Very new to MAME. Inherited a half way finished cabinet..

[likwidtek]

SO... here she is.



It's taken me about a week but I finally have the computer done, the front end (Maximus arcade) done, the rom set with all the extras done...  I had no damn idea that MAME was so complicated.  Parent roms, conflicting versions of MAME, a zillion difficult to configure FEs... ugh. 

I'm going to use this ascii thingy as a reference to how I mapped my buttons in MAME (by hitting tab):

(1) (2) (3)

(4) (5) (6)

(7)

Now I'm fine tuning.  Now, it's a custom 2 player control panel with trackball.  I've got everything mapped through the FE so that I can navigate and choose games and what not.  The only question is...  Do I seriously have to remap buttons for every single game?  I mean... for the most part older games work ok... but like for example in mortal kombat... when I load it up for the first time all the buttons are all wrong.  I'm sure they're all like that.  Is there some generic file that someone's already made somewhere that does all the work for me?  I'm sure my button layout is very common.

Also, do you guys map a button for tab to easily reassign buttons on the fly or do you keep a keyboard close by?

[drventure]

With the TAB key, you'll really only need it while your getting things setup. I just keep a keyboard handy (it's wireless so no big deal).

[likwidtek]

Well, out of all my buttons... none of them are mapped to tab or enter.  I'd like to NEVER have to use the keyboard if I can get away with it.  :/  This will allow me to map keys on the fly super easy without ever having to break the arcade experience.

[drventure]

Depending on your keyboard encoded (IPAC, etc), they almost all have a "shift key combo",

So, say COIN1 was the shift key. Then, when you press and release it, it types the coin1 code, but if your press it, hold it down, and press something other button, that combo can be assigned the TAB key.

Just check the docs that came with your encoder.

[mgb]

Hi likwidtek,
welcome

Its usually advised not to have any buttons like tab or enter on your panel because it can really screw you up when someone hits the wrong buttons.
You can use the shift function for it but theres still the chance that the right button configuration will be pressed during regular game play and then mess up everything.

if you're going to have buttons assigned to those, you'd be best off keeping them in your coin door.

a quick way to assign buttons and all to multiple games at a time is after hitting tab, select "Input (General)" rather than "Input (This Game)"

[Vidiot]

According to your ascii diagram it looks like each button is just mapped to a number. I have mine mapped to the buttons that mame uses such as left ctrl, left alt, space, shift, z, and x. I also have buttons mapped to esc, p, 5, and 1 for exit, pause, player 1 coin, and player 1 start respectively. That could be why they aren't performing the functions you're expecting?

Here are the mame defualt controls copied and pasted from another thread in this forum:

Player 1:
Button 1 - Left Control
Button 2 - Left Alt
Button 3 - Spacebar
Button 4 - Left Shift
Button 5 - Z
Button 6 - X
Button 7 - C
Button 8 - V
Button 9 - B
Button 10 - N
Start - 1
Coin - 5
Up - Up Arrow
Down - Down Arrow
Left - Left Arrow
Right - Right Arrow

Player 2:
Button 1 - A
Button 2 - S
Button 3 - Q
Button 4 - W
Up - R
Down - F
Left - D
Right - G
Start - 2
Coin - 6

Player 3:
Button 1 - Right Control
Button 2 - Right Shift
Button 3 - Enter
Up - I
Down - K
Left - J
Right - L
Start - 3
Coin - 7

Player 4:
Button 1 - 0 Pad
Button 2 - Del Pad
Button 3 - Enter Pad
Up - 8 Pad
Down - 2 Pad
Left - 4 Pad
Right - 6 Pad
Start - 4
Coin - 8

[likwidtek]

Oh crap I'm sorry the numbers meant Button #.  They are mapped similar to what you listed there.  Like P1 Button 1 = Left Control P1 Button 2 = Left Alt etc...

I guess the point of what I'm getting at overall is two things. 

1:  Having to customize controls for so many friggin games seems daunting.  I was wondering if there was something someone has already done to sort of standardize this to make it easier.  I've already done the "Set for all games" option but it's just like fighting games where they're sort of flipped around where things need be be tweeked.

2:  If 1 isn't really possible (more than likely not), I'd like to make it stupid simple to quickly remap buttons on the fly if we play a game that we haven't played before without having to reach for the keyboard.  The only thing I need to do this is to create 2 new buttons.  One for TAB and one for ENTER.  I don't exactly know if there's room on the ipac for this though so I'm not sure how to do it.  I know I can just use the keyboard but I am approaching this like I am my HTPC.  If I have to break away from the remote and grab a keyboard, it's not user friendly.  Same here.  I'd like the keyboard to collect dust! 

According to your ascii diagram it looks like each button is just mapped to a number. I have mine mapped to the buttons that mame uses such as left ctrl, left alt, space, shift, z, and x. I also have buttons mapped to esc, p, 5, and 1 for exit, pause, player 1 coin, and player 1 start respectively. That could be why they aren't performing the functions you're expecting?

Here are the mame defualt controls copied and pasted from another thread in this forum:

Player 1:
Button 1 - Left Control
Button 2 - Left Alt
Button 3 - Spacebar
Button 4 - Left Shift
Button 5 - Z
Button 6 - X
Button 7 - C
Button 8 - V
Button 9 - B
Button 10 - N
Start - 1
Coin - 5
Up - Up Arrow
Down - Down Arrow
Left - Left Arrow
Right - Right Arrow

Player 2:
Button 1 - A
Button 2 - S
Button 3 - Q
Button 4 - W
Up - R
Down - F
Left - D
Right - G
Start - 2
Coin - 6

Player 3:
Button 1 - Right Control
Button 2 - Right Shift
Button 3 - Enter
Up - I
Down - K
Left - J
Right - L
Start - 3
Coin - 7

Player 4:
Button 1 - 0 Pad
Button 2 - Del Pad
Button 3 - Enter Pad
Up - 8 Pad
Down - 2 Pad
Left - 4 Pad
Right - 6 Pad
Start - 4
Coin - 8

[notroubleclubber]

To map controls for all mame games - play a game in mame then press TAB. go to general settings then set your controls you want. If it doesnt save them for all games then there is a problem with the mame.ini file i suspect.

IPAC can reprogram on the fly but ive never needed to. Use WINIPAC utility (you can get from ultimarcs website) to program ipac. Its very easy to work out how to do.

[Malenko]

MK has a weird layout; you might hafta set those 4 games up manually (5 if you include WWE)

[fallacy]

I’m interested in that mario art. Where did you get it?

[likwidtek]

I’m interested in that mario art. Where did you get it?

Hehe we just downloaded some Mario stuff and printed it. They were decorations for my birthday party. It was good times.