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Controls Database (FE programmers inside, please)
ArcadeFX:
The database I use with ArcadeFX has the following alrady entered for every MAME game.
"gamename","gamedescription","gameyear","gamemanufacturer","gamecloneof","gameromof","gamecategory","gameversion","videoscreen","videoorientation","videox","videoy","videocolors","videofreq","soundchannels","inputplayers","inputcontrol","inputbuttons","inputcoins","driverstatus","drivercolor","driversound","drivercolordeep","available","favorite","favorite2","favorite3","favorite4","favorite5","counter"
The last 7 fields are specific for each user and not taken from the listinfo.
I am not sure how usefull a database would be of key mappings since each cabinet could have their own mappings. Anyone who did any custom key mapping in MAME might not find it very useful.
Howard_Casto:
It sounds like a cool idea, but other than telling you which games have spinners (which we can already get) and some interesting eye candy, what purpose would it serve?
Here's a thought, same idea, but use it for a totally different purpose. Me and lilwolf were talking about making a on-the-fly key remapper. Now if you gave all button functions a generic name (fire 1 fire 2 fire 3, ect) then it could be useful for that.
Just a thought, keep at it.
:)
Trenchbroom:
Actually here's another idea for the esteemed programmers among us (certainly not me, and thanks for the hard work BTW).
Make a program like ArcadeFX's ICPD where someone could easily setup his own contol panel layout and save it as a picture in the FE itself. Then, when each game is highlighted on the menu have the picture of the control panel highlight what each button does in that particular game. The user would have to input the controls for each game, of course, although many games could use a more generic layout that the user indicates as such (i.e. all Donkey Kong clones would use the "DK" button layout, all Street Fighter the "6 button fighting" layout, etc.)
SirPoonga:
--- Quote ---"favorite","favorite2","favorite3","favorite4","favorite5"
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WHAT!!! A limited amount of favorites with a database design:)
hehe, mt FE has unlimited categories and favorites:) Oh wait, I'm not really going to release it to the public for pblic use anyway, just release it and use it at your own risk:)
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potatojin:
--- Quote ---Then, when each game is highlighted on the menu have the picture of the control panel highlight what each button does in that particular game.
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This is pretty much exactly what I was originally thinking about. In response to Howard, I was thinking it would go beyond eye candy by reminding me and telling my friends exactly what each of the 7 buttons on my control panel do when I load up a game. You'd only see it before loading the game, but it might be better than nothing.
I'm still trying to hash out the technical feasibility re: key mappings. I'd rather not have a solution that requires a huge amount of special coding by individual FE authors. I haven't tried parsing the mame config files and don't know how hard anyone else has tried.