ultimarc Ultrastik360 on rpi

[Owillingham]

Looking to buy an Ultimarc Ultrastik360 to use with my Pi4 running retropie.  I want to have 3 separate mappings for the joystick so it behaves like a 4way restricted, 8way restricted and 4way restricted with 45degree rotation, with the appropriate map automatically loaded when a game launches.  Everything online points to setting it up using mame on windows, but there is limited and confusing information about using it on a raspberry pi.  My initial intention (though happy to change the configuration if its needed to make it work) would be to set the joystick to output mode and connect it to my current zero delay board to act like a mechanical joystick.  I'd have the usb connected to the pi so that it can receive the instructions to change the mapping as game launches.  The bit I need to know - is how to set up retropi to send the data needed each time a game launches.

[J_K_M_A_N]

These are the instructions I used.

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Installation

Always deinstall an existing version with that version's installer by doing ./setup.sh remove. You can always backup your config file.

******** Do not copy the rgbcmdd.xml or the RGBCommander Instructions.txt to the install directory ********
******** I copy it to the home/pi/RGBInstall directory (has to be created) then follow instructions below ***********


On the pi RetroPie: Extract the archive and copy it through ssh to the flash card. Connect to your pi using ssh (default U/P pi/raspberry) and navigate to that folder. Issue the following command to make your setup script executable : sudo chmod +x ./setup.sh and then install it by doing sudo ./setup.sh install . Hit 'Q' on the keyboard to quit once it is installed (it will say something like "lines 1-12 (END)". It can be removed the same way by doing sudo ./setup.sh remove. After the installation you need to adapt the configuration file. On the pi the easiest way is to issue a sudo pico /usr/sbin/rgcommander/rgbcmdd.xml and adapt it to your system. ctrl x exits and it'll ask you to save the changes. Once saved restart the daemon by doing sudo systemctl restart rgbcommander

After you install, you can copy the rgbcmdd.xml file to the usr/sbin/rgbcommander folder (rename the original as old)

***** IF YOU EDIT THE rgbcmdd.xml FILE DO NOT USE NOTEPAD++!!!!! *********


ULTRASTIK 360s
###################
Valid values:
4 4-Way
8 8-Way
10 2-Way, Left & Right
11 2-Way, Up & Down
12 4-Way, Diagonals Only (Qbert, Zaxxon, Congo Bongo)
13 4-Way, No Sticky, Up-Down bias (no joystick play in the center. Good for fast movements)
20 8-Way Easy Diagonals (fighting games)
21 Analog (Sinistar, Arch Rivals, Pigskin 621 AD)
22 Mouse Pointer
Any invalid value greater than 4 will default to 8-way

Change the rgbcmdd.xml file with the following for different U360 values

<rom id="qbert" way="12">

Just search for the exact mame filename of the rom.
Run this command after saving the new rgbcmdd.xml file to the correct folder.

sudo systemctl restart rgbcommander


Ports used: default the daemon uses port 2724 on all platforms. On Linux an additional port 2701 is used (that one is fixed, it can't be changed)


 The log file is your friend...

It really really is. Don't forget it...

On Linux the most convenient way is to open a shell and issue tail -f /usr/sbin/rgbcommander/rgbcmdd.log

You can change ownership of files like so

sudo chown -R pi directory

the -R does all files in the directory

You can change the group by using

sudo chgrp -R pi directory

I used it in USB mode and I had to connect 1 button to the stick so I could hold that down and add the joystick to EmulationStation. I disconnected it once I was done. I am not sure if this will work in output mode with a zero delay board. Sorry.

With that info above, I was able to use the 360's and Q*Bert, Ms Pac-Man and Donkey Kong work great. I have really gotten used to those sticks. I like them a lot. Hopefully you can work your way through with this.

J_K_M_A_N

EDIT: That is using RGBCommander which is used for controlling LED's but I do not have any LEDs on my bartop. I only used it for the U360s.