Mame cp button order

[thomas_surles]

I need help deciding the order to do my buttons for a 6 button layout. I want to know how everyone else does it.
is your button 1 on top or bottom? which would work out the best and feel more comfortable?

[Slippyblade]

123
456

[Generic Eric]

I have a seven button layout.  I have the bottom 4 wired 1-4.  I can't say I've used 4 for a game yet, but it looks nice because I have them in the neo geo colors.

I'd say bottom 3 as 1-3.  Change the ini file for your fighting games to have 1-3 on top and 4-6 on bottom.


I will say that the arch I chose messes me up when I try to use button 3, so new control panel for me eventually. Yay.

YMMV.  Just make the underside of your cp accessible and you can change it if you don't like it.

[BadMouth]

By default MAME assumes your buttons are numbered like so:

123
456

Map them that way and all the Capcom and Midway fighters will be mapped correctly.
Having the fourth button for Neo Geo in the second row is actually pretty nice. 
You can hit it with your thumb.

For the sake of including relevant information in this thread.....

If you have more than 6 buttons and map them like so:

1234
5678

You end up having to remap a ton of games.  Better to go with:

1237
4568

[thomas_surles]

thanks that helps a lot. i like the idea of hitting number 4 with the thumb. seems like that would be the easiest.

[Generic Eric]

Those guys are right.  The question you should be asking yourself is "Do you feel lucky?"  Wait no.  You should ask yourself what type of game you are going to play more.  Wire it that way.  Not everyone needs all 6 or 8 buttons.

I don't like my cp and plan on rewiring it.  I didn't really get to the point in my last post. 

[thomas_surles]

I need the 6 buttons because besides mame I am also doing snes which requires 6 buttons plus a start and select (coin&p1)

[Benzinbruder]

By default MAME assumes your buttons are numbered like so:

123
456

Map them that way and all the Capcom and Midway fighters will be mapped correctly.
Having the fourth button for Neo Geo in the second row is actually pretty nice. 
You can hit it with your thumb.

For the sake of including relevant information in this thread.....

If you have more than 6 buttons and map them like so:

1234
5678

You end up having to remap a ton of games.  Better to go with:

1237
4568

So, with a 7 button layout like this:

   o o o
o o o o

what would be the correct way to wire them?

   1 2 3
7 4 5 6

I suppose, and probably

   5 6 7
1 2 3 4

for Neo-Geo

Isn't there a way to map all Neo-Geo games like the second version, and all the rest like the first?

[EMDB]

If you play a lot of 1/2 button games (like I do) you probably like them to be on the bottom left:

  567
1234

You should remap your buttons for the 6 button fighters to use 5-6-7-2-3-4 as your 6 buttons 1 til 6 though.

[Benzinbruder]

Well, since I've based my layout on your CP, I'd probably do good to follow your advice. Thanks!

Is there a way to tell Hyperspin / Mame to remap all fighter games automatically or is that something I would have to do manually?
Sorry for the noob-question, I'm not that much into the software stuff yet. I'm hoping that my new hardware arrives soon though, so I can set things up!

[WakiMiko]

You might want to look into ctrlr files to set up your controls. They allow you to change the controls for a specific system (e.g. neogeo). Some info here: http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Ctrlr_file

For example, if you have your encoder (in my case an I-PAC) set up to send the following keycodes:

ASDF
ZXCV

Create controls.cfg and put it into the ctrlr directory:

Code: [Select]

<mameconfig version="10">
    <system name="default">
        <input>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON1">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_A
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON2">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_S
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON3">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_D
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON4">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_Z
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON5">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_X
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON6">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_C
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON7">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_F
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON8">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_V
                </newseq>
            </port>
        </input>
    </system>
    <system name="neogeo">
        <input>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON4">
                <newseq type="standard"
                    KEYCODE_F OR KEYCODE_Z
                </newseq>
            </port>
        </input>
    </system>
</mameconfig>
Then in mame.ini set the ctrlr line to:

Code: [Select]

ctrlr                     controls
This will allow you to use either the fourth button in the top row or the first button in bottom row as the NeoGeo 'D' button. Of course you can just change the KEYCODE_F OR KEYCODE_Z line if you want to allow only one button.
For every other (non-neogeo) game the button layout will be like this, which should work fine for most games and fighters.

1237
4568

If you have a 7 button setup or would rather use the bottom row for neogeo games, it should be easy to adapt my example. You could also add other systems that use weird button layouts.

[EMDB]

You might want to look into ctrlr files to set up your controls. They allow you to change the controls for a specific system (e.g. neogeo). Some info here: http://wiki.arcadecontrols.com/wiki/Ctrlr_file

For example, if you have your encoder (in my case an I-PAC) set up to send the following keycodes:

ASDF
ZXCV

Create controls.cfg and put it into the ctrlr directory:

Code: [Select]

<mameconfig version="10">
    <system name="default">
        <input>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON1">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_A
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON2">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_S
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON3">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_D
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON4">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_Z
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON5">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_X
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON6">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_C
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON7">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_F
                </newseq>
            </port>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON8">
                <newseq type="standard">
                    KEYCODE_V
                </newseq>
            </port>
        </input>
    </system>
    <system name="neogeo">
        <input>
            <port type="P1_BUTTON4">
                <newseq type="standard"
                    KEYCODE_F OR KEYCODE_
                </newseq>
            </port>
        </input>
    </system>
</mameconfig>
Then in mame.ini set the ctrlr line to:

Code: [Select]

ctrlr                     controls
This will allow you to use either the fourth button in the top row or the first button in bottom row as the NeoGeo 'D' button. Of course you can just change the KEYCODE_F OR KEYCODE_Z line if you want to allow only one button.
For every other (non-neogeo) game the button layout will be like this, which should work fine for most games and fighters.

1237
4568

If you have a 7 button setup or would rather use the bottom row for neogeo games, it should be easy to adapt my example.

That's nice for neo geo games but for the many 1/2-button games like Donkey Kong you want the bottom left button to be your action button is a 7 button layout.

[WakiMiko]

My solution might not be perfect for everyone but it solves Benzinbruder's problem without having to spend a ton of time remapping every fighting or neogeo game.

Though I don't know where he prefers his "main button" to be, for me it has always been the top left button. That's "jump" in Donkey Kong "shoot" in virtually every shmup and I like it that way. 

[BadMouth]

So, with a 7 button layout like this:

   o o o
o o o o

what would be the correct way to wire them?

   1 2 3
7 4 5 6

I suppose, and probably

   5 6 7
1 2 3 4

for Neo-Geo

Isn't there a way to map all Neo-Geo games like the second version, and all the rest like the first?

In my opinion yes.  The first one you posted would be the default and the second would be for Neo Geo games.
I posted a little batch file in this thread to remap all the neo geo games: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,135983.msg1405936.html#msg1405936

That should cover most things.   You'll probably also want to remap the run button in MK3 to your extra one.

My current setup is:
oooo
ooo
with the Neo Geo row on top.
To be honest after playing it a while, I'd prefer to use the first button in the second row as the last Neo Geo button and hit it with my thumb instead of hitting the one in the top row with my pinky.
My cab is neo geo themed and they are the proper color though, so I can't just change it. 
I'll probably end up mapping both buttons to the last Neo Geo button.

[WakiMiko]

I'll probably end up mapping both buttons to the last Neo Geo button.

Look at my post then as it does exactly this, no batch files needed

[BadMouth]

That's nice for neo geo games but for the many 1/2-button games like Donkey Kong you want the bottom left button to be your action button is a 7 button layout.

I don't.  My fingers instinctively go to the top row.
This has been discussed before and IMO it falls among generational lines.
Us old folks who grew up playing on controllers with only one row of buttons go for the top.
Younger folks go for the bottom row for the main buttons, like was on the controllers they grew up with.
Might be wrong or right, but that's my theory.

All of my guests always go for the top row.

Also, if you start on the bottom, you'll end up having to remap ALL the fighting games except for Neo Geo.

[Ginsu Victim]

Us old folks who grew up playing on controllers with only one row of buttons go for the top.

I'm 36 and was in the arcades starting in 1980. Pretty much grew up in the arcade, and I prefer bottom row.
456
123₇ (7 is mapped as 4)

Also, if you start on the bottom, you'll end up having to remap ALL the fighting games except for Neo Geo.

Meh, it's not that big a deal to me or my guests. They didn't play enough Capcom fighting games to notice.

[Generic Eric]

Maybe this is what 1 should have done?  I've yet to edit an ini:

456
1234
 
I've yet to play a 7 button game.

[surface tension]

We configure like this out of the box...

1 2 3 4
5 6 7

This allows for the Neo-Geo and Streetfighter players. However, in MAME if you configure the bottom row as buttons 4 5 6, then you have both configurations ready to go. It's a 6-button layout, but you can change to 7.

[WakiMiko]

I don't see how

1 2 3 4
5 6 7

allows for Street Fighter

[DeLuSioNal29]

My solution might not be perfect for everyone but it solves Benzinbruder's problem without having to spend a ton of time remapping every fighting or neogeo game.

Yes, this is a known solution to remap buttons for the Neo Geo layout.  http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,138676.msg1432590.html#msg1432590

D

[eds1275]

I used a program to remap all my buttons for me. I have a 7 button layout like this, with the 1's wired together:

   5 1 6
   2 3 4
1

for anything 4 buttons or less I made everything the bottom row, 1 2 3 4. And for 5 or more buttons, it remapped everything 1-3, 4-6, top to bottom like a street fighter layout. And then I manually remapped all my mortal kombats.

The program is called CFG Magician and is the best thing ever for this.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,88948.0.html

[Benzinbruder]

AWESOME! 

Thank's for all the great feedback.

I felt that the Neo-Geo row should be at the bottom, as then there is no bottom row of buttons in the way when you want to rest your palms on the CP.

Not sure about the action button for the MAME games though. I'll have to try and see whatever I (and my guests) prefer. Good thing that there are so many ways of remapping the buttons. 

[surface tension]

I don't see how

1 2 3 4
5 6 7

allows for Street Fighter

Well, fighters such as SF2 have a 3 x 2 layout. So inputs 4 and 5 are both mapped to 4, giving this layout.

1 2 3 4
4 5 6