mapped as a restore button.  It looks as though this does not appear to be the case.  I'm bummed, because I strived to avoid a franken panel and have a nice clean board with just three additional buttons on each side of the top (p1/p2 button start and pause button for each player) I intended to map a shift on the p1/p2 button to exit, a shift on the start to restore and a shift on the pause to save).  Any ideas ?

If using MAME, you can set up any button you want to be "shift".  If you want to use the P1START button, just go into the input assignment menus, select the function you want to be shifted, press and hold the P1START button and then press the button you want to assign the function to.

Secondly I was trying to find the most recent software for the wiz49 - I saw an old post from 2005 with the link.  Is this the newest release ?

Yes.

[UncleMame]

Thanks for the advice.  I now wired everything up.  My two ultimarc slickstiks are running fine.  None of the buttons are functioning.  I used the wiring kit fro GGG.  I'm not a great electrician, but any advice to troubleshoot.  Everything is daisychained to ground and the connections appear tight.

Any help would be great

[BobA]

I know it is a dumb question but is your daisy chain ground that goes to the buttons connected to the ground on the gpwiz?

[UncleMame]

Indeed it is - After working on it today, I found that the buttons indeed do work, but Mala does not see them(for some reason).  The only workaround I found that works is to use Joy2Key, which does work(but seems unnecessary) - I wonder if I would have had the same problem if I bought an IPac......

Kind of bummed that the GPwiz came with no software/keystroke mapper or anything........

[nick3092]

I find that outside of mapping my exit button to either esc, or alt-F4 (depending on the emulator), there really is no need to have to map the GP-Wiz to keys (one or two oddball emulators not withstanding).  And if you are only playing MAME, then there is no reason to need to do so.  And if you need one, as you noted you found JoyToKey which does everything I need.

How may joysticks/gamepads do you have hooked up to your PC?  In MaLa there is an option to use multiple joysticks to control the FE that you may have to turn on (my cab is off right now, and I don't recall exactly what the option is labeled - if you can't find it, I'll most likely be playing with it later today and can post the exact option).

Depending on the number of joysticks hooked up to your PC, you may also need to use the Logitech utility to remap the joystick ID's.  I had a similar problem when I added some NES/SNES/N64/GC ports to my cab.  Once you rearrange the ID's, you can save a config file.  Then load the config file up in a batch file before loading MaLa (at least that is the solution I came up with).

http://www.wingmanteam.com/latest_software/gadgets.htm#JoyIDs_Utility:

Note: This does not affect how MAME sees the joystick numbers.  If the GP-Wiz was Joy3 before, it will be Joy3 even if you move the ID to 1 or 0 or whatever the lowest ID is using this utility.

[UncleMame]

I have been fooling around more with it and it is really odd.  The GP40 utuility/control panel sees the buttons/joysticks(even shows me moving the crosshairs/pushing the buttons), but Mala completely ignores them as if they don't exist.  I checked the multiple joysticks box, and even had it so that I only have one competition Happ connected, and it still doesn't matter.

Is there some setting/utility I just havent selected to have Mala recognize it ?

[RandyT]

I have been fooling around more with it and it is really odd.  The GP40 utuility/control panel sees the buttons/joysticks(even shows me moving the crosshairs/pushing the buttons), but Mala completely ignores them as if they don't exist.  I checked the multiple joysticks box, and even had it so that I only have one competition Happ connected, and it still doesn't matter.

Is there some setting/utility I just havent selected to have Mala recognize it ?

This is definitely a Mala issue.  The rule of thumb is that if the hardware works fine in the operating systems' gaming control test screens, then when you have a problem in a specific app, it is the implementation used by that application that is somewhat "sketchy".  MAME has excellent input management, and you can see that GP-Wiz will work perfectly in that app, with no other software or drivers required.  You may want to check with the Mala developers to see what the issue might be.  And if there is a case where the applications' input management isn't as robust as either the OS test screens or MAME, then apps like JoytoKey (free), RBJoy (free), Xpadder (shareware) and others are there to fill in where needed.

[nick3092]

I have been fooling around more with it and it is really odd.  The GP40 utuility/control panel sees the buttons/joysticks(even shows me moving the crosshairs/pushing the buttons), but Mala completely ignores them as if they don't exist.  I checked the multiple joysticks box, and even had it so that I only have one competition Happ connected, and it still doesn't matter.

Is there some setting/utility I just havent selected to have Mala recognize it ?

Try the utility I posted.  Set the GP-Wiz40 to ID1.

I had a similar issue after adding multiple USB joysticks (not joysticks connected to the GP-Wiz).  I talked to Loadman (the MaLa developer) and he said to use this utility, and it worked.

[UncleMame]

Thanks, I'll try it !