Joystick Questions (travel & Programming - U360 vs MagStik Plus)

[billf1]

Hi All,

I have built my first CP (although it is just temporary, as I decide how i want to build my final cabinet, and I confirm my controls layout).

I used 2 MagStik Pluses for the build.

I am noticing that the throw seems really short, esp for fighters, and that it is tough to get diagonals accurately.  Is this just because I am new to the stick?  I was thinking that something with a longer throw, or a larger dead zone (or neutral zone) would be better, thoughts?

How is the U360 throw compared to the MagStik?  I may make the MagStiks for P3 & P4, and use U360 for 1 & 2,  but I dont want to spend that much if it is not a longer throw.

How do you reprogram them on the fly?  Can my frontend (HyperSpin) change the program when I enter and exit a game?  If so, how hard is this to configure - is it a config game by game - that would be really painful.

Thanks in advance.
Bill

[EMDB]

The travel of the U360 is much longer than the MagStik. You can modify it by adding different restrictors. I have both in my cabinet: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,130690.0.html

The U360 is basically an analog stick so it has no micro switches. It feels quite different than a micro switch based stick.

Hyperspin can't program the U360 but I wrote a little program called HyperMap which does it per game when launched from Hyperspin: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134128.0.html



It comes with a full set of configurations for all MAME V0.150 games.

[billf1]

Wow... I did not expect such an amazingly informative response so quickly.  Awesome!

I guess I will be investing in some U360's.

Will your program work with two at once?  So P1 and P2 both have the same controls, due to the significantly smaller window of use for P3/4 I am not as worried if they are different.  This is using them plugged in via USB, correct, not into an IPAC (or similar)?

Also, you are not using HyperLauch, will it still work if I use HyperLaunch and add the path to HyperMap.exe add to the command line?
   EDIT:  I see that you mentioned to open 'normally' - which would mean not hyperlaunch, what if you pointed hypermap to hyperlaunch.exe instead of mame, and hyperlaunch to the emulators (mame or otherwise)?
 
Thanks again!
Bill

[EMDB]

My application can address 1 til 4 U360's. They should be connected via USB to be able to download the maps. Can can still use the sticks either as analog sticks (joystick in Windows) via USB or digitally connected via an iPAC.

HyperSpin launches HyperMap using the game as parameter. HyperMap downloads the corresponding maps to the stick(s) and launches MAME afterwards. When MAME finishes, the mapping you want for control Hyperspin is loaded and HyperMap exits to HyperSpin again. No need for HyperLaunch as far as I can tell. You still could launch HyperLaunch from HyperMap indeed. I don't have experience with that for now.

I created HyperMap specifically for my cabinet which only runs runs MAME for now (and Space Commander, Flappy Bird and Fix It Felix Jr homebrew).

[billf1]

Oh ok, I will have to give it a shot, I am running a few other emulators as well in addition to MAME.

Thanks for info and for writing a program for the community!