Best way to setup gamepad controllers for a multicade cabinet

[Maxforwardspeed]

I'm adding USB ports for my PC multicade and am trying to figure out the best way to integrate gamepads with some of the emulators. I'm thinking it would be nice to have the option to plug in a game pad for some systems that are console -based but not sure if there's a way to map the inputs so that you can use either the keyboard encoder OR the gamepads. It seems like you'd have to use one or the other, but thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a way to do both.

[PL1]

I'm adding USB ports for my PC multicade and am trying to figure out the best way to integrate gamepads with some of the emulators. I'm thinking it would be nice to have the option to plug in a game pad for some systems that are console -based but not sure if there's a way to map the inputs so that you can use either the keyboard encoder OR the gamepads. It seems like you'd have to use one or the other, but thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a way to do both.

When MAME launches a game, it checks which types of controllers are available.
- If a type of controller isn't available, that type of input won't show up in the MAME "Input (this Machine)" menu entries.

If you are using a keyboard encoder and plug in a gamepad before the game launches, both keyboard and gamepad inputs should show up in the MAME "Input (this Machine)" menu entries.
- You don't have to exit MAME entirely to plug in the gamepad.  You can do that while in the MAME GUI.

If you've remapped any of the default input settings, you may need to remap the input for both keyboard and gamepad.
- Highlight the input.
- Press Enter.
- Press ESC. (maps the input to "none")
- Press Enter.
- Press keyboard encoder button. (maps the input to the keyboard key)
- Press Enter.
- Press gamepad button. (maps the input to respond to the keyboard key or the gamepad button)   


Scott

[Maxforwardspeed]

I'm adding USB ports for my PC multicade and am trying to figure out the best way to integrate gamepads with some of the emulators. I'm thinking it would be nice to have the option to plug in a game pad for some systems that are console -based but not sure if there's a way to map the inputs so that you can use either the keyboard encoder OR the gamepads. It seems like you'd have to use one or the other, but thought I'd check to see if anyone knows of a way to do both.

When MAME launches a game, it checks which types of controllers are available.
- If a type of controller isn't available, that type of input won't show up in the MAME "Input (this Machine)" menu entries.

If you are using a keyboard encoder and plug in a gamepad before the game launches, both keyboard and gamepad inputs should show up in the MAME "Input (this Machine)" menu entries.
- You don't have to exit MAME entirely to plug in the gamepad.  You can do that while in the MAME GUI.

If you've remapped any of the default input settings, you may need to remap the input for both keyboard and gamepad.
- Highlight the input.
- Press Enter.
- Press ESC. (maps the input to "none")
- Press Enter.
- Press keyboard encoder button. (maps the input to the keyboard key)
- Press Enter.
- Press gamepad button. (maps the input to respond to the keyboard key or the gamepad button)   


Scott

Thanks Scott. So seems pretty easy in MAME. I wonder about other emulators like RetroArch. I'm using that for N64, which would be great to have multiple gamepads for that system.

[MartyKong]

Well a program called JoytoKey comes to mind. It maps keyboard outputs to a gamepad. So when you press joy button 1 it can output a key matching your arcade button 1.... So would work with both.