Help With Configuring Controls For MaLa and Mame

[Zrooney]

  I would just like to say a shout out to accepting me into the forums, thanks, well now to business.  This is the first Mala+Mame cabinet I am building and i thought I start with the software first, then order the hardware.  The problem i have occurring is, Mala does not recognize my USB joystick in the menus, and i have to use a keyboard.  But when it launches the game in MAME, the joystick works fantastic!  So how do i configure my Joystick to work in  Mala?  I was also wandering if i could get a game like 1942, with 3 files, into one, to cleanup the menus.  If i could, how could i do it?  Also, can i configure different controls for different games.  For example can i use a joystick and 2 buttons for 1942, but in Asteroids can i use all buttons?  Seeing as this is my first cabinet, please be as thorough as you can, because I am only starting to feel my way around Mala.  Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[Vigo]

Welcome Zrooney!

For Mala and Joysticks, it should work but I know it is picky. I think the joystick needs to be identified as "joystick 0" by your computer. Try downloading joyids from this link:

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

The utility will give the option to change the id on usb joysticks. If that doesn't work, google a program called "joytokey" or "joy2key". It will convert joystick pushes to keyboard pushes. xpadder will work as well.

For the games on your list that are showing up multiple times due to multiple versions, I believe there is an option in Mala to show only the master roms. I can't remember off the top of my head where it is located though.

For configuring controls in Mame, start a game up and first configure the way you generally want your controls. Press tab to open the menu and select the "input (general)" option and set your controls. Then for games where you want special control setups, start that specific game, go to the options with tab, and select "input (this game)" and the controls will be adjusted for that game alone.

[Zrooney]

Thanks for all your help!  You have saved me so much time!

[Le Chuck]

Zrooney!  Great to have ya.  

If you want to adjust your MALA lists you can go in to the mala list editor and start working through but I find that another program, ROMlister, is a huge help and it can make your .mlg files for you based on your preferences.  I put it up for somebody else on this thread and it has all the additional ini files you will need to get rolling if you want to give that a shot as well.

Did you setup your joy in the MALA configure menu? Right click and click on Options/Configurations Menu.  Click on the controller tab, then the Joystick menu tab, check use joystick box.  Select Joy ID if it doesn't auto recognize and map it from there.  If you all that and it isn't showing up pop back up on the net and let us know.  Good luck

[Zrooney]

  I have set up my joystick in the configuration in MaLa, but it still does not recognize it!  ( If the next part infringes on rules, let me know please.) I have been downloading some ROMS today and noticed some pop up with a message in the begging of Mame stating " There are known problems with this game....".  I was wandering if there was anyway to hide this message, or simply deal.  Also, is there a way to hide the BIOS when you start a Game each time?

[Le Chuck]

  I have set up my joystick in the configuration in MaLa, but it still does not recognize it!  Noticed some roms pop up with a message in the begging of Mame stating " There are known problems with this game....".  I was wandering if there was anyway to hide this message, or simply deal.  Also, is there a way to hide the BIOS when you start a Game each time?

FTFY 

The rom error messages continue to pop up after the second time you play?  I thought a lot of those messages were one time warnings.  The move joystick left/right warnings that come up can no longer be turned off in current mame builds but can in older ones and certain other mame ports.  I'm not that experienced with those but you can find mega tutorials on here with a few quick searches.  As for the BIOS you want to hide the boot up screens of the ROM itself or the dos windows that flash right before loading the rom?

[Zrooney]

  No, it is not the Move joystick Left then Right screen, but another one.  It is most likely the ROM I am using, because not all of them show the warning message.  As for the Bios that flashes, it is the ROM bios showing the Specs of that particular ROM.  What does FTFY mean?   Do you have any suggestions on what to do with the joystick problem.

[Le Chuck]

Fixed That For You.

I'll need more info on your joy to troubleshoot why MALA isn't recognizing but windows and mame are.  What brand, what encoder, serial or USB? 

[Le Chuck]

  No, it is not the Move joystick Left then Right screen, but another one.  It is most likely the ROM I am using, because not all of them show the warning message.  As for the Bios that flashes, it is the ROM bios showing the Specs of that particular ROM.  What does FTFY mean?   Do you have any suggestions on what to do with the joystick problem.

Somebody may jump on and explain this more betterer than I but the boot screens are part of how MAME works, it's recreating the original hardware for the game to run on, so it's just like you would see when you power a cab up in the morning before you open the doors to the Arcade.  You notice them because you're not walking up to dedicated machines already running but basically every time you want to play you are turning that machine on so to speak.  The broken ROM warnings are on some games that just haven't been emulated that well yet.  I have a handful myself, you quickly learn to ignore these, but again, on early MAME devs you can turn them off.  Maybe on the current one too but not sure.

[Zrooney]

I am using a Saitek ST90 joystick that has a USB.  I know this may sound confusing, but I really don't care if MaLa does not work with the Saitek joystick, because i am just setting up the frame of Mala and Mame on my personal computer, then going to transfer my  files over to the emulator PC.  What I need to know is if the iPac boards with joystick and 5-6 buttons will work with Mala and Mame no problem.  I just want to let you know that your help Le Chuck of explaining everything to me is not being under appreciated at all, i am immensely happy that you are being so helpful!

[Le Chuck]

In that case the answer is easy.  Yes.  Ipac is a keyboard encoder so you don't have to worry about joystick identification.  MAME doesn't care either way.

[Zrooney]

Now on to the next question .  I found an old cd and it was FILLED with old ROM files.  But, they are all unzipped and the new Mame requires them zipped.  They used to work in Mame32. Is there a converter to convert old ROM files into usable ones, or are they only able to be used in Mame32.  I tried to make them into .zip format again, but with no luck.

[Le Chuck]

I think you may be out of luck and from here the conversation wanders into the DMZ of BYOAC

However if you unzipped them in MAME32 seems that you should be able to reverse the process in MAME32

[Zrooney]

Thanks for all your help, i understand the last question was a wee bit off.  I think I am all set on the software now.  Just need to fine tune/ get games and some other minor stuff.  But with this you made the process about a bazillion times easier.  If I have anymore questions, I will let you know, and the rest of the forum community.  Thanks again Le Chuck and Vigo, and the best of luck on all your MAME cabinents. ( Le Chuck, your Darth Vader one is turning out pretty nice)

[Zrooney]

Just out of curiosity. What does DMZ stand for?

[TopJimmyCooks]

Demilitarized Zone.  Area that neither army is supposed to occupy.  Relates to the Korean War.  Colloquially, the DMZ is a place that you aren't allowed to hang out in.

A usb joystick should work in Mala regardless of it's ID.  just make sure under the controls tab that the joystick box is checked. 

To well and truly get rid of every nag screen in mame, search for the Hiscore NoNag diff and read up on compiling your own version of Mame.  Lechuck is right, if a rom check screen is part of the original game boot, it will display regardless.